At that moment, countless Marines and pirates turned their eyes toward the scene, unable to believe such a tragedy had unfolded before them. The ice blade had pierced through Aokiji's heart, exiting from his back already stained with blood.
A weapon through the heart — no matter how strong someone is, death is inevitable... unless that spot wasn't actually their heart.
The air itself seemed to freeze. Everyone watching felt suffocated, especially when they saw Aokiji's hand, which had tried to rise one last time, drop lifelessly. It was the undeniable proof that his life had ended.
Back in the Sabaody Archipelago, the crowd watching the broadcast stood in utter shock and horror. They stared at the screen where Elior withdrew the ice blade from Aokiji's chest before it vanished into thin air.
It was a terrifying scene. A pillar of the Marines, one of the Admirals, Aokiji... was dead!
And it was Elior who had killed him.
That's right — killed in action!
Mercilessly slain!
"This can't be real!"
"Impossible!"
"How could an Admiral die?!"
"The invincible Marine Admirals... just like that?!"
"That monster... he killed Admiral Aokiji...!"
The disbelief was overwhelming. Aokiji, whose name struck fear into the hearts of pirates and criminals, had fallen. Killed in broad daylight.
For the people of Sabaody, it felt like a nightmare. And those present at Marineford? They weren't any better off.
It was as if the very foundation of their spirit had crumbled. Everyone saw Aokiji's arm fall powerlessly to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A suffocating grief swept over the battlefield. Elior, once killed the strongest member of CP0, but not many had realized he wielded Admiral-level power. Yet unlike that hidden strength, Aokiji was an Admiral — and now, he was dead.
Within this stunned silence, an old man staggered forward — Garp.
To Garp, Aokiji was once a spirited youth who followed him around like a shadow, idolizing him alongside Zephyr.
Seeing Aokiji's lifeless body, Garp felt like needles had pierced his heart. Then came the anger — an unspeakable, searing rage that burned through the tears welling up in his eyes.
Garp's expression darkened.
Endless grief. Boundless rage.
It had been so long since he'd felt such pain... maybe the first time in his life.
BOOM!
In the next instant, the ground beneath Garp's feet shattered into a three-meter crater, his explosive power launching him instantly forward.
ROAR!
Like a primordial beast unleashed, his furious roar sent chills down everyone's spine.
Garp hadn't even landed yet when his upper body muscles swelled to the brink of tearing his clothes apart. His clenched fists bulged with veins, and the power condensed within them was immeasurable.
Garp the Fist — one of the absolute top-tier masters of physical combat in the world, perhaps even top three.
Garp advanced, his fist stirring a storm, his face clouded with wrath.
Aokiji's death was something he could not forgive.
"I've made so many enemies today, huh?"
Having used his Mahāpadma, Elior was feeling the drain. He had already crushed a top CP0 agent, gravely wounded Akainu, and now killed Aokiji.
Facing Garp now, Elior's fighting spirit blazed. He threw a punch to meet Garp's fist head-on.
BANG!
A deafening crash echoed as a massive shockwave rippled in all directions. The ground cracked even further, while the pressure from above flattened everything beneath.
Both Garp and Elior were blasted backwards, creating significant distance between them.
"Did our captain just poke the hornet's nest?"
"Garp!"
"His strength is terrifying! That Marine doesn't even have a Devil Fruit, yet his physical might is legendary!"
"But don't forget, no matter how strong Garp is, our captain is on another level. Look at the monsters he's fought so far! Two dead already, and Akainu barely survived!"
If anyone's the real monster here, it's Elior!
The watching monks felt the battle was nearing its climax.
"Should we jump in? I'm not sure how much longer the captain can hold out... he's been fighting for ages."
"We'd just get in the way. I mean, Kizaru could squash me with a kick. If Garp punched me, my head would probably explode!"
"It's up to Shiryu and Bullet to step in if needed."
Elsewhere, Sengoku in his Buddha form glanced at Garp and then to Aokiji's corpse, which Vice Admiral Doberman was carrying away. Seeing Aokiji's lifeless hands dangling, tears welled up in Sengoku's eyes.
He had decided long ago: if he stepped down as Fleet Admiral, his successor would be Aokiji. He had planned to recommend him.
But now...
Sengoku almost broke down in tears, just like when he lost Rosinante, whom he had seen as a son. That familiar heartache struck once more.
Just then — CRACK! — the sound of glass shattering echoed. It was Whitebeard's fist launching another attack.
Engulfed in fury and grief, Whitebeard unleashed a massive punch, clashing directly with Sengoku.
At that moment, two fierce battles erupted in Marineford:
Garp vs. Elior.
Whitebeard vs. Sengoku.
Top-tier powers colliding — the already shattered Marineford was on the verge of collapse.
"Exterminate the Elior Pirates! Avenge Admiral Aokiji!" Sengoku roared, his voice thunderous with wrath.
His cry reignited the Marines, who had been paralyzed by grief. Their eyes burned with rage.
"Exterminate the Elior Pirates!"
"Avenge Admiral Kuzan!"
"Wipe them out!"
Tens of thousands of Marines roared, their voices shaking the heavens.
"They're coming..." Law muttered, creating his massive ROOM space.
The Marines began closing in, surrounding Weevil and the others.
"Looks like the Marines are really pissed off now" Shiryu muttered, extinguishing his cigarette before unleashing a wide slash that sent a group of Marines flying, blood spraying and dust rising.
In the bay, Kong's eyes were blurred with tears — Aokiji's death hit him deeply as well. He tried to rush toward Elior, but Redfield, pinned him down onto the melting ice.
"I may be past my prime, but I can still fight. Luckily, your strength isn't what it used to be either."
Redfield kept Kong restrained as ice water splashed around them.
Elsewhere, a fat old man charged into Marineford — it was World, wielding a scythe magnified a hundred times.
Seventy-plus years old, having rotted in Impel Down for thirty years, yet still swift and deadly.
World rushed at Garp just as the Vice Admiral was about to throw an even angrier punch at Elior. With a sweeping strike, his giant scythe sent Garp flying like a golf ball.
"You remember me, Garp? I'm the one you caught back then!"
"I haven't forgotten that grudge!"
World's strike, amplified a hundredfold, was devastating, sending Garp hurtling away.
Garp's punch missed.
"Heh... interesting, old man. I thought you'd stay out of this" Elior chuckled, ripping off his tattered, dust-covered shirt and wiping the blood from his lips.
He was definitely injured — internal wounds mainly, nothing too visible yet.
"You've got your plans, kid. Don't go dying on us!" World warned.
"I'll handle Garp. The World Government... they'll feel the pain of losing everything, just like I did."
World had lost not just his freedom but his dearest comrades — all thanks to the World Government's dirty tricks.
All because of those damned Celestial Dragons.
And since Elior had killed and humiliated them, to World, he was a comrade.
"But seriously, kid... are you really human?"
World could tell: the one who'd fought hardest here today was Elior, yet he was still standing strong.
"Human? I'm handsome, thank you!" Elior smirked, clenching his fists and vanishing from sight.
The next moment, he appeared before the Shichibukai.
Naturally, Elior chose this spot because the ground here was relatively intact.
"That man!" Hancock nearly fainted from excitement seeing Elior up close, wanting to approach but remembering this wasn't the time. She stood frozen in place.
Mihawk, Doflamingo, and Gecko Moria, however, braced themselves as though facing a dire threat, watching Elior like he was a monster.
Not that Elior paid them any mind.
BOOM!
At that moment, a tremendous aura burst from Elior, sweeping across Marineford.
The air darkened instantly, a blood-red hemisphere expanding to engulf the plaza and beyond, streaked with black lightning.
RUMBLE...
Even the skies reacted — the clouds churned violently as lightning split the heavens.
Conqueror's Haki!
And not just any Conqueror's Haki — this was top-tier, supreme-grade Conqueror's Haki!
Under such overwhelming presence, ordinary pirates and Marines couldn't withstand it at all — many simply rolled their eyes and fainted on the spot.
Even though this overwhelming aura lasted only six seconds, it felt like the weight of a mountain crushing down. How could ordinary people endure such terrifying pressure?
In an instant, the battlefield that was once packed with people was cleared — most had collapsed where they stood.
The few who remained standing were barely holding on, their bodies trembling and on the verge of collapse. Very few could remain unaffected by this kind of Conqueror's Haki!
"Conqueror's Haki!"
"With such strength...!"
Hancock was stunned. She hadn't expected Elior to possess Conqueror's Haki — and not just any, but one clearly stronger than hers!
Doflamingo was equally shocked. He himself was born with the qualities of a king, yet his Conqueror's Haki couldn't even compare to Elior's.
"This is the peak of Conqueror's Haki! On par with the true monsters of the New World!"
At the same time, Sengoku's expression darkened as he watched countless Marines fall under the pressure of Elior's Haki.
"Damn it... Conqueror's Haki! That monster actually possesses Conqueror's Haki!"
"And such overwhelming strength...!"
The intel they had on Elior never mentioned that he possessed Conqueror's Haki!
"What else is he hiding...?"
The Marine Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals were terrified. Seeing their comrades fall in waves, some began to tremble uncontrollably, others collapsing from sheer fear. Even though the aura didn't last long, the sensation was like the very force of the sea crushing down on them — a pressure that made every cell in their body, even their very souls, shudder.
This was a power of the highest level in the world.
The power of despair!
"Fire Pillar!"
On the other side of the battlefield, a massive flame erupted, engulfing the area in a sea of fire.
"Ace, we have to leave now!" Sabo urged, frowning at the sight of so many unconscious Marines and pirates.
"No! My father and many of the Whitebeard Pirates are still fighting — we can't leave yet!"
Nearly half of those knocked out by Elior's Haki were members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
If they retreated now, it would be impossible to escape. They had risked everything to rescue him — how could Ace abandon them?
"That guy...!"
Ace's gaze locked on Elior — and Elior looked right back at him.
"Ace, that guy... he's our enemy!" Luffy muttered, his expression tense.
As the three watched warily, Elior began walking toward them. The remaining conscious Marines didn't even dare to approach him.
"The kings of the old era... it's time for them to step down and let new blood take over this new age."
Elior stared at Ace. He couldn't let Ace leave here.
No surprise — Whitebeard wanted Ace to be his successor. Whitebeard himself must've known his condition. Right now, there was no way Whitebeard could leave Marineford, and with his entire crew bogged down, retreat was impossible.
The Marines would never allow Whitebeard to escape.
And Elior had no reason to let Whitebeard leave either.
To Elior, the Marines, the World Government, the pirates, the Yonko, and even the Revolutionary Army — they were all his enemies.