"Eight Shaku Jewel."
Under the endless rain of light, Whitebeard advanced without slowing even a fraction.
Every punch and kick he threw surpassed human limits. A single hit was enough to cause fractured bones or internal bleeding, injuries no ordinary person could ever endure. Now, with just one punch, the barren mountain before him collapsed instantly. A path over a hundred meters wide tore across the ice field, spiderweb cracks spreading violently in all directions.
From the very beginning, Kizaru had been forced onto the defensive. His speed was terrifying, yet the Glint Glint Fruit carried an undeniable flaw. When moving at light speed, he could only travel in straight lines. Any change in direction required the use of the Eight Span Mirror as a medium.
Perhaps this weakness would disappear once his Devil Fruit reached full mastery, but clearly, Kizaru had not reached that stage yet.
And because of that, he was caught.
A chill ran through Kizaru's entire body as Whitebeard's massive hand clamped around his right foot. It felt as though his soul had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"I finally caught you," Whitebeard said calmly, his voice deep and steady. "You're the fastest-running brat I've ever seen."
He looked down at Kizaru, his face made even more intimidating by the mustache that Akainu had torn away earlier. The old man's expression alone was enough to inspire fear.
Kizaru's heart sank. His left foot flared with blinding light as he desperately tried to force Whitebeard to release him through sheer firepower.
For any Logia user, being restrained by a master of top-tier Armament Haki was nothing short of a nightmare. If their own Armament Haki did not match that level, then it was a life-and-death crisis.
One mistake meant death.
Kizaru condensed terrifying energy into his right foot and stomped toward Whitebeard's face. Whitebeard responded by releasing his bisento, clenching his right fist, and meeting the attack head-on.
A massive mushroom cloud erupted as a golden shockwave swept outward, obliterating everything nearby.
At the heart of the explosion, Kizaru's face turned deathly pale.
Whitebeard still had not let go.
The world spun violently as Kizaru was slammed into the ground. The earth's crust within tens of thousands of meters overturned once again, and Kizaru's face twisted grotesquely from the impact.
Bang. Bang.
Whitebeard smashed him back and forth like a ragdoll. Blood poured from Kizaru's eyes, nose, and mouth until his entire face looked demonic. Finally, Whitebeard held him upside down in front of him. Kizaru was drenched in blood, barely clinging to consciousness.
Everyone, both on the battlefield and watching from afar, was left utterly stunned.
Kizaru, the Admiral famed across the seas for his speed, had been reduced to this state in mere moments. It was nothing short of catastrophic.
Logically speaking, even against the World's Strongest Man, Kizaru should not have collapsed this quickly. Yet no matter how elusive he had been earlier, once Whitebeard caught him even once, this outcome was inevitable.
"Great Eruption!"
Akainu roared hysterically. Magma dripped from his body as his twisted expression burned with madness. His right arm swelled into a colossal magma fist, as large as a mountain, carrying the full might of a volcanic eruption as it came crashing down on Whitebeard.
He had completely lost himself.
Even Kizaru was caught within the range of the attack.
Whitebeard did not flinch. He clenched his fist, a pressure shield forming instantly as it collided head-on with the molten giant fist.
A devastating shockwave spread outward like a halo, detonating the surrounding terrain. Akainu bellowed as he poured more power into the attack. Magma surged continuously, causing the giant fist to swell even further, its destructive force increasing again and again.
Whoosh.
Whitebeard was finally forced backward.
Kizaru seized the opening to escape, transforming into light, but the old man was not careless. The moment Kizaru broke free, Whitebeard unleashed a punch. A sickening crack echoed from Kizaru's lower back.
Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose as he was sent flying like a comet of golden light. He streaked across half the plaza before smashing into an iceberg. A thunderous explosion followed as he crashed to the ground, critically injured and barely able to stand.
Whitebeard's feet sank deep into the earth as he stabilized himself. He lifted his gaze toward Akainu. The Admiral was drenched in blood, eyes bloodshot, chest heaving as magma dripped continuously from his body.
Whitebeard's gaze was chilling.
"Whitebeard," Akainu snarled hoarsely, "today will be your death day."
The battlefield had already transformed into a sea of magma. Ferocity burned within Akainu's eyes.
Whitebeard said nothing. Pressure shields formed around his hands as he strode forward, utterly uninterested in responding.
Akainu did not hesitate either. His lower body turned to magma as he launched himself forward at full force.
"Hellhound."
Crack.
The power of vibration collided violently with the force of a volcanic eruption. The atmosphere itself roared as a shockwave erupted outward. The ground buckled and barren mountains rose abruptly, forming jagged hills.
Without exception, Akainu was blasted away like a cannonball. He tumbled endlessly, explosions erupting wherever he struck. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his hands into the ground repeatedly to dissipate the force, finally stopping at the far end of a ravine.
Whitebeard descended from above, his right foot wrapped in crushing pressure that distorted the air itself.
Akainu rolled aside at the last second, narrowly avoiding the blow, then immediately counterattacked.
"Great Eruption."
A massive magma fist surged forward like a collapsing mountain combined with a raging tsunami.
Anyone else would have retreated.
Whitebeard did not.
He raised his fist and punched straight ahead, shattering the atmosphere before him into nothingness. Magma scattered violently, and Akainu was blown backward once more. His face was pale as he struggled to rise, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.
"No surprise," someone shouted in disbelief. "Even Akainu, the Marine with the strongest offensive power, can't match him."
"Unless two Admirals fight together, there's no chance against Whitebeard."
"It's a pity the Silver Dragon isn't here."
"Who's even holding him back?"
"It's the Furious One of the Straw Hat Pirates."
Whitebeard remained silent, advancing like an unstoppable force of nature. His intent was clear. Either to kill Akainu, or to capture him and exchange him for Ace.
"Cough… cough… old man…"
Akainu coughed violently, blood spilling from his lips as he stared at Whitebeard with venomous hatred. Even so, he attacked first.
Rumble.
Whitebeard threw another punch. Akainu's right arm transformed into a biting magma hound, yet it was blown aside by the overwhelming force.
"Dogtooth Red Lotus."
Crack.
Like an unkillable monster, Akainu continued to charge forward again and again.
"Meteor Volcano."
Blood streamed from every orifice as Akainu unleashed his strongest technique. Countless magma fists rained down from the sky like a meteor shower, completely surrounding Whitebeard.
Whitebeard responded simply. He swung his fist, obliterating everything in his path, no matter how fierce the attack.
"This is impossible," Akainu roared in despair.
As Whitebeard drew closer, Akainu raised his fists and howled. The magma rain only grew denser.
"Great Eruption."
His movements became frantic, his mind consumed by a single thought.
Kill this old man.
At that moment, Whitebeard shifted his stance and grabbed the very air with both hands. With a violent pull, the entire Marineford shook.
A colossal wave of pressure surged upward, tearing the ground apart and forming an unstoppable force that crashed toward Akainu. All around them, barren mountains exploded one after another.
From the outside, countless bottomless abysses ripped through Marineford. Horror filled every onlooker's eyes as they swallowed nervously.
"Oh no… Akainu is in danger!"
Below the execution platform, Tsuru supported Garp as she stared in shock at Akainu, who lay in a pool of blood, unable to rise no matter how many times he tried.
Akainu absolutely could not die.
On the execution platform, Sengoku's expression turned grim. He bent down, picked up the execution blade, and prepared to carry out the execution himself.
"Ace!"
"Sengoku, how dare you!"
"Bastard!"
The execution platform had always been the center of attention. The moment Sengoku personally raised the blade, both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army were thrown into panic.
Even Whitebeard's expression shifted.
Lightning split the sky as the execution blade gleamed coldly.
Sengoku lifted it high.
Then he brought it down.