"Aargh!!!"
The Conqueror's Haki dragon, formed from Whitebeard's sheer will, blocked all the magma fists in the sky.
"Go!!!"
Amid Whitebeard's roar, the colossal dragon descended with the downward slash of Ama no Murakumo, twisting, tearing, and vibrating the void as it barreled toward the Iron Wall, the barrier separating the Whitebeard Pirates from the Marines, smashing upwards.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Beneath the dragon's path, the ice shattered, forming a gaping dragon-shaped chasm.
Thump! Thump!
"Wuwuwu…"
"Ugh…"
Marines trapped on the ice, unable to reach the plaza, along with the Pirates entangled with them, succumbed to Whitebeard's lingering Conqueror's Haki, collapsing unconscious under its overwhelming force.
Pfft!
Those who remained conscious fought ruthlessly, weapons striking with lethal precision against their temporarily incapacitated enemies.
…
On this battlefield, collapsing was tantamount to a death sentence. Marine casualties surged compared to Pirates.
The lingering force of Whitebeard's Haki rendered droves of Marines unconscious. Some Pirates fainted too, but their long exposure to their captain's Haki over years had given them resilience. They had learned to withstand the intimidation of Whitebeard's presence, whereas the inexperienced Marines had no such defense.
"Brother…"
A golden-haired Marine, still on the ice searching for his older sibling, trembled as he witnessed a heartbreaking sight.
"No!!!"
His brother, collapsed and unconscious, slid toward the yawning abyss of the sea.
Thump. His brother fell into the frigid water.
In this merciless battlefield, no one noticed or cared; falling into the sea meant almost certain death. The Marine closed his eyes in anguish.
"Die! Damn Marine!"
A nearby Pirate shot him in the back of the head, snow-white brain matter and blood splattering onto the ice, dripping into the ocean below.
Drip, drip…
The blood mixed with the sea, quickly diffusing into the currents.
…
Countless pale corpses floated in the icy waters. Pirates, Marines, and sea beasts cooked by the boiling magma drifted silently.
White "Justice" cloaks, like shrouds, floated on the Marines, their symbols small and powerless in the vast sea.
Skull tattoos on Pirates' bodies seemed almost prophetic—death spares no one, whether Marine or Pirate. Beliefs, justice, loyalty—they mattered nothing once death descended.
"Wuaaah…"
Huge dark shadows surged through the waters, swallowing floating corpses. More appeared, drawn by the battlefield carnage. Sea beasts had come from kilometers away to feast on the carnage, participating in this grim buffet.
…
Boom!!!!
The Conqueror's Haki dragon crashed into the specially reinforced Iron Plates, shaking the structures with brutal vibrations.
Vice Admirals behind the plates braced with Haki, holding them firm.
"Old man didn't break the iron plates!" Pirates' hopes faltered. If Whitebeard couldn't shatter them, the plaza seemed unreachable.
…
On the execution platform, Sengoku frowned at the magma interception, derision crossing his features.
"Such power… but Whitebeard, do you think you can intercept every magma fist Akainu throws?"
"Meteor Volcano!!!"
Akainu, without awaiting Sengoku's command, released another barrage of magma fists, launching them into the sky. At their peak, gravity distorted their paths, detonating them violently as they fell.
Boom!!!
Fist-shaped explosions rained down, descending with shattering force, combining gravity and molten heat. Another wave of pseudo-meteorite magma fists followed swiftly.
"Here it comes again!!!"
Trapped under the impenetrable Iron Plates, the Pirates panicked.
"Damn it! More magma from Akainu! The old man's tied up; he can't shatter it!"
"The commanders are intercepted by unknown opponents! Who are these people strong enough to match them?!"
"The plates… even Armament Haki won't cut through!"
Then, the Pirates noticed the steel plates subtly distorting.
"This is it!"
"The old man's ability!" they shouted, hope flickering.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Tremors and ear-piercing creaks echoed.
Creak, creak… Bang!!!
The resilience of one plate snapped, scattering fragments and knocking down unprepared Marines. Then the second, the third—five sections shattered in rapid succession.
The hidden vibrational force of Whitebeard had dissipated, leaving five unobstructed climbing paths for the Pirates.
"Not good!" Marines' alarms rang out.
"Block the breach! Do not let them reach the plaza!"
"Bombard the area! Under no circumstances can it fall!"
Whitebeard had proven why he was the world's strongest.
Below, the Pirates saw their path:
"Go! The old man cleared a way! Charge the plaza! Rescue Ace!!!"
"Kill! The old man destroyed their conspiracy! Kill the Marines!!!"
Energy surged, and the Pirates rushed forward, desperately climbing through the shattered plates.
Clang! Clang! Boom!!!
The Marines fired relentlessly, but the Pirates pushed on with renewed vigor.
"This is bad…" Sengoku observed, shock on his face.
"The plaza is about to fall!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first wave of Akainu's Meteor Volcano struck, shattering ice and sending many Pirates into the sea.
"Ah ah ah ah…"
"Charge the plaza! Too many can't fight here!"
"Forward! Kill the Marines! Rescue Ace!"
Amidst the chaos, a tall figure on a remaining plate slowly lifted his upper body. His hand stretched toward Ace on the execution platform.
"Hmph!! A bunch of guys who just won't die!"
Akainu's gaze fixed on Little Oars Jr., whose hand reached toward Ace. His body burned crimson as he drew back a magma-charged fist.
"Great Eruption!!!!"
Boom!
The magma fist surged toward Little Oars Jr.'s heart. Pirates must die.
This battlefield was Akainu's first step in eradicating Whitebeard's Pirates, followed by the other Emperors, establishing Marine dominance across the world. The old order of leniency had ended.
___
Support the story by sending Power Stones to unlock bonus chapters.
I'd also really appreciate it if you could rate this fanfic. Constructive feedback is always welcome, feel free to share your thoughts.
Limited-time Patreon offer:
There's currently a 40% discount available, but it won't last long.
Search for "Zphyr" on Patreon to take advantage of the deal while it's still active.