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Under Whitebeard's initial strike, the Shichibukai remained motionless, none prepared to intervene.
Perhaps, with the war yet to fully erupt, they had no desire to serve as cannon fodder.
"It's truly intimidating."
Ace couldn't help but feel emotional watching the massive waves crashing toward the sky as if to dismantle the entire world.
Though he knew they'd be blocked.
Yet, the shock and the oppressive atmosphere he felt firsthand left his heart unsettled.
Just imagine—without Aokiji, who could possibly stop this wave?
It's only fitting Whitebeard is called the strongest.
Indeed, events still appeared to be following their natural course.
As the shadow cast by the wave covered the three Admirals, a chill descended.
Akainu shook his head slightly, making no move.
Aokiji took the lead instead!
He shot skyward as a frost blanketed his face.
Raising his arms, cold air gathered in his palms, forming an ice spike that swiftly stretched until it met the surging waves.
The intense chill wielded a freezing power like no other.
Upon contact, ice began forming, rapidly spreading across the surface.
Through his Frozen Fruit ability, the seawater offered no resistance, and in mere moments, the massive waves were frozen into towering ice sculptures on either side of Marineford.
"Ice Age!"
After he'd finished, Aokiji muttered softly, bringing the scene to a breathtaking close.
Whitebeard's initial tsunami strike was neutralized in this way. Far from angry, he chuckled and scoffed,
"Aokiji, you little brat."
In Whitebeard's eyes, even a Marine Admiral was just a kid.
Below, tears rolled down beneath Bellumebo's eyepatch as he felt an overwhelming relief from surviving a near disaster.
"The tsunami stopped… it really stopped," Kebi said in awe.
But in the air, Aokiji had no intention of resting.
"Double Thorn Spear!"
With chilling words, Aokiji transformed the cold air around him into four icy spears radiating freezing light, launching them at Whitebeard.
Whitebeard remained unfazed, throwing another punch in Aokiji's direction.
Crack—
A seemingly effortless punch.
But it carried the unmistakable sound of space fracturing.
Boom!
The ice spears shattered under the force of Whitebeard's strike, with the residual energy of his blow lingering.
Sensing the threat, Aokiji quickly decided to shift into his elemental form.
He took the shape of an ice sculpture, suspended in the air.
The next second—
Boom!
The ice sculpture of Aokiji was shattered into pieces by the immense force, scattering frozen fragments.
Upon touching the seawater in the bay, Aokiji's form reassembled.
He gently pressed his palm down, releasing waves of freezing power similar to when he'd previously frozen the ocean. In just a breath, the seawater across the entire bay froze solid.
Even the Whitebeard Pirates' ship was encased, preventing any movement.
"Bombardment! Fire on the Moby Dick!"
The Marine Commander gave the command.
Cannons around the bay turned toward the pirate fleet, and the bombardment began without mercy.
Aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' vessel, the crew exchanged confident smiles.
"Let's go."
"It's rare to create a foothold for us."
Foil Vista charged forward, exclaiming, "Let them see how powerful we are!"
One by one, the other captains followed.
The Whitebeard Pirates surged forward.
The battle to save Ace had officially begun.
Simultaneously, the Marine Vice Admirals leaped down to intercept the pirates outside the bay.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, retreat quickly."
Vice Admiral Momonga spoke with concern, a cigar clamped between his teeth as he flashed a grin.
But Tsuru folded her arms, unimpressed.
"Quit showing off, you young fools."
"Even if I retreated to the ends of the sea, there would be no place safe."
A cannonball exploded nearby, casting a fiery glow across Tsuru's weathered face, full of worry.
Clearly, she understood the gravity of this war and its impact on the world.
The battlefield grew more intense by the second.
"It's finally begun."
Sengoku, standing above, gazed across the battlefield, murmuring to himself.
Ace's eyes flickered with a spark of flame, his body instinctively primed to break free.
At that moment, a figure stepped forward from among the Shichibukai.
"What's this? Are you really going to join the fray?"
Doflamingo called out over his shoulder.
The figure with the massive black blade, Yoru, strapped to his back paused briefly, his sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowing.
"I just want to see how far the man before me stands from us."
With that, he leaped from the high wall onto the frozen battlefield below.
Hawkeye gripped his black blade, his presence sharpening like a sword ready to slice the world apart.
A dark green light encircled the blade.
In the next instant—
He struck.
Emerald green slashes filled the air, slicing forth in an instant.
Across the battlefield, everything took on a green hue.
The deadly arc of slashes destroyed everything in their path, leaving a massive gorge in the ice. Marines and pirates alike, unable to evade, fell under the unparalleled strike of the world's greatest swordsman.
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