"STOP IT!!"
Watching the two blades rise high, Marco let out a furious roar. His massive blue phoenix form shot towards the executioners with desperate speed.
"MARCO! YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE HERE!!"
The golden Buddha's voice was filled with divine wrath. A gigantic golden palm slammed forward, releasing a powerful, layered shockwave.
With a deafening BOOM, Marco was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
"ACE—————!!" Marco's scream was one of raw, desperate anguish.
But it was too late.
Before the eyes of the world, Ace's head was cleanly severed from his body.
A head, frozen in an expression of regret, defiance, and pain, rolled like a ball to the edge of the platform before dropping onto the ice with a sickening thud.
The year was 1520 of the Sea Circle calendar. Portgas D. Ace, son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, was dead.
In Oris Plaza, the reactions were a study in stark contrasts. A brief, stunned silence was shattered by the simultaneous eruption of triumphant cheers and furious roars.
"Hahahahaha! He's dead! Ace is dead! The son of the Pirate King is dead!!"
"The world's most evil bloodline has finally been extinguished!!"
"Whitebeard Pirates, your mission has failed!!"
"Brothers! Ace is dead! slaughter every last one of these pirates!!"
Seeing the glaring, lifeless head on the ice, countless Marine soldiers felt their confidence surging back. So what if the Whitebeard Pirates had broken into the bay? The man they came to save was dead. All their efforts were utterly wasted.
"ACE, NO——————!"
"Commander Ace!"
"Bastards! How dare you kill Commander Ace!"
The Whitebeard Pirates watched the scene with eyes wide enough to tear, their killing intent overflowing. They had come so close to hope, only to have it snatched away in an instant.
"Men! Fight them to the death!! Avenge Ace!!" Diamond Jozu roared, punching a Marine lieutenant into a fine mist, his demeanor that of a enraged wild beast.
"AVENGE ACE!!"
"How dare they kill Commander Ace! Today we tear down Marineford!!"
"Brothers, charge!!"
"OOOOOHHHHHH———————!!"
Ace's death had ignited a pure, unadulterated fury in the hearts of every Whitebeard pirate. Before, they had charged with hope. Now, they charged with the venom of revenge.
The fighting instantly became more brutal. Both Marines and pirates had red-rimmed eyes, having lost all reason. Only one thought remained in their minds: kill the enemy. Kill them at any cost.
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 1.
The reporters from the World Economic Journal clicked their cameras furiously, changing film reels in their backpacks as if they were free. This was a story of unprecedented scale. While Leo was the storm's center, Ace's identity was too sensitive. The death of the Pirate King's son would send shockwaves across the seas. This was headline news, and headlines meant pure, white cash!
After a moment of stunned silence, the tens of thousands of citizens erupted into a wave of excited cheers.
"Hahahaha! Ace is dead! That great pirate is finally dead!!"
"The Marines have done well! A vicious scoundrel like Ace deserved execution!"
"With Ace gone, Roger's bloodline is cleansed! The seas are safer now!!"
The citizens, who had been waiting with bated breath, let out a collective sigh of relief. For them, the Marines were justice, and pirates were evil.
"Don't celebrate too soon," a dissenting voice rang out from the crowd. "Ace is dead, but Whitebeard won't take this lying down."
The cheering citizens snapped back to reality, their faces growing grim once more as their eyes collectively turned to the giant screen, focusing on Whitebeard.
Inner Bay, Marineford.
"Ace..." Whitebeard stared at the lifeless body of his son, his mind reeling, his spirit momentarily broken.
"Whitebeard, your end is now!!" Akainu sneered, seizing the opportunity. His magma fist shot out, piercing clean through Whitebeard's abdomen with a sizzling, horrific sound.
"Guh—!" Whitebeard staggered, coughing up a mouthful of blood uncontrollably.
"Magma brat, GET OFF ME!!!" Whitebeard bellowed, his fist coated in a transparent sphere of vibration. He slammed it into Akainu's face, grinding the Admiral's features into the broken ice with brutal force.
BOOM!!
The impact cratered the ground. Akainu used the momentum to roll away, then immediately launched another relentless assault, fearless of the consequences.
"Whitebeard! Ace is dead! Why don't you join him in hell?!"
"Great Eruption!"
Akainu's killing intent was palpable. He was completely focused on Whitebeard, indifferent to whether his magma powers scorched his own men. In his eyes, their deaths were a worthy sacrifice if it meant killing the Emperor.
The battle between Whitebeard and Akainu reignited with even greater ferocity. The atmosphere-shattering tremors clashed with the world-incinerating magma, the two supreme powers wrestling for dominance.
Akainu, going all out, wielded his Magma-Magma Fruit with devastating mastery. Every strike left a new, gruesome wound on Whitebeard's body. Within moments, another gaping hole was burned into the old pirate's side, blood flowing freely.
Whitebeard roared in fury, once again hurling Akainu into a deep crevice, venting his boundless rage. But it was followed by an endless, crushing grief. No matter how many he killed, it wouldn't bring Ace back. He had to find a way to get his other sons to safety.
With that thought, a look of absolute resolve flashed in Whitebeard's eyes.
CRACK!
He drove his bisento, Murakumogiri, into the ground. Whitebeard clenched his fists, gathering his terrifying quake power once more, and then slammed them down onto the air itself!
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
The sound of shattering reality erupted. Monstrous fissures, like the veins of the planet, rapidly spread across the entire island. The ground buckled and collapsed in layers, several large buildings groaning before crashing down in clouds of dust. Marines and the few pirates caught in the no-man's-land were swallowed by the chaos, their screams cut short.
A chasm, deep as an abyss and wide as a canyon, tore through the center of Marineford, splitting the headquarters in two.
Countless Whitebeard pirates picked themselves up, shaken and confused.
"Pops... Pops used his power to separate us!!"
"Pops! What are you doing?!!" a pirate shouted, staring at the figure of Whitebeard, who was now on the other side of the divide, so close yet so far.
Now, the Marines and pirates were clearly divided, like pieces on a chessboard.
"Damn it! Pops is still over there!!"
Looking at their lone, proud captain, the Whitebeard Pirates grew frantic. In the short time since the split, Whitebeard had been completely surrounded by Marines.
The division commanders and allied captains looked on with dim, sorrowful eyes, their heads bowed. How could they not understand their father's intentions? He was using his own life as a shield to cover their retreat!
Sure enough, under the anxious gazes of his sons, Whitebeard's booming, heroic voice rang out once more:
"My sons! You have done more than enough! From now on, your only task is to escape Marineford! Leave the rest... TO ME!!"
His powerful voice resonated throughout Marineford.
"Pops! We won't leave you behind!!"
"Marco! Get over there and bring Pops back!!"
Countless crew members screamed in desperation. Whitebeard was the backbone of the crew, its very soul. A Whitebeard Pirate crew without Whitebeard was unthinkable.
Marco's eyes hardened with determination. Without a word, he dove towards Whitebeard.
"MARCO!!!" Whitebeard pulled his bisento from the ground, his voice low and heavy. "As my son, you should understand me! You are the First Division Commander! Don't you know what your duty is now?! Lead them away from here! I am a relic of a bygone era... There are no ships in this new age that can carry me anymore..."
With that, Whitebeard suddenly clenched his fist again, aiming at the Marines swarming towards him. The overwhelming power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit erupted once more!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
A large number of Marines were caught in the blast, falling into pools of their own blood. Amidst the agonized wails, Whitebeard laughed heartily, "My sons! Your futures lie beyond this place! Get out of here now! Return to the New World!!"
"YOUR FATHER WILL CLEAR THE PATH FOR YOU!!!"
"Pops..." Marco, hovering in the air, forced himself to stop, tears streaming down his face. Then, he turned sharply and flew back towards the main group of Whitebeard Pirates. As the First Division Commander, he had to make the hard call.
"All Whitebeard Pirates, retreat from Marineford immediately!"
"Quick, quick! Don't engage the Marines!"
"Everyone, withdraw now!"
Diamond Jozu and Flower Sword Vista simultaneously broke away from their opponents, clearing an escape route for their comrades. Every member of the Whitebeard Pirates took one last, deep look at their captain, their eyes misty with tears, before turning and fleeing for their lives. They would not let their father's sacrifice be in vain.
Watching his children scrambling to safety, a look of serene acceptance spread across Whitebeard's face.
My sons, I am so sorry. I received everything from you—family, loyalty, love. But in the end, I have nothing left to give you. This... this is all I can do for you now.
"Whitebeard, DIE!!"
"Great Eruption: Cerberus!"
Just as Whitebeard was lost in his thoughts, Akainu attacked again. Whitebeard's eyes turned cold. He raised his bisento to meet the challenge.
"Kill every last one of these pirates! Let none escape!" On the execution platform, Sengoku bellowed his order.
Not far away, a line of Pacifista units emotionlessly fired their laser beams. Whitebeard Pirates fell like wheat before a scythe, unable to mount any effective resistance. In moments, the casualty count among the Whitebeard Pirates skyrocketed. To the average pirate, the Pacifistas were terrifying machines of destruction.
Despite the favorable turn of events, Sengoku felt no relief. The war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates was reaching its end. Whitebeard was being held at bay by Akainu, on the verge of burning out. But besides them, the Marines had an even more terrifying enemy to deal with.
Sengoku snorted coldly, his Observation Haki firmly locked onto Leo as he charged towards him.
At the same time.
"Leo! Must you be so ruthless?!" Kizaru gritted his teeth, swinging his Light Sword desperately to block Leo's attacks.
"What's this? Is the mighty Marine Admiral scared?" Leo taunted, his movements becoming even more fierce and relentless.
His main mission of recruiting women was complete. Now, it was time to collect Devil Fruits. With Whitebeard's order to retreat, his crew's will to fight had shattered, and multiple battlefields were collapsing into rout. Even Whitebeard himself was at the end of his rope. Leo needed to speed things up.
"Slashing Wave!"
Leo's eyes turned icy. He unleashed several golden sword slashes in quick succession.
Kizaru's pupils constricted, every hair on his body standing on end. His Observation Haki clearly detected that these slashes were coated with both Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki. Their power might not match the level of his "Nation-Destroying" attack, but let's not forget: Kizaru's durability was nowhere near Garp's.
"Damn it!!" Kizaru's face twisted into a grimace, the tiger mouth of his hand gripping the Light Sword trembling slightly.
"Leo, cease your rampage!!"
"Buddha's Wrath!"
At the critical moment, a giant golden palm, accompanied by a terrifying shockwave, slammed down from above. The sound of chanting filled the air as the golden palm swatted the golden sword slashes aside, destroying them completely.
"Fleet Admiral, you finally arrived." Kizaru let out a long sigh of relief, his heart still pounding with fear. If Sengoku had been a moment later, he would have been dead or severely wounded, even if he had survived.
"Kizaru, we fight together," Sengoku commanded coldly. Leo's strength was plain for all to see; he had killed Garp. Sengoku would not be so foolish as to fight him alone.
With Sengoku joining the fray, the pressure on Kizaru lessened considerably.
"Sengoku, no one can save him today, not even you!" Leo laughed coldly and suddenly clenched his fist.
A coffin made of pitch-black cloud, compressed to its limit and infused with Armament Haki, snapped shut around Kizaru, trapping him inside.
"BOOM!!!"
The next second, a deafening explosion came from inside the black coffin.
"Leo, you're looking for death!!" The golden Buddha was enraged. A massive golden palm swiftly swept towards Leo.
"Hancock!!!" Leo shouted.
Not far away, on the frozen battlefield.
Hancock, Nami, and Tashigi were still locked in combat with Aokiji. Hearing Leo's call, Hancock, who had been monitoring the situation, understood immediately.
Without the slightest hesitation, she drew back the string of her Love-Love Bow, forming the legendary "Heavenly Arrow!"
"Kizaru, perish for me!!"
SWOOSH!
The arrow, imbued with its innate destructive power, the petrifying ability of the Love-Love Fruit, and a thick coating of Armament Haki, shot forward. A purple streak tore through the air, heading straight for the black coffin.
"Bastard!!" Aokiji cursed, his face darkening. He had been wary of Hancock's bow this whole time. The moment the purple arrow was loosed, his Observation Haki screamed with unprecedented alarm and agitation.
The purple arrow sliced through the air, creating sonic booms as it crossed hundreds of meters in an instant.
"Damn it, what is that?!" Sengoku was equally horrified. After sending a golden palm strike towards Leo, he tried to disengage from the battle.
"Hahahahaha... Sengoku, trying to run now? It's too late." Leo laughed loudly, sticking to Sengoku like a shadow. He teleported in front of the Fleet Admiral and threw a powerful punch.
The terrifying force of the blow sent the golden Buddha stumbling back several steps, caught off guard.
At the same moment!
"BREAK, DAMN YOU!!!!"
A furious roar erupted. A brilliant light shone from the seams of the black coffin.
BOOM!!!
With a deafening explosion and a flash of blinding light, the black coffin shattered. Kizaru emerged, free.
But in that split second, the purple arrow arrived.
Kizaru's pupils shrank to pinpricks, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body. Though it was just a single arrow, it gave him the same feeling of impending doom as Leo's Nation-Destroying strike.
There was no time to dodge. Kizaru could only focus on condensing the most rigid Armament Haki armor possible around his body in a desperate defense.
The next instant, the Heavenly Arrow arrived with an unstoppable force.
Under the horrified gazes of Sengoku and Aokiji, the arrow struck Kizaru true.
"NO!!!" Kizaru's eyes widened in terror, his aged voice letting out a final, desperate scream that he had never uttered before.
Everyone watched, confused and terrified.
The destructive power and Armament Haki easily pierced through Kizaru's defensive armor. The arrow's momentum unchecked, it slammed into his physical body.
Then, the petrification began. Starting from his chest, Kizaru's body rapidly turned to stone. In less than two seconds, he was completely transformed into a statue.
Then, the destructive force contained within the arrow fully erupted.
BOOM!
The stone statue exploded into countless fragments, scattering across the ground like gravel.
Marine Admiral, Borsalino, Kizaru of the Yellow Monkey, was dead.
"KI-ZA-RU!!!" The golden Buddha's roar was one of pure, unadulterated fury.
Another one! Dead again!!!
Leo sneered and instantly teleported away. He had no time to waste on Sengoku now.
Using a cloud wall to block line of sight, Leo retrieved the Glint-Glint Fruit in the blink of an eye.
A few seconds later, the Marines finally processed what had happened. Witnessing the death of a second top-tier powerhouse after Garp, an endless, suffocating fear began to spread rapidly through their ranks.
"He's dead! Admiral Kizaru is dead too!"
"It was that purple bow in Hancock's hands!"
"Damn it, what kind of weapon is that?! It can even kill a Marine Admiral?!"
"Everyone, be careful! Stay away from Hancock!"
Countless Marines looked at the Heavenly Arrow in Hancock's hand with pure, unadulterated terror.
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T/N :
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