The air above Marineford trembled with tension.
"What did that pirate who appeared beside Whitebeard just do? What exactly has happened?!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku exclaimed, realization dawning painfully late, but events had already reached a critical point.
"Transmit the World Government's order and abandon Plan B completely!" he barked into the Transponder Snail, gritting his teeth.
"Go and deal with him! He absolutely cannot be allowed to destroy Marineford! If he succeeds, the Marines will lose all dignity before the world!"
Swish!
Crack!
Boom!
On that command, the three Admirals who had been stationed near the execution platform and had not yet fully engaged were released.
They had been holding back, wary of interference from Shirogai. But with Fleet Admiral Sengoku's order to abandon Plan B and to capture or kill Shirogai at all costs, all hesitation vanished.
Swish!
A ray of light pierced through the vibrating air, suddenly manifesting before Whitebeard.
Admiral Kizaru.
"Oh my, how terrifying Whitebeard is," Kizaru said aloud as his light‑formed body took solid shape in midair, instantly launching a Light‑Speed Kick.
"I won't allow you to keep shaking this place, otherwise Marineford will collapse completely into the sea!"
Swish!
The Light‑Speed Kick struck Whitebeard's face.
Thud!
Whitebeard did not budge. Protected by his constantly vibrating Tremor‑Tremor Fruit power, the great pirate's white crescent mustache quivered as he tilted his head with a glare.
"You brat, trying to sneak attack me? You're nowhere near skilled enough!"
Crack!
Kizaru's light body fragmented into countless pieces, dispersing in every direction.
Whoosh!!!
Yellow light converged from all sides.
Hum…
The scattered rays of light reformed steadily into human shape, with Kizaru in his signature yellow and white striped suit hovering in the air, tilting his head and sighing.
"Oh my, how truly terrifying. Can even light be shattered and blocked?"
Though Kizaru had failed to damage Whitebeard, he had succeeded in interrupting the pirate's action, momentarily stopping him from cracking the island itself.
Crack!
Suddenly, fresh frost spread from the ice beneath Whitebeard's feet.
Crack!
A vast surge of bone‑chilling ice crystals spread outward, rapidly freezing Whitebeard within a magnificent tomb of ice.
Crack!!!
Layer upon layer of frost expanded, encasing the ice tomb with thick crystalline layers.
"Ice Funeral!"
From beneath the frozen ground rose a swirl of frigid white mist, gathering into form like frost vines weaving together.
Admiral Aokiji.
Crack!
"…," Aokiji murmured as he stared at the slowly spreading cracks in the ice, a trace of regret shading his expression.
"As expected…"
He exhaled a cloud of cold white air, speaking with a helpless edge in his voice.
"Tremors cannot be frozen."
Crack, crack…
Fractures raced across the ice, and just as Whitebeard was about to fully break free, an immense mass of molten rock crashed down from above.
Boom!!!!!
"Great Eruption!!!"
A deep, cold voice echoed from the sky as a massive magma fist, formed from burning molten earth, swung down with catastrophic force.
Boom!
Just as the magma fist was about to slam into the crystalline ice tomb, it exploded into several mid‑sized volcanic bombs that slammed fiercely into the frozen slabs.
Hiss…
The intense heat instantly melted the ice, producing a high‑pitched steam hiss.
The molten magma continued hammering the yet‑unmelted ice.
Boom!!!
Within seconds, the battlefield was awash with scorching, flowing pockets of bubbling magma. The surface of the ice had been eroded and liquified, creating a bizarre scene where fire and frost clashed in molten chaos.
"Pops!!!"
The other Whitebeard Pirates' captains, who had been intercepted by the suddenly aggressive and no‑longer hidden CP‑0 units, cried out in alarm.
Even Pops sinking into the ocean now would likely mean certain death!
"Don't panic! These three brats can't kill me!" Whitebeard's stern voice echoed from the boiling magma.
Step by slow step, he emerged from the molten flow, the vibrating air around him isolating the heat. His clothes remained unmarked and pristine, showing no sign of injury.
Garp watched in the distance, observing the unharmed Four Emperors' captain.
"It's useless," he muttered, eyes narrowed.
"Yes, he's protected by an invisible vibrating armor. Ordinary attacks simply cannot reach him."
"Brats, do you want me to teach you a lesson?"
Whitebeard fixed his gaze on the three Admirals, a fierce grin on his face. He lifted Ama no Murakumo high, the blade glinting with a deadly calm.
"Then come on."
Even if he could not reach the plaza, tying down the Marines' three core combat forces would ease the pressure on everyone else.
Boom!!!!
Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki at last erupted.
Crackle!!!!
Ama no Murakumo was instantly shrouded in overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, condensing brilliant Haki‑coated thunderlike sparks.
Crack!!!!!
Using Ama no Murakumo infused with Haki Coating as his medium, Whitebeard unleashed a tremendous shockwave that tore through the air, cleaving at Kizaru in mid‑flight and Aokiji on the shattered ice.
Rumble!!!!
The tremor, empowered by Haki Coating, ripped through the thick cloud layer overhead the moment it was unleashed.
Crack!
Swish!
Kizaru dissolved into light and escaped.
Aokiji had also already dodged beyond the attack's range.
"Hmph!" Only Admiral Akainu remained.
His arms bulged, covered in Armament Haki, magma boiling at his skin as he charged into the Haki‑coated shockwave.
Crack!
Their collision erupted violently, twisting into a swirling sphere of explosive force.
"Magma Burst!!!" Akainu roared as he swung his magma arms, driving the deep blue Haki slash upward.
Boom!
But as Akainu was caught mid‑motion, Ama no Murakumo, still blazing with Haki Coating, slashed again, sending him flying.
"You magma brat, you're still a bit lacking!"
In the distance, atop the ruined execution platform, Sengoku watched the clash on the icy field and frowned deeply.
"We cannot fight like this. Why does this man seem not to have aged at all?"
Garp gazed at Whitebeard in battle, nostalgia tinting his voice.
"Indeed, he fights like he did in his prime."
Sengoku shot Garp an annoyed look.
"Perhaps all of these unexpected situations are somehow connected to the Vice Captain on your good grandson's ship."
"Uh…"
Garp paused before throwing his head back and laughing loudly.
"Hahahaha, Luffy is truly incredible. I have no idea where he found such a powerful pirate!"
"Ultimately, it's because you, the grandfather, didn't teach him well!"
Sengoku's irritation turned toward Ace, who was intently watching the battle, worry etched on his face. Then his gaze shifted to Luffy, who still sprinted toward the broken platform.
"If you had raised both of these grandsons as Marines, would we have a Marine capable of altering the world completely?"
"Sigh," Garp said with a droop of his head.
"How about I persuade my two grandsons to become Marines now, and we bring Shirogai along, and then you let them go?"
"That works!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku said, nodding seriously and glaring at Garp through clenched teeth.
"If you can really make Shirogai a Marine, then I would rather let the Marines lose face before the world this time, and call off this war."
"…," Garp muttered, scratching his head helplessly.
"Never mind, just pretend I didn't say anything."
He could not convince any of those three brats. Sons grew up and were no longer controlled by their mothers, and grandsons grew up beyond influence from their grandfathers.
None of them could be controlled.
"Heh!" Sengoku ground his teeth and snapped at Garp.
"Is that all you've got? Where's all of that bragging from earlier?"
___
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