"Has it really come to this?!"
On the execution platform, Sengoku, who had returned to his human form, watched the chaos with a grim expression. Fortunately, the Marines had already planned for a situation like this. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the Den Den Mushi.
"Activate the encirclement wall!"
"Hey!"
As he spoke, a violent roar echoed from the internal waters of the Marineford plaza. Thick iron walls rose from the sea, completely surrounding all the Marines and pirates participating in the war.
The pirates, who had just seen Ace rescued and were preparing to escape, were all startled. Pirates who were close tried everything to break through the iron walls, but neither slashes nor cannon fire could leave a single mark on the massive structure.
This made the pirates' expressions turn uneasy.
"Damn it, these iron walls are too thick; they can't be broken," one pirate yelled.
"Oh… oh no, we're surrounded! We can't escape!" another cried out in panic.
"This is a trap!"
Fortunately, at that moment, someone noticed something and pointed into the distance. "Everyone look! There's a gap in the encirclement around Oars!"
Everyone looked and immediately rejoiced. Sengoku on the execution platform also saw it, and his expression turned very grim. The fallen Oars had used his massive body to block a rising section of the encirclement wall, leaving a path for all the Whitebeard Pirates to escape. This deeply moved the pirates.
The Marines' expressions, however, were unprecedentedly grim. Especially Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral. This public execution of Fire Fist Ace had been full of unexpected turns from the very beginning. It had now reached a point that the Marines could not tolerate.
This public execution was being broadcast worldwide, and the Marines absolutely would not allow Fire Fist Ace to escape. Thinking of this, Sengoku commanded grimly. "All Marines, listen carefully! Absolutely do not let the Whitebeard Pirates leave here!!!" Sengoku was practically roaring.
Meanwhile, although the Whitebeard Pirates had found a path to survival with the help of Oars's body, they now faced a problem: while they could escape, their ship, the Moby Dick, could not possibly pass through the narrow gap. This meant they would have to abandon the ship that symbolized the Whitebeard Pirates!
It was Whitebeard who was most decisive at this moment. He looked at the ship that had accompanied him for half his life. "I'm sorry, old friend!" He felt a surge of apology in his heart, then immediately raised Murakumogiri high in his hand and roared, "All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, listen to my command! Abandon the Moby Dick and break through the encirclement wall!!!"
"Pops!!!"
Upon hearing this command, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates found it hard to accept, but they had no choice now. Marco also immediately shouted, "Everyone, obey Pops's command and get out of here quickly!"
Thus, all the Whitebeard Pirates fled toward the gap in the encirclement wall.
But just then, a booming explosion erupted, the sky became scorching hot, and countless magma meteors rained down, blocking the escape route of all the Whitebeard Pirates.
Akainu, with hot magma flowing all over him, emerged. "What a joke! Scum pirates, how could I possibly let you leave!!!" he bellowed.
"Is that so, Magma Brat!" Whitebeard's cold voice rang out.
Then all the Marines saw Whitebeard plunge Murakumogiri into the ground and assume a stance with both hands. This posture was all too familiar to the Marines. Just before the war began, Whitebeard had used this exact attack to create a tsunami large enough to engulf the entire Marineford.
Sengoku, seeing this, immediately understood Whitebeard's intention, as his familiar old rival. "Stop him quickly, Sakazuki! Whitebeard is going to sink the entire Marineford into the sea!"
"!!!" Everyone was shocked by this realization.
"Gurararara! Too late, Sengoku!!!" Whitebeard laughed triumphantly. White energy surged from his hands; his Devil Fruit ability was about to activate.
But just then, Whitebeard suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body swaying.
"A chance!!!"
Akainu, an Admiral who thought he could no longer stop Whitebeard, immediately reacted upon seeing this. Without the slightest hesitation, he launched an attack on Whitebeard. "Meigou (Dark Dog)!!!"
Whitebeard's reaction was, of course, very fast, but the aging of his body was something he simply could not resist.
"Boom!!!"
Sakazuki's magma fist directly struck Whitebeard.
"Pops!!!"
This sudden turn of events stunned all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace, who had been rescued by Luffy, trembled all over when he saw this scene.
Sakazuki, who had struck Whitebeard, looked at Whitebeard before him and said coldly, "Whitebeard, you've gotten old, haven't you!!!"
"Gurararara, Magma Brat, don't underestimate an old man!" Whitebeard roared back.
"What!!!" Sakazuki's expression suddenly changed. It turned out that his fist had been seized by Whitebeard at some point; he tried to escape but couldn't, even elementalization was useless. On the other side, a fist, with its Devil Fruit ability activated, was already smashing down toward his head.
"Boom!!!"
In the sky, the sound of something shattering echoed. Sakazuki's eyes rolled back, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, the ice beneath his feet completely shattered, and he plummeted into the abyss below.
"Cough!!!"
Upon seeing this, all the Whitebeard Pirates didn't even have time to rejoice before they saw Pops cough up several mouthfuls of blood. Whitebeard wiped his lips and looked at the blood on his mouth.
"Indeed, it seems this era no longer has a ship that can carry old men like us!"
He looked up at his sons running toward him, and at the Moby Dick, which had accompanied him for so long. He made up his mind. As he pulled Murakumogiri from beside him, his aura surged, and he activated his ability with his other hand.
Countless shattering sounds echoed in the sky.
"Let this old man forge a path for you young ones!!!"
"Boom!!!"
Since Ace had already been rescued, he no longer needed to worry about his safety. The powerful tremor directly struck Marineford behind all the Marines.
"Boom!!!!"
Unfortunately, just as the tremor reached the execution platform, right before it was about to hit the Marine building behind it, two figures appeared there. Admiral Kizaru and Vice Admiral Aokiji. They both raised their hands, Haki shining like black lightning over their palms. They had actually blocked Whitebeard's ability directly.
Did he fail!?
No, of course, it couldn't be called a failure. At the very least, Whitebeard's attack caused the two Admirals to no longer be able to concern themselves with the escaping Ace and Luffy.
However, when the Marines saw Whitebeard's attack being blocked, their morale instantly soared.
"That's great!"
"It's Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Kizaru!"
"We're saved!"
Seeing this, Whitebeard also saw illusions before his eyes. Was he truly old? If it were him in his prime, this attack, even with the combined efforts of the current three Admirals, couldn't be stopped, but now, only two people had blocked it.
And just then, suddenly, a terrified voice rang out among the Marines.
"Ah… what is that monster?"
"There's someone behind the Marineford building!!!"
Everyone, drawn by the sound, looked toward the Marineford building. They saw that after some surrounding buildings were destroyed by the impact of Whitebeard's ability, a giant figure appeared behind the Marine building.
Along with it came a voice that filled Ace and all the Whitebeard Pirates with immense rage.
"Ze hahahaha, looks like I can't hide anymore, Pops, Captain Ace, we meet again…"
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