With the power of 500 shadows, each belonging to pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million, coursing through his body, Maude could feel an endless surge of strength.
It was as if his energy was inexhaustible.
This was the full extent of the enhancement brought by Shadow's Asgard.
Naturally, in this state, the power of Hakoku was several times stronger than before.
In the blink of an eye, that blinding white light—capable of erasing everything in its path—devoured both Akainu and Whitebeard.
BOOM!
The beam of light tore through everything in its wake!
The cylindrical Hakoku shockwave blasted through where Akainu and Whitebeard stood, carving out a massive semicircular trench in the ground.
Then—
Without losing momentum, the shockwave barreled through the rocky islands towering over the bay, each one punctured clean through as the beam continued its destructive path.
By the time it reached the open sea, the lingering force of the blast finally dissipated, but not before stirring the waters off Marineford into a raging tempest.
The terrifying power of this attack showcased the absolute upper limit of Shadow's Asgard.
However…
Maude sheathed his sword, his expression calm as he observed Whitebeard, who had been pushed back dozens of meters by the impact of Hakoku.
The blood that had previously only stained Whitebeard's chin now spread across his broad chest.
The shockwave had aggravated his internal injuries, causing him to cough up even more blood, staining his torso crimson.
"So he neutralized part of the impact using the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit at the last moment…"
Maude's gaze lingered on Whitebeard's bloodied chest.
With Akainu's "assistance," he had expected this all-out Hakoku to be the final blow that crushed Whitebeard.
Yet, the old man still stood.
As for Akainu…
A Logia user like him was immune to all non-Haki-based attacks. Even if Hakoku had blasted him apart into countless magma fragments, he would reconstitute his body in mere moments.
"Tch… Already at death's door..."
Ignoring Akainu, who was reforming his body, Maude's gaze remained locked onto Whitebeard.
"I need to take him down before the effect of Shadow's Asgard ends."
He cast a brief glance at Akainu, whose body was only halfway reformed, before casually resting his blade at his side and striding toward Whitebeard.
Inside the trench, Whitebeard clutched his aching chest, his pallor worsening as sweat drenched his skin.
The searing pain meant nothing to him.
What truly mattered was how much longer his body could hold out.
Whitebeard slowly raised his head, his gaze shifting past Maude and Akainu, toward the battlefield before the execution platform.
With the platform collapsed, Sabo, Morley, Marco, and the Straw Hat Pirates, united by a common goal, were putting immense pressure on the Marines.
At any moment, it seemed they could snatch Ace away through sheer force.
"Ace."
Seeing how the tides were turning in their favor, a glimmer of light flickered in Whitebeard's eyes before he turned to face the young upstart striding toward him.
This brat had made his presence known from the very start of the war.
First, he personally seized control of the execution platform's situation—
And then, moments ago, he single-handedly destroyed that same advantage.
The reason was simple:
He was after Whitebeard's head.
A reckless youth, eager to carve his name into history by stepping over the corpse of the world's strongest man.
Whitebeard had encountered many such brash challengers since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
Most of them never even made it past his crew, perishing long before they could face him directly.
Even the few who did manage to stand before him were never truly qualified to challenge him.
But today was different.
Whitebeard knew this was the end of his journey.
Yet, until Ace was saved—
He could not fall.
Through sheer willpower, even if his body perished—
He would at least create a path for his sons to escape.
"..."
Though even speaking would now waste precious strength, Whitebeard remained silent, emanating an overwhelming aura of pressure.
Akainu, having reconstructed half of his body, coldly fixed his gaze on Maude, who was approaching Whitebeard.
"Bacardi Ma—"
Before he could finish his sentence—
BOOM!
A second Hakoku obliterated the half-formed magma body he had just reassembled.
"I don't have time to waste words with you."
Without sparing Akainu a glance, Maude strode directly toward Whitebeard.
At this point, there was no need to worry about allegiances.
Nor did he feel any obligation to explain to Akainu why he had attacked him as well.
Maude stepped into striking range.
With a sudden stomp—
BANG!
The ground beneath his foot shattered, sending cracks and dust flying.
In a flash, he appeared before Whitebeard.
The air trembled as Shusui, coated in Armament Haki, slashed toward Whitebeard's vital points.
Ignoring the protests of his battered body, Whitebeard swung his Murakumogiri to intercept.
CLANG!
The two Haki-clad blades collided violently, sending sparks flying and churning the air into raging currents.
Before the shockwave even settled, Shusui and Murakumogiri clashed again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Neither side relented.
Their black blades rained down on each other in a relentless storm, clashing repeatedly mid-air.
This was no longer a test of brute strength—
Nor was it a simple exchange of slashes.
It was pure swordsmanship.
Each collision sent shockwaves through the battlefield, splintering the ground beneath them.
Nearby, Akainu—fully reformed once more—watched the fierce battle with a grim expression.
Twice now, Hakoku had blasted him apart.
Though it hadn't harmed him, it had certainly pissed him off.
From his vantage point, it was clear—Maude held the advantage.
But that didn't stop him from wanting to unleash Great Eruption on both of them.
"…Oh?"
Just as Akainu prepared to strike, a sudden commotion from the execution platform caught his attention.
He turned toward the source of the disturbance—
And what he saw made his face darken instantly.
Sabo had broken through the Marine defenses.
Ace had been rescued.
Then, with Luffy's outstretched left arm, both Sabo and Ace were yanked away from the execution platform.
The execution had failed…!
Akainu's expression turned stormy.
Killing Whitebeard was important—
But executing Fire Fist Ace held far greater significance.
...
Execution Platform.
Luffy, gritting his teeth through the agony of his fractured bones, pulled both Sabo and Ace toward him.
The momentum sent the three of them tumbling across the ground.
When they finally stopped, their heads rested against each other as they lay on their backs.
"You two… always causing trouble…"
Ace took a deep breath, savoring the sheer joy of being reunited with his brothers despite the chaotic battlefield.
"Heh heh…"
A wide grin spread across Luffy's face.
Sabo smiled as well, his voice soft.
"I made it just in time… That's all that matters."
He was the first to sit up.
As someone who had trained within the Revolutionary Army, he wouldn't let his guard down even in moments like this.
"Now, let's get out of here together."
Reaching into his coat, Sabo activated a Den Den Mushi.
Meanwhile—
Seeing Ace finally freed, Whitebeard's crew roared with newfound vigor.
Their only thought now was clear—
Open a path for Ace's escape!
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