"Run!"
Ace dragged Luffy through the smoke, the two of them breaking free in a desperate sprint toward the Whitebeard Pirates' lines.
"Stop them!"
The Marines spotted them instantly, surging forward like a tidal wave.
"Fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannons roared without mercy, launching a rain of shells that blotted out the sky.
"Dodge!"
Ace shoved Luffy behind him, flames erupting across his body. Crossing his arms, he shouted, "Heat Haze!"
The fire along his arms blazed brighter, intercepting the shells midair. The explosions lit up the sky before they could even hit the ground.
"Crossfire!"
Ace hurled a massive fireball, which exploded on impact, sending a wall of flames surging outward like a bomb blast.
"Awesome!"
Luffy grinned in awe at the burning path Ace had carved through the battlefield.
Ace smirked and pulled him along at full speed.
"Gum-Gum… Gatling!"
"Crisscross Fire!"
As they ran, the brothers unleashed attack after attack, knocking aside the Marines that leapt into their path.
For a moment, nothing could stop them.
"Ace…"
A deep, rumbling voice came from behind. Ace's face froze.
"Luffy, run!"
With a hard shove, he forced Luffy forward before spinning around.
The ground behind them had already begun to melt. Standing there, wreathed in molten lava, was Akainu, his eyes locked on them with a predator's focus.
"Akainu."
"Ace. Still breathing, I see."
Adjusting the brim of his Justice cap, Akainu's right arm turned to magma in an instant. He struck without hesitation.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace's arm transformed into a massive inferno, stretching forward to meet Akainu's magma fist head-on.
This was Ace's signature technique, the move he had mastered to perfection. Under normal circumstances, it was powerful enough to sink five ships in one blow.
But against Akainu, it didn't even budge.
"Ace!"
Luffy yelled, ready to jump in.
"I'll take it from here."
A tall figure appeared beside him, blocking his path.
"You're…" Luffy squinted. "Some pirate I've never heard of?"
Vincent Fox simply nodded, drawing back his fist.
Serious Punch.
His massive fist shot forward like a battering ram, detonating on impact with Akainu's chest. The blow blasted a hole clean through, magma spraying violently as the word "Justice" burned away from the back of his coat.
Akainu staggered back, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it…"
With a grunt, he leapt high into the air, retreating from the battlefield. Vincent's sudden strike had worsened his already serious injuries.
The Admiral's teeth clenched in fury.
Damn brat…
Vincent might not have been the strongest pirate present, but he was a wild card the Marines had never accounted for. Worse, Akainu could sense something unsettling as if Vincent already knew what was about to happen next.
Could his Observation Haki be refined enough to glimpse the future?
If that was true… Vincent's threat level had just risen to a whole new tier.
"Damn it!"
Sengoku slammed his fist against a shattered pillar.
"They were right in front of me, and we still let them escape… damn it!"
His robes were torn, his face clouded with regret.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard was on his feet again.
"Brats…"
He wasn't in good shape either. His face was burned, his coat in tatters. He was no longer the young, invincible Whitebeard, even a single Admiral like Akainu had nearly ended him multiple times.
Still, his dimming gaze hardened into resolve.
"Listen up, Whitebeard Pirates!"
He slammed the blade of his bisento, Murakumogiri, into the ground, his voice rumbling like thunder.
"You have two choices!"
"One, leave now. Live on. Carry the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates back to the New World."
"Or two, if you're not afraid to die, follow me! Today we'll clash with these Marines and see who truly rules the seas!"
His voice was a war cry. The pirates roared in answer, steel raised high.
"Old man!"
The Eleventh Division Captain, Kingdo, beheaded a Marine in a single swing.
"Count me in! I swear to fight and die with you today!"
Beside him, a dreadlocked giant named Rakuyo hefted his massive spiked flail, the weapon already soaked red from countless kills.
Seeing their determination, Whitebeard smiled but his eyes quickly turned serious again.
"Not a single one of you returns to the ship? Do you want the Whitebeard Pirates to vanish from the seas?"
His voice cracked like a whip.
"Thirteenth and Fourteenth Division Captains! Take your crews, break through, and get back to the ships!"
A towering figure over six meters tall, Atmos, froze with both greatswords in hand.
So did Speed Jiru, holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other.
"Why are you still standing there? Izo, go with them and protect the retreat!"
The cross-dressing sharpshooter's eyes widened in shock. "Old man, how could I..."
"Enough!"
Whitebeard's tone cut like ice. He didn't finish his sentence, but Izo understood.
He hated it, but he was one of the few aboard whose reason could outweigh his emotions.
If he didn't obey… the entire crew could perish here.
"Yes… old man."
Jaw tight, Izo turned to his men. "Back to the ships!"
"Captain"
"Move!"
Twin pistols raised, he stared down the protester. "Are you going to defy the old man's orders?"
The pirate fell silent, reading the deep, hidden pain in Izo's eyes.
"Yes, Captain!"
One by one, the pirates followed Izo's lead, retreating toward the ships.
Whitebeard watched their backs, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Don't blame me, sons. This might be my last order…"
He turned toward Marineford once more.
"Brats, ready yourselves!"
"Of course, old man. I'll clear the way!"
Marco's body ignited in blue flames as he shot forward, his long-suppressed instincts finally unleashed.
Laughing, he kicked aside Marines with a single sweep.
"Hahaha! I'll clear the way too!"
Rakuyo's spiked flail swung in a devastating arc, smashing through bodies and sending enemies flying in all directions.
----------------------------------------------------
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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