That smug, punch-worthy grin was still plastered across Kizaru's face.
The moment his voice fell, his grin hadn't changed a bit.
"Well then…"
Kizaru's tone remained languid, but his body had already transformed into pure light.
"I guess I'll have to ask you two to disappear here and now."
Buzz—!
He soared into the sky above the Moby Dick, hovering mid-air. His hands crossed in front of his chest, forming his signature orchid-finger pose.
An overwhelmingly bright golden light began surging between his fingers. The sheer energy made the ice below crack and groan under pressure.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless golden orbs of light—like the most brilliant meteor shower—rained from the sky, completely engulfing the bow of the Moby Dick.
An indiscriminate bombardment, aimed straight at Whitebeard and Lucian!
This was a full-force killing move from one of the Navy's top-tier powers!
"Gurararara…"
Whitebeard stared at the downpour of light, not a trace of fear on his face—instead, a mocking smirk.
'So flashy, you glowing brat.'
But he made no move to defend himself.
Lucian, standing calmly at his side, slowly raised his right hand. His fingers opened, and a faint thread of golden divine flame flickered to life in his palm.
Yet just as he was about to act—
A clear and piercing cry of a bird echoed across the battlefield!
SKREEEEEE—!
A blue silhouette streaked across the sky like a comet, charging in at unimaginable speed from the rear—instantly placing itself between Lucian and Whitebeard.
It was a massive divine bird wreathed in blue flames!
The Phoenix—Marco!
With a sweeping motion, he unfurled his enormous flame-covered wings, forming an impenetrable sapphire barrier that shielded the two behind him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The golden rain slammed against the blue flame wall like a torrential storm, each impact unleashing deafening shockwaves.
But no matter how intense, how overwhelming the bombardment, the golden light couldn't pierce that seemingly delicate flame.
Every bit of energy—every trace of destruction—was absorbed, dissolved, and nullified by the Flames of Regeneration.
The sight left countless Navy soldiers slack-jawed in disbelief.
That was… an attack from an Admiral!
And it had been completely blocked?!
As the light cleared, Marco's form reappeared, hovering mid-air—completely unharmed. Not even a thread of his clothing was ruffled.
He turned his head slightly and flashed a provocative smile at Kizaru above.
"Hey, Kizaru."
"Trying to take out our King and Wildcard in the opening move? Aren't you being a little too eager?"
Cheers erupted once again from the Whitebeard Pirates on the battlefield.
"Captain Marco!"
"He blocked it! Captain Marco blocked the Admiral's attack!"
"That's our guy!"
Up above, Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses. That eternally sleazy face of his now held a hint of intrigue.
He looked at the unscathed Marco and said lazily,
"My, my… how terrifying."
"The Phoenix—Marco."
"Looks like if I want to end this war early, I'll have to get past you first."
Before he finished speaking, Kizaru's body turned into a streak of golden light once more and vanished!
In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Marco, his glowing leg swinging toward the Phoenix's skull!
Light-Speed Kick!
BANG!
Marco reacted instantly. His arms crossed, covered in Armament Haki and blue flames, and blocked the strike head-on!
The resulting shockwave exploded outward, scattering shards of ice in every direction.
"Your opponent… is me!"
Marco's eyes flashed. His phoenix flames flared, forming a massive talon that slashed toward Kizaru in return!
Kizaru's figure flickered into light again, dodging and reappearing a short distance away.
"Speed is weight..."
"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
The two clashed in midair at extreme speed—a golden beam and a blue inferno colliding repeatedly, exchanging afterimages and explosions in rapid succession.
Most people on the battlefield couldn't even follow their movements. All they could see were blinding bursts of light and flame erupting in the sky.
Aboard the Moby Dick—
Lucian slowly lowered his hand. The divine flame in his palm quietly extinguished.
"Gurarararara!"
Whitebeard looked up at the sky, laughing with pride and satisfaction as he watched his son fight for him.
"Well done, Marco!"
"This is your battle—this is the glory of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division Commander."
No one could interfere!
And besides—
Lucian's gaze drifted past the battle in the sky, toward the wider battlefield below.
'The real battle… is just beginning.'
His eyes swept over the intense midair clash. Though Marco seemed evenly matched with Kizaru for now, Lucian could sense the truth: Marco's Haki and stamina were being rapidly drained.
The Phoenix's regeneration wasn't infinite. Against someone like Kizaru—whose speed and attack frequency were pushed to the limit—Marco was under immense pressure.
But still…
"Let them warm up a bit first."
Lucian spoke casually, as if commenting on a show that had nothing to do with him.
Whitebeard, hearing the quiet confidence behind his words, laughed heartily once more.
The two of them stood there at the bow of the ship, like twin anchors in the chaos, calmly watching the tides of war unfold.
"Charge!!"
"For Captain Ace!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates surged forward like an unrelenting tide, wave after wave crashing against the Navy lines.
"Don't let them through!"
"Hold the plaza! Hold the execution platform!"
The Navy's 100,000 elites stood firm, meeting them head-on on the frozen field. Every second, bodies fell. Blood dyed the white ice a shocking red.
The Navy had its own monsters.
Several Vice Admirals joined forces to stall Jozu, Vista, and the division commanders.
But the biggest headache came from a few massive figures among the Navy ranks—
The Marine Giants Unit!
BOOM!
Over a dozen giants, each towering tens of meters tall, advanced with enormous blades and shields, forming a moving wall of steel.
Each swing of their weapons sent pirates flying in droves.
Cannonballs bounced off them like pebbles. To the average pirate, these behemoths were untouchable.
"Damned giants!"
"Brothers! Don't fight them head-on!"
Though brave, the pirates felt true helplessness before such overwhelming power and size.
The battle entered a deadlock.
Until—
A roar thundered across Marineford, shaking the island to its core!
Everyone turned in shock.
A massive figure, several times larger than even the Navy's giants, stormed forward with earth-shaking strides!
With a mop of wild red hair and a body covered in scars—
It was the fearsome pirate captain from the New World, under Whitebeard's banner:
"Demon Giant" Little Oz Jr.!
A descendant of the Demon race, his colossal form made ordinary giants look small!
"Oz!!"
"It's Oz!!"
Morale surged again as the Whitebeard Pirates saw him arrive.
"Ace... Ace is my friend!"
Little Oz Jr. charged forward, roaring with fury.
"I will never... never let you die!"
"No one touches my friend!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each footstep sent tremors through the ground, leaving massive craters in the ice.
Artillery rained down on him, explosions blooming across his body—yet he barely slowed.
"Stop him! Stop that big bastard!!"
A Vice Admiral screamed in panic.
The Navy's giants quickly moved to intercept, forming a wall with their massive shields and swords.
But before Oz Jr., even the giants' proud stature suddenly looked... small.
"OUT OF MY WAY—!!!"
He roared with desperate rage, ignoring the massive blades striking him, and unleashed a devastating punch with all his might!
BOOOOM—!!!
A deafening blast!
The leading Giant Vice Admiral was launched through the air, shield and all, crashing into the Navy's rear lines like a meteor, clearing out an entire sector!
A gaping hole opened in the defensive line!
"Now's our chance!!"
"CHARGE!!"
The pirates seized the moment, pouring into the breach left by Oz Jr. like a flood.
Oz Jr. himself collided with the rest of the Navy's giants like an ancient beast gone berserk. The giants clashed in raw, primal combat—flesh, muscle, and fury.
"Brothers! These giants are mine to handle!"