With Maude's intervention, the future was becoming increasingly uncertain.
However, Akainu and the numerous Marines pursuing Ace could still lead to the same tragic outcome as in the original events.
Maude cared nothing for the lives of Ace and Luffy.
But if Akainu provoked Ace the same way he had in the original timeline, causing him to recklessly refuse to flee, then Ace was as good as dead.
Moreover, with Crocodile, Jinbe, and Ivankov absent, the likes of Sabo, Luffy, Morley, and even the Straw Hat Pirates could all get caught up in Ace's downfall, leading to their deaths.
Maude could foresee this outcome but had no way to spare the effort to restrain Akainu.
It wasn't that Sengoku could keep him pinned down—it was because he had to prioritize Law's safety.
Until Law could recover enough stamina, Maude had no time to concern himself with Sabo's predicament.
"Will Shanks show up…?"
As he clashed with Sengoku, Maude silently pondered.
His presence had already begun to shift the predetermined course of events.
So, he couldn't be certain whether Shanks would arrive as he had in the original story to put an end to this war with his overwhelming presence.
Even if Shanks did come, as long as Ace remained alive, the Marines might not stop their assault.
After all, to the Marines and the world at large, eradicating the bloodline of the Pirate King held immense significance.
To ensure that outcome, the Marines would likely stop at nothing.
Thinking too far ahead was meaningless before the curtain had fallen.
Everything could only be left to fate.
Maude held his sword defensively before him, clearly indicating that he intended to hold his ground rather than attack.
Sengoku saw through Maude's intent.
That suited him just fine—he wanted nothing more than to prevent Maude from further interfering. If he could keep Maude here, all the better.
At that moment, Tokikake stepped into the battlefield, locking eyes with Maude.
"Tokikake, go after Fire Fist."
Sengoku could clearly sense Tokikake's unconcealed killing intent toward Maude, but Ace's execution was the priority—he couldn't afford to waste too much strength on Maude.
Tokikake hesitated slightly at the order.
"Move now."
Sengoku's sharp gaze left no room for argument.
"…Understood."
Tokikake forced himself to comply.
No matter his personal grudges, as a Marine, he had to follow orders in such a critical moment.
Before crossing the battlefield's breach, Tokikake shot Maude one last cold, murderous glare before turning away to pursue the main force.
Once Tokikake left, Sengoku launched a fierce assault against Maude.
Maude continuously parried Sengoku's strikes, slowly shifting his position to give Law space to recover in safety.
His sole focus remained on defense, waiting until either Sabo and the others successfully escaped or—
Regardless of the final outcome, when the time came to withdraw, Maude would do so without hesitation.
Maude stayed on the defensive while Sengoku focused on keeping him restrained.
Their battle appeared intense, but both held back, avoiding unnecessary exhaustion of stamina and Haki.
Without Maude's destructive rampage, the battlefield's chaos began to stabilize.
Meanwhile, Maude's brief clash with Akainu had given Ace and his group the chance to regroup with the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even so, Akainu and his forces caught up to them once more.
No words were exchanged—both sides immediately resumed combat.
The key difference was that Ace's return had eliminated the need for the Whitebeard Pirates to fight to the death.
They fought while retreating, clearly intent on escaping.
But Akainu had no intention of letting them go so easily. His devastating magma-based attacks rained down upon them with merciless fury.
Seeing Akainu attempt to block their retreat, Marco stepped forward to hold him off, hoping to neutralize his threat.
Yet Akainu was not alone.
The elite Marine forces led by more than a dozen Vice Admirals created enough openings for Akainu to unleash his full might against the Whitebeard Pirates.
Under such an onslaught, retreat became a near impossibility.
Spotting the Whitebeard Pirates moving toward the stone platform on the plaza's left side, Akainu smirked coldly.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Seeing through their plan to reach the nearby warships for escape, Akainu showed no mercy.
Hundreds of magma fists rained down like a meteor shower, obliterating every ship anchored offshore.
With their escape route completely severed, despair spread among the pirates.
"Hmph. Like a pack of beaten dogs, where exactly do you think you're running?"
Half of his body now fully magma, Akainu sneered as he unleashed another barrage of molten fists toward them.
Each searing strike tore through the Whitebeard Pirates' ranks, leaving trails of destruction in their wake.
"If you're running like this, does that mean the great Whitebeard Pirates are nothing but cowards after all?"
Akainu taunted them mercilessly while continuing his relentless assault.
"You dare insult Pops?!"
"Shut your mouth!!"
"Pops was no failure!!!"
Still mourning Whitebeard's loss, the pirates were enraged by Akainu's words.
"Tch."
Akainu sneered. "All this 'Pops' talk… What are you, children playing house?"
"!!!"
His taunts, combined with the grief of losing Whitebeard, finally shattered their restraint.
With their escape cut off and their emotions boiling over, they no longer sought to flee.
If they had to die, they would drag Akainu to hell with them.
Maude immediately noticed the shift in their demeanor, his heart sinking.
If Shanks didn't arrive in time, those who stayed behind would be doomed.
Maude sighed inwardly.
Even knowing the likely outcome, he lacked the means to change it.
Just as he resigned himself to this grim fate, the sky suddenly darkened with gathering storm clouds, and fierce winds began to howl.
"…Dragon?"
Maude's eyes narrowed at the sudden shift in weather, immediately linking it to Dragon's abilities.
WHOOOOSH!
Out of nowhere, a powerful tempest roared across the battlefield, sweeping up the members of the Whitebeard Pirates and lifting them into the sky!
In that moment—
Maude glimpsed a future rewritten.
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