"You're quite the bold one, brat," Whitebeard grinned, his massive hands gripping his naginata.
"You're not bad yourself, old man," Carl responded, exerting more force into his blade as he clashed with the legendary pirate.
"Gurararara! Why would someone like you become a Marine? Shouldn't you be my son instead?" Whitebeard laughed heartily, his voice shaking the battlefield.
Carl's eye twitched. "Why do all you old men have such weird thought processes?"
"Rejected, huh?" Whitebeard sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "That's a shame."
Suddenly, an overwhelming force erupted from his arms, sending Carl flying backward.
Carl flipped mid-air, landing back atop the execution platform just as the tremors from Whitebeard's attack reverberated across the battlefield.
Crack!
The ice covering the sea surface fractured violently.
Boom!
Massive steel walls rose from beneath Marineford!
The encirclement walls were finally activated—trapping the entire Whitebeard Pirates within like rats in a cage.
A desperate pirate fired a rocket launcher at the iron barrier, but the shell exploded harmlessly against its reinforced surface.
"So thick!"
"We're completely surrounded!"
Panic spread among the pirates as they realized there was no way out—except for a single opening. Where Little Oars Jr. had fallen, his massive body prevented the encirclement wall from fully rising, leaving a gap.
Sengoku, standing atop the execution platform, turned to Akainu. "It's time, Sakazuki."
Akainu stood up, his face grim as he stepped forward. A searing heat radiated from his body, his arms transforming into molten rock.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Torrents of magma erupted into the sky like a volcanic eruption, then rained down upon the battlefield.
The entire scene resembled the apocalypse.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Damn it! We can't dodge this!"
Magma meteors crashed down indiscriminately, scorching the battlefield and incinerating dozens of pirates in an instant.
Such was the terrifying power of the Magu Magu no Mi.
Among the three Logia Admirals, Akainu's Devil Fruit stood at the pinnacle of destruction—its power surpassing even the Mera Mera no Mi wielded by Ace or Suna Suna no Mi wielded by Crocodile.
Simultaneously, Marine artillery on the iron walls unleashed a relentless barrage.
The frozen sea began to thaw under the heat of the magma, forcing many pirates into the waters below—where they would drown helplessly.
Even worse, Pacifistas reactivated, their laser beams raining destruction upon the Whitebeard Pirates.
Sengoku raised his hand. "Commence the execution of Fire Fist Ace."
"Yes, sir!"
Just as the executioners prepared to strike—
Boom!
A deafening roar shook the battlefield.
Little Oars Jr., presumed dead, pushed himself off the ground, his massive body rising once more!
Carl exhaled a puff of smoke, stepping forward with his Sakura Ten unsheathed. "Seriously? You should've stayed down…"
Zheng!
A massive black-gold slash surged forward.
"Ocean Shoulder Throw!"
A towering water column crashed down from above, dousing the attack.
Standing at the forefront was Jinbei, his expression solemn as Luffy landed beside him, gripping a wooden pole.
"You again?" Carl sighed, exhaling another smoke ring.
Swish!
In an instant, Carl appeared in front of Luffy, launching a powerful kick.
Boom!
A shadow intercepted—the kick clashing against Jinbei's crossed arms.
Carl frowned. "Jinbei, do you really need to get in my way?"
Jinbei remained firm. "I won't back down!"
"Seven-Thousand-Tile Roundhouse Kick!"
Jinbei's powerful leg struck toward Carl.
Snap!
Carl's Haki-infused grip caught Jinbei's leg. Black lightning crackled as Carl slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
The ground shattered, smoke and debris filling the air. Jinbei's breathing instantly grew labored.
Carl glanced toward the execution stand.
Just as the executioners swung their swords—
Swoosh!
Two razor-sharp sand blades shot forward, knocking the executioners aside.
"Crocodile?!"
Sengoku's eyes widened. "You, of all people, are helping Whitebeard?!"
Crocodile scoffed. "Don't get me wrong—I just don't want to see you smug bastards win."
Shing!
A nearly invisible thread flashed.
Crocodile's head flew off.
"Oi, Sand Crocodile," Doflamingo chuckled, stepping forward. "Are you betraying me and siding with Whitebeard now? I'll get jealous."
Crocodile's decapitated head reformed from sand. "I don't side with anyone."
"Oh? Still being stubborn?"
The two locked eyes.
Then, without another word—they clashed.
Suddenly, another earth-shattering explosion rang out.
From within the encirclement, a coated ship emerged from the sea!
Whitebeard's hidden trump card!
No one had anticipated that his flagship had been prepared beneath Marineford all along.
The Moby Dick, raised high by Little Oars Jr., broke through the encirclement wall!
Whitebeard, standing at the bow, gripped his naginata. "Ace! Your head's still attached, right?"
"Yeah!!!" The pirates erupted in cheers.
"Charge!!!"
"Save Ace!!!"
"Destroy Marineford!!!"
Whitebeard leapt down, his Naginata coated in white energy.
Boom!
A single quake-infused slash blasted away the Marines in his path.
"Kill every last Marine! Rescue Ace!"
Sengoku clenched his fists. "We cannot let them succeed."
Whitebeard raised his blade again. A blinding white light gathered.
"Ice Ball!"
Aokiji materialized, launching an icicle barrage.
Whitebeard shattered the ice instantly and drove his naginata forward.
Aokiji's body split into two spears of ice in midair.
Boom!
Marco dive-bombed, kicking Aokiji away.
"Gurararara! My sons are not so easily beaten!" Whitebeard roared, preparing another attack.
Boom!
A heavy foot stomped down on his blade.
Akainu stood firm, hands in his pockets. "Keep this up, and this whole island will collapse."
Whitebeard laughed loudly. "Then try and stop me, brat!"
Kizaru flickered forward, attempting to assist.
However—several division commanders intercepted him.
Carl's eyes narrowed. "They call that paddling? That old man is a professional paddling athlete."
He sighed, exhaling another smoke ring. "Guess I have to get serious."
Sakura Ten gleamed as Carl slashed toward Whitebeard.
Clang!
A flurry of cherry blossom petals scattered.
A swordsman wielding twin rapiers blocked his strike.
"Flower Sword Vista?" Carl muttered.
"If you want to reach Pops, you'll have to get through me first," Vista declared.
Carl's lips curled. "Fine by me."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blades clashed furiously.
Meanwhile, Marco, soaring toward Ace, was suddenly intercepted.
Boom!
A single punch sent him crashing into the ground—courtesy of Garp.
The battlefield froze.
Carl glanced at Garp. "If he didn't let Luffy through later, I might've actually believed him."
Vista lunged again.
Carl smirked. "Let's finish this."
An overwhelming sword intent surged around him—ready to end the duel.
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