On the execution platform, Sengoku's face was grim.
This brat... calling his commands reckless? Claiming he was sending Marines to their deaths for nothing?
He was doing that specifically so Whitebeard wouldn't feel free to act blindly! As it stood, the Marine held the advantage in the inner bay. Wouldn't it be better to just maintain this position?
Wait, is that brat actually heading toward Whitebeard?
Sengoku cursed internally, but the moment he realized Sean was truly making his move, he panicked.
"Garp! Go bring that boy back! Don't let him run wild, or he'll ruin the entire deployment!"
"Hmm... Garp?"
Unbelievable. The man had actually started blowing bubbles from his nose again, falling fast asleep while standing up.
Sengoku was speechless. In the middle of the Paramount War, how on earth did this man manage to nap so peacefully?
'''
In the inner bay.
"Hancock, go help Lucci and the others clear out the enemies quickly. I'm going to go test my skills against old man Whitebeard!"
"Very well, but be careful. He is, after all, the strongest man in the world!"
"If this were twenty or thirty years ago, I certainly wouldn't be his match. But now..."
Sean shook his head slightly and began walking toward Whitebeard.
Currently, his Swordsmanship was Level 9, his Kidō was Level 8, his Reiryoku had exceeded 40,000, and his base Doriki had surpassed 10,000.
Even without using Shikai, he already possessed the strength of an Admiral. Once he released Shikai, he could approach or even reach the threshold of the Four Emperors. And after Bankai, he could slightly surpass that level.
Whitebeard was aged now, unable to maintain full combat power for extended periods. Sean didn't feel much pressure at all. Even if he just stalled, he could eventually wear the old man down.
'How long can you actually fight me? Ten minutes? Twenty? Or maybe half an hour?'
'Forget it. I'll give you a greeting gift first!'
Looking at the massive figure standing on the prow of the ship several hundred meters ahead, Sean grinned and muttered to himself.
"The edge of a thousand hands, the untouchable sovereign hand of silent darkness..."
The chant began.
While he couldn't do what Aizen did—casting Level 90 Kidō by completely discarding the chant—Sean had just reached Level 8. He could manifest a spell of this caliber after chanting, though the power would be slightly reduced, roughly to seventy percent of its full potential.
After all, since his Kidō was only Level 8, he would need to reach Level 9 to use Level 90 Hadō at full power. However, even at seventy percent, it should be comparable to the power of a cast where the chant is omitted. While omitting the chant allowed for instant activation, it also reduced the output.
Currently, although Sean's chanting voice wasn't loud, strangely, it echoed clearly in the ears of everyone at Marineford. Or more accurately, it was transmitted directly into their minds.
On the execution platform, Sengoku, who was just about to kick Garp awake, suddenly froze. He looked back toward Sean's position with a look of confusion.
To the side of the platform, the three Admirals reacted the same way. Though Akainu didn't know exactly what this voice represented, he knew one thing for certain.
Something massive was about to happen.
It wasn't just Akainu; Whitebeard, standing hundreds of meters away from Sean, felt it too. He tightened his grip on Murakumogiri, and the terrifying aura surrounding him began to surge.
"Brat, let me see if you truly live up to the reputation of the man who defeated Hawkeye and is hailed as the next generation's leader of the Marine!"
Meanwhile, Sean's chant continued.
"The archer of the unreachable heavens, the path where radiance falls, the wind that fans the spark..."
"When all gather as one, do not waver, follow my command..."
"Light bullets, eight bodies, nine lines, heavenly scripture, swift treasure, great wheel..."
"The grey turret draws its bow to the distance, vanishing into a pristine white..."
Dozens of light cones, resembling energy spheres, manifested around Sean, continuously gathering power. Each one radiated a pressure that made everyone's heart tremble.
Until finally...
"Hadō #91..."
"Senjū Kōten Taihō!"
With a thunderous shout from Sean, all the energy spheres shot forward instantly. A portion of them surged directly toward Whitebeard, while the others arched through the air. Ultimately, the dozens of energy blasts formed a hemispherical dome, crashing down.
Just before impact, Sean saw a white halo appear in Whitebeard's hand, coating the blade of Murakumogiri.
BOOM!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted.
Actually, it wasn't so much an explosion as it was a violent eruption of energy that instantly consumed everything within a 200-meter radius. Whether it was the ice or the ships of the Whitebeard Pirates, everything began to disintegrate under the force of that terrifying power.
Even the three Admirals, renowned for their wide-scale destructive capabilities, were stunned.
On the execution platform, Sengoku's eyes widened.
What in the world was that?
In the inner bay, the pirates and Marines seemed to reach a silent agreement; they stopped fighting simultaneously, staring blankly toward Whitebeard's position. The division commanders screamed out for their "Father" in unison, their faces filled with anxiety.
It took over a minute for the terrifying energy to finally dissipate.
Everyone gasped in shock.
On the massive sheet of ice, a circular vacuum with a diameter of four hundred meters had appeared. Within this range, the ice layer—which Aokiji had made dozens of meters thick—had vanished. This wasn't a crater like the one Lucci had made when he knocked Marco away; the ice had truly disappeared, revealing the seawater beneath.
It was as if a lake had been carved into the ice of the inner bay. As for the three pirate ships of the Whitebeard Pirates, not a single scrap remained.
Well, not everything was gone.
At the absolute center of the area, a circular piece of ice about three meters wide remained, floating on the sea. Whitebeard stood upon this fragment. He still held Murakumogiri, standing tall and straight, but...
A thin trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
Yes, the man known as the strongest in the world had been wounded.
Sean continued to step forward, entering the 200-meter range of Whitebeard as if walking on solid ground. Despite being over the ocean, it made no difference to him.
First, he had no fear of the sea. Second, by utilizing his Reiryoku, walking on water was no different from walking on land—or even walking through the air.
On the execution platform, Sengoku, who had witnessed the entire sequence, felt a storm of shock surging through his heart.
'This brat... has he really grown to the point where he can fight Whitebeard, or even suppress him?'
"Sengoku, what are you still waiting for?"
"If this continues, the reputation of Headquarters will be completely ruined!"
Tsuru had arrived on the execution platform at some point and spoke up from the side.
Sengoku was stunned for a moment, but he quickly snapped back to reality.
He was right. Sean had already demonstrated the strength to go toe-to-toe with Whitebeard. Meanwhile, with Hancock charging into the inner bay, the balance of power would shift even more rapidly. In perhaps less than ten minutes, all sixteen Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates would be neutralized.
After that, Whitebeard would be left alone. If he were captured by Sean and the others...
Then, tomorrow's newspapers would undoubtedly report that Headquarters had been too cowardly to act out of fear of Whitebeard, while the East Blue 16th Branch had secured victory single-handedly.
Dammit, that simply couldn't happen!
"All combatants of Commodore rank and above, advance immediately! Storm the inner bay and annihilate the pirates!"
"At the same time, order the Admirals to support Sean!"
Gritting his teeth, Sengoku grabbed the microphone and bellowed the order.
'''
Across the world, everyone watching the live broadcast understood one thing the moment they heard Sengoku's command.
'The final showdown of this war... is about to begin!'
Could the Whitebeard Pirates still win?
Before the battle started, many believed it was possible. But now, almost no one thought so.
The 16th Branch alone, supported by ten Vice Admirals and ten thousand Marines from Headquarters, were already beginning to suppress the sixteen Division Commanders.
Now, what did it mean for every Marine officer of Commodore rank and above to join the fray?
Among the Marines who had not yet entered the battlefield, there were over twenty Vice Admirals alone, not to mention the countless Rear Admirals and Commodores. A rough estimate put the number at over a hundred high-level officers.
Once these hundred-plus elites charged in, it wouldn't be a fight—it would be a massacre for the ordinary pirates. As for the Division Commanders, they were all pinned down and unable to break free.
In other words, these hundred-plus Commodores, Rear Admirals, and Vice Admirals were essentially charging in for a slaughter.
As for Whitebeard himself...
Sean already had him occupied. With the addition of the three Admirals...
Even in his prime, Whitebeard would likely be unable to withstand such an onslaught.
The outcome of this war seemed... already decided!