Episode 327: Fierce Battle... And the Whitebeard Pirates' Burning Flagship
『 Luffy was just about to leap over the wall, but he didn't expect to be blocked dead in his tracks by this suddenly rising barrier.
Surprised, he blurted out, "What on earth is going on?"
The pirates were all shivering with fear.
This wall was far too high and slick; there was simply no way to climb over it!
Moreover, there were long, narrow embrasures lining the wall—clearly meant for launching attacks!
Even more headache-inducing was the fact that this wall completely enclosed the entire bay, leaving only a single exit, which was the very place they had entered from.
Retreating would be no easy task!
"Bastard!"
One pirate swung his spiked club with all his might against the wall, but the barrier didn't budge in the slightest.
Whether it was spiked clubs, cannonballs, or flying slashes, this all-metal barrier remained completely unmoved!
"Is this the encircling wall they were talking about?"
"It's made entirely of steel; there isn't a single opening!"
"What are we supposed to do now?"
"These Marines, they couldn't beat us in a fair fight so they resorted to such underhanded tricks!"
Just then, several openings on the wall suddenly revealed cannon barrels.
Hundreds of muzzles were all aimed directly at the central plaza, sending everyone into a panic.
"Look, the cannons are aimed right at us!"
"Is there anywhere to escape?"
"We're surrounded on all sides, where could we possibly…"
"Wait a minute, there's a gap over there!"
Someone pointed to a spot not far away. The encircling wall there had failed to rise because a colossal figure was pinning it down, making it impossible to lift!
"Captain Oars!"
The other pirates noticed the spot too!
Sengoku frowned as he looked at the otherwise perfect encircling wall marred by a single gap, and asked, "What happened?"
"The exact details are unclear. We've already applied maximum power, but Oars' body is too heavy. On top of that, his blood has seeped into the mechanical drive system below, weakening the system's power. Even at full capacity, we cannot lift it."
"Damn monster!"
Ace's tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at Oars' massive body.
Squard muttered, "That guy…"
Behind Squard, Marco said softly, "That guy is still fighting!"
Whitebeard's gaze turned solemn as he muttered to himself, "We still have a chance. As long as we break past the Marines' encircling wall, we can win!"
Sengoku looked on with eyes full of resolve. "In that case, Akainu, do it!"
Akainu took a few steps forward.
His hands suddenly turned crimson, then transformed into bubbling, scalding hot magma.
The magma grew in volume, and the surrounding air constantly distorted due to the extreme heat.
With a look of slight annoyance on his face, Kizaru took a step back and grumbled, "Standing next to him always makes me feel like I'm smelling a barbecue!"
"Isn't the heat from your ability a bit too high? Can you not unleash it so close to us?
"My skin doesn't want to end up smelling like charcoal-grilled meat~"
Although Aokiji didn't say anything, he still shuffled two steps backward. His powers naturally clashed with Akainu's, which indeed made Aokiji feel rather uncomfortable!
But Akainu didn't seem to care in the slightest!
He bellowed, "Ryusei Kazan—!"
Behind Akainu.
The molten lava in his hands shot straight up into the sky in an instant!
It looked just like a fireworks display.
Seeing this, Jinbe was also greatly shocked!
"What's going on? Why did Akainu's attack disappear into the sky?"
Ivankov muttered, "Is this just a bluff? That shouldn't be!"
Whitebeard also stared up at the sky with a furrowed brow. This was his first time seeing Akainu make a move, and he knew this man was not easy to deal with. His power was terrifyingly immense, to the point where even Whitebeard felt a sense of danger.
"What's that sound?"
"Is there something in the sky?!"
The pirates looked up at the sky in bewilderment. At the moment, the mist from the previous battles made the sky very dark. After Akainu's attack shot into the heavens, the entire sky turned almost pitch black.
No, it was black tinged with red, like a late sunset!
Gradually, the red hue thickened, like flowing magma.
It hung suspended in the air, as if it was about to drip down!
No, it was already falling!
First one, then two, then three!
A massive deluge of magma rained down from above, aimed directly at the trapped pirates in the center.
At this moment, the pirates fell into utter chaos!
"What on earth is that?"
"Why is the number still increasing?"
Sengoku laughed aloud. "You have nowhere left to run!"
"Melt all the ice and leave them with no place to stand!"
The first wave of the offensive struck the ground. The mass of flame slammed down like a giant fist, crashing violently into the surface.
In an instant, everyone was blown away by the sheer force, and Luffy and his companions were no exception.
The attacks rained down as thick as a downpour, and even Whitebeard's flagship, the Moby Dick, was blasted to pieces.
Whitebeard's face turned grim as he silently watched the disaster unfold. 』
『 .....』
〜Fairy Tail World〜
Year X778,Fairy Tail Guild—
Natsu stared at the scalding magma, a look of shock appearing on his face.
He had never experienced such astonishing heat before, and he had absolutely no desire to consume these flames. However, this scorching heat actually felt more terrifying than his own Fire Dragon's Roar!
Lucy whispered,
"Too terrifying! This is really too terrifying!"
"This kind of magic would be considered top-tier even in our Guild! Someone who can control this kind of power definitely has the strength of a S-class!"
Gray shivered at the sight.
As a fellow ice mage, he really couldn't understand how Aokiji dared to stand right next to Akainu!
Erza's eyes widened. She tried to put herself in Luffy's shoes, only to find that she would feel utterly powerless!
( Translator-kun: I think this Timeline was from OVA3 Memory Days. )
—
〜OVERLORD World〜
"Oh?"
Ainz Ooal Gown couldn't help but let out an exclamation of surprise after seeing such a fierce attack.
At this moment, the chamber was exceptionally quiet. Everyone was staring at the screen, making his sigh sound particularly loud.
For a moment, the scene fell dead silent.
Albedo spoke up,
"That is a Super-Tier magic; it must be a Super-Tier magic!"
"Has the magic of that place actually reached such a powerful level?"
"Lord Ainz, what do you think of this move?"
Ainz Ooal Gown was startled inwardly, knowing he couldn't show any weakness. Although he wasn't sure if that power was magic, its instantaneous cast effect was indeed very impressive.
In most worlds, this kind of power would probably be considered top-tier!
However, he still had many far more powerful secret trump cards that could surpass it.
He let out a cold chuckle and said dismissively with his skeletal body,
"It is merely so-so."
Demiurge said loudly,
"Of course! To the great Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, such minor play is not even worth mentioning! Lord Ainz must have found this spell too insignificant and gasped only because he found the reactions of those people amusing!"
"Indeed!"
—
『 Sabaody Archipelago—
Everyone stared at the black screen, a fire burning in their hearts!
At such a critical juncture, how could things go wrong now?
But everyone knew in their hearts that it must be the Marines' doing, so they began to put pressure on the Marines!
Faced with this situation, the Marines were also helpless and could only offer an awkward explanation: "There is an issue with the communication equipment on the island; we have no control over it!"
"Is there really a secret agreement between Whitebeard and the Marines?"
"If Whitebeard and Ace make it back alive, they will be a stain on this world!"
"What 'one of the Four Emperors'! What a joke!"
"Whitebeard's reputation is entirely overblown!"
"What on earth happened? What is this world going to become?!"
Several large ships were docked near the coast, with many people on board waiting for the broadcast to resume. One could tell from their attire that they were no ordinary people. They muttered in low voices: "What is going on? Whitebeard would never do such a thing. I'm worried they've run into danger!"
"What is wrong with you people? Can't you see through this? It's precisely because they are doing something underhanded that the Marines cut off the broadcast to keep us in the dark!"
"What are the Marines trying to do? Was Whitebeard set up?!"
"Who do you think Whitebeard is? It's precisely because he wouldn't do such a thing that he is called a living legend!"
Among the pirates, the majority still chose to believe in Whitebeard.
Back to the Battlefield—
The Ryusei Kazan continued to rain down from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground.
The moment these meteor-like flames hit the ice, they exploded, splitting into countless tiny red embers. Although these embers were small, their temperature was extremely high, instantly melting deep craters into the ground upon impact.
Numerous holes of varying sizes appeared on the ground, constantly spewing hot steam. The ice sheet actually began to melt rapidly!
The ice here was dozens of meters thick!
This heat not only impacted the areas directly targeted, but even the ice sheets in other areas became unstable due to the scorching magma. The standing ground on the sea surface grew scarcer, and the pirates had to scatter, unable to gather together.
"The ground is getting slicker, and it's so hot!"
"It looks like the ice is about to melt completely!"
"What do we do? Even if we swim to the shore, we can't climb up such a high wall!"
"Is this really the end of the line?"
They conversed anxiously amidst the continuous explosions, every face filled with terror.
At first, they could still barely hold on in the water; after all, as pirates, their swimming abilities were usually decent. However, the seawater in the bay was different from usual. Under the influence of the magma unleashed by Akainu, the water surface kept emitting steam, and as the battle dragged on, the temperature rose steadily!
"Oh no!"
"What should we do? At this rate, we'll be boiled alive!"
The pirates scrambled in the chaos, searching for a chance to survive.
Some lucky ones found floating wooden planks on the sea to temporarily escape danger, but such resources were extremely scarce, so they did their best to help those around them climb onto these lifesavers.
More people swam with all their might toward the ice floes that had not yet completely dissolved, but once they stood back on the ice, everyone was struck dumb with horror—
They had just escaped the clutches of death, only to find that the cannon ports on the fortress walls were once again aimed right at them…
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
One explosion after another sent these poor souls flying once more!
It was a truly heartbreaking sight to behold!
In fact, anyone witnessing this scene would feel a pang of sorrow.
The situation was so dire that it seemed utterly hopeless!
The Marines' offensives came wave after wave, their intention crystal clear: to completely eradicate these troublemakers with continuous, overwhelming firepower.
With pursuers behind and the path ahead blocked, how to escape became the ultimate problem. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "So, so tragic…" ]
[ Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War): "I almost can't bear to keep watching." ]
[ Rimuru Tempest (Tensura): "This is indeed… war." ]
[ Portgas D. Ace (One Piece): "For my sake, they actually…" ]
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "Ahahaha, this is getting a bit tricky. That's some insane firepower." ]
[ Ronoroa Zoro (One Piece): "…" ]
[ Whitebeard (One Piece): "Gurarararara! Excellent, this brings back the feelings of my youth." ]
[ .....]
『 At this moment, everyone pinned all their hopes on those powerful figures!
Whitebeard still exuded a towering presence!
His muscles tensed as he threw another powerful punch.
This time, the attack was very similar to his previous ones.
The power contained in this strike needed no explanation!
A cracking sound echoed through the air as a terrifying white shockwave surged directly toward the Marine Headquarters.
As expected of Whitebeard!
A casual punch carried such mind-boggling power!
RUMBLE—!
The attack struck the wall. Along with a deafening roar, everyone lost their footing, and the Marine soldiers on and behind the wall were sent flying. In an instant, hundreds of Marines were in free fall, a shocking sight.
Whitebeard's strike only left a massive crater on the wall, turning the originally flat surface into the shape of a giant basin.
Despite being so heavily deformed, the wall still showed no signs of cracking, giving off the feeling that no amount of attacks could breach it!
This scene…
Left all the pirates stunned.
They were right around the encircling wall and could truly feel the power of that strike, yet even so, the barrier had not been broken…
A feeling of despair washed over everyone's heart.
"This… how is this possible!"
"Pops' power is actually ineffective!"
Along with the despairing cries of the pirates, everyone's mood became exceptionally heavy!
Although this attack didn't result in many casualties, this hopeless situation made the pirates feel unprecedentedly dejected!
Even more heartbreaking was the burning Moby Dick!
This was the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, which had accompanied Whitebeard in conquering all directions for countless years, always victorious.
The number of people on board had also grown from the initial dozens. They spent far more time on this ship than on land. It could be said that this ship was their home!
Now, a raging fire was tearing through the Moby Dick, devouring everything. The masts, the hull, and the cabins were all engulfed in flames.
The pirates cried out in sheer agony!
"Damn Marines, that is our pride!"
"How… how did it turn out like this?"
"That's our ship; it has weathered decades of storms with us, the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Hurry and put out the fire! What are you all standing around for? Our home… is almost gone!"
"That's right, this is our home, even if I die, I will protect it!"
They wanted to rush over to fight the fire, their hearts filled with immense grief, tears streaming down their faces.
Seeing such a scene, everyone felt incredibly heavy-hearted!
Looking at those despairing faces!
Looking at their grief and indignation!
Putting aside their respective identities, the Marines at this moment looked like absolute villains!
Even children would not stand on the Marines' side, even though they were initially frightened by the pirates' strange appearances!
The fire on the Moby Dick cast a crimson glow over the entire bay, and the despair in everyone's eyes was deeply engraved in the hearts of all who watched!
Whitebeard slowly turned around. When he saw the raging fire consuming his ship, he seemed to age significantly in that single instant!
All the masts had been burned down, but a single flagpole still stood, flying the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates. Despite the intense heat waves brought by the fire, the flag fluttered proudly in the wind, making a flapping sound.
The fire spread across the deck, growing fiercer; the wild flames were about to lick Whitebeard's flag.
Everyone's hearts were clenched to the limit. They knew this fire would devour the entire ship sooner or later, but if it could hold on for just one more second, they wanted it to hold on! That was everyone's only hope!
Reflected in Whitebeard's eyes was that black flag, bearing a stark black-and-white skull with two white mustaches beneath its nose, looking exactly like him!
Regrettably, the fire eventually swallowed everything. Whitebeard's originally cloudy eyes turned even dimmer as he murmured, "I'm sorry! Old friend!"
These few simple words made everyone's heart tighten!
Whitebeard!
Everything Whitebeard had was right here!
Now, it was over; everything was over!
The ship that had once ruled the seas with him was gone. Where would he go next?
In other places, could he still maintain that majesty? Could he still display that dominance of yesteryear? 』
『 .....』