The moment Whitebeard fell before Maude, the gears of a new era had already begun to turn.
The times were about to change!
No matter how displeased the Golden Lion was, he couldn't alter what had already transpired.
But whether he accepted it or not was another matter entirely.
"Before I make this world experience true 'fear,' I refuse to be replaced!!!"
Bulging veins surfaced on the Golden Lion's temples and the corners of his eyes.
Whitebeard's death did not sadden him, but it did provoke him.
"The vacant 'throne' is mine for the taking."
His bloodshot eyes swept over the nearly one hundred elite Marines suspended midair, using Moonwalk to keep themselves aloft.
This force had originally been composed of roughly three hundred and sixty Marines, deployed specifically to restrain him.
By now, he had cut them down to less than a hundred.
Conversely, Kizaru had destroyed over half of his aerial fleet's ships, effectively neutralizing their overwhelming firepower advantage.
The cost for this, however, had been the lives of over two hundred elite Marines who had mastered Moonwalk.
"Get lost, you small fry."
Still brimming with anger, the Golden Lion stretched out his hands, effortlessly manipulating a vast quantity of rocks taken from his floating islands.
Initially, his plan had been to sink Marineford directly into the sea using these islands. But more than that, they served as an endless arsenal of weapons he could wield in battle.
Under his control, countless massive boulders rapidly formed into eight colossal stone lion heads, their silent roars emanating a terrifying pressure as they encircled him.
Lion's Threat: Earth Roll!
With a flick of his hand, the lion heads surged toward the nearby Marines, jaws wide open to devour them.
"Dodge if you can—don't try to block it with 'Iron Body'!"
A seasoned Marine officer shouted a warning while swiftly shifting directions midair, narrowly avoiding a lion head's crushing jaws.
Steadying himself, he immediately unleashed multiple Tempest Kicks aimed at the back of the lion's head.
Before it could react, the lion's massive form was shredded into fragments.
But in an instant, those scattered pieces reassembled, reforming the lion's head just as it was before.
"…"
The Marine officer remained expressionless as he watched the lion's rapid regeneration. Without hesitation, he unleashed another barrage of Tempest Kicks.
All around, other Marines employed the same tactic, severing the approaching lion heads repeatedly.
Though this wouldn't stop the Golden Lion's attacks entirely, it at least slowed them down—buying precious time for their comrades tasked with taking him down.
Even if they ultimately failed, they could at least secure enough time for Admiral Kizaru to finish obliterating the floating fleet.
"For justice!"
The remaining Marines charged at the Golden Lion without hesitation.
His golden mane bristled with fury as he coldly observed the fearless warriors throwing their lives at him.
...
High above the battlefield.
A dazzling golden light flickered without pause.
Kizaru, hands outstretched, continuously fired light projectiles in all directions, intercepting every cannonball launched by the fleet while simultaneously bombarding the enemy ships.
He had not stopped since he first took to the skies to counter the aerial fleet.
This was probably the most work he had done in years.
"So... Whitebeard is dead~~~"
Amidst detonating cannon fire, Kizaru took a brief glance at the battlefield below.
His gaze lingered on Whitebeard's lifeless corpse for less than a second before shifting to Maude, whose presence burned like a blazing sun amid the chaos.
"Hmm~~~ To think he could even defeat Whitebeard~~~ He's getting more terrifying by the day~~~"
Despite the distance, Kizaru could clearly sense the sheer intensity of Maude's aura, standing out starkly in the war-torn battlefield.
Countless eyes turned toward him, but Maude remained calm and composed.
Behind him, his shadow began to stretch and distort.
Law, walking closely at Maude's side, was the first to notice this change, his brows furrowing slightly.
Before his eyes, the elongating shadow rapidly took on a three-dimensional form.
A tall, gaunt figure emerged, standing upright behind Maude like a towering demon cloaked in darkness, exuding an overwhelming, chilling presence.
"Fuffuffuffu… I see. So that's your plan—to leave your enemy's corpse at the very heart of this blood-soaked era."
Doflamingo slightly tilted his head back, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he watched Maude approach.
Neither side concealed their intent—
There was only one goal: to kill the other.
"Thanks to you taking out Whitebeard, I managed to get myself quite an interesting toy."
Doflamingo's gaze flicked briefly over Maude's unscathed body before curling his fingers, forcing Diamond Jozu to step forward.
The moment Whitebeard had fallen, even someone as formidable as Jozu had faltered.
Though only for a brief moment, it had been enough for Doflamingo to exploit—seizing the chance to implant his Parasite String into Jozu and take control.
His original plan had been to send Jozu to finish off the severely wounded Maude, thereby avoiding any political complications.
But Doflamingo had never expected Maude to push the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit to such an absurd level.
Much like his String-String Fruit, Maude had developed a technique centered around regeneration and self-repair.
Yet even if Maude had recovered his injuries in record time, Doflamingo was resolute—
He would kill Maude here.
He was certain.
Since the beginning of this war, Maude had been fighting relentlessly. After defeating Whitebeard and using his powers to mend his wounds, he must have exhausted a significant portion of his stamina and Haki.
And with Law now in the mix…
It was time to end this.
"Doflamingo!!!"
Jozu's face twisted in fury under Doflamingo's control, his muscles bulging with rage. Veins as thick as fingers bulged from his forehead, neck, and arms.
A single lapse in focus had cost him dearly—he had become Doflamingo's puppet.
Grief and fury intertwined, contorting his expression.
But Doflamingo had no time to admire his suffering—his gaze remained fixed on Maude and Law as they closed in.
The distance between them shrank.
And at that moment—
The Blackbeard Pirates stepped onto the battlefield.
The Marines' primary forces were still focused on Fire Fist Ace and the Devil Child, Nico Robin, leaving them unable to deal with the enigmatic motives of Blackbeard's crew.
This allowed them to advance unimpeded, swiftly making their way toward Whitebeard's corpse.
Before long—
They strode boldly into the square, their high-profile entrance drawing the eyes of Maude, Doflamingo, and every remaining Warlord and pirate present.
"Zehahaha! Dying on the battlefield is far better than rotting away on a ship, old man…"
Blackbeard's eyes gleamed with an insatiable greed as he fixated on Whitebeard's corpse.
"Teach!!!"
The surrounding pirates glared at him with burning hatred.
If not for him…
None of this would have happened.
The old man wouldn't have had to die!!!
Yet Blackbeard paid no mind to their murderous stares.
Maude halted, murmuring to himself, "Almost forgot."
He raised his hand, and in an instant, the shadowy demon behind him surged forward like wildfire—
Swallowing Whitebeard's corpse whole.
"Huh!!!?"
Blackbeard's eyes widened in shock, nearly popping out of his skull.
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