"Kowai ne. He killed another Celestial Dragon."
A beam of light quickly appeared in front of Luffy and the others. Kizaru's figure reconstituted. He tilted his head slightly at Luffy. "You show no respect at all for the descendants of the creators."
"Should I respect them?"
Luffy smiled. "What use are bloodlines or status when it comes to enemies? And the things those guys did on the Sabaody Archipelago—don't you Marines already know? You talk about upholding justice, but that's a pretty grandiose way to put it."
With that one sentence, Luffy left Kizaru with nothing to say.
The battlefield seemed to freeze for a moment.
Celestial Dragons. World Nobles. Descendants of the creators.
Both pirates and Marines adhered to that unspoken, inviolable rule.
Killing a Celestial Dragon was a heinous crime that could trigger a Buster Call, or even cause an Admiral to personally pursue the culprit.
And Straw Hat had first killed three on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Now, on the battlefield of Impel Down—with the world's eyes upon it, with the Marines' strongest forces assembled—he had unhesitatingly cut off the head of that Celestial Dragon from the God's Knights.
He was trampling on and challenging the order of the World Government!
Luffy had already declared war on the World Government long ago.
He didn't know why these people were still making those faces.
What use was the old order to him now?
The Marines glared at him. "Straw Hat, you bastard!"
When the four God's Knights members had first appeared on the battlefield, the Marines' offensive had grown even fiercer.
Because the God's Knights possessed not only formidable combat power and various bizarre Devil Fruit abilities but also immortal bodies—nearly changing the course of the battle.
But before they could get excited for long, Luffy had cut down their momentum with a single stroke of his blade.
What followed was anger.
What did Straw Hat mean by those words?
Was a pirate denying the Marines' justice?!
Protecting the Celestial Dragons meant protecting the absolute order of the World Government. That was one of the most fundamental cornerstones of their justice!
Meanwhile, on the pirates' side, after a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted.
"Ace's little brother is too strong!"
"He's right! What kind of bullshit justice are the Marines talking about? They're just dogs of the World Government!"
"Gurararara! This brat gets more and more interesting."
Whitebeard watched Sengoku's dark expression and laughed heartily.
Luffy had brought him far too many surprises.
Otherwise, the situation right now would probably be much worse, and the Whitebeard Pirates would be paying a far heavier price.
Following Luffy's words, the stronger the pirate, the more viciously they cursed. For strong fighters at Golden Lion's level, the Celestial Dragons were beneath their notice.
It wasn't as if they had never killed one before.
Given how much trouble the Celestial Dragons liked to cause, the probability of them provoking top-tier strong fighters wasn't exactly low.
It was just that those incidents had been covered up by the World Government. The kind of open, large-scale slaughter Luffy had committed was completely unprecedented.
"Straw Hat! Straw Hat!"
"I acknowledge you!"
"If anything comes up in the future, just say the word. If I'm in the New World, I'll definitely come to help!"
Many pirates felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Those gods on high could bleed too!
They could be killed too!
"Kizaru!"
Watching Kizaru approach, Ivankov, who had been by Luffy's side, changed his expression. "You're finally making your move?"
"That's right. This old man doesn't want to be scolded by his superiors," Kizaru said flatly.
"I don't have time to waste here either."
Luffy flicked the blood off his black blade, raised his gaze, and locked onto Kizaru.
Once he entered this state, he couldn't maintain his strongest combat power for very long.
His stamina and Haki were constantly draining.
"Are you ready to face my full power, Kizaru?"
Luffy stared straight at Kizaru, murderous.
Watching Luffy's presence continue to rise, the corner of Kizaru's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Was he being treated like one of those God's Knights who relied solely on their immortal bodies to scare people?
Even without that bizarre immortality, he, Borsalino, as an Admiral of Marine Headquarters, had not made his name solely on the Pika Pika no Mi's speed.
Top-tier Logia development, masterful physical technique, vast combat experience—these were the foundations of his position as Admiral.
There were only three monsters in the entire Marine system. Their reputations were not undeserved.
"Honestly. I'm being looked down on."
Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses. The lenses reflected cold light. "But I can't let you keep running wild. After you've killed so many Celestial Dragons, we Admirals have to deal with the aftermath. It's quite a headache."
The moment his voice fell, Kizaru moved—or rather, raised his foot at Luffy.
His Devil Fruit ability activated.
The destructive laser at his foot lit up. Then, its destructive power shot toward Luffy.
"Swoosh!"
"Boom, crash!"
The laser beam tore through the air with a sharp roar.
Wherever it passed, the air twisted and evaporated.
Its speed surpassed the limits of most people's dynamic vision.
Luffy's pupils flashed red, but his arm was already swinging.
The black blade arced through the air and directly slapped the laser beam away.
"Boom, crash!"
The deflected laser slammed diagonally into the ice dozens of meters away. The terrifying energy instantly released, blasting a huge crater into the ice.
Gulp.
Ivankov couldn't help but swallow. His heart pounded.
That was just Kizaru's seemingly casual kick.
"This power is worthy of a Marine Admiral!"
Ivankov broke out in a cold sweat. "If you get hit by that, it's over."
He had no doubt that even with his own strength, being hit head-on by such concentrated laser fire wouldn't end well.
This was the power of monsters at the top of the sea.
Probably only their leader, Dragon, could be a step above in the Revolutionary Army. The various army commanders were more or less outmatched.
In the blink of an eye, Luffy and Kizaru were already fighting. That area was completely consumed by the clash of light and Haki.
The moment Luffy's blade slapped away the laser, his figure had vanished from its original location like a ghost. The ice beneath his feet exploded. White shockwaves trailed behind him as he charged straight at Kizaru!
Kizaru flashed, turning into a stream of light. He appeared above and to the side of Luffy's charging path, his fingers flicking rapidly.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several dense laser beams rained down like a storm, blocking all of Luffy's evasive space.
Luffy did not slow his charge. He turned his wrist, and Magi became a pitch-black shield in front of him.
Clang! Clang!
Crisp, dense collision sounds merged into one. Every laser beam was precisely deflected, shooting in all directions, exploding into craters on the ice, kicking up clouds of ice chips and dust.
An exchange completed in the blink of an eye.
"Oh~ Terrifying indeed~"
Kizaru reconstituted higher in the air, raising an eyebrow slightly. "How did you train your Haki to have such strength and quantity?"
His gaze swept over the black blade in Luffy's hand. "And that blade... it's one of the Supreme Grade Blades, isn't it? Why do such dangerous weapons always end up in the hands of the most dangerous people?"
There were only twelve Supreme Grade Blades in the world. Each had a legendary history and terrifying power.
They were the ultimate goal of every swordsman.
Mihawk's Yoru was one of them. And now, Straw Hat held one, too.
"My luck has always been good."
Luffy grinned. "But instead of running away, you'd be better off bravely taking one of my slashes!"
"No thanks. That would kill me," Kizaru said.
"Don't try to run."
Luffy bent his knees slightly. The compressed muscles in his legs exploded with terrifying force. The ice beneath his feet collapsed!
His figure vanished, leaving behind only an expanding sonic boom cloud and flying ice chips.
The pitch-black blade edge, twined with black-red Conqueror's Haki lightning, tore through the dust, aimed straight at Kizaru's neck.
Kizaru's eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed surprised by the absolute speed Luffy could explode in this state.
But he did not panic. His body elementalized again, scattering into countless particles of light.
The blade edge passed through, only slicing a few particles of light.
"Getting impatient, Straw Hat~"
Kizaru's voice came from behind Luffy. He had already reconstituted, his arms crossed leisurely. "Killing a Celestial Dragon scared a few people, but it also thoroughly enraged the Marines."
He raised his chin slightly.
Luffy looked out of the corner of his eye.
Sure enough. After Number 46 was slain, once the brief shock wore off, the Marines' assault grew even fiercer.
The Vice Admirals roared and led the charge. The lower-ranking officers formed formations and advanced in waves.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Don't let any pirates escape! Leave them all here!"
The cannon fire from the peripheral warships grew even denser, ignoring even the possibility of friendly fire. They seemed determined to bury every pirate here.
The pressure was mounting!
But—
"We're not without progress either," Luffy said.
"Gyojin Jujutsu: Mizugokoro · Kairyū Seoi Nage!"
A powerful shout came from the flank of the battlefield!
Jinbe had somehow managed to maneuver under the thick ice. Now, his arm muscles bulging, deep blue Haki wrapped around him, he picked up a surging, massive current from a crack in the ice. Swinging it like a giant serpent, he slammed it down between the Marines' formation and Ace's position.
Boom, crash, rumble!
Without Magellan to hold him back, Jinbe had returned from Impel Down.
The enormous wave shortened the remaining distance between Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates.
The two sides had successfully reunited!
"Ace!"
Jinbe leaped out of the water, completely soaked, and shouted at Ace, who was now with the Whitebeard Pirates. "Leave the rest to me!"
"Jinbe, you bastard!"
Sengoku was furious. "How dare you do this?!"
Compared to the Marines' anger, the pirates were cheering.
"You're reliable, Jinbe!!"
"Well done, Knight of the Sea!"
"Everyone, let's break out!"
The Whitebeard Pirates erupted in cheers that shook the heavens. Their morale lifted.
"Arara. Am I being looked down on?"
Aokiji exhaled cold air. After all, he had been right in front of Ace this whole time.
"You get lost too!"
A loud phoenix cry echoed across the sky. Blue-green flames tore through the air. The Aokiji in front of Ace changed expression slightly, instantly forming several layers of thick, solid ice walls in front of him.
"Phoenix Brand!"
Marco, in his phoenix form, flew at an unbelievable speed and angle. His feet and claws, burning with regeneration flames, slammed into the ice wall.
Crack!
Boom!
The ice wall shattered. Aokiji's figure slid backward.
In that brief gap, a blazing fist of flame roared forward.
"Hiken!"
Ace seized that fleeting opportunity, leaped into the air, and unleashed his signature technique with all his might.
The scorching flames engulfed the area where Aokiji stood, temporarily pushing him back.
The path was open!
"Let's go home, Ace!"
Jozu pushed aside several charging Marines and shouted to Ace.
Seeing his crewmates so close, Ace's eyes grew warm. He nodded firmly.
A thousand words stuck in his throat.
"Don't say anything! When we get back, you're buying us drinks!" Marco landed beside Ace and patted his shoulder with a smile.
All that was left now was to withdraw.
Luffy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you really think you can leave so easily? The real war is just beginning."
Kizaru's voice sounded in his ear.
"And focusing on something else during a fight with me isn't a good idea."
Kizaru raised his finger. Light quickly condensed and shot out in an instant.
Fast. And no obvious energy fluctuations.
Luffy's pupils contracted. He immediately swung his black blade upward. The blade erupted into a dull sonic boom. Along its path, the air was completely displaced, creating a brief vacuum.
The laser beam was split. An explosion sounded, engulfing most of Luffy's figure!
The dissipated shockwave sent dozens of nearby Marines and pirates flying!
"Straw Hat Boy!"
Ivankov cried out in alarm.
He hadn't even noticed when Kizaru attacked!
That beam of light was too fast. It exceeded the warning speed of ordinary Observation Haki.
And Luffy's attention had just been drawn to Ace. Yet he had still reacted at the last second.
The Admirals were all monsters. Straw Hat Boy was no longer far behind either.
But Ivankov's expression was still grim.
Things were difficult now. That God's Knights guy had only been troublesome because of his immortality. In terms of strength, he was nothing compared to an Admiral.
He had thought Kizaru was just fast—after all, he was light.
But now, watching the fight, he could see that Kizaru's lasers could be very, very fast. Ivankov was sure his Death Wink was no match for them.
If he stepped in, he probably wouldn't last long either.
The smoke was quickly blown away by the chaotic winds.
Luffy's figure emerged. He swung his blade again, sending a flying slash.
It carried Haki and was even faster.
But it hit nothing in midair.
Kizaru seemed to be getting serious, too. His body turned into light. He quickly circled around Luffy, firing lasers nonstop from his fingers.
Luffy assumed a slashing posture. A deep hum rang out as the black blade sent every laser flying.
"Oh, terrifying, Straw Hat."
Kizaru pouted. Another "how terrifying."
"Don't joke around. You still look like you're taking it easy."
Luffy shrank the black blade in his hand and sheathed it. Cracking his neck with a few sounds, he let out a boom. The Haki patterns on his body spread further outward.
Kizaru did not want to see Luffy transform again.
He raised his hand and fired a rapid salvo.
Luffy charged straight at Kizaru, raising his hand to release a Haki shock containing black-red light.
"Gomu Gomu no: Raika Ken!"
The Haki quickly engulfed Kizaru's body. The black-red light almost pierced through to the sky. The dark clouds overhead were scattered.
But beside that black-red light, Kizaru's figure reconstituted again. He raised his hand at Luffy.
Lasers poured out.
Crack!
Luffy raised his arm to block, letting the lasers hit it.
Pure Haki cannot defend against elemental attacks. But after Luffy entered his Dark King form, his already powerful physical body grew even stronger, and it was further reinforced by Haki.
"Even lasers can't penetrate? That's troublesome. But you can't keep this up for much longer. It looks like you're already tired."
Kizaru focused even more intense light on his index finger. With a swoosh, to onlookers, only a flash of blinding light appeared, followed by an explosion around Luffy.
He'd hit. And he'd penetrated. He had increased the power.
"This old man's development of his Devil Fruit ability isn't that simple, either," Kizaru said cheerfully.
"Not that impressive," Luffy muttered.
Thud!
A white shockwave suddenly shot out of the smoke from the laser explosion.
The ice beneath Luffy's feet completely shattered. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Kizaru again.
Kizaru could see the wounds on Luffy's body healing at a terrifying rate.
What was this guy's physique?
He had to be a Mythical Zoan, right?
Luffy punched directly at Kizaru's face.
"Yata no Kagami: Tate."
The fist slammed into a golden light shield.
The shield vibrated violently, emitting an overloaded hum.
Kizaru's expression changed slightly. "His speed has already gotten this absurd?"
"I'm not done yet!"
Luffy shook off Kizaru's light shield and shot into the air.
The light shield burst apart, scattering into countless light particles.
Kizaru's figure dispersed again.
"Don't forget. This old man is light. Speed is my specialty."
Kizaru's voice came from the air behind and above Luffy.
But Luffy reached out his fist. It could still turn. He grabbed hard at the seemingly empty air in front of him.
"I can see you!"
Luffy grinned, wild. "Get down here!"
Boom!
Pure, ultimate brute force explosion!
The stream of light particles caught in Luffy's grip was pulled. In midair, Kizaru's just-beginning-to-reconstitute figure suddenly lurched. For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
His elementalization, dispersal, and reconstitution could be interfered with.
When the opponent's strength and Haki reached a certain level and they could predict his movements, they could interfere with the process.
Only for an instant—but for Luffy, that was enough!
Using the reaction force from the grab, Luffy twisted his body. His Haki-coated right leg swung out like a battle axe, landing squarely on Kizaru's half-reconstituted waist.
Thud!
A dull impact.
Kizaru's body bent into an extreme arc. He turned into a beam of golden light and, like a meteor, crashed into the ice below.
Boom, crash!
The ice exploded. Dust and ice chips shot up, mixed with golden light.
That attack had finally made this always-calm Admiral take a real hit!
"Admiral Kizaru?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Nearby Marine officers looked on in shock.
But before their exclamations could fade, the golden light in the crater intensified again. Kizaru's figure shot out as light, instantly appearing in the air behind and above Luffy.
A trace of blood seemed to be at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly wiped it away. His expression darkened slightly.
"What an unlikable brat," Kizaru said.
"Are you ready to give your life to stop me?" Luffy asked coldly.
Kizaru pushed up his glasses. The lenses glinted coldly. "This old man is still a Marine after all."
He slowly raised both hands, palms up. Endless particles of light began to gather toward him, gathered between his hands.
"Gomu Gomu no White Giant: Hakoku!"
Luffy stretched both arms back. His rubber body creaked, stretched to its limit. Torrential Haki wrapped around them like living flames. Then he swung both arms forward together, palms together. A terrifying shockwave, entangled with Conqueror's Haki, erupts.
A black-red light beam, over five meters in diameter, instantly engulfed the airspace where Kizaru stood.
Golden light could be seen. Kizaru's figure reappeared, looking somewhat disheveled. Without pausing, he pointed his finger at Luffy.
"Yasakani no Magatama: Sokushashiki."
"Gomu Gomu no White Giant Gatling: Ran-Da!"
No individual punches were visible. Only countless white fist shadows suddenly erupted from Luffy—up, down, left, right, front, back.
Rain of light and white fist shadows collided in midair. The ice below largely shattered under the horrific aftermath.
Kizaru flickered, constantly changing position. Luffy twisted his body to dodge, then suddenly stomped, shattering the ice as he surged forward, closing the distance to Kizaru.
Sky and earth. Their chasing figures turned into a storm of light and white. Black-red Haki and blazing golden lasers intertwined and collided.
Every blow was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks. The spectators' scalps tingled as they instinctively backed away.
If you got caught up in it, you would die.
Kizaru was very fast. His development of his fruit had reached a deep level.
Even in his Dark King form, Luffy might be able to keep up or even surpass him at short-range bursts. But in terms of large-scale movement and attack frequency, Kizaru still had the advantage.
And Kizaru was clearly aware of this.
If someone was that fast and didn't want to fight, they could just play a game of tag with you.
And it seemed that with the Marines having the absolute advantage on the battlefield, Kizaru wanted to play that game with Luffy.
This was the most frustrating thing about top-tier Logia strong fighters.
They might not be able to quickly defeat an opponent of the same level, but holding them off—or even stretching a fight into days and nights—was not difficult for them.
Especially for Kizaru, who had maxed out his speed. If he wanted to kite, there were only a handful of people on the sea who could keep up with him.
Logias were that annoying. They could go fifty-fifty with anyone. And Kizaru was especially strong in that regard.
"Don't try to run, Kizaru!"
"Boom, crash!"
"Rip!"
"Kizaru is running away?"
The reporters on the Sabaody Archipelago were speechless. "That's a Marine Admiral!"
"Wasn't Straw Hat just a Supernova who set sail not long ago?"
"How terrifying. Is this the potential of the world's most evil bloodline?"
"If you give him more time, will he become another Roger, another Whitebeard? Straw Hat said he was going to compete with Whitebeard for the position of Pirate King!"
Meanwhile.
Holy Land Mary Geise, Pangea Castle, the Chamber of Authority.
A huge screen hovered in the air, clearly playing the scenes from the Marineford ice plain battlefield. From various angles. Even capturing details.
When Luffy's blade cut off Number 46's head and his black-red Conqueror's Haki shot into the sky, the air in the room seemed to freeze.
Five figures stood in the shadows, silently watching the screen.
After a long moment.
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro spoke slowly. "Straw Hat has already grown this much."
"We all underestimated him."
Jaygarcia Saturn stood up. "If he continues to grow, he will become even more dangerous than Rocks."
"He must be left there. Must be made to stay."
"Let Straw Hat and Whitebeard be buried together, at Impel Down."
The Five Elders spoke in turn.
But—how?
The Five Elders fell silent again.
In the scene, although Kizaru had Luffy occupied and even held a slight advantage through tactics, could a single Admiral really take down Straw Hat, who had already shown such terrifying strength?
Very difficult.
Especially since the other party had mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion—the power that could literally kill an immortal body.
Should they have the remaining three God's Knights members surround him?
Number 46's corpse still lying on the ice was a warning of the risks.
The God's Knights were a precious asset of the Celestial Dragons, and more importantly, a power directly controlled by Imu-sama. Losing one was already a major dereliction of duty. Losing another would be impossible to justify to Imu-sama.
But the Five Elders couldn't exactly make a move in front of everyone.
"Where is Figarland Shamrock?" Nusjuro suddenly asked.
"He is still dealing with some matters in the New World," Saturn said.
"Contact him immediately!"
Nusjuro said without hesitation. "Tell him to get to Impel Down as fast as possible. Others might not be able to handle it, but Shamrock certainly can. After all, he is Red-Haired's..."
The other four's expressions relaxed slightly.
Figarland Shamrock, Commander of the God's Knights, was far beyond ordinary God's Knights members.
"Hmph. Regardless, Whitebeard won't last much longer."
Nusjuro's gaze shifted to another screen.
In the scene, Whitebeard's massive body was already covered in countless wounds.
Blood soaked his crescent mustache. His chest rose and fell heavily.
The most striking sight was a standard-issue Marine sword, still piercing deeply into Whitebeard's left abdomen.
A Marine Vice Admiral had managed it!
"Pops!"
Ace, noticing this, was horrified.
"No... no way."
Buggy unconsciously turned the Den Den Mushi's camera toward him.
The World's Strongest Man... his body was about to be pierced by a Vice Admiral?
That was the world's strongest!
That Vice Admiral would never stop talking about this for the rest of his life!
No, no, that's not right!
Look closely, and you would see that Whitebeard's wounds were far more numerous than just that one.
Burns from Akainu's magma fists. Scorch marks from Kizaru's lasers. Puncture wounds from Aokiji's ice spears. Sword cuts and knife wounds from other Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals who had thrown themselves at him without regard for their own lives.
From the beginning of the war, Whitebeard had faced the Marines' most dense and powerful firepower.
Many of the Marines' elite Vice Admirals had been drawn to him.
He alone had drawn the focus of more than half of the Marines' top combat power, buying the time for his sons to rescue Ace.
But with the man at the very top of the world so badly wounded... did that mean victory for the Marines was all but certain?
"Seriously?"
Urouge, who had not left the Sabaody Archipelago, gaped. "Whitebeard isn't really going to fall here, is he?"
The Marines had not even gone all out. A steady stream of elite soldiers was still pouring from the giant warships.
If they succeeded in rescuing Ace but lost Whitebeard in the process, would that be a victory or a defeat for the Whitebeard Pirates?
"It seems the Emperors aren't invincible."
Capone Bege muttered to himself.
In that moment, Bege's ambition rapidly swelled. A mad thought took root in his heart.
"Emperors can die, too. If I find the right opportunity, I could do it as well."
Through his strongest assassination techniques, to assassinate an Emperor.
He might take their place!
He licked his dry lips. His ambitions burned like wildfire.
If Whitebeard died, the pattern of the New World would be completely overturned.
Bege was also a Supernova. He had ambitions, too.
Also stimulated by this sight was the Kid alliance, which had just formed a loose alliance on the edge of the battlefield.
"Hahaha! I knew it!"
Kid pressed his left arm and laughed wildly. "So what if you're the World's Strongest Man? You'll still die if you're killed!"
"It seems our alliance has great potential," Apoo said with a smile.
"Probability has not fallen to zero. Worth a try." Hawkins drew a tarot card, looked at its design, and muttered to himself, "Chance belongs to everyone."
The Emperors' undefeated status would be broken today!
That meant the pattern of the New World was about to change. Everyone would have a chance.
The waves of the new era seemed to be crashing onto the faces of the Supernovas.
The Ice Plain Battlefield.
"Whitebeard, is that all you've got?"
Akainu had been bleeding from the mouth in his fight with Whitebeard just now. But seeing Whitebeard fall to the ground clutching his chest, he looked at him with a mocking gaze. "You're old."
"Gurararara."
Whitebeard looked down at the sword piercing his abdomen and spat out blood.
Time was fair to everyone. He truly was old.
But he had been prepared for this when he came here.
He reached out his giant hand and grabbed the blade in his stomach.
Crack!
The forged steel blade was crushed to pieces!
The Vice Admiral who had landed the hit turned pale and stumbled backward.
"Marines!"
Whitebeard's voice was like a bell. Blood still flowed from his mouth, but his presence was still overwhelming. "You want this old man's life?!"
His arm muscles bulged. Ignoring the other wounds on his body, he slammed the naginata Murakumogiri into the ice beside him. Then, clenching both fists, he assumed a familiar pose.
"You're still far from it!"
Boom! Boom!
Whitebeard's fists slammed into the air on either side of him.
Crack!
Centered on his fists, the spider atmosphere webbed with dense cracks, spreading rapidly in all directions.
The power of the Gura Gura no Mi had been brought to its limit!
"No, get back!"
In the distance, Sengoku's expression changed dramatically.
"Kaishin: Tenkei!"
Whitebeard roared. He threw his fists upward!
Boom, crash, rumble!
Heaven and earth were turned upside down!
On the ice plain battlefield, with Whitebeard as the dividing line, the ice and sea on the side where Ace and the others were located were lifted by an indescribable, terrifying force.
Massive glaciers cracked. Seawater rushed in. A terrifying trench—bottomless and hundreds of meters wide—formed, completely separating Whitebeard and most of the Marines from Ace, Marco, Jinbe, and most of the Whitebeard Pirates.
At the same time, the warships in the outer seas were also violently jostled, tilting wildly!
The obstacles had been cleared.
"Gurararara!"
Leaning on his naginata, Whitebeard stood on this side of the trench, facing the Marines alone. He laughed heartily. "Don't worry about me, my sons!"
He did not look back. His figure stood tall before them.
"Listen well, Whitebeard Pirates!"
Whitebeard shouted. "I am now, as your captain, giving my final captain's order!"
"Final?"
"Pops, don't say such unlucky things!"
"We don't want to hear it!"
"We were all going back to the New World together!"
The pirates collapsed, crying and shouting, trying to cross the trench but blocked by the violent tremors and waves.
Whitebeard's smile did not change, but his voice carried an unyielding authority.
"You and I... part ways here!"
"All of you... must live!"
"Return to the New World... safely!"
"Pops! You're staying here alone?!"
Ace struggled to rush back, but Marco and Vista held him tight.
"I'm a remnant of the old era."
Whitebeard stood with his back to his sons, his fists raised. Two tear tracks appeared briefly in his eyes, quickly disappearing.
"The new era... has no ship to carry me!"
"Set sail, my sons!!"
Smack!
Whitebeard smashed the ice in front of him, shattering it.
He heard his sons' cries. He smiled.
Don't look back. Times are changing.
"Pops!"
Sorrowful cries rang out to the heavens.
Whitebeard listened to his sons' cries. His smile grew even gentler.
That sea was the origin of everything.
The long scroll of his adventures rushed through his mind.
He remembered when he first set sail, the scene of finding treasure.
His captain had once asked him: "If you don't want treasure, what do you really want, Newgate?"
Newgate had looked out at the sea. "Family."
What a long journey it had been.
"Jihahaha! Newgate, you bastard!"
Golden Lion bit down on his cigar, finally irritateded. He looked at Somaz before him. "Do you really want to die?"
Somaz controlled several giant thorned serpents, his tone cold. "You remnants of the old era should have been wiped out long ago. Today, not a single one of you escapes!"
"Escape?"
Shiki's eyes flashed with killing intent. "I'm Golden Lion!"
He swung his twin swords. The power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi activated at full force!
Not only the ice beneath him, but also the surrounding seawater, broken ship wreckage, and even several intact Marine warships in the distance began to shake violently, slowly lifting off the sea and rising into the air.
"You Marines are the ones who should be running!"
And almost simultaneously.
"You won't escape."
Akainu's body flowed with searing magma, dripping onto the ice with a sizzle and smoke.
Seeming to have anticipated Whitebeard's move, he had somehow gotten in front of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"So you want to save Fire Fist Ace and then run, even abandoning your own captain. Is this the so-called Whitebeard Pirates?"
Akainu's cold gaze swept over the pirates before him.
"Then this old man's justice shall execute you all here! I suppose with a half-assed father like that, it's only natural for you cowardly subordinates to abandon your captain!"
The Whitebeard Pirates were furious.
"Ace, I'll hold him off! You go! Now!"
Jinbe stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself between Akainu and Ace, assuming the starting stance of Fish-Man Karate.
"No. You go. I'll stay and stop him."
The flames in Ace's eyes reignited. They were mixed with reason and uncontrollable anger.
He knew. Someone had to stay behind. Otherwise, Akainu would keep them all here, and the Marines would catch up and overwhelm them.
As a Logia, he was the most suited.
"Go! All of you!" Flames erupted again from Ace's body as he charged at Akainu.
"Ace, don't be rash!" Marco said urgently.
"Just go!"
Ace did not look back. He shouted and charged.
"Dai Funka!"
"Gobyōen!"
The giant magma fist and the wall of flames collided.
Boom!
The stalemate lasted less than two seconds.
Sizzle!
Ace's flames were quickly suppressed by Akainu's magma, which burned at a much higher temperature. Ace grunted. His entire body was sent flying by the impact of the magma fist, crashing onto the ice. The flames on his chest went out, revealing a large area of severe burns.
"Cough, cough."
Ace coughed out sparks and black smoke, struggling to get up.
Akainu approached. "Don't talk about being the strongest Logia, Portgas D. Ace."
He looked down at Ace. "You are just fire. But I am magma—the heat that can burn even fire itself!"
"In the face of absolute justice, your very existence is a crime that must be erased."
"Farewell, bloodline of the Pirate King."
The magma fist slammed down!
"Ace!"
Jinbe tried to help, but was pushed back by a single, casual swing of Akainu's other hand in the form of a magma hound.
"Sakazuki!"
A sharp cry suddenly came from high above.
It was Kizaru's voice!
Akainu's movement paused.
Kizaru calling his name was a very rare occurrence.
By the time Akainu's Observation Haki reacted, a terrifying, huge figure was already behind him. Its breath made Akainu shudder.
"What are you trying to do to Ace?" Luffy said coldly.
"?!"
Akainu's pupils contracted sharply. He forced himself to stop the punch aimed at Ace. Twisting his body, his right fist, covered in viscos Armament Haki and searing magma, punched backward as fast as he could.
"Mogu!!"
But his attack did not reach him. Luffy's fist was already there.
Bam!
The white fist slammed into Akainu's left cheek!
Time seemed to stop in that moment.
Akainu's cold expression twisted. The Armament Haki covering his face shattered. The searing magma scattered.
His neck bones cracked. His entire body, like a red streak of light, shot diagonally away.
One punch.
Just one punch!
Sakazuki, one of Marine Headquarters' strongest forces, renowned for his absolute offensive power and iron will, had been sent flying.
And he looked quite injured.
Before anyone could recover from the shock.
"Magma brat!"
The airborne Akainu could not change his position. Hearing this voice, his eyes widened.
Terrifying killing intent appeared behind him again!
The dust cloud that had engulfed Whitebeard was dispersed. A demonic figure rushed out. The naginata Murakumogiri condensed with white shockwave light.
"Shintō: Kairetsu!"
The blade struck Akainu's back. Akainu almost lost consciousness.
He was sure Whitebeard and Straw Hat had planned this. There, on the other side, Luffy stood with a giant blade, waiting for him.
That man was smiling!
***
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