"Rumble!!!"
The fierce sound of the ice shattering, mixed with the crushing force radiating from the towering slash—several stories high—forced everyone in its path to scatter in a panic, retreating to either side.
Jiang Lin braced himself at the front of the oncoming slash, hands locked together and feet buried in the ice, as its overwhelming force drove him steadily backward.
From near the plaza, Jiang Lin was driven all the way to the very edge of the bay, his body nearly hurled out of the harbor entirely, the massive impact robbing him of control as he was sent flying.
"Go… back!!!"
With a roar, Jiang Lin wrenched his hands apart, raising them with difficulty, and—straining against the impossible force—forced the colossal slash, many times larger than himself, into a rebound.
"Fall back, now!!"
Marines and pirates alike, who had just returned to the battlefield, looked up in horror as the mountain-sized slash was hurled back the way it came. Screams broke out as both sides scrambled desperately to dodge once more.
"Slash!"
Calmly, Dracule Mihawk swung his sword again at the rebounding slash.
"BOOM!!!"
The two massive emerald-green slashes collided above the frozen bay, erupting in an explosion. The shockwaves ripped apart the ice with ease, unleashing a storm of cutting winds that shredded the battlefield. The atmosphere itself twisted, and the sea below roared upward in a colossal waterspout that pierced the sky.
"It's seawater—get away!!!"
Devil Fruit users near the blast saw the towering column of water burst up like a dragon from the sea, and, terrified, scrambled to retreat as far back as possible.
"I stopped it, Mihawk!"
From behind the waterspout, Jiang Lin's voice rang out. Through the curtain of spray, his gaze locked with Mihawk's own. Their eyes met across the rising wall of water, and the air between them crackled with battle intent.
Clang!
A metallic ring resounded as Mihawk lowered his blade. True to his word, since Jiang Lin had withstood his strongest slash, the world's greatest swordsman made no move to block his advance further.
Whoosh!
Seeing Mihawk stand down, Jiang Lin immediately transformed into a flash of golden lightning, streaking toward the front lines.
"I hope someday we can cross blades for real!"
Jiang Lin's voice echoed past Mihawk as he sped by. He knew he had only survived that exchange through trickery—without the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability to repel slashes, taking Mihawk's strike head-on would never have been so simple.
"Hmph."
Mihawk only snorted in reply, noncommittal. The future was uncertain—who could know if such a duel would ever pass?
"Fleet Admiral! All preparations are complete!"
"The coastal defenses are in position as well?"
"Yes! All forces are deployed!"
As Jiang Lin and the others pushed ever closer to the execution platform, preparations for Ace's execution had nearly reached their conclusion.
"What are those bastards planning? It's not time yet!"
Members of the Whitebeard Pirates glared up at the execution scaffold, fury burning on their faces.
"Are they really going to begin the execution already?"
Meanwhile, far away in the Sabaody Archipelago, ordinary citizens watching the live broadcast gasped in shock as they saw the executioners take the stage.
Several hours remained until the scheduled time of execution. Yet the executioners' movements left little doubt: the execution was about to begin prematurely. The realization left the world both horrified and confused. Was the Navy planning to betray its word?
"Cut the signal from the Visual Den-Den Mushi immediately. This war has been declared by the Navy and by the World Government—in the name of Absolute Justice. Victory is not optional. No matter what it takes, we will win!"
"But such measures cannot be shown to the public. The tragedy that is about to unfold does not need to be broadcast across the world. What the people must see—what the world must recognize—is not the cost, but the justice of the Navy… no, of the World Government itself! And that justice will be realized here and now!"
From atop the execution platform, Sengoku the Buddha surveyed the battlefield with steely resolve. His order was given.
The situation had already tilted dangerously close to collapse. The Fleet Admiral had only two paths left: either accept failure, or resort to measures the world would never forgive—to uphold his "justice" and secure victory at any cost.
And Sengoku had already made his choice.
"In a few hours, the only message the world needs to hear is a single word: Victory."
His eyes were unyielding, hardened by the resolve of one who had already accepted the consequences of the decision he had made.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Explosions erupted from the Whitebeard Pirates' ships moored outside the bay.
BEEP… beep… beep…
Through the rising smoke, countless points of light began to glow, accompanied by the ominous sound of weapons charging. Pirates turned their eyes toward the outer harbor, alarm written across their faces.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
The deafening thunder of destruction followed, as ship after ship of the Whitebeard fleet was blasted apart under the Navy's sudden barrage.
"The Marines circled the ice and hit us from behind!"
The Whitebeard Pirates, who had rushed into the bay, froze in shock, their faces darkening as realization set in.
Those ships were their only lifeline—their path of retreat. With the Navy cutting it off, even if they managed to save Ace, escape from Marineford would be impossible.
Without a retreat, their fate was sealed. Sooner or later, they would be buried here, trapped by the Navy's endless reinforcements.
The blow to their morale was devastating.
But the true despair had yet to come.
Clang… clang… clang…
Through the smoke and debris, a sound of synchronized marching rose. Then, row upon row of identical figures emerged—men who looked exactly like Bartholomew Kuma.
"What the hell are those things?!"
Whitebeard's men stared in horror, their faces drained of color at the sight of the oppressive force advancing toward them.
"Those… are the legendary human weapons?"
Whitebeard turned his gaze toward the army pressing from the rear, his expression cold.
"Pacifistas? There are this many of them?!"
From the edge of the encircling wall, Jiang Lin looked back toward the approaching force, his eyes narrowing as he calculated.
Though still far from their range, their presence at the rear of the battlefield put him in a bind. If he ignored them, the Marines would cut off every path of escape. Even if Ace were rescued, retreat would be impossible.
"No point dwelling on it. Ace is the priority. And if the retreat's gone… well, I'll pedal home."
With a helpless shake, Jiang Lin turned his gaze back toward the execution platform.