"Sakazuki!"
Watching Tsuru swiftly carry the unconscious Akainu away, Sengoku realized just how terrifying Elior's ultimate attack had been.
The two fallen executioners had already been removed from the platform — Sengoku hadn't even noticed, his full attention fixed on Elior. Where the explosion had struck, a crater more than fifty meters wide now marred the area, charred and still aflame within its depths.
Elior stood at the crater's edge, blue arcs of electricity crackling across his form. His hair and clothes floated in the still air.
"How strong is he?"
On the execution stage, Sengoku clenched his fists in disbelief as he stared at Elior in the distance.
What had happened to Akainu? His arms had fallen limp — clearly unconscious. That cataclysmic blast had rattled Marineford itself, with lightning striking as though a storm had erupted and battered the Admiral mercilessly.
What was his condition now?
Sengoku's concern for Akainu was completely justified.
This wasn't the first time an Admiral had fallen in combat. Decades ago, two marines had perished at the hands of Rocks, and the previous generation saw three Admirals die in battle. These were devastating losses.
Rocks had matched — or even exceeded — Fleet Admiral strength in his heyday, dominating the New World.
Could Elior be comparable?
There was no doubt Sengoku was deeply worried.
Right now, nearly everyone's attention was on Elior.
Akainu's grievous injuries were plain to see, and Elior's strength — enough to incapacitate an Admiral — had left the marines shaken to their core.
Just moments earlier, Ace's failed execution had dented their confidence. Now, Elior had injured Akainu to the point of unconsciousness.
Few could stay calm.
This war was fast becoming Elior's personal showcase. His feats would be broadcast across the globe — a nightmare-level power asserting itself over the entire world.
But this was only the beginning.
Whitebeard was watching too — but he was being held off by Momonga and Kizaru, preventing him from reaching the execution platform. They couldn't let him break through; one punch from Whitebeard could obliterate the stage.
The Marine's tactic was clear: wear Whitebeard down and take him out eventually.
Despite their tactical success, Whitebeard's crew launched another wave of attacks.
Elior merely glanced at their struggle. To Whitebeard, it was a question of Haki. Ordinary Marines fell like leaves under his Conqueror's Haki; no surprise. But even Whitebeard's crew would be exhausted eventually.
A single ant is weak, but thousands working together can take down an elephant. That was Elior's perspective — he only shook his head.
In the original battle, Luffy unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki wave to push back Marines before this. Meanwhile, Luffy, Sabo, Ivankov and Inazuma had launched a fierce counterattack.
Seeing Elior and Akainu's fight had filled them with dread. That kind of explosion should have been fatal, and still Akainu stood defiant—how terrifying.
Inazuma used his scissors to rip open the ground, burying several Marines as the terrain rolled like a giant blanket.
"Sabo, Luffy, I'm coming!" boomed Morley, stabbing the ground with a massive harpoon. The earth bucked like a flipped mattress, hurling and crushing Marines.
Morley's earth-control power complemented Inazuma's powers perfectly.
The six allies advanced on the execution platform together.
Whitebeard's crew, seizing the moment of Akainu's unconscious state, also surged forward thirty or forty meters.
Only Kizaru and Momonga stood between them and the platform.
From atop the steel walls, Dragon watched Elior quietly, his face grave. Elior had appeared unexpectedly, and his strength was a shocking revelation.
A power beyond imagination.
Dragon had clashed with Akainu before and wounded him — but both were hurt. Defeating an Admiral was never easy.
Why did Roger find himself cornered by Garp? Why did Whitebeard and Roger fight for three days without decisive victory? Why were Sengoku and Whitebeard lifelong rivals?
Because top-level fighters were so evenly matched. Even a win didn't guarantee a kill.
But Elior had gravely wounded Akainu — and had already killed the strongest CP0 operative. This was no longer a contest of equals.
This was elite power overwhelming second-tier might.
Dragon was deeply unsettled. Elior was too strong and too unpredictable — what could he become?
Dragon leaped into the dust-filled plaza, thinking: Perhaps it was time to keep Elior here. He had struck multiple times now; surely exhaustion had set in. Now might be the easiest time to suppress him."
Alongside Dragon, Aokiji stepped forward, blocking Elior's path.
"I want to test your power. Ice against ice — let's see who's stronger!"
He approached, his right hand glowing with chilling aura.
"Who's stronger, then?" Elior asked with a grin. "Your ice has wide range but low offense. Mine excels in both. And my freezing surpasses yours!"
"Range? Offense?" Aokiji hesitated — but when his right hand reached out, Elior was frozen in an instant.
"Frozen so easily?" Aokiji wondered — but then, lightning flashed across Elior's body, instantly shattering the ice.
"That ice? Useless against me."
Elior shrugged and charged, "What are you capable of?"
Aokiji was completely baffled — ice one moment, lightning the next. What kind of Devil Fruit did Elior possess?
Understanding this was crucial if the Marine wanted to oppose him.
Before Aokiji could respond, Elior hammered a barrage of ice spikes at him.
BOOM
"Ice Block: Pheasant Peck!" Aokiji shouted — and launched an ice bird at the spikes. But the spikes smashed it like a toy.
A pillar of ice erupted behind Elior. He jumped atop it, looking down on Aokiji, then slammed his palm into the pillar's tip. From the pillar's opposite side, a smaller spike shot toward Aokiji like an arrow.
"So that's offense?"
Aokiji stared in surprise as the spike pierced his abdomen.
He elementalized.
Aokiji leaped back, "Now you're serious!"
In a flash, Elior appeared before him—still airborne—and punched him squarely in the face. Aokiji flew back, the punch infused with Armament Haki delivering raw impact.
"You're dangerously powerful. Maybe death or Impel Down suits you better"
A deep voice cut in beside Elior — it was Dragon. A gust of wind blew past.
Before Elior could turn, a resounding thud echoed.
Dragon had been struck — sent flying into the steel wall with a heavy crash.
"Is sneak-attacking the trend now?" Bullet remarked, appearing beside Elior.
He cracked his knuckles,
"Just now when Aokiji froze you... Once we get to the New World—after this war—I want a fight with you."
Elior nodded, "No problem."
Bullet smiled, "I hope you go all out."
"Of course."
Bullet added, "I want to test the Revolutionary Army leader… Garp's son?"
After saying that, Bullet vanished, moving at blinding speed. Just three seconds later, the sound of a fist slamming into flesh echoed — Bullet's punch had landed squarely in Dragon's gut.
Dragon's stomach churned violently. The force of the blow nearly made him vomit yesterday's meal.
A second later, Dragon was sent flying once again.
"Compared to freezing Aokiji, punching flesh like this feels way more satisfying!" Bullet grinned viciously as Dragon crashed into one of the Revolutionary Army commanders — Lindbergh, commander of the South Army.
Meanwhile, in front of the execution platform…
"Crab-chan, it's on you!" Luffy turned to Inazuma, who gave a firm nod in reply. With a swift motion, Inazuma dashed forward and sliced through the ground with his scissor-like hands, causing a strip of floor to curl upward like a ramp, launching it toward the edge of the execution stand.
"You! Straw Hat Luffy! And the Revolutionary Army too?!" Sengoku's eyes went wide. Even the path had been cleared—how could he not be furious?
Garp, watching from below, also looked up in disbelief.
"Luffy! Sabo! You go! We'll hold the line!" Ivankov called out, urging Luffy and Sabo to charge up the newly formed path and reach Ace.
At that moment, Ivankov, Jinbei, Morley, and Inazuma all turned their backs to the path and stood shoulder to shoulder, preparing to block the oncoming Marine forces.
"Thank you! We'll definitely save Ace!"
"Luffy! Hurry!"
Luffy and Sabo exchanged a glance — eyes full of resolve—and bolted forward.
"Luffy! Sabo!"
Ace was stunned. He hadn't expected the two of them to make it this far. Tears welled up in his eyes again. He was overwhelmed with emotion.
This was the bond of true brothers.
"Those two brats… Straw Hat… Ace's little brother?"
Whitebeard looked off into the distance. Of course he had noticed them by now.
"Whitebeard Pirates — support Ace's brother! Assist them in saving him!"
At that moment, Whitebeard stomped Momonga into the ground and roared. His foot then unleashed the full power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, shattering the ground beneath them. Momonga coughed up blood instantly.
"This..."
"Pops!"
"Help Ace's brother!"
"Ace, I'm coming!"
At Whitebeard's command, the Marine soldiers who had just raised their cannons to blow up the passage found themselves under attack. Vista, split their formation in two, while Jozu charged like a rampaging bull, scattering Marines like leaves in the wind.
"Ace's little brother is no joke. I didn't really notice him earlier… I had no idea they'd already come this far!"
"The Marine's been doing everything to contain us Whitebeard Pirates, but have they completely overlooked Ace's brother? Hah!"
"All right, everyone—help Ace's brother!"