The battlefield of Marineford roared with chaos. Explosions painted the air with smoke and flame, and the cries of countless Marines echoed through the sky. Among the raging storm of battle stood a man driven by vengeance—World, the mad giant of destruction.
He pulled out a massive cannonball from his arsenal, his muscles bulging with power. With a surge of his ability, the projectile expanded a hundredfold, blotting out the sunlight above.
"Don't stop me! I want revenge on them!" World's furious voice thundered, directed at the Marines blocking his way.
The Marines below froze in terror as the colossal bomb hovered over them.
"There's no way to dodge that thing!" one shouted, their faces pale.
Then came a calm yet powerful voice—gentle and unyielding.
"Wash everything."
A wave of soft light swept across the sky. The enormous cannonball suddenly lost all structure, collapsing into a drenched, flattened piece of cloth that fluttered harmlessly to the ground.
"Damn you, Tsuru! Don't get in my way!" World bellowed, his rage unrestrained.
Vice Admiral Tsuru stood firm, her expression serene despite the destruction around her. "I'm sorry, Mr. World, but I cannot allow you to pass," she said softly, her tone firm as steel.
Across the battlefield, Dracule Mihawk—the world's greatest swordsman—caught sight of the scene. His golden eyes narrowed, and with a single elegant swing of his blade, Yoru, several dark slashes cut through the air like blades of death.
Hum!
The shockwave of his attack exploded outward, scattering the Marines surrounding him like leaves before a storm.
Not far away, Aokiji—his breath misting with cold—extended his hands.
"Ice Block: Two-Spear!"
Two gleaming spears of solid ice shot forward, hurtling toward Whitebeard as the Yonko charged ahead. But before they could strike, a jet-black slash cleaved through the air, shattering the frozen weapons like fragile glass.
Aokiji's expression hardened. That kind of power could belong to only one man in the world.
"Mihawk…" he muttered coldly. "You traitor. Betraying the Marines will cost you!"
Mihawk raised Yoru and pointed it directly at him, his gaze unwavering.
"It's not betrayal," he replied calmly. "I just don't care, besides, I don't believe Thorne Ashveil will fail!"
Aokiji's eyes narrowed in disbelief at the name. But before he could respond, Whitebeard's laughter boomed through the chaos.
"Mihawk! You've helped me more than you realize, Gurararara!"
Taking advantage of Aokiji's distraction, the old titan surged forward, swinging his Murakumogiri toward the heart of the battlefield—toward Ashveil himself.
Elsewhere, Shiryu of the Rain licked the blood from his blade, his crimson eyes glinting with excitement.
"This battle is turning out to be far more interesting than I thought," he muttered.
"You'd better worry about yourself first!" Onigumo roared, charging at him.
The clash between them sparked an eruption of blades. Shiryu, calm and deadly, parried with one hand and countered with blinding speed. Any Marine or pirate unfortunate enough to approach was sliced apart instantly.
Meanwhile, Ace and Crocodile were locked in combat with Yamakaji and Doberman, their attacks lighting up the battlefield like thunder and flame.
Doflamingo, floating on his threads high above, smirked as he blasted a Pacifista apart with a volley of razor-sharp strings. His grin faded when his eyes turned toward the rear lines.
"This is a gamble, Ashveil. Don't you dare lose."
With a flick of his threads, Ten Yasha soared higher, leaving Hancock to guard the Whitebeard Pirates' wounded. He moved swiftly, his threads slicing through cannon smoke as he sped toward Ashveil's location.
To slow him down, waves of Marines advanced recklessly, blocking every route forward.
Marco, Jozu, and Vista found themselves surrounded by a horde of Marine officers—Maynard, Dalmatian, Stopper, Gumeil, Kaisa, and countless others.
"Hey, hey, Flower Sword Vista," Stopper said with a crooked smile, drawing both blades. "Don't look away. As a fellow swordsman, I'll be your opponent."
Vista grinned, adjusting his hat. "Then let's make it worth the trouble."
"Jozu, Vista—cover me!" Marco called out, flames of blue fire igniting around him. "I'll take to the sky and support the old man and Ashveil!"
"Brutal Impact!"
"Flower Sword!"
Their attacks collided with the Marine ranks, scattering them with a thunderous explosion. Marco used the opening to transform into his phoenix form, wings blazing, and soared into the smoky sky toward the heart of the battle.
From above, Commander -in-Chief Kong watched the unfolding chaos, his face unmoved but his tone sharp.
"Even if they break our lines, Ashveil will die here."
At his command, three masked agents from CP-0, along with a hundred technological soldiers, vanished in a flash. They reappeared before Douglas Bullet, blocking his path.
"Bullet," one of them said flatly. "You're our opponent. Don't blame us for coming at you together."
Bullet grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"You dogs of the Celestial Dragons never fight fair anyway," he growled. "Come at me!"
On the other side of the battlefield, Marco and Doflamingo narrowly avoided a series of cannon blasts—only to be intercepted midair by the flying technological unit.
Marco's eyes widened. "What the—these guys can fly too?"
Doflamingo's grin faded. "They're not Devil Fruit users… Vegapunk's tech. Five centuries ahead of its time."
A beam of golden light pierced through the smoke.
"Don't underestimate modern science," Kizaru drawled lazily, his form shimmering as he reappeared.
Cold sweat rolled down Marco's neck. Facing an Admiral and a hundred flying soldiers at once—it was a nightmare.
Back on the ground, Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri with crushing force, blasting rows of Marines away. His advance was stopped only when Garp appeared before him, his fists clenched and eyes alight with challenge.
"Hey, Whitebeard," Garp said with a grin. "Been a long time. Care for a warm-up?"
Whitebeard's lips curled. "You old dog, don't get in my way!"
With a thunderous roar, their weapons collided—Armament Haki clashing against Tremor-Tremor Fruit power. The impact cracked the ground like a dying world's heartbeat.
BOOM!
Marineford itself trembled as a shockwave ripped through the battlefield. Stone shattered, the air burned with lightning, and even the sky seemed to split in two.
From afar, Kong's eyes widened slightly.
"For men like them," he muttered, "time leaves no mark at all."
---