All eyes turned to Marineford—the center of the Summit War.
What was once the grand clash between the Navy and Whitebeard's pirates had, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a showdown between the Marine and the Straw Hats.
Standing in the way of Zoro, Sanji, and the Luffy of two years ago were three Shichibukai and over a hundred elite Vice Admirals. A brutal situation by any measure.
But compared to the battlefield where the current Emperor Luffy stood, that scene almost looked merciful.
Since the war began, the Fifth Emperor had only acted a handful of times.
But every single strike he unleashed left behind a terrifying legend:
A single kick defeated Vice Admiral Dalmatian.
One punch injured Admiral Aokiji.
Another blow forced Shichibukai Crocodile to cough up blood.
Each feat underscored his overwhelming might.
In terms of sheer threat, across the entire battlefield, only Whitebeard himself—wielding power enough to destroy the world—stood above him.
And so, facing this Fifth Emperor, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had no choice but to assign the Marines highest might.
Now standing before Luffy was none other than the Marine Headquarters' very own Admiral Aokiji!
But not just him—
The battlefield was now gathering countless other heavyweights.
Four elite Vice Admirals had arrived: Yamakaji, Doberman, Momonga, and Onigumo.
They weren't like Dalmatian or Strawberry. These were the Marine's true pillars. If Admirals were the generals, these men were the iron walls that held the fortress upright.
Among Vice Admirals, they were akin to the Yonko Commanders—Marco of Whitebeard, King of Kaido, Katakuri of Big Mom.
In the Marine, Doberman and Yamakaji were unquestionably top three. The third spot was always a toss-up between Momonga and Onigumo.
Alongside them stood other veteran Vice Admirals—Stainless, Comil, Jonathan of G8, the shark-slicing Bath, Maynard, Kōmei, Cancer, Mozambia, and more.
The scene resembled the Onigashima War of two years later, except this time it wasn't Kaido being surrounded—it was Luffy himself.
The Nine Red Scabbards back then were now paralleled by Stainless and the other seasoned Vice Admirals.
And just as Kaido had Big Mom to share the pressure, Luffy had allies he could trust with his life.
And so, even surrounded by hell, there was no despair.
"Fish-Man Karate—Sharkskin Palm Thrust!!!"
The Shichibukai Jinbe leapt high, crashing down toward Vice Admiral Yamakaji.
Normally calm and smiling, Yamakaji's face hardened instantly. Facing a Warlord-level foe, he dared not slacken for a moment.
Busoshoku Haki cloaked his blade as he met Jinbe's strike head-on.
"Jinbe! Must you truly side against us? I've always admired your honor. I never wished to fight you!" Yamakaji declared.
Jinbe's voice was steady, his will resolute.
"I thank you for your respect. But it's too late for words. I have chosen—I will no longer be a Warlord!"
With that, his open palm became a fist.
"Fish-Man Karate—Arabesque Brick Fist!!!"
The righteous force of his punch shook even Yamakaji, driving the Vice Admiral back several steps.
"…Very well. Then I'll show you no mercy either," Yamakaji growled, his aura shifting, bloodlust flaring.
---
"General, watch your footing!"
The massive blade of Franken tore across the ice near General Franky's feet, chasing him down relentlessly.
Vice Admiral Momonga pursued him without pause. His Rokushiki mastery, coupled with Busoshoku slashes, carved wounds into Franky's steel body. Even with his mech's self-repair functions, key damage slowed him down badly.
"Damn it! A Vice Admiral of the Marine, and you don't even dare fight me head-on?!" Franky roared.
Momonga remained unmoved.
"Iron Man Franky. If you want a fair duel, step out of that armor first."
"Hah?! Fine! You think I'm scared?!"
Franky stepped out, seemingly reckless.
Momonga landed calmly, ready for a straight fight—
But Franky, being Franky, didn't play fair.
His hands clasped together. Light gathered instantly.
"Franky Laser Beam!!!"
The blast ripped through the battlefield, an explosion even fiercer than a Pacifista's.
"DAMN IT!!!" Momonga barely dodged thanks to Kenbunshoku, seething at Franky's trickery.
But before he could retaliate, Franky suddenly turned tail.
Aokiji, still locked in combat with Luffy, smirked. "Alala… Looks like your comrade ditched you, Straw Hat."
But Luffy's voice rang out, ironclad:
"You're wrong. Today, none of us are running!"
Sure enough, General Franky stopped mid-retreat, spun around, and locked onto the Marines ranks.
His arms expanded, mechanisms whirring, as he roared:
"Here it comes—the ultimate attack of the Steel Pirate, General Franky! General Cannon!!!"
A blast meant to shatter mountains thundered forth.
The explosion sent dozens, hundreds of elite Marines flying, bodies crashing to the ground in chaos.
"Damn it, Momonga! Finish off that mech immediately! We can't let him run wild again!" Sengoku bellowed from the execution platform, shaken despite himself.
"Apologies… there won't be a next time!" Momonga's face darkened as he unleashed his strongest strike.
Boom!!!
The General crumbled like a collapsing mountain, its joints severed by Momonga's slash.
"Franky, emergency eject!"
Franky blasted free from the wreckage, sprinting full tilt toward Zoro.
"Zoro! Switch with me! I can't handle this guy!"
"Fine by me! I'll take your grudge head-on!"
Zoro stepped forward, blades gleaming, killing intent sharp as frost.
"King of Hell Three-Sword Style—Purgatory Oni Giri!!!"
Zoro's blades carved through the air, his King of Hell Three-Sword Style exploding in a devastating strike.
With a single blow, he sent Vice Admiral Momonga coughing blood and flying backward.
The difference between an ordinary Vice Admiral and the true elite was staggering—yet against Zoro's wrath, even Momonga faltered.
"Seimei Kikan—Eight Spider Spear!!!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo unleashed his trump card.
By manipulating every part of his body through Seimei Kikan, even his hair moved like living limbs. Thick strands of black hair writhed and coiled, clutching six blades, while his hands wielded two more—forming a terrifying Eight-Sword Style.
Each blade gleamed with Busoshoku Haki.
"Take this!" he roared, charging.
Two years ago, Yamato let out a fierce cry, raising her kanabo Takeru without fear. Dark crimson lightning crackled—an attempt at coating her strikes in Haoshoku: Infusion.
She had only recently begun learning it, training aboard the Sunny with her future self and Luffy.
But there were limits—true mastery could only be seized in the fires of a deathmatch.
That was how both Luffy and Yamato, in their fight against Kaido, had broken through to wield Haoshoku infusion.
And now, two years ago Yamato sought to do the same, using this war as her crucible.
"Raimei Hakke!!!"
She swung her kanabo with all her strength. Crimson lightning flared—only to sputter out in an instant. The blow lacked the overwhelming force it should have carried.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Onigumo's Eight-Sword Style whirled like a storm, blocking her strike. Blades tore shallow wounds across her body, blood spraying.
"Damn it!" she cursed, retreating a step. "Why can't I grasp it?! I was so close!"
"Don't rush, Yamato!" her future self called out.
With perfect control of Haoshoku: Infusion, the older Yamato's Raimei Hakke slammed into Vice Admiral Doberman, blasting him dozens of meters back and carving deep furrows across the ice.
"To master Haoshoku infusion requires the right timing!" she reminded. "Right now, focus—defeat the enemy before us and find a way to save Ace!"
"…Alright!" the younger Yamato exhaled, nodding firmly.
"Defeat us? Such arrogance!" Onigumo bellowed.
Doberman's eyes narrowed, voice grim. "That power you used—it's the same as Kaido's. Just what is your relationship with the Beast Emperor?"
"Enemies," future Yamato declared coldly. "That's all you need to know."
The Vice Admirals stiffened. And this isn't even their full strength?!
Before their shock could fade—
"Uoooooh!"
The two Yamatos roared in unison, bodies shifting.
Their white hair lengthened, snowy fur sprouting. Sacred clouds coiled around them as their forms blurred into divine majesty.
The Mythical Zoan – Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Ōguchi no Makami had been unleashed!
In moments, both Yamatos stood revealed as white wolf maidens, beautiful yet fearsome.
The battlefield fell silent, stunned.
Two Yamatos—yet only one Devil Fruit could exist in the world.
The answer was clear.
They weren't twins.
Just like the two Luffys, the two Jinbes—
They were the same person, drawn from different times!
"Damn it!" Sengoku cursed from the execution platform. "Another pair of duplicates! How many more of them are going to appear?! Just where are they coming from?!"
"Let's go!" future Yamato commanded.
The two white wolf maidens charged together.
"Namuji Hyoga!!!"
The younger Yamato exhaled a blast of freezing air, catching Onigumo off guard. He wasn't frozen solid, but the chill shattered his Seimei Kikan control, leaving his hair limp and useless. His terrifying Eight-Sword Style collapsed back into two.
"Himorogiri!!!"
The older Yamato's kanabo slammed down, infused with Haoshoku and freezing cold. Doberman grunted as his waist nearly buckled under the strike.
"Don't get cocky!!!"
The two Vice Admirals retaliated with fury, joined by Stainless, Comil, and others rushing to aid them.
"Kagamiyama!!!"
Both Yamatos crossed their weapons, conjuring an icy barrier wreathed in divine will. Together, they deflected the combined assault.
The clash raged on—gods against titans, shaking Marineford to its core.
But as fierce as that battle was, there was one clash burning even brighter—
The duel between the Fifth Emperor Luffy and Admiral Aokiji.
"Gomu Gomu no… Elephant Gatling!!!"
Boundless fists cloaked in Busoshoku hammered through Aokiji's frozen bird legion, shattering ice into glittering shards.
"This is our chance!" shouted Vice Admiral Kōmei, ever the strategist.
He swung his Busoshoku-coated war fan, stirring violent gales to disrupt Luffy's momentum.
Admiral Aokiji pressed from the front, the Vice Admirals harried from the sides—
A simple strategy, but brutally effective.
Even with all three forms of Haki at their peak, Luffy couldn't block everything. Blows landed, blood flowed. Slowly, his body began to wear down.
"Damn it…!" Luffy grit his teeth. "If I keep dragging this out, I'll never reach Ace!"
He crossed his arms, breathing deep.
"I'll end this… right here!!!"
His voice roared across the battlefield:
"Gear Fourth—Boundman!!!"
Air blasted into his Busoshoku-hardened muscles. With a thunderous boom, the Fifth Emperor's colossal form erupted onto the stage—Boundman had arrived!