"Pfft!"
Kong spat out a mouthful of blood, his body bent forward like a drawn bow. The shockwave behind him tore through the sky, forcibly blowing apart the dark clouds overhead.
Whitebeard withdrew his fist without expression. In the same motion, he swept his right leg horizontally.
Kong's body was sent crashing away. Blood poured from his mouth as if his internal organs were being ripped apart. The ground beneath him shook violently. Countless boulders were torn free from the earth and hurled into the air like meteors. Deep cracks spread in all directions, collapsing inward to form massive sinkholes.
A violent storm surged through the battlefield.
At the center of a gigantic crater, Kong lay sprawled at the bottom, his face twisted in agony.
Whitebeard descended with fury blazing in his eyes.
A moment later, a blinding flash connected the two figures in a straight line. Far away, a towering mushroom cloud rose tens of thousands of meters into the sky, leaving behind an enormous pit that continued to expand and collapse.
Another thunderous roar followed.
Mountains were forced up from the ground as if the land itself were being reshaped.
In a different direction, a canyon split open, stretching tens of thousands of meters into the distance.
The clashes were so violent that no one could see the figures anymore. Only deep, suffocating roars echoed endlessly.
The clouds above twisted and inverted, forming a spreading void. Lightning and thunder raged as the shattered ice field fractured even further.
The world descended into chaos, all sense of order collapsing.
A radiant halo tore through the mountains raised by the battle. Massive boulders shattered and rained down like an apocalyptic catastrophe.
Within the storm of falling stone, two figures shot forward as streaks of light, chasing one another relentlessly.
They tore through several mountains in succession. A terrifying gully stretched all the way to the horizon, collapsing into ruins behind them.
From the wreckage, a blood soaked right hand suddenly emerged.
Kong staggered out, his face deathly pale and his condition dire.
Whitebeard stepped forward, leaving behind a bloody footprint. Blood stained the corner of his mouth as well, yet his aura remained unfathomably deep, like a bottomless abyss.
His right hand was raised high, wrapped in a white pressure shield. Veins bulged and twisted across his arm.
Kong roared and charged forward, unleashing a sweeping kick as he closed the distance.
The air shattered as fist and foot collided.
Two massive halos surged upward from the impact, causing the surrounding land, mountains, and valleys to ripple violently. The destructive force made the entirety of Marineford tremble without pause.
Boom. Boom.
They stood their ground, hands blurring into countless afterimages as they clashed again and again.
"Quake."
Time seemed to slow.
After a single exchange, both men arched their bodies, forcibly suppressing the metallic taste rising in their throats as they unleashed their strongest techniques.
"Steel Bone."
All sound vanished from the world.
At the center of the battlefield, a blinding light expanded outward.
A colossal mushroom cloud rose, tearing heaven and earth apart.
Within the rolling black smoke, Kong tumbled uncontrollably before crashing into the shattered ice field. His body was grotesquely twisted, his presence plummeting to its lowest point.
Opposite him, Whitebeard knelt on one knee, supporting himself with a hand pressed into the ground. Blood flowed freely from his mouth and nose.
Slowly, he stood.
He looked at Kong, whose life force was rapidly fading, then turned away and disappeared in the direction of Marineford.
North of the battlefield, a raging Haoshoku Haki churned the winds and clouds.
Rayleigh stood stiffly, his face pale, long sword held diagonally at his side. His sharp eyes were fixed on Ace's lifeless body, filled with disbelief.
Ace was dead.
Memories surged forward, their first meeting, the brash young man slinging an arm around his shoulder, drinking sake together, proudly declaring himself Roger's son as if it were nothing more than casual talk.
And now, he lay before him, drenched in blood.
Roger's only bloodline.
Rayleigh felt something inside his chest shatter.
Rage erupted.
He stared coldly at Mihawk, his gaze carrying a single message.
Move aside, or die.
Mihawk did not retreat. He tightened his grip on his black blade, a trace of excitement flashing through his eyes.
He knew that during their last encounter, this legendary man had not fought seriously. Perhaps now, he finally would.
Swish.
Rayleigh swung his sword in a horizontal arc. The slash tore through the ground, carrying world splitting force as it rushed toward Mihawk.
Mihawk responded with a horizontal slash of his own.
The two attacks collided, layers of sword energy spiraling outward, forming a violent storm that shredded everything in its path.
Their blades met directly. Sparks flew as invisible afterimages of swords clashed at terrifying speed.
Mihawk felt immense pressure.
Rayleigh was not only a supreme swordsman, but also a master of Armament, Observation, and Haoshoku Haki, as well as hand to hand combat. He was a complete powerhouse.
Mihawk, despite his formidable Haki and combat ability, was still a swordsman first. Compared to Rayleigh, his versatility was lacking.
When Rayleigh unleashed his full fury, the pressure was overwhelming.
As the Pirate King's right hand man, known as the Dark King, Rayleigh's strength was unquestionable.
Elsewhere, Jabba's rage was also surging, but Sengoku kept him firmly restrained.
Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the other Whitebeard Pirates fought like demons. Their eyes were bloodshot as they began forcing the Marines back.
Earlier, with Kong and the CP forces involved, the Marines had held the advantage.
But now, everything had changed.
"How terrifying…"
Kizaru looked disheveled as he gripped Ama no Murakumo, clashing repeatedly with Marco's claw, which burned with bluish white flames. The pressure from Marco's fury was immense.
Nearby, Aokiji continued battling Jozu.
Yet the true danger had only just arrived.
Dark clouds pressed down from the horizon. Dense black and red lightning split the sky.
A gigantic bare chested figure crashed into the main plaza. Shattered stone flew in all directions as Whitebeard emerged from the rubble.
When his eyes fell upon Ace's corpse, his entire body trembled.
He knelt and gently lifted Ace with one hand. His massive palm was soaked in cold blood. Tears that had once dried at the corners of his eyes fell once more.
"Not good!"
Sengoku, still fighting Jabba, saw Whitebeard appear and his expression changed drastically.
Had Commander Kong already fallen?
Across the world, voices erupted.
"Hey, has Steel Bone Kong already been killed by Whitebeard?"
"It is very likely. Even watching through a screen, you can feel the calm before the storm."
"The World's Strongest Man is about to truly get angry."
"The Marines are in serious danger. If even Kong lost, who can stop Whitebeard?"
"Marine Hero Garp has already lost control. No one can restrain him now."
"He's moving."
Under countless gazes, Whitebeard gently set Ace down. Several pirates hurried forward to carry the body away from the battlefield.
All eyes, both at Marineford and across the world, focused on Whitebeard.
His iconic mustache was gone. His coat was gone. His naginata was nowhere in sight.
Bare chested and expressionless, he stood beneath rolling black clouds filled with lightning.
As Haoshoku Haki surged, Whitebeard moved.
"Not good!"
Aokiji's face turned pale instantly as Whitebeard's gaze locked onto him.
The shadow of death sent a chill straight down Aokiji's spine.
"Whitebeard is targeting Admiral Aokiji!"
"Does he intend to kill all the Marine Admirals?"
"If the Admirals fall, the Marines will be crippled!"
"He is ruthless, he is going straight for an Admiral!"
Across the world, discussions erupted. To most people, a Marine Admiral was an insurmountable existence.
But to Whitebeard, they were powerful enemies who could be slain.
"Ice Pheasant Beak."
Aokiji struck first, forming a massive ice bird that froze everything in its path as it charged forward.
Crack.
Whitebeard punched the air.
The atmosphere fractured instantly. The overwhelming vibrational force shattered the ice bird completely, turning it into countless ice crystals that scattered outward, radiating bone deep cold.
"Two Spear."
Aokiji retreated rapidly. Above his head, numerous ice spears condensed and shot toward Whitebeard with piercing shrieks.
Whitebeard did not move.
As the spears reached him, he punched the atmosphere once more.
A massive shockwave surged forward.
Aokiji instantly transformed into ice and vanished from his original position.
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