Buggy directly wounded Akainu, blasting the Navy Admiral into the ruins.
The global broadcast continued as Buggy stood tall, flaunting his presence and declaring his name and ambitions to the entire sea.
At the center of the battlefield, Akainu's chest heaved violently.
His gaze locked onto Buggy standing among the crowd, he could no longer suppress the fury in his heart and roared fiercely:
"Clown Buggy, don't get too arrogant!
If you've spent your entire life hiding your strength and lurking in the shadows, then stay hidden in the gutter forever!
This sea is a stage for the strong to compete—it's never been a place for a clown like you to show off and seek attention!"
As his roar faded, Akainu shot forward like a crimson torrent, charging straight at Buggy.
His fists were wrapped in molten lava flames, every ounce of his strength poured into the attack. He swore to tear this clown apart with his own hands.
Seeing this, Buggy's crimson lips curled into a mocking smile. His burly figure, clad in a red robe, stood firm, showing no fear of Akainu's onslaught.
Once again, he coated his long blade with Conqueror's Haki Infusion, engaging Akainu in a fierce clash.
Fist shadows and blade lights intertwined, molten lava flames colliding repeatedly with the Split-Split Power.
The two exchanged blows, attacking and defending in turn, momentarily locked in a stalemate. The powerful shockwaves of their battle swept outward, forcing nearby marines and pirates alike to retreat and take cover.
While Akainu and Buggy were locked in combat, the tide of the battle quietly shifted.
Unnoticed, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates had gathered beneath the execution platform under the cover of the battlefield's chaos. Each of them was a top-tier powerhouse who had stood firm on the seas for years.
Their eyes locked onto Kizaru, who had been restraining Luffy in mid-air for some time. With a shared glance and no need for words, they reached a silent understanding.
In the next moment, led by Flower Sword Vista, the Whitebeard Pirates captains moved simultaneously. Their figures shot through the air, surrounding Kizaru from all directions, instantly sealing off every possible escape route and forming an airtight encirclement.
Before Kizaru could react, they all struck at once.
Haki, techniques, and abilities erupted together, their attacks overwhelming, firmly pinning Kizaru at the center of the encirclement.
Suddenly surrounded by so many top-tier fighters, Kizaru found it difficult to break free, forced to continuously block their assaults and unable to spare any effort to stop Luffy.
High above, Luffy looked momentarily bewildered, staring at the sudden appearance of the captains, not fully grasping the change before him.
Flower Sword Vista, while slashing at Kizaru, turned his head toward Luffy in mid-air and shouted:
"Straw Hat, don't just stand there! Seize the chance and charge toward the execution platform with everything you've got! We'll hold off Kizaru for you—go save Ace!"
Diamond Jozu nodded emphatically, his sturdy body shattering a beam of light as he added:
"That's right, Straw Hat! Charge ahead without worry!
We'll all keep Kizaru occupied—he won't break free to stop you, not even for a moment!"
Hearing their words, Luffy snapped back to reality, his face instantly breaking into a brilliant smile, eyes filled with joy and gratitude.
"That's great! Thank you!"
He hesitated no longer. White flame clouds surged around him as his body lifted lightly into the air. In an instant, he broke away from Kizaru, who was being tightly entangled by the others, and locked onto the execution platform high above. Transforming into a streak of pure white light, he shot toward it at full speed.
Surrounded by the division commanders in the center, Kizaru watched Luffy break through and charge straight for the execution platform, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly.
His face still wore that lazy smile, his tone unhurried yet tinged with a hint of annoyance:
"Yoo-hoo-hoo... what a hassle.
I never expected to be surrounded by so many big shots at once. Truly terrifying."
Though he feigned helplessness with his words, he had no intention of forcing a breakout.
He shifted into streams of light, weaving through the encirclement. While appearing to dodge awkwardly, he moved with ease, effortlessly avoiding every attack.
He neither attempted to break out nor launched a full counterattack, instead allowing himself to be perfectly trapped by the group.
Flower Sword Vista saw right through Kizaru's intentions. Crossing his swords to block a Yasakani no Magatama projectile, he cast a cold gaze at Kizaru and bluntly called him out:
"Stop putting on an act, Kizaru.
We all know very well that with your strength, if you truly wanted to break out, we couldn't inflict any real harm on you.
But for this moment, don't even think about slipping away to support the execution platform."
Hearing this, Kizaru's smile remained unchanged as he replied calmly:
"Is that so... Well then, you'll have to try your best to see if you can truly keep me trapped."
Despite his words, his actions showed no sign of attempting to break through. He continued to drift leisurely amidst their attacks, appearing entirely uninterested in escaping.
In truth, Kizaru had his own calculations.
His earlier engagement with Luffy had been partly to vent Sentomaru's frustrations.
Having exchanged blows, that purpose was already fulfilled.
He had never intended to desperately stop Luffy or insist on ending Ace's life, much less become the one responsible for pushing Garp's grandson to his death.
Now, being surrounded by Whitebeard's division commanders gave him the perfect excuse.
Using the pretext of being held back, he could comfortably slack off without having to intercept Luffy or risk fully enraging Garp.
He knew the Navy Hero's temper all too well. If he stubbornly went for the kill and caused both Luffy and Ace to perish, Garp would likely disregard his position and publicly attack him on the spot.
That would spell real trouble for him!
So it was best to go with the flow, let himself be trapped by the others. This way, he could fulfill the superficial duties of a Navy Admiral while avoiding further involvement, staying safely on the sidelines—the ideal choice.
Meanwhile, with no obstacles in his way, Luffy soared through the air at full speed.
Gear Fifth defied all logic, allowing him to tread on air as clouds of mist swirled and lifted his body at his will. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to the execution platform.
High on the execution platform, Ace was tightly bound by Seastone shackles, powerless. Watching his younger brother rapidly approach, his eyes were filled with complex emotions—worry, concern, and relief all intertwined.
As the execution platform drew near and Ace's figure came clearly into view, Luffy couldn't contain his excitement and laughed heartily:
"Hahaha, Ace, I'm here!"
In an instant, he leaped and landed steadily on the damaged execution platform, rushing to Ace's side with an excited expression:
"Don't worry, Ace! Just wait a little longer. I'll get these shackles off right away and take you out of here!"
As the words fell, Luffy's gaze settled on the Seastone shackles locked tightly around Ace's wrists.
His eyes swept over a piece of hard rubble, and he casually bent down to pick it up, gently kneading it between his fingertips.
The solid rock became as soft as clay in his hands. After a few rounds of molding and shaping, it was forcibly carved into a neatly formed stone key.
A smile spread across Luffy's face as he prepared to bend down and insert it into the keyhole, ready to release the Seastone restraints.
But at that critical moment, a blinding golden Buddha light suddenly erupted from the sky above!