Akainu focused his attention, extending his Observation Haki a thousand meters into the air.
"Tch, it's actually this brat."
Sensing the anomaly, Akainu was furious.
These intruders were pulling tricks from the shadows, severely reducing the lethality of his technique.
The Meteor Volcano that should have struck like missiles now resembled nothing more than bullets hitting the ground.
Ordinary firearms could hardly inflict damage on high-level pirates; experienced fighters all had their own methods to dodge or block them.
Thus, the second wave could no longer be called a Meteor Volcano.
At best, it was merely covering fire.
The number of pirates it could kill dropped exponentially.
Enraged by the group high above, Akainu's fury skyrocketed.
Without another word, his arms transformed into magma again as he launched a barrage toward the enemy positions detected by his Observation Haki.
Machine-gun-like blasts of magma shot wildly into the sky!
...
Meanwhile, a thousand meters above.
Buggy, Crocodile, Jinbe, Bon Clay, Galdino, Marianne, and Daz Bonez stood atop an ice peak, secretly pleased.
Buggy, in particular, wore an expression of utter arrogance.
"Kahahaha! Witness the power of Buggy-sama! So what if you're an Admiral? You're still playing right into my hands!"
Hearing Buggy's boastful remarks, Crocodile snorted coldly.
What's there to be proud of? It's just a splitting ability.
Still, he had to admit, the ability was indeed ridiculous.
Although Crocodile was also an awakened Devil Fruit user, his awakened Sand-Sand Fruit relied heavily on the surrounding environment.
Only by assimilating other materials and turning his surroundings into a desert could he unleash his full power.
In contrast, Buggy's awakened Chop-Chop Fruit could unleash its maximum combat effectiveness regardless of location.
For example, just moments ago, the clown had thrown a punch of energy that shattered all the massive magma boulders within a hundred meters ahead of them.
Moreover, Buggy could also fly.
After several maneuvers, the second wave of the Meteor Volcano had been entirely reduced to mere meteor fragments.
In a one-on-one fight, even on the ground, Crocodile wasn't absolutely confident he could defeat Buggy.
After all, he was a former crew member of the Pirate King—he definitely had some skills up his sleeve.
Jinbe didn't react much to Buggy's strength, only marveling at how cunning the guy truly was.
He could only imagine how furious Akainu must be down below.
Just then, Buggy, Crocodile, and Jinbe's expressions shifted simultaneously.
Countless massive, meteor-like magma blasts were raining directly toward their location.
"Shit! We've been discovered?" Buggy jumped up in fright.
Crocodile, Jinbe, Daz Bonez, and the others immediately shifted into combat stances.
"Stop jumping around and quickly chop up this magma!"
Hearing Crocodile's words, Buggy immediately activated his ability.
"No need to tell me, I already know what to do!"
"Chop-Chop Fist!"
"Sandstorm!"
"Fish-Man Karate: Vagabond Drill!"
"Atomic Slash!"
"Candle Wall!"
Everyone activated their abilities, finally managing to neutralize the overwhelming magma attacks. But at the same time, the ice peak they were standing on was destroyed.
They all began plummeting toward the battlefield below.
Fortunately, with Buggy and Crocodile both capable of flight, they were able to help slow the descent of the others.
During the fall, Buggy's usual playful grin faded, replaced by a grave expression.
The casual attacks of the Admirals were terrifying—how could they possibly save Ace?
Even with the Whitebeard Pirates and their own group combined, it seemed impossible.
...
With the arrival of Buggy and his group, the meteor shower assault ceased.
The Marines and pirates regrouped, preparing for a new round of confrontation.
Just then, several screams echoed through the air.
They came from Galdino and Marianne, while the others remained as steady as ever.
However, because of their screams, both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines noticed the group descending from the sky.
"Buggy the Clown!"
"Former Shichibukai Crocodile and Jinbe!"
"Hmm... who are the rest?"
Most pirates and Marines only recognized Buggy, Crocodile, and Jinbe.
The Marines began to feel mounting pressure.
Judging by the trio's stance, were they here to aid Whitebeard? They were all Shichibukai-level combatants.
The Marines had managed to suppress the pirates earlier mainly because they had four Shichibukai fighting on their side.
Among them, Boa Hancock, Gecko Moria, and Doflamingo had been slaughtering pirates without facing any direct opposition.
If the enemy gained three more Shichibukai-level fighters, the balance would be restored.
Akainu watched Buggy's appearance with disdain.
'Damn it, was it this brat who chopped up my move?!'
Though Akainu thought this, the arrival of Buggy, Crocodile, and the others was indeed an unexpected variable for the Marines, even if they couldn't significantly impact the overall plans for now.
Sengoku observed the scene ahead, lost in thought.
After a moment, he decided to restart the live broadcast.
First, he wanted to show the waiting world that the Marines had already eliminated one-fifth of the pirates with minimal losses.
Second, he wanted to mark Buggy for execution.
Today, the Marines would not only execute the son of the Pirate King but also kill one of his former crewmates.
This would undoubtedly strike even greater fear into the hearts of people around the world.
...
The battle continued to unfold.
Whitebeard noticed Crocodile and Buggy's arrival and shook his head thoughtfully.
This time, unlike in the original timeline, Crocodile did not choose to challenge Whitebeard. After awakening his Devil Fruit, his mindset had shifted.
He would no longer engage in meaningless pursuits. Moreover, he disapproved of the Marines' decision to execute Ace.
Crushing the pirates? Wasn't that tantamount to crushing him as well?
Crocodile refused to endure such humiliation like the other Shichibukai.
At least for today, he would stand with Whitebeard to uphold his dignity.
Meanwhile, Buggy flew to Whitebeard's side and proactively proposed an alliance.
After a brief exchange, Whitebeard gladly agreed. He was well aware of the red-nosed clown's capabilities.
If Buggy hadn't remained inactive for so many years after Roger's death, his achievements would surely have been much greater.
In terms of sheer talent, he was no weaker than "Red-Haired" Shanks.
Following the principle of mutual benefit, the two sides formed a cooperative agreement.
At the same time, Sengoku activated the live broadcast, announcing to the entire world:
"Buggy the Clown was a crew member of the Pirate King Roger!"
The intention was clear—to make people worldwide categorize Buggy among the demons!
After all, the Marines had previously suppressed most of the events at Loguetown, so many were unaware of Buggy's true identity.
Upon hearing this, Buggy's expression shifted from shock to excitement.
He shouted at the distant Visual Den Den Mushi broadcasting the scene.
"Kahahaha! That's right, I'm the Pirate King's crew member, the future Yonko! Remember that, all of you!"
Jinbe stared at Buggy speechlessly.
'Good grief, they're trying to kill you and just found the perfect excuse.'
Moreover, eliminating Buggy would bring the Marines even greater glory.
'Talk about killing two birds with one stone.'
'But here you are, Buggy, actually flaunting it.'
Whitebeard, however, burst into laughter at Buggy's antics.
"Brat, go cause some chaos."
"Old man, you're the one who should be careful not to die here!" Buggy shot back. "Once the battle starts, I, Captain Buggy, won't have time to protect you."
With that, the charge resumed.
Buggy drew six daggers from his waist but was intercepted by Doflamingo mid-movement.
"Fufufufufu~ Clown, let's continue our unfinished fight."
"Kahahaha! Joker, are you prepared to die?"
While Buggy faced Doflamingo, the other two found their own opponents.
Jinbe encountered the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, while Crocodile proactively sought out Moria.
Currently, the battle on the ice field remained evenly matched. But the overall power comparison was still terrifying.
The Whitebeard Pirates' deployable forces:
The World's Strongest Man, Edward Newgate.
The Marine side:
Three Admirals
Fleet Admiral Sengoku
Marine Hero Garp
Vice Admiral Tsuru
Former Fleet Admiral Kong
A massive number of Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals.
...
Deep within Marineford, in an office, Kong observed the entire situation through a broadcast Den Den Mushi.
Standing behind him was a Celestial Dragon—one of the new Five Elders, Saint Figarland Garling.