A stray chunk of magma, unnoticed, had dripped from Sakazuki and lingered midair.
After the endless barrage of lasers engulfed Sakazuki, that falling glob of magma began to expand wildly, writhing and twisting until it took on human form.
Sakazuki reemerged.
He paid no mind to Charlotte Linlin for now. Instead, he focused his power—triggering the detonation of the magma spear tip still lodged inside Whitebeard.
But the spear tip didn't explode. Instead, it ignited like a rocket engine, unleashing a torrent of searing heat and acidic corrosion that ravaged Whitebeard's insides.
In an instant, a gaping hole was eaten through Whitebeard's chest.
His entire stomach was burned and dissolved away.
Before the devastation could spread further, the spear tip inside him began to twist and warp.
CRACK!
Suddenly, it shattered to pieces.
Whitebeard instantly cloaked his entire body in Armament Haki.
Endless magma surged from the fractured spear tip, engulfing both Whitebeard and Garp in a molten torrent.
BOOM!
With a thunderous blast, two figures burst from the magma in opposite directions.
Garp glanced at Whitebeard and grinned—a silent acknowledgment that, now, Whitebeard's death was only a matter of time.
He flexed his arms, Armament Haki swirling and crackling across his fists.
Sonic booms erupted beneath his feet as he charged forward, fist raised:
"Bone Crusher!!!"
Whitebeard gasped for breath, glancing down at the gaping hole in his chest.
Then, suddenly, he laughed.
As Garp barreled toward him, Whitebeard drew in a deep breath.
HUM—!
His left hand clenched into a fist, power surging. He hammered it down at the charging Garp.
CRACK!
The air shattered, a quake-force shockwave slamming into Garp.
Suddenly, Whitebeard's left arm bulged with muscle, his power output spiking.
For a brief moment, he forced Garp back.
Whitebeard leapt away, his gaze locked like a predator's on Sakazuki below.
BOOM!
With another sonic boom, he shot downward—naginata wreathed in Conqueror's Haki, a storm of violent wind at his back.
He roared as he dove:
"Magma brat!!!"
Below, Sakazuki watched Whitebeard descend, snorting coldly.
A long blade formed in his hand, cloaked in Armament Haki and wreathed in the dark flash of Conqueror's Haki.
Unfazed by the killing intent aimed his way, he launched himself upward—sword ready.
CLANG!
SSSSZZZZ—!
Steel screamed against steel as black-purple lightning arced from their clashing blades.
The shockwaves buffeted them both.
Whitebeard's face twisted into a demon's snarl as he poured every ounce of strength into pressing down.
Sakazuki sneered, veins bulging as he slashed upward, refusing to yield.
Suddenly, both men released one hand, reaching for the other.
CLANG!
They missed each other's bodies, but their wrists collided—each gripping the other's wrist in a deathlock.
"DIE!!!"
"DIE!!!"
They roared as one, and a blinding white light erupted between them.
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
A colossal mushroom cloud blossomed in the sky.
The deafening explosion shook the heavens.
At its heart, the two men glared into each other's eyes—until the world was swallowed by endless white light.
The blast hammered their bodies, agony tearing at every nerve.
At last, when some final thread in their minds snapped from the pain, all they heard was—
Hummmm—
And then, everything went black.
From afar, Golden Lion and Garp raced through the blazing heat, each catching their respective comrade as they plummeted from the sky.
Elsewhere, far from the Oro Jackson—
Rayleigh and Roger had teamed up to keep Sengoku and Zephyr locked in a savage fight atop the waves.
Because Sengoku couldn't touch the water, he hovered in midair, lending support from above while Zephyr battled Roger in the sea below.
Both men were battered and bloodied. Roger's body was riddled with dents and broken bones; Zephyr was slashed deep, blood crusting over wounds that cut to the bone.
Gasping for breath, the two battered titans crashed into each other again and again—three days of fierce, unbroken combat, not a moment's rest.
Sengoku hounded Rayleigh with relentless pursuit, launching surprise attacks to disrupt Roger.
Rayleigh darted away, blade flashing as he slashed at Zephyr.
CLANG!
Fist met sword, shockwaves rippling outward.
Roger and Zephyr each freed a hand, Haki swirling as they hammered blows into each other's chests.
CRACK!
CRACK!
Two sickening cracks echoed as both men were sent flying, crashing into the sea.
BOOM!
Water erupted, soaring dozens of meters into the air.
Wiping blood from their mouths, both men surged back into the fray.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
High above, Sengoku's eyes narrowed as Charlotte Linlin charged at him from behind.
She stood atop Zeus, with Prometheus blazing on her head—her whole form wreathed in fire, like a goddess of destruction.
In her hand, Napoleon burned with flames.
She cut through the sky, flying straight at Sengoku:
"Mother Blade's Flame!!!"
Napoleon blazed, unleashing a torrent of fire and sword aura at Sengoku.
Sengoku's body erupted in golden light as he thrust out a palm.
HUMMMM—!
Endless golden brilliance collided with crimson flames.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A chain of explosions forced both combatants back.
Charlotte Linlin glanced down at Roger and laughed:
"Mamamamama! What a sorry sight you are, Roger!"
CLANG!
The two men below clashed and broke apart again.
Seeing Charlotte Linlin arrive, Roger's face turned grim.
"No time for chit-chat. Head to Newgate—now!"
The massive blast just now had clearly come from that direction, and Newgate's aura was fading fast.
Charlotte Linlin grinned, summoned Prometheus, and hurled him at Zephyr before rocketing skyward toward Golden Lion's position.
WHOOSH—!
A golden beam shot toward Prometheus.
Sengoku's shockwave collided with it, detonating in a thunderous blast—a small mushroom cloud rising over the sea.
After the explosion, Prometheus re-formed himself, quivering at the sight of Sengoku's killing intent.
He transformed into a flaming meteor and streaked after Charlotte Linlin.
At Garp's warship—
Several sharp whistles split the air as shells exploded around the vessel.
Dense cannon fire battered the ship, blasting gaping holes in the deck.
Garp's warship, hunted by several ships from Golden Lion's fleet, was desperately trying to break through the encirclement.
Suddenly, the lookout shouted:
"Major General Keane! Big Mom Pirates ships ahead!"
Keane, in the midst of directing the counter-barrage, froze.
He rushed to the bow, peering into the distance. That unmistakable flag flew boldly on the horizon.
He slammed a fist into the railing.
"Damn it! Even our only escape route's blocked now!"
Golden Lion's fleet was closing in from all sides, and now the only gap was plugged by the Big Mom Pirates.
No matter how calm he tried to be, despair flashed across Keane's face.
A few seconds later, a ruthless glint sparked in his eyes.
"Hard to starboard! Cut back diagonally!!"
The crew and helmsman hesitated for a heartbeat, then silently obeyed.
The warship carved a perfect arc across the waves, doubling back.
For a moment, the only sound was the loading of cannon shells.
On the Big Mom Pirates' ship—
A figure in a horned helmet, hefting a massive sword, spoke up:
"I was hoping for a little fun, but they turned tail."
His tone was full of mockery.
Beside him, a scarf-wrapped figure with a trident glanced over:
"There'll be fighting, Cracker."
"It's almost time..."
He looked toward the stern, his gaze seeming to pierce through space itself.
He could see the vast Marine fleet looming on the horizon—drawing ever closer.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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