With just a single strike, the seemingly unstoppable Little Oars Jr. was forced to halt.
Nearby Marines and pirates alike felt their hearts tremble.
Maude cast a glance at Kuma beside him.
It didn't matter who attacked Little Oars Jr.
But the final blow had to be his.
"Huff... huff..."
Little Oars Jr.'s vision blurred, his consciousness teetering on the brink.
After enduring relentless firepower from the Marines and then taking a direct hit from Kuma's Ursus Shock, it was a miracle he was still standing.
"At the very least..."
Scenes of his time with Ace flashed through his mind, and the sheer force of his emotions fueled his will, compelling him to summon his last reserves of strength.
"At the very least, I must take down one of the Warlords of the Sea."
His murderous gaze locked onto the youngest of the Seven Warlords—Maude.
"OOOHHH!!!"
Planting his massive foot firmly, Little Oars Jr. leaned forward and rose once more, raising his gargantuan blade high above his head.
"He can still stand?!"
"This is a monster through and through."
The giant Vice Admirals stared in disbelief at the gravely wounded Little Oars Jr.
Earlier, they had inflicted wounds upon him, and Kuma's devastating attack should have sealed his fate. By all logic, he should have fallen.
Yet this beast of a warrior not only remained on his feet but still had the strength to swing that enormous blade.
"Oars! Stop moving forward!!!"
"There's no way... His massive size just makes him an easy target..."
The pirates who had fought their way here alongside him watched in worry.
But Little Oars Jr. could no longer hear them.
All that remained was his unwavering will, born from his deep emotions, driving him to clear a path for his comrades.
"Everyone... You must save Ace!"
This single thought echoed in his mind as he mustered every last ounce of strength, veins bulging in his arms, and brought his massive blade down toward Maude.
Though his target was Maude, the sheer size of his swing threatened to engulf all the Warlords in its path.
Kuma, Mihawk, and Hancock swiftly evaded.
Doflamingo, who had been itching to make a move, initially considered attacking Little Oars Jr. himself. However, sensing that the giant's attack was aimed solely at Maude, he chose instead to step back, avoiding the attack just as the others did.
Little Oars Jr.'s attack was overwhelming, yet sluggish.
Even those without Observation Haki could dodge it with nimble footwork.
Maude looked up at the descending blade, sensing the immense willpower behind it.
He understood that this strike embodied all of Little Oars Jr.'s remaining strength and resolve.
Regardless of the outcome, the giant would fall after this.
Thus, avoiding the attack would make it all too easy to claim his experience.
But Maude had no intention of retreating.
Taking a step back here would mean losing something crucial on his path to the pinnacle.
"I'll take this strike head-on."
Raising his sword, Shusui, Maude's shadow behind him surged and morphed, enveloping his body like rippling waves.
Shadow Flow—Amplification.
Shrouded in a dark aura, Maude unleashed his full Armament Haki, coating his arms and Shusui in jet-black hardness. With unwavering resolve, he swung his blade upward to meet the descending attack.
"He's... going to take it head-on?"
Doflamingo, who had retreated to safety, watched in shock as Maude chose to confront the strike directly.
Countless eyes focused on the impending clash between Maude and Little Oars Jr.
"Warlord of the Sea... Cut down that executioner!"
The Marines, who had witnessed their comrades being crushed under Little Oars Jr.'s rampage, silently cheered for Maude.
At this moment, they completely ignored the fact that Maude himself was a pirate.
Before their eyes, Maude channeled all his strength into his swing, meeting the massive blade head-on.
CLANG—!
The clash rang out like a great bell tolling at dawn, echoing across Marineford.
The titanic force pressed down on Maude through the blade, sending shockwaves in all directions, hurling debris through the air.
The ground beneath Maude cracked and shattered.
Yet, despite the overwhelming force, Shusui remained unshaken in his grasp.
And Little Oars Jr.'s downward strike... went no further.
He had stopped it.
"WAAAHH!!"
A fierce windstorm erupted from the impact.
Marines stationed in the plaza instinctively shielded their faces as debris pelted them.
Through the gaps in their fingers, they glimpsed the ruined battlefield—and the undeniable fact that Maude had completely stopped Little Oars Jr.'s devastating blow.
"He... he blocked it..."
"That's the kind of strength that can overturn a battleship!"
The giant Vice Admirals were left in stunned silence.
To them, it was as if an ant had effortlessly halted the crushing foot of an elephant.
Having faced Little Oars Jr.'s terrifying might firsthand, they felt a chill as they looked at Maude.
"Huff... Huff..."
Little Oars Jr.'s chest heaved like a bellows as he stared blankly at Maude, standing unharmed beneath him.
"Didn't... kill him..."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Maude flicked his wrist, nudging the giant blade aside with ease.
Moonwalk.
Kicking off into the air, Maude ascended.
Little Oars Jr. followed him with his gaze, tilting his head back until he was looking straight up at the airborne warrior.
"There is no right or wrong in war."
Maude gazed down upon Little Oars Jr. as the swirling black waves around him morphed into shadowy arrows, all aimed at the giant.
With no strength left to wield his blade, Little Oars Jr. could only raise a feeble arm in a desperate attempt to block the incoming onslaught.
But it was futile.
The shadow arrows slipped past his defenses, embedding into his flesh, transforming into inky-black markers clinging to his body.
Shadow Flow—Twin Blade Wheel Slash.
The moment the markers were in place, Maude's eyes glinted coldly.
In an instant, he slashed, his body moving like a bolt of lightning, weaving through the air around Little Oars Jr.
Within a single breath.
A serpentine trail of flashing steel danced across the giant's body, carving arcs of crimson in its wake.
The unleashed blade left a dazzling afterimage, as though a firework had burst into life.
Blood sprayed skyward like blooming petals.
Little Oars Jr. became a figure drenched in red.
As Maude landed, Shusui remained pristine, not a single drop of blood marring its surface.
He slowly returned the blade to its sheath.
With the sound of the blade clicking into place—
Little Oars Jr. collapsed.
The immense feedback surged through Maude, and the eighth physique star frame in his system began to take form.
At that moment, the giant's final breath escaped his lips.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
The Marines stood speechless, staring at Maude in awe and fear.
This man... was truly terrifying.
"OARS!!!"
The pirates at the harbor, along with Ace on the execution platform, trembled as they looked upon their fallen comrade, grief overwhelming them.
From the distant Moby Dick—
Whitebeard watched Little Oars Jr. fall, his face darkening.
"You've done enough, Oars..."
Casting a glance at Marco and Jozu, who were holding the Marine forces at bay, Whitebeard took a step forward.
The world's strongest man had officially entered the battlefield.
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