In just an instant of collision, Esdeath felt that fierce power.
It was as if it could tear her body apart; she refused to believe that Whitebeard suffered no damage from pushing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to such an extreme!
It felt like a case of harming a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of one's own!
Ice shards slid off!
Whitebeard was once again frozen into an ice sculpture!
The power of Hyōrinmaru was not to be trifled with; how could it possibly not harm Whitebeard!
One second... five seconds... ten seconds!
Marco and the others panicked; blue flames instantly enveloped his body as he flew into the air, heading straight towards Whitebeard, shouting loudly, "Pops!"
Pops should have broken out of the ice quickly, but he hadn't emerged even after about ten seconds!
The other Division Commanders were the same, rushing fearlessly towards Whitebeard.
Each of their faces was filled with extreme anxiety, as if they feared something unexpected had happened to their Pops.
"Yata no Kagami!"
Kizaru clasped his hands into a spherical shape, and a yellow beam of light refracted out, appearing the next second directly in Marco's path.
"Light Speed Kick!"
With one kick, Marco was sent directly back to the Moby Dick.
"I can't let you pass, you know~"
Kizaru glanced at the two people not far away; it was now a one-on-one fight!
As long as they didn't interfere, if Esdeath defeated Whitebeard, then Esdeath would be the strongest in the world!
This would undoubtedly be an unparalleled morale boost for the Marine!
Marco looked up, covering his stomach with one hand and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his arm, saying, "Borsalino!"
Aokiji slowly extended an arm, which was enveloped in cold air, and then calmly said, "Ara la, that won't do!"
"Ice Pheasant Beak!"
An ice bird flew out, blocking everyone's path forward!
"Aokiji!"
Those who had stopped their steps looked at Aokiji, who had suddenly appeared before them, and were even more shocked!
"Get out of the way!"
Jozu, who was the slowest at the back, shouted for those in front to move aside, and his entire body began to turn into diamond!
Only half of his head remained, and one arm was placed in front of him, followed by another loud roar.
"Brilliant Punk!"
"Armament—Arm Beast Impact!"
A huge figure blocked Jozu; when the two collided, Zephyr retreated two or three steps, but Jozu was sent flying dozens of meters.
"Zephyr!"
The three stood side by side.
Zephyr stood in the middle, with Kizaru and Aokiji on either side of him, blocking everyone's way.
"Damn it!"
In their anxious panic just now, they had actually forgotten that there were two Admirals and a former Admiral eyeing them covetously.
"Get out of the way!"
Marco had now also reached the very front of the pirates and angrily shouted at Zephyr and the others, telling them to quickly move aside.
Pops was still frozen there; if they arrived too late, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"That won't do!"
"They're all as strong as monsters... Whitebeard's Division Commanders."
The three stood like a wall, firmly blocking the Whitebeard Pirates' path.
"We can't delay any longer; we have to save Pops quickly!"
The two sides eyed each other covetously, as if a battle was about to erupt at any moment.
"Fufufu!"
Doflamingo couldn't help but burst out laughing at this scene.
"Let chaos reign; the more chaotic, the better! Whitebeard is old!"
After a couple of remarks, Doflamingo looked warily at Esdeath flying in the air.
"This woman!"
From the moment he entered Marineford, he had noticed this woman with Conqueror's Haki; now it seemed she was indeed formidable!
Thankfully, Whitebeard tested the waters for him; if he had rashly gone to Shambles, he probably wouldn't have returned.
Those World Government guys would love to see him dead!
After he left this place, he must avoid this woman, lest he become a victim of her blade!
"Captain Marco!"
Many people looked at Marco!
It had been almost a minute now; the injured female Marine was about to recover, and then they would have no chance!
"Then..."
"Don't panic, you foolish sons!"
Whitebeard's voice rang out, and everyone turned their heads to look in Whitebeard's direction.
Zephyr and the other two did the same; they had thought Esdeath had won, but they hadn't expected Whitebeard to still be alive.
"This is quite a gift, little girl!"
The ice on Whitebeard's body shattered, slowly peeling away from him.
The slight bloodstains on his body indicated that Whitebeard was not as relaxed as he appeared.
He looked back at Marco and the others, then Whitebeard turned his gaze back to Esdeath.
To be honest, the previous attack was more than effective; it was outstanding!
If it weren't for the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's ability to self-vibrate, he really wouldn't have been able to easily break free from the ice's restraint.
"Tch!"
Esdeath, breathing heavily, looked up at Whitebeard, who seemed unharmed, then looked at the last snowflake on her Hyōrinmaru.
When the snowflake dispersed, it meant her Bankai had ended; at that point, she wouldn't have the strength to continue fighting Whitebeard.
It was still her own inherent strength that was too weak, insufficient to sustain her Bankai's duration; otherwise, Whitebeard would have met his end here!
After all, she still had many techniques she hadn't used!
"Pops!"
Seeing Pops safe and sound, Marco and the others finally relaxed.
If they forced their way through, their chances of winning were slim, and even if they succeeded, their side would suffer considerable losses.
Murakumogiri was twirled twice by Whitebeard and then plunged into the shattered ice surface.
His hands began to condense vibration waves; if he didn't put on a desperate stance today, he probably wouldn't be able to leave.
"I'm not fighting!"
Esdeath waved her hand; she was already tired. Killing Whitebeard wasn't worth it, or rather, it wasn't the right time yet!
She needed to wait until she was stronger!
Simply killing Whitebeard would bring her no benefit; on the contrary, it might make the World Government wary of her.
Or the pirates might unite!
Neither of these scenarios was something the current Esdeath could face; she needed a bit more time, in the near future.
Otherwise, Esdeath could immediately take out that unassuming Senzu Bean and continue to fight Whitebeard for another three hundred rounds!
"Oh? Alright!"
The vibration waves dispersed, and Whitebeard picked up his Murakumogiri and walked towards Marco and the others.
Kizaru and the others did not stop him either.
If it were a one-on-one fight and Esdeath killed Whitebeard, they could completely establish a huge public opinion advantage for the Marine!
It was not yet time to break the balance of the Grand Line!
Just as Esdeath said, the consequences of killing Whitebeard far outweighed the benefits.
Until they had overwhelming strength to control the Grand Line, it was not advisable to break its balance!
To be honest, killing Whitebeard was not difficult for the Marine; at most, all three Admirals and Garp and others would be brought along. How could they not kill Whitebeard?
The difficult part was the countless pirates uniting against the Marine afterward; that would be a disaster!
It was also something the World Government did not want to see!
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"