Sengoku's order echoed throughout Marine Headquarters via broadcast.
"Advance the execution! Carry it out immediately!"
In the midst of his fierce clash with Akainu, Whitebeard let out a furious roar. "Sengoku! You shameless bastard!"
The other members of the Whitebeard Pirates and the allied pirates all began cursing as well.
"Despicable!"
"Have the Marines no shame?!"
Sengoku remained expressionless.
When aiming for great things, a little verbal abuse meant nothing.
He knew perfectly well that under the current circumstances, trying to keep Whitebeard here was pure nonsense.
Though he didn't know why Whitebeard's injuries had recovered—
Proceeding step by step was no longer an option.
They had to use Ace to force Whitebeard into exposing an opening.
And sure enough—
Seeing that Ace was about to be executed, Sabo and the Whitebeard Pirates completely lost it.
"Ace!!"
They charged toward the execution platform without regard for their lives, their assault growing even more frenzied.
Since they were already here, they couldn't just stand by and watch Ace die.
They had to save him.
A sharp gleam flashed in Sengoku's eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
He immediately ordered, "Carry out the execution!"
The two Marines tasked with the execution raised their long blades, aiming at Ace's back.
"Stop!!" Whitebeard roared.
His Conqueror's Haki erupted violently!
The two executioners collapsed unconscious on the spot.
But Whitebeard was distracted because of it.
Against an opponent at Akainu's level, even the slightest lapse could be fatal.
This was precisely the outcome Sengoku had intended.
And Akainu did not disappoint.
"Great Eruption!"
Seizing the instant Whitebeard's focus wavered, his magma-wreathed fist smashed viciously toward Whitebeard's chest!
Whitebeard's combat experience was immense. Even in haste, he coated himself with Armament Haki to defend.
Boom!
The magma fist struck his Haki-covered chest.
A hurried defense and a fully prepared killing blow were two very different things.
Though Whitebeard blocked most of the damage, part of the magma still penetrated into his body.
His chest was scorched black, and a trace of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.
His condition visibly declined.
He was old. Even a single injury had significant cascading effects.
"Old man!" xN
On the execution platform, Ace saw this and burst into tears.
He would rather die himself than let his father die trying to save him.
However—
Sengoku's calculation had both gains and losses.
The benefit: Whitebeard was heavily wounded.
The drawback: Advancing Ace's execution didn't just stir the Whitebeard Pirates—it also shook Garp's heart.
"Ace!" Garp's eyes trembled.
Leno seized the fleeting opportunity as well.
"An opening!"
A heavy punch smashed into Garp's side—well, more precisely, his kidney.
Garp let out a muffled grunt.
But "Garp the Cannon" didn't earn his experience for nothing.
After taking a vicious blow, there was no way he'd just let Leno go.
Enduring the intense pain, instead of retreating, he lunged forward and locked Leno tightly in his arms!
"Brat! Let's go down together!"
"Seabed Drop!"
Clutching Leno, Garp plummeted toward the ice below like a meteor!
Leno was slightly surprised.
But he knew most of Garp's techniques, so he remained calm.
The powers of the Munch-Munch Fruit activated.
At the point where his back would hit the ice, a black vortex formed, frantically devouring the force of impact.
At the same time, the powers of the Chop-Chop Fruit circulated!
His body split apart at key points, dispersing the remaining impact.
And now that Garp and Leno were in direct contact—
If Leno didn't give him a "Thanks for the Treat," that would be a waste of such a golden opportunity.
BOOM!!!
The ice shattered into a massive crater, fragments flying everywhere.
The spectacle was terrifying.
Yet, following the "no injury when there's smoke" rule—
The actual damage Leno suffered was far less than Garp had expected.
Most of the impact had been devoured and stored.
The remaining force was neutralized by his fragmented body structure.
Instead, Garp had quite a bit of his life force and all three forms of Haki siphoned away by Leno's Munch-Munch Fruit.
Leno lay at the bottom of the crater and grinned.
"Old man, that massage… kinda weak."
Hearing the taunt, Garp—already somewhat fatigued—felt veins bulge on his forehead.
Leno flipped over and stood up, a disdainful smile on his face.
"Old fossil, you wanted to kill me? Looks like that's not happening."
"And I should thank you—you helped me improve under pressure!"
Garp's face darkened as if he'd swallowed a dead fly.
Not even gulped down whole—more like chewed slowly, savoring every bit.
Disgusting beyond words.
His goal was to kill Leno, not serve as his sparring partner.
And he refused to believe Leno's growth had been that dramatic.
"Hmph! Who are you trying to fool, brat? Improving that fast mid-battle? What a joke!"
He had never seen anyone rapidly evolve during intense combat.
Not even his prized disciple, Koby, could do that.
Why should a discarded pawn like Leno?
Leno muttered something Garp couldn't understand.
"You'll never grasp the true weight of 'three swings to awaken Conqueror's infusion.'"
Garp didn't understand—and didn't care to.
Because Leno's fist, now wrapped in even stronger Conqueror's Haki infusion, was rapidly enlarging in his vision!
Bang!
The punch landed squarely on Garp's cheek, sending him flying and rolling across the ground several times.
Feeling his objective achieved, Leno did not pursue further.
Killing Garp was far too difficult—especially with Sengoku watching from nearby.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the women and Patton.
He picked up the little civet cat and examined her carefully.
"Hmm. Female. That's fine."
On his ship, aside from himself, no male creatures were allowed.
Not even pets.
Though Patton couldn't speak, she stood on Domino's shoulder, hands on hips, glaring at Leno and chattering furiously—clearly cursing him in the foulest way possible.
Leno ignored her.
His gaze shifted to the battlefield between the Golden Lion and Dragon.
Dragon mainly utilized wind-based abilities and Haki, revealing no further details of his Devil Fruit.
The Golden Lion handled him without much difficulty.
Without the rudder lodged in his head restricting him, much of his Haki had recovered.
Aside from the temporarily disengaged Leno and Garp, the fiercest battle was undoubtedly between Whitebeard and Akainu.
The two exchanged injuries for injuries, the fight brutally intense and drawing most of the attention.
As for the other two Admirals?
Kizaru had escorted Luffy and Koby for medical treatment—and still hadn't returned.
Aokiji, meanwhile, was evenly matched with Diamond Jozu: you freeze me, I ram you.
Elsewhere—
At some point, Sabo had joined up with Marco.
In his hand was a key to the Seastone handcuffs—no one knew where he got it.
Marco drew Sengoku's attention head-on, while Sabo quietly climbed onto the execution platform.
Sengoku had actually noticed long ago—but he pretended to react just now, roaring as he transformed into a golden Buddha.
"Buddha Shockwave!"
A massive shockwave blasted out, grand and imposing.
Its damage? Probably a 1.3. Not even a 1.4.
Sabo was blown off the platform by the shockwave—
But midair, he used the key to unlock Ace's handcuffs!
Ace—successfully rescued!
Seeing this, Whitebeard let out a weary yet gratified laugh.
"Gurararara! Boys! Ace is saved! Prepare to retreat!"
"OHHHHHH!!"
The pirates erupted in thunderous cheers, morale surging.
But Whitebeard himself did not move. He continued locking down Akainu, covering his sons' retreat.
Sengoku's face twisted with fury, unleashing shockwaves at Sabo and Ace as if they were free.
Still—
The damage really wasn't much.
They just looked rather disheveled.
Meanwhile—
At the port of Marine Headquarters, Marineford—
A drenched old man climbed ashore from the sea, panting heavily.
The moment he lifted his head, he saw a ship in the distance, slowly sailing toward the island.
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