The deafening roar shook the battlefield, drawing Sengoku's attention mid-clash with Whitebeard.
His eyes widened when he saw what had happened Akainu's desperate self-destruction.
Fury erupted through him. Snapping free from Whitebeard's assault, the Fleet Admiral swung a colossal golden palm at the two survivors.
"Die, you worthless scum!"
The ground split as Sengoku's Buddha hand crashed down.
Marco felt himself yanked away by Vincent, both of them tumbling through the air. Sweat poured down his back. One step slower and they would have been crushed into nothingness.
Vincent turned, and for the briefest moment he froze in awe.
Sengoku stood transformed, his body an immense golden Buddha radiating blinding light. Where his hand had struck, a massive palm-shaped crater smoldered beneath the smoke.
Vincent sucked in a sharp breath.
"That's… the palm that falls from the heavens. Terrifying."
This strike was far stronger than the one that had floored Luffy earlier.
Without hesitation, Vincent bolted.
"You think you can escape, brat?!" Sengoku roared, fury unrelenting. The golden colossus vaulted into the sky, his palm outstretched to slam them down.
But before the strike could fall, Whitebeard's massive naginata intercepted it.
"Sengoku, has it really come to this? Trading blows with children?" Whitebeard sneered through bloody lips, mocking laughter rolling from his chest.
The insult only stoked Sengoku's wrath. His golden features twisted, and he let loose another thunderous roar, palms colliding with Whitebeard's quake-forged fist.
The sky itself seemed to collapse.
Shockwaves of gold and seismic force detonated outward, slaughtering Marines and pirates alike. Even those on the fringes coughed blood and were hurled away like leaves in a storm.
Marco steadied himself after Vincent let him down, gratitude flickering in his eyes. Twice already this stranger had saved him from certain death. His regenerative flames couldn't shield him from an admiral's killing blow.
Meanwhile, the clash of titans raged. Whitebeard, grievously wounded but unyielding, met Sengoku blow for blow. Every impact tore Marineford further apart, the frozen seas around them shattering under the strain, waves hammering the island mercilessly.
Cracks split the battlefield, entire chunks of Marineford sinking into the sea.
"The island's breaking apart!"
"Marineford's finished, run!"
"Don't be stupid, the waves will drown us all!"
Panic swept the ranks. One soldier's retreat sparked a flood, Marines fleeing in terror as the pirates pressed forward, relentless and unstoppable.
"Don't you dare retreat!" Sengoku bellowed, but his words meant nothing against the raw terror of annihilation.
The Navy line disintegrated. Men ran. Others died. And the Whitebeard Pirates surged like a tide, cutting through to the shattered heart of Marine Headquarters.
"Eyes forward, Sengoku!" Whitebeard thundered, laughter spilling from his chest as he hammered another quake-powered fist into the Buddha's palm.
"Damn you!" Sengoku roared, striking back. Their clash shattered the remains of Marineford, reducing the stronghold to rubble.
And in that moment, Sengoku realized the truth.
Whitebeard's purpose had been to drag him into a duel, forcing him to fight until Marineford itself was annihilated.
His fury cooled into a chilling clarity. The Navy had lost.
They had launched this war, declaring public execution and summoning Whitebeard's wrath to end him forever. Yet from the start, their defenses had faltered.
Kizaru had been crippled.
Aokiji was trapped in endless battle against Whitebeard's commanders and Crocodile.
Akainu… had chosen suicide, yet even then he failed to kill that mysterious pirate who still stood unscathed, watching coldly from the battlefield's edge.
Sengoku's eyes shifted, and in that instant his gaze locked with Vincent's.
A chill ran through the Fleet Admiral.
This man was no admiral, no Emperor. His raw strength was lesser. And yet… the look in his eyes was steady, merciless, fixed solely on Sengoku's death.
For the first time in decades, Sengoku felt it. Fear.
And the realization horrified him more than the battle itself. He was the Buddha, granted not only the form of divinity but its wisdom, its composure. And yet here he was… trembling.
"Enough!"
Sengoku disengaged, leaping back. Whitebeard halted as well, trusting he would not strike in dishonor.
"What is it you want to say, old friend?" Whitebeard smirked, mocking calm in his voice.
"This day is your victory," Sengoku growled. "But the Navy has not fallen to you." His teeth clenched, his pride bleeding. Then with a grimace he turned to his men. "Retreat!"
"Retreat? This is Marine Headquarters where do we even"
The man was silenced by Sengoku's glare, the sheer force of his will blasting him from his feet.
"Retreat!"
With a sweep of his colossal hand, he gathered the remnants of the Navy onto their warships. His golden body glowed, and before leaving he cast Whitebeard one last venomous glare.
"Enjoy your hollow triumph. Pray you live long enough to face the Navy's vengeance."
Whitebeard only chuckled, offering no reply.
The Navy ships slipped away, their sails shrinking against the horizon.
A roar of triumph erupted from the pirates. Weapons clattered to the ground as casks of wine and meat were dragged out for celebration.
"The Navy isn't so mighty after all! We crushed their base!" Ace grinned, laughing with forced lightness.
Marco said nothing, only gazing around in quiet reflection. His eyes searched the crowd.
"That man… where is he?"
Ace raised a brow. "Who?"
Marco shook his head faintly, forcing a smile. "No one."
But deep down, he knew. Twice that nameless pirate had saved him. Twice he had turned certain death into survival.
"Look! Over there!"
A pirate shouted as a ship pulled into the harbor.
Whitebeard turned, lips curling into a knowing grin.
The Red Force, flagship of the Red-Haired Pirates, had docked. And from its deck, Shanks strode swiftly ashore.
"Give me this one favor wait, it's already over?"
----------------------------------------------------
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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