"All right! It's Admiral Kizaru!" The surrounding Marines looked up with expressions of relief.
Kizaru's body hovered in the air, slowly descending, radiating his usual air of lazy menace.
The severed giant hand sank into the swampy lake, which fell eerily silent.
"My, my... what's the rush?" Kizaru's eyes drifted downward, his words slow and deliberate, his face adopting an expression that said, "You're making this difficult for me."
As he spoke, he formed a peculiar hand sign, a playful smirk spreading across his lips. "Yasakani no Magatama..."
"Buzz...!" Light erupted from his hands. Countless beads of light, like miniature cannonballs, rained down upon the swamp below.
"Boom! Boom! Boom...!" The beams of light slammed into the swamp, triggering a series of rapid explosions that churned the murky lake. A strange, foul odor filled the air – the stench of the swamp being scorched.
In the blink of an eye, part of the swamp was vaporized, part was charred, and the rest was blasted outwards, scattering debris across the area. The swamp vanished, revealing a massive crater. Below, shattered ice fragments floated as seawater rushed in.
"Hmm... What a terrifying monster... He actually dodged that." Kizaru said, his body dissolving into particles of light. He reappeared a short distance away, raising his leg.
"Bang!" A kick of light pierced the ice. A beam of light, shaped like a footprint, struck a figure below.
"Splat!" Swamp exploded outward.
"To be able to freely turn the surrounding ice into escape routes... What a terrifying ability," Kizaru mused, observing how the blasted swamp seeped into a fissure in the ice. He slightly raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Someone like you shouldn't be a nobody."
His eyebrows drooped slightly, and with eyes showing how little he bought it, Kizaru drawled to himself, and muttered, "Trying to be sneaky, huh? I just do not believe you."
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" As he spoke, dozens of beams of light shot from his hands, shattering and scattering the massive ice blocks. Seawater surged forth.
Simultaneously, nearby pirates were caught in the crossfire, collapsing with cries of pain.
On the execution platform, the Marine reporting officer's voice trembled as he finished speaking. Sengoku's eyes slowly widened, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists. Killing intent and fury surged in his gaze.
"Damn it..." Suppressing a low growl, Sengoku's voice was hoarse. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Kizaru, and a roar erupted from his throat: "Borsalino! Finish this quickly! Stop the Whitebeard Pirates at all costs!"
In the end, he chose not to reveal the situation at Impel Down. The priority right now was to prevent the Whitebeard Pirates from rescuing Fire Fist Ace. As for that guy... First, no, Wilder, there would be time to deal with him later.
"...Is it about to begin? Several of Whitebeard's division commanders haven't even made their move yet..." Doflamingo chuckled darkly.
"Boom!" Just then, a mushroom cloud rose from the battlefield, accompanied by a burst of intense firelight. Hearing Sengoku's order, Kizaru ceased his toying and unleashed another barrage of Yasakani no Magatama.
Most of the ice was now shattered, leaving only scattered fragments floating on the sea. The Marines retreated to Marineford's plaza. Many pirates had fallen victim to the light bombardment, but many more had begun to land. In an instant, the battlefield shifted from the inner bay to the plaza.
"Charge!" Scores of pirates landed, rushing toward the execution platform.
"Rescue Ace!"
The various ship captains pressed forward, breaking through the lines like a hot knife through butter, engaging in fierce clashes with Marine officers.
Meanwhile, on the Marine side, the Vice Admirals also entered the fray. Their seasoned battle experience allowed them to swiftly dispatch some pirates, who fell with cries of pain before even getting a chance to fight.
"Splat!" A Vice Admiral sliced a pirate in half with a single stroke, then turned to the nearby Marines, shouting, "Kill! Don't let the Whitebeard Pirates reach the execution platform!"
"Marines! Let old man fight you!" A bald pirate wielding a massive, broad-bladed sword suddenly appeared before the Vice Admiral, slashing down.
"Boom!" The flaming blade collided with the Vice Admiral's sword, producing a deafening clang and a shower of sparks. The Vice Admiral leaped back to create distance, his expression grave.
"Whitebeard Pirates' 15th Division Commander, Fossa, huh...?"
"Tch! I didn't realize I was so famous." Fossa, still puffing on his cigar, let out a scoff. Then, he stomped his foot and charged.
"Clang! Clang!" The two quickly became locked in a furious melee.
Similar scenes played out across the battlefield. Meanwhile, on the three chairs below the execution platform, Akainu, who had been seated in the middle, had vanished.
In the inner bay, a towering figure stood at the bow of the Moby Dick, resembling a mountain that dominated the entire battlefield.
Whitebeard's sharp eyes, usually piercing, were now remarkably calm, their focus unwavering, though his thoughts remained a mystery.
"Boom!" Back at Kizaru and Wilder's battle, the fighting had also shifted from the inner bay to the plaza. Flashes of light illuminated the entire battlefield as a mushroom cloud billowed high into the air. When the dust settled, a massive, pockmarked crater remained. Wilder lay at the bottom, blood steadily flowing from his mouth.
"Got you." Particles of light coalesced above Wilder, forming Kizaru's figure.
"My, my... You look terrible." A foot, radiating golden light, hovered over Wilder's head. Kizaru drawled lazily, a playful smirk on his face.
"Nyehehehe... Beaten like a dog... Cough... Cough... Utterly helpless!" Wilder laughed weakly, his body seemingly immobilized, his eyes half-closed against the blinding light.
"Hey, you, this outfit..." It was only then that Kizaru noticed Wilder was wearing a Jailer's uniform. He instantly made the connection, his face contorting in an exaggerated expression of surprise. "First, is it? Hmm... Did something happen at Impel Down?... This won't do at all. It seems I need to finish you off quickly and report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Really... Can't you guys just stay put for a while? This is making old man very tired." The light emanating from his foot intensified, becoming scorching hot. Kizaru's glasses were bathed in a golden glow. The aura of death enveloped Wilder.
"Buzz...!" The light on his foot swirled into a dazzling halo. Kizaru slowly raised his leg.
"Boom!" The ground shattered. Wilder's body was pressed into the earth by the force of the kick.
"Gwah!" Even preemptively turning into his element couldn't completely negate the damage. Wilder's eyes glazed over for a moment, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Gritting his teeth to remain conscious, Wilder's roar echoed from beneath the ground: "Whitebeard! Help me! I blew up Impel Down! Blackbeard is inside!"
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