"God bless the Marines."
Douglas Bullet watched the thunderous Kirin coiled in the sky, the thought flashing through his mind before he spoke it aloud.
Before Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino could respond, he shook his head, rejecting his own words.
"No."
"There is no God blessing the Marines in this world. If there were, it would be God blessing the Marines."
Douglas Bullet looked at Rosen, whose Conqueror's Haki—the strongest in the world—was being suppressed and on the verge of collapse. He spoke, word by word:
"The God of Death!"
Upon hearing this, everyone—from the three Admirals to the Vice Admirals present, and even the entire science unit behind him—was completely convinced. They all sincerely agreed with Douglas Bullet's assessment.
Boom!
Just as the Admirals and Douglas Bullet exchanged words, the clouds parted. The Thunderous Kirin, coiled in the sky, leaped down, unleashing a deafening roar that shook the heavens and the seas. A massive bolt of lightning, blinding in its intensity, struck with lightning speed, forcefully hurling Jozu and piercing through the mountain-like boulder wreathed in Armament Haki.
Sizzle!
Rolling currents spread out like thousands of lightning serpents coiling and twisting across the boulder, shattering everything in their path. In an instant, the Haki-infused boulder was pierced by the lightning, turning into a cloud of dust that rippled through the air like a giant sandstorm sweeping across the void.
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"
"Besides the three Admirals, the Marine Headquarters has produced another Logia-type Devil Fruit user."
"And it's the closest thing to invincibility among Logia-type Devil Fruits."
...
Watching Gion summon lightning with a mere wave of her hand, transforming it into destructive force, the pressure on the Whitebeard Pirates grew heavier. Their breathing quickened, their backs drenched in sweat.
Two division commanders had attacked, both to no avail. Most troubling, the ones intercepting Vista and Jozu's attacks weren't the three renowned Admirals of Marine Headquarters. They were two rookie Marines.
The war hadn't fully erupted, but the pirates, despite their numerical advantage, were already at a disadvantage. While no deserter had yet appeared on Whitebeard's side—thanks to the charisma of the world's strongest man and pirate pride—their morale was plummeting.
Marco witnessed everything, but he had no time to worry.
"Dad!"
Noticing that Edward Newgate's Conqueror's Haki was completely suppressed in the harbor, unable to leave the dock, a rare surge of impatience welled up within Marco. Without considering consequences, he leaped into the air, shooting towards the sky like an arrow.
Swoosh!
His arms outstretched, his entire body engulfed in blazing blue flames, transforming him into his Phoenix Beast form mid-air. Like a bolt of lightning, he streaked across the sky towards Rosen's location.
"What kind of bird is that?"
"Never seen one before!"
"As expected of the Whitebeard Pirates, always producing rare species."
Seeing Marco flapping his wings and flying towards him, Borsalino, hands in his pockets, leisurely took a step forward. He casually mocked Marco's phoenix form while unleashing bursts of golden light.
Whoosh!
Before the sharp sound of breaking the sound barrier could register, Borsalino vanished from his spot, leaping through the air and instantly appearing in front of Rosen, forcefully cutting off Marco's unstoppable advance.
"Get out of the way!"
Marco only wanted to interrupt Rosen's Conqueror's Haki attack and help Edward Newgate out of trouble; he had no intention of lingering with Borsalino. He immediately launched a powerful kick, carrying the force of a storm, directly at Borsalino.
"Phoenix Seal!"
His right leg, wreathed in Armament Haki and the Flames of Regeneration, delivered a powerful, sweeping kick, displaying the domineering power of an eagle soaring through the sky.
However...
His Mythical Zoan-type Phoenix form granted him powerful healing abilities, allowing him to hold his own against any Yonko-level opponent for a short period. However, aside from this, he lacked outstanding offensive capabilities. Furthermore, while his Haki and physical skills were quite impressive, they paled in comparison to the three Admirals.
Borsalino, before Rosen's emergence, was one of Zephyr's greatest creations. His swordsmanship, Haki, physical skills, and Devil Fruit ability were all at the pinnacle of the world. A single sword, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. A set of health-preserving sword techniques. Enough to overwhelm the aging Rayleigh, leaving him breathless. Even on Egghead Island, Kizaru, whose fighting spirit was low after personally killing Vegapunk, was still able to trade blows with Nika Luffy.
Not to mention, Borsalino's fighting spirit was currently soaring, and his will was unwavering. Faced with Borsalino in this state, and with no weaknesses whatsoever, even Marco, the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates, was helpless. Aside from being able to fight Borsalino undefeated for a short time using his Regeneration Flame, he had no way to break through the Marine Admiral's defenses.
"Will you let me through?"
"Sorry."
"I can't!"
Facing Marco's powerful Phoenix Seal, Borsalino calmly dragged his right foot, unleashing a dazzling golden light. His right foot, from bottom to top, delivered a light-speed kick, striking Marco's raised right foot.
Bang!
Regeneration Flame and Light-Speed Kick. As the two clashed with their footwork, unleashing tremendous force, a golden-blue energy shockwave instantly rose in the void, rippling outwards like a tidal wave.
"Go back!"
Borsalino unleashed a powerful kick with his right foot, a dazzling golden light bursting forth as he unleashed a burst of light-speed force.
Bang!
With a deafening roar, he transformed into a golden beam of light, staggering back to his original position, his feet firmly planted in mid-air. At the same time, Marco was sent flying like a cannonball, blasted back through the air at an even greater speed than he had come, landing on the mast of the Moby Dick.
Although Borsalino's kick hadn't caused any real damage to Marco, it had rendered his attack futile. Watching the phoenix being sent back the way it came by Borsalino's light-speed kick... even the Whitebeard Pirates' second-in-command, as powerful as he was, couldn't change the situation, and the pirates' hearts grew increasingly heavy.
"Kill!"
Jozu and Vista exchanged a glance and immediately reached a consensus: a full-scale attack. Only when the pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were locked in a chaotic melee, tightly intertwined, would Rosen's Conqueror's Haki, after overwhelming Edward Newgate's spirit, be unable to unleash its devastating power on the pirates. After all, with over 50,000 people fighting together, indiscriminately, to precisely lock onto each pirate, avoid each Marine, and then unleash Conqueror's Haki in such a situation seemed utterly impossible to them. Even if Rosen could actually do it, he would need time to sift through each one; it was absolutely impossible for him to do something so inconceivable in an instant.
"Our father has protected us for half his life; it's time for us to protect him."
"Those who consider themselves Whitebeard's children."
"Charge!"
Marco, having failed to achieve his goal, abandoned his plan to rely on the captains' strength to stop Rosen. Aside from Edward Newgate, the three strongest members of the Whitebeard Pirates had all made their moves, each being targeted by others. Vista was locked onto by Gaji's gun. Jozu was targeted by Gion's Lightning. Even he was being closely watched by the speed genius Borsalino. Left with no other choice, he could only resort to overwhelming force. This was the best method Marco had considered before the battle to counter Rosen's Conqueror's Haki. As long as the battlefield was large enough, the situation chaotic enough, and the number of people large enough, Rosen's Conqueror's Haki wouldn't be able to be unleashed indiscriminately against the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Kill!"
"The old man needs us."
"What are you waiting for?"
...
At Marco's command, dozens of pirate ships, like tigers unleashed, rushed towards the Navy. Meanwhile, on deck: The Whitebeard Pirates' captain and crew. The captains and members of the 43 affiliated pirate crews. Tens of thousands of pirates, some wielding swords, others raising guns.
Bang bang bang bang
Accompanied by a series of deafening roars like thunder, tens of thousands of attacks—slashing waves, shockwaves, bullets, and cannonballs—bombarded Rosen and the admirals, vice admirals, and Navy science units behind him like a torrential downpour.
Hearing the incessant roars of the pirates echoing in his ears, Edward Newgate felt a warmth in his heart. Whether it was the Whitebeard Pirates or the 43 affiliated pirate crews, the combined onslaught of his children acted like a powerful stimulant, injecting it into the body of the world's strongest man. His eyes flashed with a chilling, savage light. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed a devastating surge of Conqueror's Haki, like a demon descending from the heavens.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The violent collision of the two streams of Conqueror's Haki shattered the clouds, tearing them apart like a dried-up riverbed, and ripped open the sea, leaving a spiderweb-like network of chasms across its surface.
However, the world's strongest man's full-force attack couldn't change the fact that his Conqueror's Haki was completely suppressed. At most, it extended his ability to withstand the attack from five seconds to ten seconds; the outcome was still predetermined. Unchangeable.
"Are you all so afraid of my Conqueror's Haki?"
"The Whitebeard Pirates," Rosen first glanced at the Whitebeard Pirates launching their massive, overwhelming attack, then looked at Edward Newgate, who was still struggling and making futile efforts. "Alright. Since that's how it is, then so be it. I just hope you won't regret it later. After all, sometimes being stranded and unconscious is a blessing in disguise; at least you don't have to face despair."
He shook his head and chuckled. Just a second before Edward Newgate's Conqueror's Haki was about to be crushed and completely destroyed, the ocean of Haki, powerful enough to shake the heavens and shatter the oceans, receded like a receding tide in an instant.
"Did he see through it?"
"Or was it intentional?"
"But why would he do that?"
The sudden change startled Edward Newgate slightly. He had already prepared himself, intending to strike decisively before the clash of Conqueror's Haki resulted in defeat, triggering a tsunami and forcing Rosen to cease using his Haki, then using it to defend against the tsunami. Unexpectedly, Rosen actually withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.
"It worked."
"Rosen withdrew his Conqueror's Haki."
"Even a Death Admiral couldn't accurately locate every pirate in a chaotic battle of thousands without harming any Marines."
"No, it's probably our all-out attack that interrupted him, forcing him to stop releasing his Conqueror's Haki."
...
Seeing Rosen voluntarily withdraw his Conqueror's Haki, the Whitebeard Pirates who had launched the attack were overjoyed. Their plummeting morale rebounded sharply. Only Edward Newgate: a red light flashed in his eyes, and images flashed through his mind. As the strongest man in the world, not only did he possess Observation Haki that was always active, but he could also foresee the future. Having seen the next few seconds ahead, Edward Newgate's face changed color, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
"Vice Admiral of the Giants."
"Step forward."
At that moment, Rosen's voice suddenly rang out. John Jaendor, Laclower, Lonzo, and other giant vice admirals stepped out from behind him, striding past all the marines, like five indestructible mountains blocking the way for the Whitebeard Pirates.##