"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The deafening roar of cannon fire echoed around the plaza, bursts of dazzling light flaring up beside the combatants from time to time.
"Annihilate them all! Push into the bay!"
The Whitebeard Pirates, whose ships hadn't yet entered the bay, turned their cannons in unison toward the fleet of fourteen squad captains already fighting within.
Countless dark cannonballs shot out at tremendous speed, targeting the Marine ships frozen on the icy surface.
"Boom!"
Several white figures leaped into action the moment the cannonballs were fired, intercepting them all before they could reach the ships.
"All the Marine Admirals are here!"
After the bombardment failed, the Whitebeard Pirates stood along the rails, peering down. Upon seeing the Marine Admirals lined up with impeccable order, they couldn't help but mock,
"I've never seen so many Admirals together. Most people would have turned pale just looking at this, but when their opponents are Old Man and us, that's a whole different story."
The presence of the Marine Admirals rivaled the combined aura of Whitebeard's fourteen captains. Yet even these top-tier fighters couldn't hide the grim expressions that crossed their faces in the presence of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Bring the ship alongside the ice! Take them all out! Target the bay! Move out!"
Squard shouted from the rail, his voice carrying across the deck.
"For Old Man, I would gladly die a thousand deaths! Admirals of Marine Headquarters, you came at just the right time. Attack! Squard Pirates!"
As his crew leapt from the ship and advanced toward the bay, Squard opened his mouth wide, gesturing toward the distant figure with unwavering "loyalty."
"Finally… it's begun!"
Sengoku stood atop the execution platform, his gaze heavy as he looked down at the chaos below.
Beside him, Ace knelt, eyes fixed on the relentless cannon fire, his face becoming charged with emotion.
Within the area affected by the bombardment, a man carrying a long sword slowly appeared among the Shichibukai once the fighting began.
"This is rare indeed!"
On the high platform, Kizaru observed the newly arrived Dracule Mihawk, remarking with genuine surprise,
"That erratic Hawkeye… actually joining the battle—unexpected!"
Beside him, Sakazuki's eyes, shaded by his hat brim, remained cold and indifferent.
"What's the matter? You really intend to fight?"
"Just testing… how far the man before me falls behind us," Mihawk replied, his eyes burning with a fierce battle intent. Since appearing, his gaze never wavered from the Emperor standing steadfast in the middle of the hundred-thousand-strong Marine formation—Whitebeard himself.
"Even the strongest warriors tremble at his gaze, frozen utterly in place. No wonder he's called Hawkeye."
The Snake Princess's eyes reflected deep caution, a rare sentiment for someone ostensibly allied with Mihawk. Clearly, her thoughts were more complicated than her appearance suggested.
"Any swordsman would wish to cross blades with the so-called strongest man. That's the instinct of a swordsman."
Bista, the fourth division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, stared into Mihawk's eyes, the burning intensity of his battle instinct clear. This wasn't about allegiance—it was pure, natural warrior instinct among kindred spirits.
"One of the Supreme Twelve Black Blades—'Yoru'!"
Mihawk drew the long sword from his back and slashed at the ice below.
The tremendous sword aura, carrying an invincible force, tore through the ice, surging toward the man standing resolutely atop the peak.
Whitebeard didn't flinch. Not a single muscle moved, not even the faintest shift in his smile. His calm demeanor made it seem as if the towering, ocean-deep strike simply did not exist.
"Old Man!"
Though Whitebeard remained still, Diamond Jozu, captain of the Third Division, could not simply watch the strike threaten him. With a mighty roar, he leapt forward, placing himself directly between Whitebeard and Mihawk's slash.
"Argh…!"
With a deafening shout, Mihawk's strike collided with Joz's body, sending the sword force flying into the sky.
"Boom!"
The explosive shockwave rattled the plaza, leaving all onlookers stunned.
"He just blocked the world's strongest swordsman's strike!"
Marine soldiers stared in disbelief at the sky. As the dust cleared, they saw Jozu, completely covered in brilliant diamond, transforming into a living fortress.
After the brief clash, Whitebeard's crew leapt from their ship, charging across the ice toward the plaza.
Meanwhile, the shore batteries ahead, under Sengoku's orders, unleashed volleys at the approaching pirates. The plaza once again became a sea of cannon fire.
Amid the deafening blasts, Marines and pirates closed in for direct combat.
"Truly… as expected of Whitebeard Pirates' captains. Each one is monstrous in strength. To minimize losses, we'd better go straight for the king!"
Kizaru tilted his head, rising from his seat before transforming into beams of light, shooting high into the sky.
The sudden yellow streaks blinded all below, forcing both sides to momentarily halt their actions.
"Yata Jewel!"
High above, Kizaru's body appeared in place of the light. Crossing his hands over his chest, he launched a fierce attack at Whitebeard, who stood firmly at the ship's bow.
"Ha! Just in time!"
As the yellow light blazed, a striking figure descended along an ice path, intercepting Kizaru's attack to shield Whitebeard.
"Yata Jewel!"
Blinding yellow energy shot from Mizuchi's hands toward the sky, detonating the barrage of light Kizaru had fired and sending it scattering.
"This… is D. Only two appearances so far, yet the Marine Headquarters has taken him extremely seriously. After his rampage in Impel Down, his bounty shot up to 800 million Berries—marking him as a rising Great Pirate!"
In the Sabaody Archipelago, reporters watching the live broadcast of Marineford were scrambling to take notes, documenting Mizuchi's daring confrontation with Kizaru.
News of Mizuchi's appearance at Marineford and his clash with Kizaru quickly spread worldwide.
"D!"
"D?"
"D…"
As the reports circulated, factions throughout the New World turned their attention, if only briefly, to Mizuchi.