"Fall back behind me, boys!"
Whitebeard bellowed, waiting until he confirmed that no members of the Whitebeard Pirates were in front of him. Then, his massive, boulder-sized fist smashed forward with terrifying force.
Crack!
The air before him shattered like glass, a crisp, sharp sound echoing across the battlefield.
The nearby Marines turned pale as they saw the result of that single strike.
"This guy… is he planning to destroy all of Marineford?"
"Marineford's done for! Run!"
"My money's still in headquarters no, I have to get it."
"Forget it! If you're late, you'll be dead!"
From atop the rubble, Sengoku's gaze was as grim as ever.
"This man intends to sink Marineford, taking his own life and those of the pirates with it… This old man really is willing to risk everything."
He hadn't expected Whitebeard to go this far.
"Ugh…"
Garp hauled himself out of the rubble, dusting off his uniform.
"Saying goodbye to the era, huh? You sure picked the perfect time."
Standing side by side, both Sengoku and Garp stared at Whitebeard with unprecedented seriousness.
This was Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
If Marineford sank, it would be no different than having their own stronghold forcefully taken from them.
The Navy's prestige across the seas, built over 170 years, would plummet instantly.
They could not allow that to happen.
Garp smashed a stone beside him in anger.
"That bastard Whitebeard!"
He leapt down from the ruins and charged into the fray.
"Ace, get your brother out of here! Don't waste time your old man's already prepared for the worst!"
Vincent Fox shoved Ace hard, shielding them both.
"But."
"No buts!" Vincent barked. "If you die here now, won't that make your old man's efforts meaningless?!"
Ace's eyes flickered. Vincent's words were right, but…
He couldn't let go of the guilt weighing on his heart.
Seeing Whitebeard about to clash with the Navy again only deepened the guilt he carried for being the so-called son of the devil.
"Ace!"
Whitebeard turned, looking at him.
"Old man…"
Ace's eyes turned red as he took in Whitebeard's battered, bloodied figure.
These wounds… every single one was for his sake.
"No need for words, Ace. I'll just ask you one question." Whitebeard's voice softened, his eyes warm. "How does it feel to have me as your old man?"
Thud!
Ace didn't speak he dropped heavily to his knees before Whitebeard.
His entire life, he had been proud and unyielding. He had never met his parents and had never bowed to anyone, even after years of sailing the seas.
For him to kneel now… the meaning was obvious.
Whitebeard's smile was filled with relief.
He glanced around, his gaze lingering on each of his "foolish sons."
These men they were his family.
Turning sharply, Whitebeard's eyes hardened, sending shivers through the Marines in his path.
"How can this old man still have such terrifying power…? No wonder they call him the world's strongest," Sengoku muttered, his eyes narrowing with lethal intent. He wanted nothing more than to tear Whitebeard apart.
"Ha!"
Whitebeard raised his massive bisento high and brought it crashing down.
Boom!
The sheer force of the impact sent up clouds of dust.
The ground split open, and even nearby pirates were flung high into the air, many falling dead or gravely injured.
"What terrifying strength! Stop him!"
A Vice Admiral, face pale with fear, barked orders to the Marines.
A crowd rushed forward.
"Out of my way!"
Whitebeard grabbed the air with one hand, warping it before him. With a sudden pull, every man charging toward him staggered and collapsed.
"Tsk, if I let you keep this up, Marineford's going to be ruined," Kizaru drawled, though his eyes were sharper than ever.
"Brat, don't go looking for trouble!"
Whitebeard swung his bisento in a wide arc.
Kizaru's pupils shrank he didn't dare block it. His body instantly turned to light particles, fleeing in an instant.
Boom!
The blade bit deep into the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing outwards.
Far off, Kizaru reformed, wiping cold sweat from his brow. "Scary old man…"
In the same breath, golden light began gathering in his hands as he shot high into the air.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
"To think you two actually escaped… No matter. You'll be dead soon enough!"
From beneath the ground, Akainu emerged in a surge of molten rock, rapidly closing in on the brothers, Luffy and Ace.
"Run, Luffy!"
Ace tried to fight back, but after so long in chains, he had little strength left
And this time, Akainu was deadly serious.
Crack!
The clash of fists made Ace's left arm fracture with a sickening crunch.
"Ace!"
Vincent Fox appeared just in time. "Get your brother out of here!"
With a roar, Vincent lunged at Akainu.
Even injured, Akainu was no easy opponent.
After only a few exchanges, Vincent's danger sense flared.
"Hellhound!"
Akainu's body turned to magma, his molten fist driving straight for Vincent's gut.
Eyes narrowing, Vincent dodged instantly.
This was the very same punch that, in the original events, had pierced Whitebeard's body and incinerated his organs.
Avoiding the fatal blow, Vincent countered with a fully charged punch.
Boom!
Half of Akainu's body was blasted away, magma dripping from the wound and melting the stone beneath.
Vincent leapt back, his gaze wary.
It looked devastating, but it hadn't done any real damage Akainu had partially turned to magma at the last second, avoiding the full impact.
"You're strong, kid…"
Dragging his half-reformed body out of the smoke, Akainu spoke slowly.
"But without Seastone, and without Armament Haki, you're dead meat."
As he spoke, his body fully regenerated.
Straightening his cap, he planted his feet, both legs melting into magma.
A moment later, he launched himself like a missile, blazing with deadly heat.
"Hellhound!"
Vincent's scalp prickled he dodged without hesitation.
The blow passed just over his head, setting his headscarf ablaze.
Ripping it off, he revealed his short hair beneath.
"Still want to keep going?"
Vincent's eyes stayed locked on the slightly winded Akainu.
He couldn't afford to be distracted there were still plenty of others in this Forbidden Zone watching and waiting for their chance, many siding with the Navy for safety.
Though most of the other students had hidden themselves away by now, Vincent knew some strong ones might still be out there fighting.
"Don't lose focus!"
Seizing the moment, Akainu suddenly surged forward, his molten fist rocketing toward Vincent once again.
----------------------------------------------------
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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