After a brief silence, someone shouted with surprise,
"That's Admiral Akainu!"
The moment Lloyd appeared, the warring factions simultaneously saw a common enemy, and every fighter immediately pointed weapons toward him.
Whitebeard's expression hardened. He glanced once at the large crater at Lloyd's feet, then clenched his fist and strode toward him without a word.
Roger frowned. He had not expected the Navy to arrive so quickly.
However, if events followed the original timeline, Roger would have encountered the Navy before meeting Whitebeard.
Lloyd had one hand in his pocket, and with the other he casually held Enma, the blade Oden had been using moments ago. He watched Whitebeard calmly as the pirate captain approached.
Buzz!
A transparent ripple of Haki surged along Whitebeard's fist, veins bulging with power. He fixed Lloyd with a steely gaze, and spoke each word with deliberate force,
"Brat, you still dare to appear before me…"
Before he could finish speaking, Whitebeard's massive frame blurred and he was suddenly directly in front of Lloyd.
He swung his fist and bellowed,
"Die!"
Lloyd's eyes narrowed, blood briefly pulsing with dark intensity as a pair of vast bat‑like wings unfurled behind him. He countered with a single punch of his own.
The two fists, one enormous and one deceptively compact, unleashed a shockwave before they even touched. The ground fractured instantly, and the dark clouds above split apart from the force.
Shanks watched in stunned silence, muttering,
"This is unreal…"
Even Whitebeard himself looked taken aback. He recalled how Lloyd had struggled to withstand his punch three years ago, yet now he exchanged blows without flinching.
Lloyd's wings vibrated, and he soared into the sky.
Whitebeard unleashed another punch, the air fracturing into dense green cracks as it chased after him.
In mid‑air, Lloyd raised a hand and summoned a sphere of pure darkness, absorbing all of Whitebeard's incoming attacks.
As he hovered above the island, multiple Navy warships appeared on the horizon.
Lloyd's lips curved into a faint smile, then he dove once more toward his opponents.
A flash of red lit Whitebeard's eyes as his fist reinforced with Haoshoku Haki drove toward Lloyd's descent.
Boom!
The impact roared like thunder, shaking the heavens as Lloyd and Whitebeard collided again.
This time, Whitebeard's Devil Fruit power was useless, its force absorbed entirely by the dark orb gathered in Lloyd's palm.
But Whitebeard's sons were not to be underestimated. Realizing the threat, they abandoned their own battles and surged toward Lloyd as one.
Marco spread his fiery blue phoenix wings and launched a sweeping kick toward Lloyd's head.
Lloyd lifted a hand to seize Marco's calf, but before he could apply force, he was knocked back by Whitebeard's next punch. As he struck the ground, Oden — disarmed and enraged — launched himself forward with only his fists to attack.
Previously Oden's right leg had been a prosthetic, a replacement after Lloyd had crippled him long ago. Now even that limb was gone, destroyed in the earlier clash.
Lloyd sneered, summoning Demon Blade Muramasa. He unleashed a blade‑qi slash so dense it threatened to cleave Oden's body in two.
Just as the terrifying swirl of energy was about to strike, Roger's form darted in front of Oden, intercepting the attack with Ace's blade.
Oden's eyes widened, stunned by the sudden rescue.
Whitebeard exhaled, wiping cold sweat from his brow, and for once, offered Roger a look of genuine gratitude.
But Lloyd showed no surprise. He already understood Roger's intentions — the pirate captain had come here to bring Oden with him, so it made sense he would protect him.
Roger pointed his blade at Lloyd and declared,
"Lloyd, this is not a place for you to appear!"
Lloyd simply stood with both hands in his pockets and replied with icy calm,
"Interesting. I truly wonder if there's anywhere in this world I cannot go."
Roger narrowed his eyes and spoke with firm resolve,
"So you intend to face both the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates alone? Aren't you overconfident?"
Behind Roger, Rayleigh and the rest of the Roger Pirates had already arrived, glaring fiercely at Lloyd.
Among them, only Shanks looked worried as he called out with concern,
"Hey! You should leave now! You'll die here!"
Lloyd cast him a single cool glance before returning his attention to Roger and said,
"How do you know I came alone?"
Before anyone could react further, a sudden roar echoed through the battlefield,
"Meteor Volcano!!!"
Countless magma fists surged down from the sky, all striking the exact location where Roger and the others stood, instantly engulfing them in molten eruptions.
From the smoke and fire, Lloyd's lips curled into a small smirk as he murmured,
"Sakazuki, you finally arrived."
A massive pillar of magma erupted from the ground behind Lloyd. As the heat subsided, Admiral Sakazuki — known as Akainu — emerged and stood at Lloyd's right.
Magma still dripped from his body as he spoke with his deep, commanding voice,
"You were too fast."
Buzz!
A formidable aura of Armament Haki flared from the fiery sea, dispersing the magma as Roger's silhouette stepped forward, brushing ash from his coat and saying,
"Another Logia Devil Fruit user, huh? A bit troublesome."
Lloyd smiled back,
"Just a bit troublesome?"
A cascading sound of footsteps echoed around them. Roger and the others turned and saw a large group of Marines advancing.
At the forefront stood Admiral Zephyr, his presence as imposing as ever.
Most of the Marines in this formation were officers who had once been students in Lloyd's class. Three years later, they had become capable warriors able to handle conflict independently.
Among them, only Kizaru and kuma were absent, still occupied with duties alongside Dr. Vegapunk.
Lucia and Ginny emerged from the ranks and stood behind Lloyd.
Gion, who had not seen Lloyd in three years, observed his back silently among the Marines. Standing beside her was a stout man with an untidy look.
He gazed at Gion with deep affection and spoke softly,
"Gion, when this war is over, will you accept my confession?"
Gion did not turn to look at him. Instead, she replied flatly,
"Kaji, do not think about that now, I've told you before, it's not going to happen."
Kaji's face fell, this marked his thirty‑third failed confession.
Gion pursed her lips and then stepped forward, bringing herself directly behind Lloyd. After a quiet moment, she spoke softly,
"Lloyd, it's been a while."
Lloyd's attention remained fixed on the opposing forces of Roger, Whitebeard, and the Navy. He acknowledged her presence with a faint,
"En."
After Admiral Zephyr's arrival, Whitebeard and his sons had formed a temporary alliance with Roger and his crew to confront the mounting naval threat.