The all-out war had erupted. Kizaru, Aokiji, and numerous Vice Admirals were engaged in fierce combat with the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders and their affiliated captains.
Kizaru reformed his body from the rubble, a trickle of blood running down his forehead. His expression remained unchanged, still lazily menacing. He glanced at Whitebeard and transformed into a beam of golden light, speeding towards him.
But before he could get close, Marco intervened, blocking his path with a swift kick. Kizaru halted his advance, raising a single hand to parry the blow.
Behind Whitebeard, one of the captains of his allied pirate crews had appeared without anyone noticing. Simultaneously, Admiral Akainu returned to the platform.
"Squard, my son, what's wrong?" Whitebeard asked, having already sensed the other's presence without turning around.
"Nothing, Pops," Squard, also known as the "Maelstrom Spider," replied gravely. He stepped closer to Whitebeard, stopping directly behind him.
The smoke of battle cleared, revealing Third Division Commander "Diamond" Jozu facing off against Aokiji.
Icy coldness emanated from Aokiji's hands, spreading rapidly. Jozu's expression was grim, the diamond coating on his arms now extending to half his body.
"Pheasant Beak!"
A massive ice bird erupted from Aokiji's right hand. Jozu launched a powerful punch with his diamond-encrusted fist. The two attacks collided, the sound of shattering air deafening.
Deep underground, Wilder released a large quantity of food from his body and began devouring it. His Life Return ability controlled his digestive system, frantically processing the food. Nutrients and energy were rapidly absorbed, his stamina replenishing with each passing second.
"If it weren't for my Observation Haki, that would've been dangerous, nyehehehe..." Reflecting on the recent encounter, Wilder still felt a lingering sense of dread.
Against an Admiral, Wilder had no means of counterattack. Until his Armament Haki awakened, all he could do was flee, and even that was a struggle. Against any other Admiral, he might not have escaped so narrowly – though that was just a possibility...
He could have fared even worse.
This was because Kizaru's speed was overwhelming, and his swamp attacks were completely ineffective against him. Wilder's only advantage might have been the elemental intangibility granted by his Devil Fruit, which shielded him from most of the damage.
"Pops!" A cry of alarm echoed across Marineford.
Whitebeard dropped to one knee on the deck of the Moby Dick, a large sword protruding from his chest. Squard, tears streaming down his face, held the sword's hilt.
"Ace! He's Roger's son, isn't he?!" Squard roared, his voice carrying across Marineford.
"Gkkh... Gkkh..." Whitebeard's face was pale, sweat beading on his brow. He clenched his fist, then swung it down.
But not in attack. He wrapped his arm around Squard, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Squard, my foolish son, you're wrong. Does it matter if Ace is Roger's child? Tell me... Who preyed on your weakness and poisoned your mind with these lies?"
"Pops... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Squard's eyes overflowed with tears, consumed by self-reproach.
"Gurararara! There's no need to blame yourself, Squard." Whitebeard laughed, his voice full of commanding power. Then, his laughter subsided, and his towering figure rose to its full height.
"Boom!" He leaped from the Moby Dick. A powerful, awe-inspiring presence landed on Marineford's plaza, like a mountain that suppressed all before it.
"So, he's finally decided to get serious, huh? Whitebeard..." On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's eyes narrowed with grim determination.
"Pirates are truly unreliable." On the platform, Akainu slowly stood, his expression impassive, his gaze fixed on Whitebeard.
"Whoosh!" With that, he leaped high into the air, jumping from the platform and traversing half the battlefield. In mid-air, magma erupted from his right fist.
"Hound Blaze!" A hellhound made of magma surged from Akainu's hand. The terrifying heat warped the air. Akainu gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing, and he slammed the attack down towards Whitebeard below.
"Whoosh...!" Whitebeard looked up, his sharp eyes showing no trace of disturbance. He twirled the bisento in his right hand, then, in a flash, slashed at the air!
"Krak... Krak... Krak!" The air shattered into fragments. A hurricane-like wind swept across the battlefield. Time seemed to freeze for a split second. Then...
"Boom!" A deafening explosion. The power of the tremors erupted! Simultaneously, the massive magma hound descended from above, colliding with the tremor force.
The two forces clashed, locked in a struggle. Akainu gritted his teeth, his unwavering determination the strongest on the field. The shockwave distorted his face. Hound Blaze was unable to advance even an inch. Countless streams of magma were flung back from the point of impact. Finally, Akainu's pupils constricted. His body was flung backward as if struck by a giant boulder, bending at the waist, and soaring through the air!
"Gwah!" A torrent of blood spewed from Akainu's mouth. His feet dug deep into the ground, plowing a long furrow as he slid to a halt.
"Boom!" But quickly, a massive ball of magma rose from the spot where he'd landed, carrying terrifying force and heat, descending upon Whitebeard from above.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Whitebeard spun his bisento, gripping it with both hands. He swung, slashing at the magma ball. The blade sliced into the molten mass, stopping its terrifying eruption in its tracks.
"Whoosh!" Whitebeard exhaled a powerful breath. The magma clinging to the ball was blown away like sparks, leaving behind a blackened, smoking volcanic rock.
"Gurararara... Nice fireworks display, Firework Boy," Whitebeard said, tilting his head back and laughing his unique laugh.
"Everyone, attack!" Several Vice Admirals surrounded him, their swords and spears clashing. But Whitebeard merely swung his fist casually. The air vibrated. With a buzz, the terrifying earthquake force swept out again!
"As expected of the strongest man in the world, that power..." The Vice Admirals were sent flying, their faces grim as they landed.
Red light flared. Akainu, once again wreathed in terrifying magma, charged. His scorching fist aimed straight for Whitebeard's body!
"Buzz!" Whitebeard slashed with his bisento, leaping forward. Before Akainu could retreat, Whitebeard grabbed his head with one hand and slammed him forcefully into the ground. With a boom, the earth shattered, the cracks spreading outwards in a widening radius.
Akainu coughed up blood, crushed into the ground by the tremor force. The terrifying power contorted his face almost beyond recognition.
"! " Red light seeped from beneath the ground. The earth was scorched to a fiery red by the intense heat. Cracks of magma appeared. Akainu's face was streaked with blood as a monstrous dog of magma erupted from below.
The magma twisted, and Akainu's body reformed. He punched, a red glow illuminating the scene! The magma surged, rushing towards Whitebeard!
Deep underground, Wilder's expression darkened to a near-black. The scorching magma flowed in through the cracks, instantly raising the temperature of his subterranean sanctuary. It felt like a burning hell.
Fortunately, his stamina had been fully restored. He glanced up at the now-reddened swamp ceiling, considered for a moment, then transformed into swamp and flowed away.
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