The battlefield of Marineford trembled beneath the sheer force of clashing titans.
From the execution platform, Sengoku—the Fleet Admiral of the Marines—stood tall, the seagull insignia gleaming upon his cap. His eyes darkened as he clenched his fists.
He drew in a deep breath, his voice steady but filled with fury. "Enough chaos."
With a sudden surge of power, the ground beneath him shattered. Cracks raced outward like spiderwebs, and fragments of marble tiles erupted into the air. Sengoku's body began to expand, muscles rippling, as a radiant golden light consumed his form.
In the next instant, the legendary Buddha of the Marines stood upon the field.
The glow from Sengoku's Mythical Zoan—Human-Human Fruit, Model: Great Buddha—illuminated the ruined plaza. His body towered over the battlefield like a radiant god of war.
His massive fist gleamed with golden light as he roared, "Brat, don't get carried away!"
He swung his arm forward, unleashing a colossal shockwave of golden energy that collided violently with the lingering fragments of Ashveil's Conqueror's Flames.
Rumble!
The air shook violently as waves of power rolled through Marineford. Buildings crumbled, and soldiers were thrown off their feet as explosions thundered through the plaza.
The two forces clashed again and again, until finally, Sengoku exhaled heavily, his golden glow fading. His massive body shrank back into his human form, sweat trickling down his temple.
But there was no time for relief. His gaze swept across the chaos—his men were being pushed back.
Despite the Marines' superior numbers, the pirates' advance was relentless. At the forefront was Ashveil, his Conqueror's Haki blazing like a crimson storm. Behind him, waves of infamous pirates pressed forward, slaughtering everything in their path.
If not for the Vice Admirals—Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Doberman—holding the line, the enemy would have overrun Marineford already.
Further back, Douglas Bullet and Byrnndi World tore through the ranks like demons incarnate.
Bullet, his hulking figure gleaming with iron muscles, ignored cannon fire entirely. The shells exploded against his skin, leaving only smoke. Every punch from him shattered the earth; even seasoned Vice Admirals couldn't withstand a few blows.
World wasn't as imposing, but his More-More Fruit power turned every movement into devastation. Each swing of his weapon cost hundreds of Marines their lives.
Elsewhere, Shiryu of the Rain, Crocodile, and Portgas D. Ace clashed furiously with Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Doberman. Sparks flew from every collision, shaking the entire plaza.
The Shichibukai moved like predators, cutting through Marine ranks without pause. On the Whitebeard Pirates' side, morale burned high; even the Pacifista units—normally a terrifying threat—were being destroyed one after another by Dracule Mihawk and Boa Hancock.
Vice Admiral Tsuru stood on a nearby platform, watching quietly. "It seems I'll have to move as well," she murmured. In a flash, her body vanished using Soru, leaving only the whisper of wind in her wake.
At the same moment, Garp clenched his massive fists, ready to leap into battle—but Sengoku's arm shot out, stopping him.
"Garp, wait!" Sengoku's tone was sharp. "Haven't you noticed? The Red Count, Patrick Redfield, is nowhere on this battlefield."
Garp froze, his eyes narrowing.
"That old man knows too much. If he's gone silent, it's because he's heading for what's buried beneath Marineford's Headquarters," Sengoku said grimly. "We can't afford to split our strength."
Garp exhaled slowly, his fist relaxing. The thought of Redfield lurking unseen made even him uneasy.
Sengoku's expression hardened. "Until reinforcements arrive, we hold this ground. If we lose the Headquarters Building, everything falls apart."
Across the field, Byrnndi World and Douglas Bullet grinned as they watched Sengoku's golden shockwave dissipate.
"Look at that," World said with amusement. "That brat Ashveil really is a monster. He forced Fleet Admiral Sengoku to transform this early in the fight."
Bullet's grin widened. "Then we'd better not fall behind."
The ground beneath Bullet began to quake. His Combine-Combine Fruit roared to life, pulling chunks of earth, metal, and debris into the air. They fused around his massive frame, merging with his own body until a colossal iron giant loomed over Marineford.
"Let's see if you can handle this!" Bullet bellowed, slamming his massive fist into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact sent an earth-shattering tremor across the entire island. The crater left behind swallowed dozens of Marines whole; nothing but dust and blood remained.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Bullet's monstrous fists crashed down again and again, each strike causing Marineford to quake as though the island itself were crying out in pain.
From the rear lines, Whitebeard watched the chaos unfold. A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"That brat from Roger's crew… seems he's grown a lot. Gurararara!"
Raising his massive naginata, he shouted, "My sons! Don't let outsiders outshine the Whitebeard Pirates—charge!"
A brilliant sphere of energy formed in his palm, the Gura Gura no Mi trembling with power. He slammed it down, and the ground split open in a quake so massive that a thousand-meter fissure tore through Marineford.
Back at command, Sengoku's face darkened further. The situation was spiraling beyond control.
He seized the Den Den Mushi and barked into it, "Admirals! Finish dealing with Ashveil and reinforce the other units immediately!"
Static crackled from the snail as Sengoku tightened his grip. His mind raced.
If the reinforcements from the Gorosei don't arrive soon… Marineford will be nothing but rubble.
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