Vincent Fox wasn't worried about Bista.
Although his strength might not match that of the world-renowned swordsman Dracule Mihawk, the gap shouldn't be too wide. And besides… there was something far more important waiting for him to do.
The aftermath of Whitebeard and Akainu's battle had already reduced every building on the island to rubble.
"No wonder he's called the strongest man in the world, he's that powerful!"
"Marineford is going to be destroyed! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please step in!"
"If no one stops Whitebeard now, this place will be reduced to dust!"
In the rear, pirates could feel the ground trembling beneath their feet, and chatter broke out.
"Shut your mouths! One more word and you'll end up like the pirates!" barked a high-ranking Vice Admiral, viciously swinging his blade.
The crowd quickly fell silent.
Akainu was once again struck hard, blood spilling from his mouth as he retreated from the battlefield to recover.
Their clashes shattered the sea's surface, sending shards of ice flying high into the air. Countless people lost their footing and plummeted downward.
"Ahhh!"
Even Straw Hat Luffy couldn't avoid it the ice beneath his feet gave way, and he fell toward the churning sea.
"Straw Hat, grab my hand!"
A voice rang out from above. A hand shot down and grasped Luffy's extended arm.
With a sharp pull, Luffy was back on solid ice.
"Huh? It's you again… the no-name pirate."
Luffy scratched his head, smiling at the vaguely familiar face.
It was Vincent Fox.
"What's your name?" Luffy asked.
Vincent ignored the question, instead glancing up toward the execution platform. "Straw Hat, you've got the key, right?"
"Yeah, I've got it," Luffy replied, patting his pocket obediently.
"Good. I'll send you up there."
Pointing at the platform, Vincent grabbed the confused Luffy and hoisted him into the air.
"Eh?"
Before Luffy could react, Vincent stretched him back like a giant slingshot.
The next moment, Vincent let go.
Luffy shot through the air like a released rubber band, soaring straight toward the execution platform.
"Thanks!" Luffy called mid-flight, turning his attention forward.
This was much faster than breaking through the battlefield on foot. In moments, he landed on the platform.
"Ace!"
Panting heavily, Luffy rushed to his brother, fumbling in his pocket for the key.
"I finally made it… I'm here to save you."
He brought the key toward the lock.
"Straw Hat… aren't you underestimating me a little too much?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face darkened.
For Luffy to ignore his presence entirely and attempt to free Ace right in front of him was an insult he couldn't let slide.
He wasn't Garp he had no reason to hold back against them.
Emerging like a looming shadow, Sengoku's body rapidly expanded.
In an instant, his entire form was bathed in golden light, radiating like a living Buddha and illuminating all of Marineford.
"Did you really think… you could escape from my grasp?"
His body became a colossal golden Buddha, radiating an overwhelming aura that made the entire platform creak under the pressure, threatening to collapse.
"Daibutsu!"
Every onlooker's eyes widened in awe and dread.
"Sengoku's making his move…"
At that moment, Luffy found the keyhole and moved to unlock the cuffs.
"So you've got that," said Kizaru lazily from a corner.
A beam of golden light formed at his fingertips.
In the blink of an eye, the key in Luffy's hand snapped in two.
"Straw Hat, you're just as much a dangerous criminal as the rest," Sengoku declared, raising his massive golden fist high. "Allow me to end you here!"
"Mr. 3! Use your candle wax to protect Ace!"
Luffy bit into his thumb, inflating himself like a balloon.
"Gomu Gomu no… Gigant Balloon!"
Sengoku's fist still came down, smashing Luffy hard enough to draw blood.
But the blow was stopped no one was killed.
With a deafening crash, the platform's wooden supports gave way, sending everyone tumbling.
"Candle man! Make a key!"
With the Admirals and Mihawk distracted, Vincent moved freely across the battlefield.
Seeing Sengoku's Buddha form, Vincent knew exactly what would happen next and rushed to the base of the platform.
He caught the temporarily powerless Ace, leaning close to Mr. 3. "Make the key."
"Oh, right! Why didn't I think of that?" Mr. 3 smacked his forehead.
The broken key had fallen right in front of him earlier.
Quickly, he squeezed molten wax from his palm.
"Use this to save Ace."
Having memorized the original key's shape, Mr. 3 molded a perfect replica and handed it to Luffy.
"Thanks!"
Luffy snatched the key and, in seconds, unlocked the Sea-Prism Stone cuffs.
"You think you'll just walk away alive?"
The air suddenly turned frigid. Looking up, they saw Admiral Aokiji standing before them.
"Admiral Kuzan!"
Nearby Marines shouted with relief.
If Aokiji hadn't arrived, they would have been slaughtered by these pirates. They quickly retreated from the scene.
Vincent's gaze swept the area until he spotted Diamond Jozu lying unconscious nearby.
Taking advantage of Vincent's momentary distraction, Aokiji froze his entire arm solid.
"Luffy, you and the others help Jozu. I'll handle this."
Ace smiled confidently, flames igniting around him.
"You're underestimating me, Kuzan."
Aokiji's expression remained cold, his body emanating absolute zero.
"Ice Spear!"
In midair, the moisture crystallized into several massive spears of ice. With a flick of his hand, Aokiji launched them forward.
"Hiken… Hidaruma!"
Ace swept both arms outward, sending an equal number of blazing fireballs to meet the ice spears head-on.
Ssshhh...steam erupted as fire clashed with ice, billowing into the sky.
"Not bad," Aokiji admitted, his face hardening.
He spread his arms, preparing a massive strike.
"Ice Time Bird!"
An enormous bird of solid ice, over ten meters tall, took shape before him, letting out a piercing cry before diving at Ace.
"Enkai… Hibashira!"
Ace's body flared with intense heat, one arm whipping upward as a towering wall of fire erupted to meet the attack.
Boom!
The firestorm collided with the icy bird, the explosion sending steam-laden winds howling across the battlefield.
"What is this…?"
Many onlookers froze in shock.
That young pirate from the platform… had just gone toe-to-toe with Admiral Kuzan without taking a single hit.
And then their eyes shifted to the man standing behind Ace, Vincent Fox, the even more terrifying God of Slaughter.
----------------------------------------------------
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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