Just as Marco faced a desperate situation, Akainu's Meteor Volcano once again ascended into the sky.
The massive eruption of magma signaled the beginning of an all-out assault, prompting the Marines stationed atop the encirclement wall to unleash their attacks simultaneously.
Kizaru's laser beams, Aokiji's ice spear barrage—
The Rankyaku (Tempest Kick) techniques of Marine officers, various forms of slashes—
And cannon fire from both the encirclement wall's artillery and shoulder-mounted launchers, all raining down upon the harbor.
The sheer volume of attacks even surpassed the firepower of a Buster Call.
All these attacks converged upon the bay below.
In an instant,
Explosions engulfed the harbor.
Yet the Whitebeard Pirates, despite their dire situation, refused to surrender.
Under Whitebeard's leadership, every pirate fought with all their might, desperately fending off the relentless bombardment from above.
As the first wave of attacks subsided, Akainu's Meteor Volcano rained down from the sky.
"..."
Facing the barrage of magma fists, Whitebeard swung his naginata, unleashing a quake that cleared a safe zone around the icebreaker beneath his feet.
Through sheer effort, the Whitebeard Pirates managed to protect the only two remaining icebreakers and the secondary Moby Dick.
However, those still stranded in the sea were not as fortunate.
Against such an overwhelming and indiscriminate onslaught, even those who had been capable of fighting back were now being mercilessly dragged to the depths of the ocean.
As the first wave of saturation fire concluded—
Half of the pirates in the water were eliminated.
Before the next wave of bombardment arrived, the survivors who had narrowly escaped scrambled to swim toward the nearest secondary Moby Dick.
...
Atop the Encirclement Wall.
Hawk-Eyes Mihawk and Boa Hancock, both possessing formidable ranged attack capabilities, refrained from joining in, merely observing the Marines' ruthless tactics with cold indifference.
"Fufufu…"
Doflamingo, gazing down at the trapped Whitebeard Pirates in the harbor, let out an excited laugh. "This is quite the rare spectacle… Could the Whitebeard Pirates really meet their end here?"
"The Marines are making full use of their strategic advantage. Even a crew as powerful as Whitebeard's is—"
Hancock silently observed the unfolding catastrophe below.
A tactical advantage, when properly utilized, could surpass even the might of an individual's strength.
Her own domain, Amazon Lily, relied on the Calm Belt as a natural defense, making it nearly impregnable.
"Is this where the Whitebeard Pirates will fall?"
Mihawk glanced at the Marines preparing for a second wave of bombardment and quietly sheathed his black blade.
At this stage of the war, even openly holding back wouldn't be questioned.
Otherwise,
His flying slashes alone could accelerate the Whitebeard Pirates' downfall.
Though he chose not to interfere, the man beside him was far from passive.
Mihawk turned his gaze to Maude.
As expected, Maude holstered his firearm and drew his blade, assuming the Hakoku stance.
Given the current circumstances, if Whitebeard lacked a countermeasure for this crisis—
His defeat was only a matter of time.
While Marco struggled on the execution platform, the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay faced the Marines' second wave of bombardment.
"Boom! Boom!"
Explosions once again consumed the harbor.
At this moment, only one hour remained until Ace's execution.
With absolute dominance, the Marines saw no need to violate their declaration by executing him prematurely.
The world watched the Whitebeard Pirates' plight unfold through live broadcasts.
In doing so, Marine Headquarters demonstrated to the world the overwhelming power that upheld justice.
"The Marines are incredible!"
"Hahaha! Whitebeard is finished!"
Seeing the dire state of the Whitebeard Pirates, people across the world erupted in cheers, even though the battle was not yet over.
To them, pirates—symbols of chaos and destruction—deserved nothing less than complete eradication by the Marines.
"This is the strength of the Marines!"
Many young viewers were stirred with admiration, their hearts burning with the desire to enlist.
The Marines' dominance left a profound impression on all who witnessed this war.
Whether civilians or pirates, all believed Whitebeard's downfall was imminent.
Given the situation, such a conclusion was logical.
Unless—
An unexpected force intervened to disrupt the battlefield!
...
Marineford.
The Marines on the encirclement wall continued their relentless bombardment.
Their overwhelming firepower rained down upon the harbor.
Watching the Whitebeard Pirates struggle desperately to resist, the Marines felt assured of their impending victory.
Just as this thought took hold—
"Jihahahaha—!!"
A boisterous laugh echoed from the skies above, shaking them to their core.
Who was that?!
From the encirclement wall to the plaza itself—
Every Marine, including the Seven Warlords of the Sea, instinctively turned their gaze skyward.
"That is…!!!"
Countless eyes locked onto the source of the laughter.
The first thing they saw was a colossal shadow emerging from the clouds—large enough to blot out the entire sky.
Seconds later,
The massive silhouette broke through the clouds, revealing its full form.
A fleet of dozens of airborne pirate ships!
And, towed behind them—
An entire island!
"!!!"
Shock and disbelief spread across the faces of nearly every Marine present as they beheld the airborne fleet and the island looming above them.
"Golden Lion!"
Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and other veteran Marines' expressions darkened.
"Jihahahaha! At this point, you must be regretting your decision, Whitebeard…!"
A voice that once struck fear into the world resonated from above.
A golden figure stood in midair—it was none other than Golden Lion Shiki, the man who sought to bring terror upon the world.
Arms crossed, he looked down at Whitebeard from his lofty position, exuding an air of absolute dominance.
"You've arrived at the perfect moment, Golden Lion…"
Whitebeard looked up at the high-and-mighty Shiki.
Dozens of flying ships, along with five floating islands ready to be dropped at any moment—
A force capable of instantly overturning the battlefield!
Whitebeard was no stubborn old fool; in such dire straits, he welcomed Golden Lion's intervention.
Perhaps—
There was still a chance to sink Marine Headquarters into the sea…
...
Atop the Encirclement Wall.
The dramatic arrival of Golden Lion and his airborne fleet sent waves of shock through the Marines.
But among the Seven Warlords, Maude and the others remained unfazed.
"Arriving at this moment… is this good or bad?"
Maude mused inwardly.
His plan had been to exploit the Whitebeard Pirates' desperation, using the Marines' firepower as cover while he harvested experience points.
Now,
That might no longer be so easy.
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