"Stop him!"
"Don't let these guys break through so easily!"
Seeing Whitebeard leading the charge with a huge wave of pirates surging behind him, Vice Admiral Doberman—known as the "Fighting Dog"—roared furiously.
Nearby, Yamakaji and Momonga's expressions also darkened.
From different angles, they struck out simultaneously to seal off Whitebeard's path.
"Ittoryu — Thousand Blade Mountain Splitter!"
"Moon Flow — Raging Fire!"
"Lightning Crescent… Slash!"
The three elite Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters attacked at once, their combined pressure imnse.
Yet Whitebeard rely cast a glance at the three charging toward him—
His steps did not slow in the slightest.
"Gurararara… A bunch of brats!"
Whitebeard grinned, his massive Naginata sweeping out with unstoppable force.
"With just you little ones—
You think you can stop ?!"
BOOM!
Where his blade passed, the very air cracked like breaking tortoise shells, releasing a tsunami-like shockwave.
Doberman, Yamakaji, and Momonga were hit with a crushing wave of pressure—
The next mont, all three grunted heavily, bodies flung high into the air.
CRASH!
They plowed across the ground, dragging out dozens of ters of trenches.
Blood sprayed from their mouths as they steadied themselves with their swords, barely remaining upright.
"OOOHHHHHHH!!!"
"Pops! Pops! POPS!!!"
Behind Whitebeard, the pirates charging with him roared wildly, their blood boiling, weapons raised high.
Their morale instantly shot up another level.
Back on Sabaody Archipelago—and in front of screens around the world—
People watching the live broadcast stiffened in shock.
"Hey—this has to be a joke, right?"
"I thought they said Whitebeard was already old… How is he still—"
"This is insane… these monsters from the old era…"
Many subconsciously swallowed hard.
Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads as they stared at Whitebeard, who rampaged through the battlefield with unstoppable dominance.
Beating the Shichibukai Mihawk easily was one thing—
After all, Mihawk, only in his twenties, wasn't yet the legendary na he would beco.
But now—
Three elite Vice Admirals, striking together, were
crushed in a single blow just as easily!
With strength alone—
Whitebeard forcefully reversed the entire battle!
The sheer visual impact of the mont made countless viewers' scalps go numb.
One thought inevitably surfaced in their minds:
Facing Whitebeard, whose strength was still at his peak, could the Marines really win this battle?
BOOM!
Amid thunderous explosions, Whitebeard—having blasted aside the three Vice Admirals—tore open a massive gap in the Marine lines.
He was rapidly closing in on the execution platform at the rear of the plaza.
Behind him surged a tidal wave of frenzied pirates, shouting as they followed him in a tight swarm.
"Pops…"
On the execution platform, Thatch—kneeling with restraints—bit his lip hard.
Watching Whitebeard fighting drenched in blood, watching the familiar faces of his crewmates risking everything—
His whole body trembled violently, tears streaming down his face.
"Pops! Everyone…!"
At the sa mont—
As if sensing Thatch's feelings—
Whitebeard, now at the center of the plaza, casually shattered Vice Admiral Onigumo's interception, lifted his head toward the platform, and grinned.
"Gurararara…"
"What are you crying for, idiot son? Didn't I tell you?
Just wait a little longer—"
"—THATCH!!!"
The last word burst out with ten tis the force.
Whitebeard suddenly spread his massive arms, his Naginata blasting aside Marines in all directions—
Then he leapt high into the air, swinging his blade straight toward the towering execution platform!
With a single man and a single strike—
Even the air itself around him trembled madly, cracks spreading in every direction like a web.
"Not good!"
"Damn it—we can't stop him! There's no way!"
"The defensive line is completely torn apart!"
Chaotic, anxious, powerless shouts filled the air.
For a mont, ti itself seed to freeze.
Neither the Marine officers nor elite Vice Admirals like Momonga and Yamakaji could even get close.
They could only watch helplessly as Whitebeard charged toward the execution platform, drawing nearer and nearer to the executioner's blade poised above Thatch's neck.
The mist dispersed.
Burning sunlight broke through the clouds.
Whitebeard's cloak billowed behind him as he advanced—
Countless Marines and pirates alike looked up at that towering silhouette.
He seed like a descending god, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Until—
BOOOOOMMMMM!!!
A deafening explosion suddenly tore through the entire execution platform, like thunder splitting open the sky itself!
At that sa mont—
A terrifying burst of azure lightning exploded outward.
The dazzling glare stabbed painfully into everyone's eyes, forcing them to raise their hands to shield half their vision.
Whoosh—
Through blurred sight, the once untouchable godlike figure—
Whitebeard—
was suddenly knocked from the sky, crashing down brutally onto the plaza before the execution platform.
THUD!
The ground quaked.
Dust and shattered stone flew everywhere.
A massive crater over ten ters wide was blasted open at the center of the plaza.
Silence.
A cold, suffocating silence.
Nearly every pirate froze mid-swing, staring blankly at the enormous crater, expressions filled with disbelief.
And then—
A calm, indifferent voice echoed from atop the execution platform:
"Just wait a little longer?"
"Before you start talking to yourself… did you ask first, Whitebeard?"
As the lightning slowly faded, a tall, imposing figure rose from the central of the three Admiral seats.
That silhouette appeared in everyone's vision.
Every pirate's pupils shrank sharply.
"Th-That's…"
A burly bald pirate with wild hair stared in terror at the unmoved figure, as if so deep-buried nightmare had resurfaced and seized his soul.
Trembling violently, he scread:
"It's HIM! He made a move!!!"
"Marine Headquarters Admiral — the White Dragon!!!"
White Dragon!
Those two words seed to snap everyone back to reality.
The plaza that had fallen into stunned silence instantly erupted like a boulder smashing into still water—panic and shock flooding the air.
"Hey—! You've gotta be kidding! He actually took down Pops with ONE HIT—?!"
...
"How… how could this be…? Damn it!"
"That man… has he really beco that strong?!"
Panic and disbelief rippled through the ranks of the pirates, while on the opposite side—the Marines and the Shichibukai fighting at the front—wore completely different expressions.
"He sent Whitebeard flying with one punch? That Whitebeard?"
Kizaru, having just kicked Marco so hard that his chest caved in and he spat blood while falling to the ground, turned his head toward the execution platform and couldn't help but curl his lips and Tsk in surprise:
"Hey, hey, hey, no way… I tried to overestimate him as much as possible… but I guess I was still conservative. That guy has really turned into a complete monster…"
"KYAAAAA!!!!"
Hancock, who was busy fighting two Whitebeard Division Commanders, couldn't help but lapse into a lovesick daze. Cupping her blushing, peachy face, she shrieked:
"As expected of Lord White Dragon!!!"
Her radiant smile left the two division commanders—who a mont ago were still worried about their "Pops"—standing frozen on the spot, wearing dumb lovestruck expressions.
Not far away—
"…White Dragon…"
Crocodile stared toward the execution platform, murmuring. The corners of his narrow eyes twitched slightly.
Then, as if to hide sothing, he coughed lightly, crushed his cigarette, and lit a cigar while glancing from the crater back to the smoke.
"He was so high and mighty just now… and in an instant he's reduced to this pathetic state, huh? You old fossil…"
His cold sneer carried undisguised mockery—and a hint of satisfaction.
…
At the sa mont—
In the Marine residential district behind Marineford, the families gathered around the giant screen erupted into cheers.
Since the beginning of this unprecedented war, everyone here had been tense. When Whitebeard descended from the Moby Dick with crushing pressure, many felt suffocated.
But now—
Nao had finally taken action, revealing overwhelming power, and at last their tightly strung nerves relaxed.
"Well done!"
"Uncle Nao is so cool!!!!"
Ace and Luffy also cheered, pumping their fists, their little stools creaking beneath them.
The two tiny kids hadn't known each other long, but their reactions were uncannily in sync.
"…I suppose this is that kid's usual style, huh?"
Behind them, Zephyr watched the still-smoking crater, arms folded, clicking his tongue. "If he doesn't act, he does nothing… but once he moves, he has to make so outrageous scene."
"That guy? Totally normal. They don't call him the strongest Admiral in Marine history for nothing."
Garp continued digging absentmindedly in his nose, laughing as if he'd expected this, "Our generation's era is over, after all. Even that Whitebeard isn't an exception."
Zephyr nodded in agreent, completely unaware that Garp was casually wiping his finger clean on Zephyr's cape.
"So Grandpa… this ans our Marines have definitely won, right?"
Just as Garp happily patted his hands clean, Luffy's voice rose from below.
The old man looked down to see the little Sun God Nika wobbling on his stool, turning as he rocked straight into Garp's arms. Beaming, he said:
"That whole 'strongest man in the world' thing—compared to Uncle Nao, he's nothing! Even that old guy got beaten. Those remaining pirates won't hold out. They'll probably start running away any minute now!"
"Beaten?"
Garp and Zephyr blinked, looked at each other—and both burst out laughing.
"What's wrong…?"
Little Sun God Luffy looked confused.
Ace turned too. "Did Luffy say sothing wrong?"
"Of course he did."
Zephyr only smiled, but Garp ruffled both boys' heads, laughing loudly:
"Hey now—what silly stuff are you saying? How could a battle between monsters of this level end that easily?"
"Listen up, you two brats."
Garp lifted his head toward the screen, grin widening while his eyes grew deep and solemn:
"This era may belong to that brat Nao now… but don't you dare underestimate the kings who stood at the peak of the old era."
BOOM!
As if responding to his words, a massive explosion thundered from the screen above.
Ace and Luffy jerked their heads up in shock—just in ti to see the bricks around the crater shatter outward from a violent impact.
Through the dust—
the figure wearing a white cloak and gripping a massive Naginata rose to his feet.
In just an instant, his aged but powerful body straightened once more—towering and mighty as ever.
"Pops!"
"Whitebeard is back!!"
All around the plaza, pirates shouted with a mix of shock and joy.
"You're okay, Pops?!"
The Ninth Division Commander, Blanco, happened to be nearby and shouted anxiously into the smoke.
"Of course I'm fine, you foolish sons…"
As the dust completely dispersed and his figure beca clear, Whitebeard wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. On his chest, a deep fist-shaped dent caved inward. The muscles and veins within were already writhing and regenerating—clearly, it wouldn't take long before he fully recovered.
"Gurararara… that punch did hurt quite a bit…"
Whitebeard raised his head casually and looked toward the tall figure standing before the execution platform. He clicked his tongue.
"Your speed is unbelievable too. I didn't even have ti to react. Ended up making a real fool of myself…"
Up on the high platform.
Nao did not respond. He only narrowed his eyes slightly, eting Whitebeard's gaze with calm indifference. Behind him, his white Justice cloak snapped sharply in the wind.
"But…"
Whitebeard stared at Nao, gripping his massive blade once more. He grinned:
"If you ask , you should take back those words you said earlier…"
BOOM!
A chill flashed in his eyes as he swung his blade horizontally. Terrifying quake power erupted in an instant, surging upward toward the sky!
Whitebeard burst into roaring laughter, his voice soaring by several tones—wild and arrogant, like thunder crashing across the plaza.
"You think I need permission from so snot-nosed brat like you to save my son?!"
RUMBLE!!!
Almost the mont his voice fell, the entire ground of Marineford trembled violently.
On both sides of the fortress, the icy cliffs Aokiji had frozen suddenly cracked apart with countless loud kacha kacha fractures.
And in the very next second—they collapsed from top to bottom like brittle paper, turning into endless masses of gigantic ice chunks.
From a thousand ters high, they ca crashing down toward the heart of Marineford like an apocalyptic avalanche!
A dense, sky-filling destruction!
On the massive plaza and across the harbor, the over one hundred thousand combatants on both sides raised their heads in shock, eyes widening in horror.
Even many of the powerful Marine Vice Admirals turned pale!
"Not good!"
"Damn it… Was Admiral Aokiji's technique broken so easily?!"
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