BOOM!
The "X"-shaped slash, a massive, world-rending sword slash wrapped in the majestic power of the Bomu Bomu no Mi, collided head-on with Whitebeard's surging shockwave.
With the ultimate blessing of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi and the Bomu Bomu no Mi, Adrian's cross-cut unleashed an unprecedented and terrifying power. It met Whitebeard's shockwave on equal terms, the two forces exploding into a cataclysm after a few seconds. A massive crater was instantly gouged into Marineford's central plaza, and countless unsuspecting Marines were blown away by the turbulent aftermath.
"That's... the ability of Byrnndi World?!" Sengoku's pupils constricted. The image of World Destroyer flashed through his mind. No one but him could deliver such a terrifying amplification to a weapon. But that lunatic, the one who once terrified the World Government and the Marines, should be frozen in Impel Down's Eternal Hell right now. Why does Adrian have his ability?
"Damn it, send someone to Impel Down immediately! I want to know what happened there!" A terrible premonition instantly surged in Sengoku's heart.
At the same time, Dragon, who was still facing off against Akainu, felt a sudden terror as he witnessed Adrian's attack. If he had used that against me, Luffy and I would have already been dead. Dragon couldn't comprehend how a boy just a year older than Luffy could possess such terrifying strength and cunning. A multi-fruit user and a master swordsman... The thought alone was unbelievable. Is this guy really human?
"You have time to pay attention to a battle over there, Dragon? Are you despising my existence?" A hideous sneer spread across Akainu's face as hot magma once again enveloped his right arm. "Dai Funka!"
Whoosh!
A giant lava fist shot from Akainu's arm, crushing toward Dragon and Luffy.
"Why!" Dragon sighed helplessly. With Luffy by his side, he simply couldn't unleash his full strength, which was why he had been on the defensive for most of the battle.
Just as Dragon wrapped his hand in Armament Haki and prepared a Dragon Claw, Jinbe's figure suddenly rushed up from behind, using his hands to block Akainu's attack.
"Shawa Righteous Fist!"
Rumble—
The giant lava fist exploded. The surrounding ground was instantly covered in a sea of lava and flames. Jinbe looked down at his own fist, which was already bleeding. Despite his Armament Haki, he couldn't avoid the severe burns from the magma. This was proof that his strength was no match for Akainu's.
"Jinbe?" A look of surprise appeared on Dragon's face. Shouldn't he be with the Whitebeard Pirates? How did he get here?
"Fish-Man Jinbe, you are so stubborn!" Akainu sneered, looking at Jinbe with disdain. He clearly didn't consider the former Warlord of the Sea a threat.
"The Straw Hat Kid was like a younger brother to Ace and the one who will inherit his will. I will protect him, even if it costs me my life," Jinbe said with a determined look. He then turned to Dragon. "Mr. Dragon, please entrust Luffy to me. I will definitely get him out safely."
"Then I will trouble you." After handing Luffy over to Jinbe, Dragon stood in front of Akainu, his eyes cold. "Sakazuki, that child has endured too much pain today. I will not let anyone harass him any longer."
"Hmph. A guy with evil blood like him shouldn't be allowed to live... and neither should you!"
As his words fell, a scorching lava fist smashed forward again.
Meanwhile, the battle between Adrian and Whitebeard had entered a brutal new phase. After Adrian withstood several of his shockwaves, a furious Whitebeard charged forward with Murakumogiri in hand. The two were now locked in close-quarters combat.
Unlike the original timeline, this Whitebeard was not stabbed by Squard. Not only had he been using his Devil Fruit more frequently, but in his rage, he also began to use advanced Armament Haki, surpassing the Emission level. He imbued Murakumogiri with a deep black coating, unleashing powerful Haki-infused slashes. Devil fruit abilities had never been Whitebeard's only means of attack, but his deteriorating health had forced him to give up on using Haki, which consumed a significant amount of his strength.
Adrian, relying on his top-tier Observation Haki and the extreme speed of his Goro Goro no Mi, dodged and counterattacked. There was no other way. Whitebeard's combat experience was simply too vast. Even with all of his Devil Fruit abilities and powerful attacks, Adrian was outmatched. Whenever he was close to succeeding, Whitebeard would calmly resolve his attacks using his Devil Fruit or Haki. This made him realize the massive gap between himself and the strongest man in the world. Even though he had reached the rank of an Admiral, he still had a long way to go before he could become the strongest.
"You little brat, I don't know what you did to gain the abilities of the Golden Lion and Byrnndi World," Whitebeard said, his voice a low growl. "But in front of me, your power alone is not enough!"
Whitebeard suddenly leaped into the air, gripping Murakumogiri with both hands. The blade glistened with a sharp, cold light as he swung it down toward Adrian's head.
BOOM!
Adrian quickly raised Oto and Kogarashi to block the attack.
A powerful shockwave erupted between their weapons.
Crack!
A faint sound came from the hilt of his twin blades. Lin Xiao's ears perked up. The hilts of Oto and Kogarashi were beginning to show tiny cracks. Even though the blades themselves were tough enough to withstand Murakumogiri, their handles had been corroded by the Golden Lion's blood for over twenty years. If Adrian hadn't been using his advanced Armament Haki, the handles would have broken long ago. He knew he needed to get a new set of swords soon.
However, just as Adrian was about to pull back and sheath his blades, the power from Whitebeard's attack suddenly surged.
"Little brat, you and those broken swords will fall together!" Whitebeard, noticing the fragility of the twin blades, seized the opportunity. The power in his arms exploded, and at the same time, the power of his Devil Fruit surged from Murakumogiri.
BOOM!
Under the combined force of the two terrifying powers, the ground beneath Adrian 's feet collapsed. In the next second, he was blown away, smashing heavily into the town behind him.
"Will that little brother be beaten to death?" Kizaru said with a smug smile, a hint of gloating in his voice.
"Even that kid is no match for Whitebeard?" A serious look came over Sengoku's face. He knew that after such a powerful burst, Whitebeard's body would soon give out. But the sheer, unparalleled power he had just displayed still sent a chill down his spine.
Sengoku glanced at Kizaru, Aokiji, and Garp. A momentary annoyance came over him. Almost all of the Marines' top combat power was here, but no one was taking the initiative to fight. Are you all going to make me, the Fleet Admiral, do this myself?
In the original, Garp would have stepped up to fight Whitebeard without a second thought. But this time was different. Whitebeard had come to save Ace, and he was ready to die for it. This made Garp, as a grandfather, feel a debt to Whitebeard that he could never repay. So naturally, he wouldn't make a move. In the original story, aside from punching Marco on the execution platform, Garp never made a single move against any other member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Later, when he dealt with the Blackbeard Pirates, he was able to beat Burgess with just a single punch.
"Whitebeard, let me be your opponent next!" Sengoku said with a serious expression. Although he wasn't sure he could defeat a rampaging Whitebeard, he was confident that the old man wouldn't be able to kill him.
"Gurararararara, Sengoku! As the Fleet Admiral, have you finally lost your patience and are ready to end this yourself?" Whitebeard pointed Murakumogiri at the headquarters building behind them, his voice filled with arrogance. "Today, I will see if you Marines can protect that building!"
As his voice faded, a white haloappeared around his right fist, and the surrounding space began to tremble.
"Damn it, Whitebeard! This is Marineford! You won't be allowed to act so presumptuously!" Sengoku flew into a rage, feeling the heat behind him.
"Ugh...aah..."
However, just as Whitebeard was about to throw his fist, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his chest. His towering body swayed and he sank to one knee, spitting up blood. The pain in his chest only slightly subsided. Whitebeard knew that this was a side effect of overexerting his body with successive bursts of peak strength.
"Oh~~ Whitebeard, I, Borsalino, will defend Marineford today and end your sinful life~~"
Seeing Whitebeard's weakened state, the ugly scoundrel—no, the Marines' number one slacker, Kizaru—instantly transformed into a golden flash and attacked Whitebeard.
Sengoku gritted his teeth, so angry that he almost cursed.
However, before Kizaru could make his move, another person acted first. A blue flash of lightning shot up from the ruins of the town. In the next second, Adrian 's tall, straight figure appeared next to Whitebeard.
"Whitebeard, your era has long passed. The next era will belong to me, Adrian ! So... it's time for you, old man, to make your final bow!"
Adrian grinned and slashed out with his twin blades, which were wrapped in advanced Armament Haki.
"God Slash!!!"