"That guy is like a bear... Ivankov, be careful." Luffy knew exactly how dangerous Kuma was; his entire crew had been swiped away and scattered by those paw pads.
"Don't worry," Ivankov said with a wave of her hand. She and Kuma were old acquaintances. "You go on ahead. I'll handle things here."
Luffy didn't hesitate any longer and sprinted past.
"Halt! Straw Hat, I am your wall. In the name of Justice, I swear you shall not take another step!" A massive frame loomed over Luffy, each step sending tremors through the frozen earth.
A Giant Squad Vice Admiral!
"Gear Third!"
Without a second thought, Luffy bit into his thumb and blew. His fist expanded violently, growing to a size even more terrifying than the giant's massive arm.
BAM!
The blow connected with a sickening crunch, caving in the giant's guard. A single-hit KO!
In that moment, the power of the "rookie" Straw Hat was on full display—his strength was undeniable. Sabo, who was watching closely from the fray, felt a surge of relief. But his relief quickly turned to bewilderment.
Luffy suddenly shrank into a tiny "pudding" version of himself—looking even smaller than he did when they were kids.
"Are you taking this a bit too lightly?" Mihawk's brow furrowed. He had planned to just play along for a while, but being ignored was a blow to his pride. A sharp aura of sword-intent began to coat his blade as he swung toward Sabo.
Clang!
Sabo parried the strike, exhaling in relief as he saw Luffy return to his normal size. Meanwhile, the Marine forces began a subtle movement, gradually withdrawing toward the rear.
VROOOM—BOOM!
"AAARGH!"
Dozens of Marines were hurled into the air as the ground buckled. Whitebeard's title as the "Strongest Man in the World" was no mere boast; a casual swing of his blade shattered the very space before him. Anyone caught in the path of his power was tossed aside like ants in a gale.
"An opening!" A Giant Squad Vice Admiral, wielding a massive battle-axe, swung with all his might at Whitebeard's flank.
Whitebeard met the strike with a lone fist, shattering the axe into splinters. Without even turning his head, he reached out, seized the giant's skull, and slammed him into the frozen ground.
With a localized burst of earthquake energy, he crushed the giant's skull and tossed the massive body aside. A Vice Admiral was nothing more than a child in the face of Whitebeard; it hadn't even taken two moves.
"Vice Admiral Lons!" The Marines swallowed hard, many of them trembling.
This was the terror of the world's pinnacle power—it defied all reason. A Vice Admiral capable of guarding an entire sea was discarded like trash. Even with his immense size, he was helpless.
A single strike from that Bisento could cleave the very earth! Edward Newgate was a monster.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Whitebeard advanced step by step, swing after swing. No one could halt his progress. If it weren't for the small hole in his chest still leaking crimson blood, they would have thought his earlier injury was a hallucination. How is an old man this badly wounded still so fierce!?
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku watched the humanoid engine of destruction with a deep scowl. It was time to initiate the next phase.
Soon, the pirates noticed the Marines were in full retreat. Their morale spiked. Look! The Marines are running scared!
"Keep the pressure on! Pursue them!"
The pirate horde surged into the bay, the momentum of the war reaching a fever pitch. However, those with a mind for strategy felt a nagging sense of dread. The Marines weren't this weak—and they currently held the numerical and tactical advantage.
"Full charge!" Vista roared, dual blades flashing. Regardless of the Marines' schemes, if they could breach the plaza in one go, all traps would be rendered moot.
"CHARGE!"
A massive wave of pirates tore after the retreating Marines. Whitebeard's pace remained unhindered as he reached the edge of the plaza.
HUMMM—! Whitebeard gathered a massive concentration of vibration energy into Murakumogiri, aiming directly for the execution platform.
KABOOM!!
The shockwave unleashed a tidal wave of destructive force, launching every Marine in its path into the sky. The strike roared toward the platform with unstoppable power!
"YES!" the pirates screamed.
RUMBLE...
A massive cloud of dust erupted. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the center of the destruction.
"Is the platform destroyed?"
The dust cleared to reveal the answer. The three Admirals stood before the platform, their hands extended forward in a synchronized warding gesture. They had neutralized the strike together.
Though disappointed, the pirates didn't let up.
"Why isn't it ready yet? Raise the encircle-walls!" Sengoku shouted, seeing Whitebeard closing in.
"Report, Fleet Admiral! The ice... the ice is too thick! The walls are jammed!"
"Idiots! Focus all the power from the town to the mechanism! And what about that!?" Sengoku pointed at a monitor. One visual Den Den Mushi was still broadcasting.
"Uh... one of the visual snails went missing just a moment ago..."
"Find it!" Sengoku was losing his patience.
Just then, the final snail's broadcast flickered to life. The "Captain Buggy Special" had begun. Or rather, the "God Buggy" legend was being born. From this moment on, Buggy's life would reach its peak: becoming a Warlord and gaining a legion of high-tier followers. But his most legendary moment was yet to come—shouting down the Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks.
"Aokiji!" Sengoku barked.
"On it." Aokiji used Ice Age, turning the camera-crew into a collection of human ice sculptures and freezing Buggy's hard-won Den Den Mushi solid.
However, time had run out. Whitebeard was at the plaza's edge. Cannons were useless against him; the man and his Supreme Grade blade were a match for the heavens themselves.
"I'll buy us time!" Another Giant Squad Vice Admiral leaped from the plaza, blocking Whitebeard's path. "I won't let you pass!"
"You're in my way!" Whitebeard didn't waste a second. He slammed his Bisento into the ground and gripped the very air with both hands.
Suddenly, the sea and the entire island of Marineford began to tilt at a violent angle. Scarcely a soul on the island could keep their footing. Then, Whitebeard leaped, punching the giant full-force.
The earthquake energy shattered the space into spider-web cracks. The sheer power of the blow sent tremors through the entire foundation of Marineford.
KABOOM!!
The Vice Admiral's eyes rolled back as he crashed to the ground.
Whitebeard reclaimed Murakumogiri, ready to storm the plaza, when suddenly, the entire earth began to groan and shake with a different rhythm.