"Flame-Flame Fruit (boosted by Wax-Wax Fruit and Venom-Venom Fruit) loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
Crimson fire suddenly burst from Jiang Lin's body. With the aid of the Wax-Wax Fruit, the flames surrounding him grew even wilder, swelling into a blazing inferno like an endless mountain wildfire, rolling outward in all directions.
But Jiang Lin's fire was unlike ordinary flames. Around its outer layer was a faint shroud of pale violet mist. Wherever that poisonous haze touched, it corroded the surface instantly, producing a harsh, grating hiss.
"Poison gas, huh?"
Feeling the sting on his arm as it brushed the haze, Akainu's brow creased slightly.
"Fire Fist!"
A massive fist of fire formed around Jiang Lin's right arm. Without hesitation, he swung it forward, smashing it against the incoming arm of magma.
"BOOM!"
A thunderous impact exploded across the bay, followed by the furious roar of igniting air.
The two crimson forces—fire and magma—clashed midair, bursting into a dazzling blaze like a man-made sun, spilling endless light and heat across the battlefield.
The Whitebeard Pirates' subordinate crews looked up in shock. The scene was so terrifying and immense that it drove them to scatter in fear. Even some allied captains couldn't withstand the searing waves of heat, their bodies wavering under the scorching air.
Squard cast one last glance at Jiang Lin battling overhead, then turned sharply toward the bay with a face twisted in hatred. Clearly, something unseen had transpired during his brief exchange with Akainu.
"Brat! Is wasting your time here really wise? Or have you not heard—the execution has been moved forward!"
Akainu's voice carried no intention of fighting Jiang Lin to the end. He had already accomplished his goal, and more important matters awaited him.
"Heh… Akainu, your little schemes will end in nothing but failure!"
Jiang Lin sneered as he descended in a blaze of fire. He had already given Whitebeard a warning—if Squard approached him now, Whitebeard would certainly grow wary.
So Akainu's plan to manipulate Squard into betrayal was destined to fail.
"Is that so, brat? Your abilities are surprising indeed… but don't mistake that for qualification to act arrogant before me!"
Akainu's body boiled, magma surging violently around him. At the same time, more Marine warships began sailing into the bay.
"All forces, attack D! Fire at will!"
Spotting Jiang Lin at the shoreline, the Marine fleet swung their cannons toward him in unison.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A storm of black cannonballs screamed through the air, arcing straight toward Jiang Lin.
Simultaneously, magma surged before him. Akainu's right arm turned molten as he hurled it forward in attack.
"Inugami Guren!"
From his fist, a massive hound of magma burst forth, jaws gaping wide as it lunged for Jiang Lin with a roar.
Assaulted from two directions at once, Jiang Lin's situation instantly turned dire. Whichever threat he chose to block, the other would inevitably strike him down.
"Interesting… Akainu! Then let's have another round!"
Battlelust surged from Jiang Lin's body, flames erupting skyward in a fiery column. The heat grew so intense it seemed to strip the air away, creating a vacuum around him. The terrifying pressure suffocated all who felt it, their hearts seized with raw fear.
"Fire Fist!"
Another colossal flaming punch burst from Jiang Lin's hand, hurling at Akainu. Their titanic fists of fire collided midair, fusing for an instant before exploding violently.
"BOOM!"
Detonations thundered again and again outside the bay, the shockwaves so fierce that even Whitebeard's veterans at the center of the battlefield felt their eyelids twitch.
"Father! Word is the Marines received orders to advance Ace's execution!"
Marco, his body ablaze in azure fire, landed beside Whitebeard and knelt on one knee, delivering the report.
"Aye… I've heard. What of Squard and the others? Are they safe?"
Whitebeard's deep voice carried a thread of worry. The tremendous explosions just now had come from outside the bay—precisely where Squard's group was positioned.
"They're in a bitter fight with a Vice Admiral at the bay entrance. Jiang Lin is also clashing with Admiral Akainu there. The blasts we heard came from their battle. I was preparing to fly over and support them."
Marco rose, relaying the intelligence in full.
"No. Hold."
Whitebeard raised his hand, his expression firm.
"The leaked intel that rattled us… that too was part of his plan. Sengoku isn't the kind of man to make such blunders—letting us 'overhear' operational orders. No, that was deliberate."
Whitebeard chuckled as his eyes locked on Sengoku across the plaza. Since Jiang Lin had left the battlefield, Sengoku's eyes had likewise stayed locked on Whitebeard. Between them stretched an invisible clash, a silent duel fought without words.
"Charge!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates pressed on, their morale burning higher than ever. Step by step, they drew closer to Little Oars Jr.'s fallen body—closer to the plaza itself, just a stride away.
"Whoosh!"
But just as they prepared to surge past Oars' corpse into the square, a dazzling golden light flashed down from afar. It struck the ice ahead of them with a violent kick, blasting a gale of force across the bay.
"Light-speed kick?!"
Gasps rang out as Kizaru's figure emerged calmly from the dispersing smoke, standing firmly before the advancing pirates.
"Don't get carried away now… Did you really think breaking through would be so easy?"
With a faint smirk at the corner of his mouth, Kizaru gazed coolly at the pirates before him.
"It's Admiral Kizaru!"
Faces blanched at the sight. Against an Admiral, none of them stood a chance. As long as he blocked the path to Oars Jr.'s body, they could not hope to advance.
But just as despair spread, a figure sprinted rapidly toward the front lines.
"You're… the one from Sabaody Archipelago…"
Luffy charged forward, glaring at Kizaru with fierce hatred in his eyes.
Back on Sabaody, if not for Kizaru's sudden intervention, the Straw Hats would never have been scattered by Kuma.
"If I don't capture you, the Celestial Dragons won't stop pestering me…"
A golden radiance gathered at Kizaru's right leg as he glanced down at Luffy, his tone casual yet deadly.
"Straw Hat Luffy!"
"He'll… he'll be killed! That idiot Straw Hat kid!"
The prisoners alongside him cried out in horror as Luffy recklessly sprinted into the blinding light, utterly unafraid of death.
"Death Wink!"
At the last instant, Ivankov snapped his eyelids shut, unleashing a shockwave that blasted Luffy clear of the attack.
"Whoosh—BOOM!"
Before the dust could settle, another blazing beam of light shot from afar, streaking straight toward Ivankov.
"Bartholomew Kuma!"
Ivankov's eyes widened as he turned toward the new threat. Not far away, Kuma advanced relentlessly, flanked by the other Seven Warlords of the Sea, their bloodlust palpable as they charged forth with squads of Marines at their sides.