Having absorbed the shadows while already severely wounded, Bege's condition was precarious; controlling his own body had become incredibly difficult.
"Kill them before I lose control." Killing intent flared in Bege's eyes. The next instant, his massive figure vanished abruptly. A jolt went through both Vice Admirals, their reactions lightning fast.
The blazing sword cleaved through the air, its cold light flashing. Bege reappeared before Mad Tiger Simon, the Fire Cloud Sword descending in a furious arc.
"I'll block it!" Simon roared, raising his longsword horizontally above his head.
CLANG!
In that split second, sword met sword. With a deafening crash, flames exploded outwards. Simon's expression twisted as the force slammed him down, shattering the ground beneath his feet. Blood sprayed from his mouth uncontrollably.
"Simon!!" White Lion Brent charged forward rapidly, his own longsword swinging.
Bege spun, lifted his right leg, and lashed out with a powerful kick. His Armament Haki-clad foot crashed against Brent's blade.
BOOM!
Terrifying force slammed into Brent's sword, making his right arm tremble violently and sending him stumbling backward several steps.
The fierce glint in Bege's eyes intensified. He brought his sword down heavily onto Simon's blade once more. The immense pressure forced the Vice Admiral's sword down, allowing the Fire Cloud Sword to bite into his shoulder. The searing heat of the blade tore through his skin effortlessly, burning into his flesh.
Simon let out a tortured howl, his face contorted in agony. He struggled frantically, but he couldn't break free from Bege's overwhelming strength. He could only watch in horror as the Fire Cloud Sword continued its descent, cutting down to the bone, which began to crack under the pressure.
Brent roared and unleashed a massive slash of sword energy, launching it towards Bege.
Bege frowned, instantly using Soru to dodge the attack.
Clutching his nearly ruined shoulder, Simon let out hysterical, guttural roars, as if only screaming could alleviate the unbearable pain.
Before Brent could make another move, Bege preemptively charged him, the Fire Cloud Sword slashing violently. Brent's face paled as he raised his sword to defend. Amidst the resulting explosion, blood erupted from Brent's mouth as he was blasted away again.
"Just DIE!" Bege roared, utterly berserk. Flames surged anew from the Fire Cloud Sword. He closed the distance to Brent in a single step, his colossal form bearing down like an unstoppable, savage beast.
"Lion King Slash!" Fury burned in Brent's eyes. Throwing caution to the wind, he swung his sword, clashing head-on with the Fire Cloud Sword once more.
"Beast King!"
Two equally ferocious streams of sword energy detonated instantly. But Bege's power was superior. The Fire Cloud Sword overwhelmed Brent's defense, forcing the Vice Admiral down onto his knees. The impact shattered the ground beneath him, pulverizing his kneecaps.
"Old man, you're already ancient. You don't belong in the coming new era. Go where you belong."
Brent could no longer lift his sword. The Fire Cloud Sword descended directly onto his head, the terrifying force cleaving the old lion cleanly in two.
"NO! BRENT!" Simon screamed, witnessing Brent's death with raw agony twisting his features. Madness flared in his eyes. His body began to change, shifting further into his Zoan form. As the transformation intensified, his grievous wounds started to rapidly heal.
"I'll kill you," Simon hissed, his voice ice-cold, the chilling intent in his eyes enough to make one's scalp crawl. He snatched up his longsword, leaped high into the air, raised the blade with one hand, and brought it down in a vengeful slash.
Bege spun around, the Fire Cloud Sword tracing a brilliant arc of light as it met Simon's blade. The sheer force sent Simon flying back, but Bege also coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggering back three steps.
Simon scrambled up from the ground, still coughing blood, his beast transformation becoming more pronounced. He stood tall and roared towards the remaining Marines, his voice thick with anguish, "Retreat! Get out of here!"
The Marine Vice Admirals fighting nearby stared in disbelief at the heavily wounded Simon, their expressions shifting drastically.
"Hehehehehe! That old lion's dead, and Mad Tiger's next! Once they're gone, the Captain will finish you lot off too!" Riki, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, ignored his own injuries and cackled with savage glee.
The Vice Admiral fighting Riki glanced towards Simon's battle, saw Simon get knocked back again by Bege, and his face grew even uglier. The thought of retreat took root in his mind.
"Thinking of running? Too late!" Riki snarled, seemingly reading his opponent's thoughts. He charged forward again, determined to keep the Vice Admiral pinned down.
"Retreat! Hurry, retreat!" Simon kept roaring, his voice growing hoarse and weaker. Finally, the Marines began to pull back.
"Mad Tiger, it's time to settle the score from two years ago," Bege declared. He stomped, shattering the ground, and charged forward. With a single devastating blow, he smashed Simon deep into the earth. The Vice Admiral weakly lost his grip on his longsword, blood continuously pouring from his mouth.
Bege raised the Fire Cloud Sword, preparing to deliver the final blow. But suddenly, he choked, violently coughing up blood. Streams of shadows burst from his mouth, flying outwards. Caught in the sunlight, they rapidly dissipated into nothingness.
Bege's body shrank rapidly, his aura plummeting to rock bottom. He could barely remain standing, forced to use his sword as a crutch to support himself.
Simon's blood-reddened eyes widened in shock, blood still bubbling from his lips.
"Quick… quick… come back… kill… him."
He tried to shout, to call the retreating Marines back, but the blood flooding his throat choked the words.
Bege looked down at Simon and suddenly burst into triumphant laughter.
Eyes blazing with extreme unwillingness, Simon fumbled his right hand across the ground, searching for his sword. His fingers closed around the hilt, gripping it tightly. He tried to point it towards Bege, desperate to kill him even now.
With a final, decisive slash, Bege slit Simon's throat. The light in the Vice Admiral's eyes rapidly dimmed and faded. Mad Tiger Simon was dead.
A satisfied smile spread across Bege's face as he collapsed backward onto the ground.
"Bege!"
"Captain!"
"Godfather!"
Modi and the others rushed over quickly, helping Bege up. He managed to force his eyes open, agonizing pain radiating from every fiber of his being, deep into his bones.
"Leave… Back to Skypiea."
"Take everyone! We're returning to Skypiea!"
Modi and the crew wasted no time. They carried Bege, while others collected Moria and the seriously wounded crewmates. Even the bodies of their fallen comrades were brought along.
Back aboard the Sky God, the colossal ship immediately took flight, soaring towards Skypiea.
The three remaining Marine Vice Admirals retreated swiftly with their surviving troops aboard the seven warships, simultaneously reporting the battle's outcome to Marine Headquarters.
In the Fleet Admiral's office at Marineford, furious roars echoed.
Fleet Admiral Kong slammed his fist down, shattering his sturdy wooden desk. His powerful aura surged wildly within the office.
"Capone Bege! You cost me two of my best Vice Admirals! I will capture you! I swear I'll see you walk the executioner's platform!"
Fleet Admiral Kong immediately summoned Admiral Zephyr, who hadn't yet left Headquarters, ordering him to proceed to the West Blue at once to apprehend Capone Bege.
However, Bege was already flying high above the sea. Even if Zephyr scoured the entire West Blue, he wouldn't find him. The Marines couldn't reach Skypiea yet, ensuring Bege and his crew were safe for the time being.
Seven days passed. News of Bege killing Vice Admirals Mad Tiger Simon and White Lion Brent leaked out. Concurrently, Bege's and his crew's bounties were raised once again. Most notably, Bege's bounty skyrocketed from 500 million belli directly to 850 million. A bounty of this magnitude put him on par with great pirates who had been sailing the New World for decades.
Modi's bounty also jumped significantly, from 100 million to 400 million belli. The bounties of the other core members generally increased by 50 million each. The Fire Tank Pirates had once again shaken the world.