Though the recent clash left Admiral Aokiji at a disadvantage and lightly wounded, the fact that he froze the tsunami gave many Marine soldiers a glimmer of hope.
"Whitebeard may be terrifying, but we've got the Navy's strongest Admirals on our side!"
"Y-Yeah! Admirals are the highest combat strength of the Marines. Each one is practically a god!"
"With the Admirals here, the Whitebeard Pirates are nothing to fear!"
All across the battlefield, Marine soldiers shouted to rally their comrades and to convince themselves as well.
Then came the officer's order.
"Cannons! Fire! Destroy the Moby Dick!"
Boom! Boom!
The cannons on the Marine side roared to life. Shell after shell shot toward the Moby Dick.
The pirates didn't back down either. Several division captains shouted rallying cries, leading their men as they leapt off the ship, sprinting across the frozen sea to engage the Marines head-on.
The Marines quickly responded, deploying troops to meet the charge.
In an instant, the bay was filled with gunfire, explosions, and the deafening roar of battle.
Vincent Fox remained on the Moby Dick. He was waiting for the perfect moment to enter the fight.
Not long after the two sides clashed, a figure suddenly stepped out from among the Seven Warlords of the Sea on the other side.
It was Dracule Mihawk.
His sudden movement drew the attention of countless big shots.
As the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk's strength was among the very peak of the pirate world.
He usually did whatever he pleased, and even the Marines had trouble controlling him.
Now that Mihawk was taking the initiative to fight, it shocked more than a few top brass.
"Well, now. This is rare," Admiral Kizaru remarked, glancing at Mihawk with intrigue.
Akainu also lifted his head slightly, fixing his gaze on the swordsman.
"Mihawk? That lone wolf is actually stepping in?"
Beside Mihawk, Donquixote Doflamingo let out a sinister chuckle.
"What's this? You planning to make a move?"
Mihawk's razor-sharp gaze had already locked onto Whitebeard standing on the Moby Dick. He replied without turning his head.
"I merely wish to test something just how vast is the gap between us and that man?"
The words fell.
Mihawk drew his sword and slashed toward the Moby Dick.
Buzz!
A sharp ringing erupted.
A powerful green sword light burst from the blade of his black sword, Yoru.
The sword aura was so intense, it split the frozen sea open.
Everything in its path Marine or pirate was cleaved in two.
The devastating slash surged straight toward the Moby Dick's bow.
More precisely, toward Whitebeard standing on deck.
Seeing the sword light like a laser beam approaching, Vincent frowned, his face growing serious.
Even from far behind Whitebeard, his "Crisis Sense" was screaming.
Danger!
Which meant Mihawk's slash could actually injure his body.
And Vincent's physical stats had already surpassed three thousand.
His defense was absurd.
Calling him bulletproof would be an insult it was more like diamond skin.
Even so, Crisis Sense was warning him. That alone proved Mihawk's terrifying power.
"As expected of the world's greatest swordsman."
Vincent muttered but didn't act.
Nor did he dodge.
Whitebeard was still standing in front of him, after all.
Besides, according to the original events, the next to act should be the so-called "Most Expensive Man in History," Diamond Jozu.
Sure enough.
Just as Mihawk's slash was about to strike the Moby Dick, a large figure intercepted it with astonishing speed.
Clang!
A deafening impact rang out.
Diamond Jozu let out a roar, lifting his arms and smashing the sword light upward.
Whoosh!
The slash dissipated in mid-air, scattering the clouds above.
If that had hit the ship directly, even the massive Moby Dick might have been cut clean in half.
As the dust settled, a burly figure appeared on the ice.
Diamond Jozu.
His entire body shimmered like crystal, dazzling under the light.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
"He just stopped the world's strongest slash!"
"That's Division Three Commander, Diamond Jozu!"
The Marines gasped in disbelief.
Jozu grinned wickedly at Mihawk, his eyes full of challenge.
Mihawk stared back deeply, but chose not to strike again. He sheathed his blade.
His attack had failed. That fact alone stunned countless onlookers.
The Whitebeard Pirates were terrifyingly powerful.
Watching morale start to dip, Admiral Kizaru finally stood from his platform.
"Sheesh. Every one of Whitebeard's division commanders is a monster…"
His gaze shifted toward Whitebeard.
"If we want to minimize losses, we'll have to cut off the head of the snake."
Akainu remained silent beside him, neither agreeing nor objecting.
Then.
Golden light began to radiate from Kizaru's body.
Bit by bit, he transformed into pure energy.
Swish!
Kizaru vanished from the platform.
The next moment, he appeared high above the Moby Dick.
His sudden presence struck fear into the nearby pirates.
"K-Kizaru is here!"
"Everyone be alert! He's one of the top threats!"
Kizaru ignored the grunts. His eyes focused solely on Whitebeard.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
With a shout, blinding light burst from Kizaru's hands.
A barrage of golden energy bullets rained down like a Gatling gun, targeting Whitebeard and the entire ship.
This was one of Kizaru's massive area attacks.
The entire Moby Dick was within his range.
However.
This guy really was Luffy's brother-in-law. King of Slackers!
Though flashy, the attack lacked the substance of Mihawk's slash.
Vincent, still on the deck, didn't feel the slightest threat.
Crisis Sense didn't even blink.
What did that mean?
It meant he could stand still and still not take a scratch.
"Hey. That's kinda bright," Whitebeard muttered, displeased, but didn't move.
Because he had faith in his sons.
Sure enough.
Just as he finished speaking, a massive bird burst from the crowd and soared above the ship, intercepting Kizaru's attack.
The bird was wreathed in eerie blue flames, absorbing all the golden bullets.
Kizaru froze midair.
There, hovering before him, was a majestic blue phoenix.
As the flames regenerated its wounds, a human face emerged.
It was none other than Marco the Phoenix, Commander of the First Division.
"The Admiral's attack… was blocked…"
Marine soldiers were dumbstruck.
Whitebeard hadn't even moved yet, but his subordinates had already nullified the world's greatest slash and an Admiral's full barrage.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Surrounded in blue fire…"
"Wait! That's their First Division Commander, Marco the Phoenix!"
"His body… it can take a full frontal assault from an Admiral?!"
Marco met Kizaru's gaze with a confident smile.
"You really think we'd let you interrupt our captain that easily?"
Kizaru's eyes widened.
"So scary… the Whitebeard Pirates."
Marco smirked, then transformed fully into a giant blue phoenix and dove at Kizaru.
The Admiral unleashed a flurry of light-based attacks, but they had no effect.
When Marco closed in, he landed a powerful kick that sent Kizaru flying.
Seeing this, the Marines turned pale.
"He kicked Admiral Kizaru!"
"This can't be real…"
Of course, Kizaru wasn't injured.
That level of attack wasn't enough to harm him.
But his expression turned serious.
On the high platform, Sengoku finally stood.
Seeing both Mihawk and Kizaru repelled had pushed him to act.
He picked up a Den Den Mushi and issued the command.
"All artillery units, target the Moby Dick and the pirates in the bay. Frontline soldiers, hold the line at all costs and prevent them from reaching the plaza!"
"Yes, sir!"
The order echoed across the battlefield.
Immediately, cannon fire thundered once more.
Countless shells flew from the coastal batteries, blanketing the Moby Dick.
To elite fighters, this kind of attack was trivial.
But the sheer volume posed a real threat.
Left unchecked, the ship would be destroyed, and countless ordinary pirates would die.
Realizing this, Whitebeard's commanders rushed to intercept the barrage.
Vincent knew it was time for him to act.
He stepped forward.
"Hey! What are you doing?! It's dangerous, get back!"
A pirate hiding nearby tried to stop him.
But Vincent ignored the warning and kept walking.
Soon, he reached Whitebeard's side.
At six feet tall, Vincent looked tiny next to the massive elder who stood nearly twenty feet.
Whitebeard noticed him at once.
Or rather, he noticed the strange pressure coming off him.
"Hm? Kid, what're you doing up here?"
But even as he asked, Whitebeard's eyes flickered with confusion.
He had no recollection of such a figure in his crew.
With that kind of aura, the boy could easily be a division commander…
Vincent smiled.
"These cannons are annoying. I'll go take care of them."
The moment he finished, Vincent bent his knees, charging strength into his legs.
Then.
Boom!
He launched himself like a cannonball into the sky.
The entire Moby Dick shook from the force of his jump, the deck caving in where he'd stood, splinters flying everywhere.
Whitebeard was stunned for a second.
Then he burst out laughing, eyes gleaming as he watched Vincent shoot through the air like an arrow.
"This brat… no regard for my ship at all!"
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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