Two terrifying sword slashes shot through the air, rushing toward Akainu in the blink of an eye.
Yet Akainu didn't even blink.
His body didn't slow down in the slightest.
Because through Observation Haki, he had already sensed that Sengoku was moving behind him.
The next moment—
A thunderous boom rang out, like the deep bell of an ancient temple being struck.
A blinding flash of light exploded across the battlefield.
The two fierce sword slashes released by Golden Lion were instantly swallowed by that light.
When the brightness faded—
Sengoku was standing between Akainu and Golden Lion.
His arms were crossed in front of him, glowing with a faint golden Buddhist aura. Two shallow white marks could be seen on his forearms.
"Golden Lion."
"Your opponent… is me."
Now transformed into a towering Golden Buddha, Sengoku's voice echoed across the battlefield like sacred chanting.
Golden Lion's expression hardened.
"Old bastard… the score between you, Garp, and me has been hanging for years!"
"Let's settle it today!"
Without hesitation, Golden Lion charged straight toward Sengoku.
As the two legends began clashing—
Akainu had already appeared in front of Whitebeard.
Magma surged violently across Akainu's arm.
The lava condensed into a grotesque hound-shaped mass, the heat so intense it seemed to burn the air itself.
"Hound of Hell — Crimson Lotus!"
With a furious roar, the magma hound fully formed and lunged toward Whitebeard with overwhelming force.
But at the moment Akainu attacked—
Whitebeard had already stood up.
After a brief period of recovery, his condition had improved slightly.
His eyes sharpened.
The muscles across his massive body bulged.
The Supreme Grade Blade Murakumogiri was firmly gripped in his hand.
His aura erupted.
A powerful shockwave swept across the battlefield.
In an instant—
A milky-white glow enveloped the blade, the vibration so intense that the weapon trembled in his grasp.
When Akainu's attack arrived—
Whitebeard swung his arm with explosive force.
The movement was like lifting mountains and overturning the sea itself.
Murakumogiri slashed downward.
"Akainu!"
Kong's anxious shout rang out as he sensed the terrifying power behind Whitebeard's strike.
But Akainu did not retreat.
Not even a step.
The next moment—
Akainu's magma fist slammed directly into the blade of Murakumogiri.
Instantly, the white glow around the blade vanished.
In its place—
cracks spread through the air itself.
The fractures expanded outward from the blade like shattered glass.
Then—
The entire space shattered.
A deafening explosion erupted like a colossal artillery blast.
The energy released from Murakumogiri surged violently toward Akainu.
The ground trembled violently.
Cracks appeared across the fortresses of Marine Headquarters.
Massive shockwaves spread across the battlefield.
Dust rose into the sky, blotting out the sun.
The Marines standing in the plaza all turned pale.
"What terrifying power… is this an earthquake?!"
"So this is the strength of the Strongest Man in the World?"
"That attack alone could destroy an island!"
Facing Whitebeard head-on, Akainu felt the overwhelming energy crash into him.
The force blasted his body backward.
The next instant—
He slammed heavily into the massive wall behind him.
"Admiral Akainu was blown back by a single strike!"
"Unbelievable power!"
"The world's strongest man… even at this age, even with his injuries… he's still this terrifying?!"
The Marines could only stare in shock.
But moments later—
Movement came from the broken wall.
Akainu stepped out.
He had returned to his normal form.
Though blood stained the corner of his mouth, he appeared largely unharmed.
Seeing this, Kong finally let out a breath of relief.
"Is that all?"
Akainu twisted his neck, cracking his knuckles.
"You really have grown old, Whitebeard."
"You half-dead fossil… stop embarrassing yourself."
Whitebeard took a deep breath.
He blew gently on Murakumogiri, extinguishing the magma flames still burning along the blade.
Then he glared coldly at Akainu.
"Is that the best you can do?"
"Go light candles on birthday cakes instead, you magma brat!"
On the execution platform, the Five Elders—who were still recovering—narrowed their eyes at Whitebeard's condition.
They quickly signaled Kong and the other Marine powerhouses to join the battle.
Kong nodded.
Though older than Whitebeard himself, his aura suddenly surged.
His muscles bulged as he transformed into the strongest defensive fortress of the Marines.
At the same time—
Aokiji and Kizaru, who had been observing the battlefield, finally moved.
Among the Seven Warlords, Gecko Moria was the most eager.
"Gehahahaha!"
"Let more people die in this battle!"
"If Whitebeard dies, even better!"
"His corpse would make an incredible zombie!"
Moria muttered excitedly.
His massive body loomed over the battlefield, his giant scissors snapping open and shut as he laughed wildly.
"Let's move too!"
"We can finish off Whitebeard and end this war!"
He turned toward the other Warlords.
Blackbeard Teach smirked coldly.
Edward Weevil nodded eagerly.
But Mihawk, Doflamingo, and Boa Hancock remained completely unmoved.
Seeing no one respond, Moria hesitated for a moment.
But the temptation of collecting corpses was too great.
His aura suddenly surged.
Black shadows burst out from his body, moving like ghosts across the air before flowing back into him.
Moria prepared to leap forward—
But suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through his abdomen.
He looked down.
A nearly invisible thin line had appeared across his body.
Dark red blood slowly surfaced along the line.
At the same moment—
A cold voice sounded behind him.
"Don't move."
"Gecko Moria."
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