Only Kong remained standing with difficulty, his body battered and bleeding, his sharp eyes locked on Ashveil.
"That monster… even Rocks couldn't have done this to me with a single blow!" Kong growled, his chest heaving violently.
Ashveil smiled faintly, the expression calm and composed despite the devastation around him.
"How about it? Still want to fight, you two?" he said coolly, taking two deliberate steps forward.
Marineford looked like it had been struck by a divine calamity.
The once-proud stronghold was reduced to ruins — the ground fractured with bottomless cracks, the earth scorched and trembling.
The sea raged, surging back onto the shattered island, washing away Marines and pirates alike.
The entire battlefield was drowned in chaos. Even the clouds had scattered, leaving a raw sky above the wasteland.
Kong clenched his fist, unwilling to yield. But as he tried to take a step, pain shot through his body, and he nearly fell to his knees.
Ashveil looked at him with open disdain, his Conqueror's Haki bursting forth. The air trembled as a massive warhammer of Haki manifested in the sky above him — its form reinforced by the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
A blinding white radiance emanated from the colossal hammer, filling the atmosphere with crushing pressure. Even the air seemed to groan beneath its weight.
Feeling the overwhelming energy, Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and then laughed heartily, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.
"Gurararara! Fascinating brat! You can even wield my ability?"
Garp, standing nearby, stared in disbelief at the enormous Conqueror's-Tremor hybrid hammer hanging in the air. His jaw dropped, eyes wide with shock.
"If that thing comes down... Marineford will be wiped off the map!" he exclaimed.
This strike dwarfed even his own power — a single swing that could level a mountain.
Whitebeard grinned fiercely. "You're right, Garp. Seems like surrender is youronly option, or we'll all be buried here!"
Though exhausted, Whitebeard felt invigorated watching Ashveil's incredible might. His blood boiled again like the days of his youth.
Far across the ruins, Dracule Mihawk's eyes gleamed with awe and anticipation. His grip tightened around Yoru, and a rare, sharp smile curved his lips.
"It's here… Ashveil's ultimate strike," Mihawk murmured. "Even more terrifying than the sword intent he unleashed at Kuraigana Island."
Nearby, Admiral Aokiji, frozen mid-battle, stared at the trembling warhammer above Marineford. His calm demeanor faltered, and a shiver ran through him.
"This is insane… if that hammer falls, the entire island will vanish," he muttered under his breath, cold sweat dripping down his temple.
High above, members of CP0, darting through the air with Soru, glanced toward the sky. Even behind their masks, fear etched itself onto their faces.
"That man… Ashveil… he's beyond any power we've recorded," one agent said.
"His existence alone threatens the balance of the entire world," another whispered.
From the rear lines, Douglas Bullet burst into mad laughter, his expression wild and ecstatic.
"HAHAHA! Even in my strongest form, I couldn't take that strike head-on! The Marines are finished — victory belongs to us!" Bullet shouted, veins bulging with excitement.
The hammer pulsed once, and the shockwave alone sent a violent gale ripping across the battlefield.
Marines stumbled, shielding their eyes as debris and dust were swept away, exposing the wreckage that had once been Marineford's proud city.
"Sengoku," Ashveil said quietly, his tone flat and absolute, "with this one strike, I can bury your entire headquarters."
"Forget it… this war… we've lost," Sengoku whispered hoarsely, collapsing to his knees. The weight of despair pressed down on his shoulders.
Even if they resisted, it would be meaningless. That single blow could annihilate everything.
He clenched his fists, trembling, his once-imposing figure now heavy with resignation.
Kong glanced at him, his expression grim. "You're right, Sengoku. We've lost," he admitted, his voice low but steady.
They had underestimated him — a fatal mistake.
Kong had thought that with himself, Sengoku, and even Kaido combined, they could defeat Ashveil. But the truth was brutal.
Ashveil's power was beyond comprehension. Their strongest attacks hadn't even pierced his defense.
Now Kaido was down, possibly dead, while both he and Sengoku could barely stand. How could they endure another strike?
"We surrender," Kong said finally, his voice steady despite the humiliation. "We've lost this battle, Ashveil. Please, stop."
At his words, a faint smile crossed Ashveil's face. He had offered them a chance to yield earlier — they ignored it. Now, when faced with annihilation, they suddenly wanted mercy?
Too easy.
If not for the risk of collateral damage to his own people, he wouldn't even have entertained the idea of negotiation.
Ashveil chuckled softly, his voice calm yet edged with authority.
"If you wish to surrender," he said, "then show me your sincerity."
"We'll talk. If I like what I hear, I'll accept. If not… well, we continue."
The subtle menace in his tone made even the air feel heavier.
Buzzing with fury, Sengoku and Kong could barely restrain themselves. Never in their lives had they been so humiliated. But in the face of such overwhelming power, anger meant nothing.
Finally, Sengoku gritted his teeth and forced the words out.
"Fine. We accept. Whatever your terms, the Marines will comply."
He spat out each syllable like poison, regret twisting in his chest.
Why had they provoked Whitebeard's forces in the first place?
Why hadn't they investigated thoroughly enough to uncover Thorne Ashveil, the true power hidden among the Whitebeard Pirates?
Ashveil — a man who surpassed even the world's strongest, Edward Newgate.
Now, all Sengoku could do was bow to the inevitable. Regret meant nothing in the face of such power.
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