After the reincarnated puppets joined the battlefield, the tide of battle instantly shifted.
Because the puppets were created using Kaguya's Wood Release and infused with powerful chakra, they retained most of their original strength. In fact, empowered by chakra, they were even stronger than before.
Incredibly strong and unable to be killed—this was a nightmare to face. Even the Navy Admirals found them troublesome, let alone the ordinary soldiers.
And in this world, there were no sealing techniques.
Facing the advancing puppets, Fujitora gripped the hilt of his sheathed blade tightly. In a low voice, he said, "Gravity Suppression."
With a flash, the sword was unsheathed. Waves of gravitational force rippled outward like a shockwave.
Boom!
On the battlefield, the puppets were slammed heavily to the ground, unable to move. The impact left deep craters where they landed.
At the same time, Aokiji leapt into the air and swung his arm, sending out two freezing blasts.
"Ice Age."
A wave of frost swept out. With a series of crack-crack sounds, the ground rapidly froze, stretching far into the distance. In moments, the puppets on the battlefield were encased in ice.
"Not bad," Kaguya remarked, twirling a lock of hair with her fingers as she smirked. "But what will you do next?"
Before Aokiji could catch his breath, a massive figure appeared before him. Looking up, his eyes narrowed in alarm—Charlotte Linlin.
Her dark pupils glowed red. She raised her arms, conjuring two spiritual flames—one a blazing fireball, the other a storm cloud crackling with lightning: Prometheus and Zeus.
With a swish, Charlotte Linlin vanished. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared in front of Aokiji.
Crap—
Aokiji's eyes widened.
Charlotte Linlin swung her left arm. A bolt of brilliant lightning shot from the storm cloud, striking Aokiji instantly.
Boom! He was blasted backward, crashing into a wall and shattering into shards of ice.
Before his body could reform, the fireball in her right hand suddenly expanded like a balloon and exploded into a fiery rain of meteors.
"Heavenly Fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A barrage of thunderous explosions followed. Fiery rain poured from the sky, slamming into the battlefield. Flames roared, smoke billowed, and the sky blazed with light.
Looking around, the land was scorched and shattered—everything had turned into a sea of fire.
The scale and power of the attack far surpassed even Akainu's Meteor Volcano.
The frozen puppets were reduced to ash by the inferno. But once the flames died down, the ashes seemed to come alive, slowly gathering and reforming into humanoid shapes—the puppets revived once again.
Against these undying puppets, the Navy was at a loss. Only Aokiji's freezing and Fujitora's gravity could slow them down, and even that only temporarily.
The Navy soldiers truly had terrible luck. First, they were knocked out by the overwhelming dragon's aura. Then, upon waking, they found themselves facing these hellish enemies—and nearly burned to death. It was like they'd been cursed for generations.
Meanwhile, in a hidden corner on the other side of the battlefield—
"W-what is going on?" Smoothie stared at the familiar figure wreaking havoc on the battlefield, her eyes wide. "Is that... her?"
"Impossible," Katakuri said in disbelief. "I saw Mom with my own eyes... she was—"
They had previously attacked Whitebeard under a secret agreement with the Navy: if they could kill Whitebeard, the Navy would cede his territory to them.
But Whitebeard's strength far exceeded their expectations. Even with the advantage of a sneak attack, they couldn't deliver a fatal blow. In fact, they were nearly killed themselves.
If not for Whitebeard's frail condition, they likely wouldn't have survived. Even so, they had still suffered serious injuries.
Pudding stared at Charlotte Linlin's figure, stunned. As Big Mom's daughter, she instantly recognized her mother.
But at that moment, Puddings expression turned cold. Her eyes glinted with a chilling light.
"No," she said, turning away. "That's not Mom. It's just a puppet that looks like her."
"But—" Smoothie protested, "She clearly is—"
"Mom would never allow herself to be used by someone else," Pudding said coldly. "That thing is nothing more than a monster wearing her shell."
Katakuri and Smoothie exchanged uncertain glances. The explanation was strained—but strangely convincing.
"Let's go," Pudding said softly, taking one last look at the silver-haired figure in the distance. "This is no longer something we can interfere in."
As the flames on the battlefield began to die down, Kaguya raised a delicate finger and snapped.
Snap!
The puppets across the battlefield stopped moving instantly.
Though the battered Navy troops didn't understand what had just happened, they gratefully seized the chance to retreat. Once they reached safety, they turned to watch, eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Kaido's massive form came to a sudden halt, his fist frozen mid-air. A terrified Navy soldier sitting on the ground stared wide-eyed, face pale with fright. He scrambled up, stumbling as he fled, nearly tripping in the process.
"Didn't you enjoy ganging up on the weak?" Kaguya strolled forward leisurely, her voice dripping with amusement. "Well? Was it fun?"
"Interesting, truly interesting, hahahaha," Doflamingo walked out with a swagger, the corners of his mouth lifting. "You didn't expect this, did you, Sengoku? Such a performance before the eyes of the world, turned into such a farce."
Sengoku's face was ashen, veins bulging on his neck as he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Doflamingo, do you also intend to betray the World Government?"
"Betrayal? I think you're mistaken," Doflamingo sneered. "Joining the World Government and becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was merely a matter of mutual benefit. And besides, I've been working for that adult for a long time now. You were just too naive."
Marineford, headquarters of the Navy, had already turned into a wasteland. The earth had cracked open with deep rifts, ruins and debris were everywhere, dismembered corpses littered the ground, and the air was thick with choking gunpowder smoke. The tattered Navy flag fluttered weakly in the gloomy wind.
"What on earth is going on?"
On the battlefield, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates stared in shock at the bizarre scene before them. Those people moved silently, looking no different from ordinary humans, yet exuded a foreboding aura, as if they had walked straight out of hell.
Marco looked on in shock at the zombie-like figures on the battlefield. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He could recognize them—many of them were famous pirates from the Grand Line, some of whom he had even fought before. Judging from their abilities and fighting styles, there was no doubt about it.
But why would these once proud individuals willingly let themselves be controlled by that person?
Looking at the silver-haired girl standing calmly amidst the Navy's encirclement, Marco's mind was filled with uncertainty. The more he interacted with her, the more unfathomable she seemed. But what had she come here for this time?
Still, Marco felt somewhat relieved. Fortunately, they weren't her enemies. Otherwise, the entire Whitebeard Pirates might have been annihilated right here.
And it was thanks to the foolishness of the World Government. If they hadn't rashly labeled Kaguya as a wanted criminal and expelled her from the Navy, the balance of power on the Grand Line might have already shifted dramatically.
Suddenly, Whitebeard's eyes flew open on the battlefield. With a loud *bang*, he gripped his chest and fell to one knee, blood gushing from his mouth.
"Pops!"
"Pops!"
The Whitebeard Pirates were stunned. Marco, even more alarmed, rushed over and asked anxiously, "Pops, what's wrong?"
Whitebeard's face was flushed unnaturally, his breathing heavy. Gripping his great blade, sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"It's nothing... just that I'm about to die," Kaguya said as she walked gracefully toward them.
Marco's pupils contracted sharply. He looked up, gritting his teeth, and shouted, "Don't talk nonsense! Even if you are the benefactor of the Whitebeard Pirates, you can't say that. How could Pops possibly die? Don't joke around!"
"Marco, everyone meets their end someday. Don't make that face—it's unsightly," Whitebeard raised his head and said. "Do you want your enemies to pity you?"
Marco trembled, his eyes gradually filling with tears. "Pops..."
Whitebeard stood up, his gaze fixed on the Navy admirals not far away. "We've already accomplished what we came here for. There's no need to remain. Marco, take the youngsters and leave."
Marco grew anxious. "But what about you?"
"Say no more," Whitebeard swung his arm and shouted, "Better to die gloriously on the battlefield than waste away in a sickbed." He glanced at Marco, "Take care of Ace for me."
Marco looked at Whitebeard's towering figure, his pupils trembling slightly. At last, he gritted his teeth and said, "I understand." But he couldn't help clenching his fists tightly.
"Hey, girl," Whitebeard glanced at Kaguya and said, "This isn't a place where you should be. If you leave now, it's not too late."
Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "Why should I leave here?"
"There's nothing for you here," Whitebeard said. "I'm staying because I'm prepared for this, but you don't need to perish along with this old era."
Kaguya replied meaningfully, "An old era might just signify the beginning of a new one. Old man, since when did you become so sentimental?"
"Sentimental?" Whitebeard was momentarily stunned, then burst into loud laughter. "Gurararara! I've been underestimated by a little girl." With that, he tightened his grip on his massive blade, a spark flashing in his eyes. "Then let's raise some hell."
"In that case, I'll fulfill your request," Kaguya said.
"Hm?" Whitebeard glanced at her.
Kaguya said, "I have a method that can allow you to temporarily regain your peak strength from your youth."
Whitebeard grinned. "I don't believe in free meals falling from the sky."
"Exactly. All power comes at a price," Kaguya said. "And this method is no exception."
Whitebeard responded, "Oh?"
Kaguya's eyes sharpened. "The price is death."
"Death?"
"That's right," Kaguya said matter-of-factly. "If you want to wield great power, you must pay the price."
Marco's pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly interjected, "What kind of joke is this? How can such a method exist? Pops—"
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed boldly, the sound rumbling like thunder. "It suits me perfectly. Girl, let's begin. I've waited long enough."
Marco cried out, "Pops—"
"No more, Marco," Whitebeard grinned. "You should be happy that I get to fight one last grand battle before I go. Also—" he paused for a moment, "In the future, the Whitebeard Pirates will depend on you and Ace."
Marco wanted to say more, but seeing Whitebeard's chiseled face, he clenched his fists and held back.
"Then, let's begin."
Kaguya stepped forward, her eyes focusing. With a leap, she soared into the air. Her slender palm struck out and landed on Whitebeard's chest. A soft white light slowly flowed into his body.
Thump thump, thump thump
Accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat, a soul-shaking power burst forth from Whitebeard like a tidal wave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven