"More than twenty years ago, he stood toe-to-toe against the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—a legend among Marines, whose name shook the seas."
"And when the Golden Lion Shiki clashed evenly with Roger, wasn't it Sengoku and Garp who faced him together at Marineford, and ultimately cast him down into Impel Down?"
The pirates whispered in awe, recounting Garp's glory days. Against such a man—famed and feared in equal measure—their earlier surge of morale collapsed like spent gunpowder. Heads bowed, spirits dulled, fear took root where courage once burned.
"Don't let his reputation scare you, you brats!" Whitebeard barked, raising his head to glare at Garp. His booming voice cut through the haze of doubt. "At the end of the day, he's just an old war dog!"
"If you're of the same era, remember—this is an enemy to be wary of."
Ignored, Akainu scowled, his fist already pulling back.
"Great Eruption!"
A searing hound of magma burst from his arm, snarling as it lunged for Whitebeard.
"Hmph."
Whitebeard's rumble shook the air. He hefted Murakumogiri, meeting the molten beast head-on. His quake-imbued strike shattered it, sending the magma roaring backward.
"BOOM!"
The explosion thundered behind Akainu, molten rock raining like burning hail.
"You keep wrecking the city without a second thought!" Akainu snarled, rage simmering hotter than the magma dripping from his body.
"I told you to hold the line," Whitebeard chuckled, unfazed by the admiral's fury.
"Carry out the execution! Now! Get replacements here immediately!"
From atop the platform, Sengoku's furious command rang out. He turned, glaring at the unconscious executioners slumped at their posts. Marines scrambled at his order, sprinting toward the rear for reinforcements.
"FWOOM! BOOM!"
Pacifistas gnashed their steel jaws and unleashed torrents of laser fire into the pirates.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The plaza was drowned in explosions, smoke billowing upward until the battlefield was cloaked in gray ash.
Ace, staring at the inferno around him, slowly lowered his head.
"Ace! What's wrong?!"
Sengoku strode to his side, his voice sharp, demanding an answer.
"Don't give up, Ace!"
From below, amidst cannon fire, the voices of his comrades rose in desperation.
"Damn it… I'm so twisted," Ace choked out, tears streaming down his face. "While my father, my brother, and my crew bleed and fall for me, all I can do is cry—because I'm happy. Only now… do I understand how precious life really is."
His confession made Garp's expression snap tight, grief etched deep across his weathered face. Ace and Garp both bore the same pain in that moment.
"Move aside, magma brat!"
Whitebeard, hearing Ace's words, forced himself forward. He swung his naginata, hurling Akainu back. But then his massive frame suddenly faltered—his face twisted, knees buckling as he crashed to one knee.
"THUD!"
One hand braced on Murakumogiri, blood gushed from his mouth.
"Damn it…" Whitebeard's curse was hoarse, heavy with frustration and fury.
Jiang Lin had already knocked away Squard's blade earlier, sparing Whitebeard a deeper wound. Yet the relentless pace of battle had torn open old injuries buried deep in his body.
"Father!"
The Whitebeard Pirates shouted in alarm, terror written across their faces as they rushed toward their captain.
"Time spares no man, Whitebeard," Akainu growled. He raised his arm, magma roiling around his clenched fist. "Let me be the one to drag you into hell!"
The admiral's words dripped with venom as he bore down on the fallen emperor.
But before the blow could land, golden light streaked across the air—Jiang Lin appeared between them, intercepting the magma fist head-on.
"I told you," Jiang Lin roared, bracing with both hands, pads of his transformed palms pressed against the molten force. "If you can't hold on—call for me!"
"Gah! Damn brat… you're one troublesome little whelp," Whitebeard rasped, his pained smile lined with pride. Half-kneeling, he looked at Jiang Lin with gratitude burning behind his eyes.
As the symbol of his crew, if Whitebeard fell here, the consequences for the war would be catastrophic.
"Troublesome, huh? That's not so bad," Jiang Lin shot back with a wry grin. Blue flames erupted from his body, licking across his battered frame as the Phoenix's power stitched torn flesh back together.
By now, holes riddled his body from earlier clashes—only the rebirth of the Phoenix kept him on his feet.
"FWIP!"
Suddenly, another gleam of light streaked in with a sharp hum.
"Light-Speed Kick!"
Kizaru's shining foot shot straight for Jiang Lin's ribs.
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
Seeing Jiang Lin caught between two admirals, Whitebeard forced himself upright once more, ready to strike.
But Jiang Lin only sneered. "Persistent as ever, eh, Lady Kizaru?"
With a twist of his hand, he countered before Whitebeard could move.
"Pressure Cannon!"
Compressed air burst forth, a white sphere blasting toward the incoming admiral.
"BOOM!"
The explosion shook the plaza, smoke swallowing both Jiang Lin and Whitebeard in its choking veil.
And then—
"Mythical Zoan: Buddha Form—loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
From within the haze, a golden giant rose. Sengoku's Buddha form towered over the battlefield, gleaming with divine light. His massive frame radiated oppressive force, drawing wary eyes even from Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru.
"Jiang Lin!"
Sengoku's roar echoed with fury, his eyes burning with hate. His rage toward Jiang Lin had reached its peak—but duty chained his hand.
Were it not for the weight of his office, Sengoku himself would have struck long before the admirals.