Yet Ivan remained standing in place, not retreating in the slightest.
His gaze was resolute, his hands gripping the Snowfall longsword tightened slightly as gravity surged wildly, deep purple sword energy coiling around Snowfall.
"Who says space can't be cut, you damn Whitebeard!"
Facing Whitebeard's attack, Ivan let out a roar of arrogance:
"One-Sword Style: Gravity Blade: Purple Crescent Moon Sky-Pierce!"
As the words fell, Ivan fiercely swung down the Snowfall longsword in his hand.
A Flying Slash condensed to its utmost limit, deep purple in color, tore through the sky, charging straight toward Whitebeard's slash.
This slash moved with extreme speed, tearing space apart wherever it passed, forming a standoff with Whitebeard's attack.
The next moment, the two terrifying attacks collided violently in mid-air.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave erupted from the point of impact, spreading wildly in all directions.
Countless, even denser spatial cracks spread outward like a tide, covering the entire sky and even affecting the battlefield below.
On the battlefield, the weaker Marine soldiers and pirates, unable to dodge in time, were touched by these spreading spatial cracks and instantly let out agonized screams.
Parts of their bodies touched by the spatial rifts were directly torn apart, devoured, and completely vanished.
The mere aftershocks of the collision caused massive casualties, a testament to the terrifying power of this clash.
No one knew how much pressure Ivan was enduring at this moment.
Not only did he have to fully withstand Whitebeard's attack, but he also had to secretly expend his own strength to maintain Misaka Mikoto's combat consumption.
Misaka Mikoto was locked in a fierce struggle with Sengoku; to hold him off for an extended period, she too required a massive drain on Ivan's stamina.
Moreover, Ivan had already expended an immense amount of stamina earlier to enhance Luffy and Buggy.
This consumption was no small burden for Ivan.
Now, with only a fraction of his stamina left and his strength greatly diminished, he was no match for Whitebeard in his peak condition.
Thus, Ivan had no need to feign defeat; he was well aware of his situation and knew he couldn't hold out against Whitebeard for long.
After a brief stalemate, Ivan ultimately struggled to withstand Whitebeard's formidable power. His body was violently blasted away by the powerful shockwave, rapidly plummeting from high altitude and crashing hard into the ground below.
Boom!
Ivan slammed heavily into the ground, instantly creating a massive crater dozens of meters deep.
Flying debris completely buried the crater, obscuring any view of Ivan.
On the execution platform, Sengoku's expression changed drastically at the sight, his earlier excitement replaced by worry.
He quickly shouted toward the direction of the crater:
"Ivan!"
His tone was filled with urgency.
If something happened to Ivan, no one would be left to stop Whitebeard in his peak state. In that case, Ace would surely be rescued, and the Marines would face utter defeat.
Sengoku felt a deep sense of helplessness. He looked at Whitebeard and inwardly sighed bitterly:
"Who would have thought Whitebeard's current strength would surpass even that of his prime?
A Whitebeard like this... I'm afraid even Garp and I are no match for him."
"After all, we've all grown old. Our stamina and strength are no longer what they once were."
Standing at the edge of the execution platform, Garp's expression changed drastically as he watched Ivan being sent flying and crashing into the ground.
He could no longer remain silent. In a flash, he charged toward Whitebeard:
"Whitebeard, you bastard—Galaxy Impact!"
Haki surged wildly around Garp, with Conqueror's Haki intertwining around his fist as he launched a fierce strike toward Whitebeard.
He intended to stop Whitebeard, to buy time for Ivan and Akainu to recover.
Whitebeard watched Garp charging toward him, his tone grave: "Garp, have you finally made your move?"
He understood Garp's current struggle and knew that once the Marines were on the verge of defeat, Garp would inevitably intervene.
Garp wanted to hold onto both Justice and family—he didn't want to lose either.
But he had forgotten that excessive greed would only cause him to lose everything!
Whitebeard didn't dare to be careless. He sheathed Murakumogiri, clenched his fist, and prepared to meet Garp's attack.
The two collided, each forced back several steps. Just as Garp was about to throw another punch, a figure suddenly leaped out from the crater below, blocking his path.
Blood seeped from Ivan's forehead, his clothes covered in dust and dirt, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.
He coughed several times, breathing heavily, yet his eyes remained resolute, showing no sign of retreat.
Ivan extended his hand, stopping Garp. Facing Garp's puzzled gaze, he said solemnly:
"Vice Admiral Garp, I understand your predicament. You don't need to intervene—I'll deal with Whitebeard.
After all, Burning Justice should never be built upon the suffering of comrades.
Once, it was you who upheld the peace of this world and protected countless homes. Now, it's my turn!"
Garp looked at Ivan's young yet steadfast back, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart, his eyes slightly reddening.
He had always held high hopes for this young man, admiring his sense of Justice.
But he never expected that beneath Ivan's fiercely burning Justice and intense flames lay such a warm heart.
Only someone like this could lead the Marines toward a brighter future!
Moved as he was, Garp couldn't help but worry:
"Ivan, are you sure you can do this?
You're already so badly injured. Continuing to fight Whitebeard will only get you killed!
Let me handle it. If we join forces, we can definitely stop him!"
Ivan coughed uncontrollably, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth.
He wiped the blood away and smiled reassuringly at Garp:
"Of course I can..."
Pausing briefly, Ivan raised his head, his gaze shifting to Whitebeard, a flicker of determination in his eyes:
"It seems those techniques will have to be used now!
Vice Admiral Garp, I need your help to temporarily repel Whitebeard.
The power of the technique I'm about to use is too great. Once unleashed, it could easily harm our own forces. We must first lure him away from the battlefield."
Though Garp didn't know what technique Ivan was referring to, he didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately nodded:
"Alright, I'll join forces with you to temporarily repel Whitebeard. Whatever trump card you have, I'll fully support you!"
He trusted Ivan, believing that this young World's Greatest Swordsman could indeed create a miracle!
Whitebeard also noticed the two preparing to join forces. Either one of them alone could pose a significant threat to him.
Now that the two had joined forces, even he had to be cautious.
The fighting spirit in Whitebeard's eyes grew even more intense.
He roared loudly at Ivan and Garp:
"Hahaha, since you want to team up, then come at me! Let's see if the two of you can stop me!"
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