Countless Marines stood ready. Although the Whitebeard Pirates' main fleet had bypassed Marineford's first giant ship encirclement defense line with a surprise attack, blocking their path were the Seven Warlords of the Sea stationed on the coast, and a hundred thousand elite Marines.
The third defense line was composed of elite Vice Admirals.
The fourth defense line, directly below the execution platform, consisted of the Three Admirals.
On the coast, Doflamingo looked at Mihawk beside him with curiosity. "Fufufufu! This time, you're not going to just stand by and watch as usual, are you?"
Mihawk ignored Doflamingo's words.
Moria smirked. "Hehehe! Facing the warlords, Admirals, and a hundred thousand elite Marines, how will you attack, Whitebeard?"
Hancock, clad in a purple robe, had no mind for battle at this moment, still worrying about Luffy.
Sengoku declared, "What arrogance! Everyone, raise your guard! Our opponent is Whitebeard. If we're not careful, we could lose!"
"Just wait for me a little longer... Ace!"
After Whitebeard finished speaking, he planted Murakumogiri beside him, assumed a horse stance, and drew his hands to his chest to gather power. Then, he violently shook the air to both sides.
Dong!
Under the puzzled gaze of a hundred thousand Marine soldiers, the air struck by Whitebeard's fists actually showed visible cracks. These cracks, like a spiderweb, spread rapidly through the void, and then—
Boom!
Terrifying tremor power transmitted to the sea. Under Whitebeard's deliberate control, countless ocean currents began to vibrate and condense, gradually forming super-gigantic waves, far exceeding normal size.
Under the violent earth tremors, several colossal waves surged skyward, each as massive as Marineford itself. In just the blink of an eye, they had already surpassed Marineford's highest point.
Countless Marines stared at this scene, eyes wide, looking at the sky-obscuring waves. No one doubted that if such waves were to fall, at least two-thirds of the hundred thousand Marines stationed in Marineford Plaza would likely be swept away in a single blow.
Koby's face was filled with terror. "Is this Whitebeard's power?"
Although he had been punished to clean toilets, for a battle of this magnitude, even Koby, currently a toilet cleaner, had been mobilized.
Among the Marine soldiers, Renji looked up. What he saw with his own eyes, waves large enough to engulf a giant island, delivered an unparalleled visual impact.
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard smiled confidently as he watched everyone's reactions, as did his division commanders.
This was an attack from the World's Strongest Man, how would the Marines respond?
Watching this scene, Ace on the execution platform seemed to see hope, as past memories flashed through his mind.
Doflamingo exclaimed with a laugh, "Fufufufu, what terrifying power! With this strike, Marine will surely be severely weakened."
Under the despairing gaze of many Marine soldiers—
Swish!
A blue figure leaped up from below the execution platform, soaring over a hundred meters into the sky purely with physical strength.
Kuzan extended his arms in the air, and extreme ice power condensed in his palms. Then, two blasts of ultimate ice, capable of freezing even the air, shot out towards the astonishing waves in the sky.
"Ice Age!"
Kuzan's voice echoed across the entire field. Under the shocked gazes of countless people, the waves that could have destroyed a giant island rapidly froze. The towering waves surrounding Marineford were instantly frozen.
The destructive opening move from the World's Strongest Man was thus nullified.
"It's Admiral Aokiji!"
"This is an Admiral's strength! Are you scared, pirates?!"
Whitebeard gazed at the figure in the sky and said, "Aokiji, you little brat!"
Kuzan looked at Whitebeard, who was hundreds of meters away, placed his hands in front of him, and condensed an ice spear.
Although this technique appeared ordinary, only those familiar with it knew that even advanced Armament Haki coating could not withstand its extreme cold.
"Ice Block: Partisan!" Kuzan uttered coldly.
The deadly ice spear shot through the air towards Whitebeard. However, Whitebeard merely smiled, raising his hand and throwing a punch into the void.
"Gurararara!"
The invisible space vibrated, and the incredibly hard ice spear shattered before it could even reach Whitebeard. The invisible tremor power, undiminished, forcefully pierced through Kuzan's body.
However, Kuzan was clearly prepared. Before the tremor power arrived, he had already elementalized his body.
Crack!
With a booming explosion, a chunk of ice fell into the sea.
Kuzan extended his palm, and instantly froze the sea surface. At the same time, the Moby Dick, which had infiltrated the inner bay, was also frozen.
"What's there to fear? We have an Admiral holding the line! Fire the cannons!"
Bang... Bang...
As cannonballs flew out, a large number of pirates leaped from the Moby Dick.
The war officially began at this moment!
Amidst the shouts of countless charging people, even Vista, the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division, joined the battle.
In the Marine camp, the Vice Admirals were also eager to move.
"Soldiers! This battle is for justice! Show your skills and crush all evil!"
"Kill!"
On the execution platform.
Sengoku looked at the white-cloaked figure in the distance with displeasure. He knew without looking that Whitebeard was probably gazing at the battlefield with a smile.
"That bastard. If someone could defeat a commander, morale would surely soar. Unfortunately, the Admirals' combat power needs to be reserved to guard the execution platform."
At the Vice Admirals' location.
"Granny Tsuru, leave the fighting to us here. You can rest and drink tea in the back."
"I am not that old yet."
Yamakaji sighed helplessly at this. Then, his eyes scanned the soldiers but failed to find Renji.
"Strange, where did that kid run off to?"
...
In the high sky above Marineford, only a very few noticed that a figure had appeared there at some unknown point.
Sakazuki's brows furrowed in confusion as he asked, "Renji? Why is he in that place?"
Borsalino also noticed him, his mouth opening and closing. "Yo... He can fly too."
Whitebeard looked at the figure in the sky, somewhat puzzled. He hadn't seen the newspaper that day, so he naturally didn't know who Renji was.
Marco, who was constantly paying attention to every move on the battlefield, frowned. He looked at Renji in the sky.
"That guy is that Marine rookie, right? What is he trying to do?"
"Hahaha! Just showing off? What a foolish move!"
Many pirates also noticed him and mocked him.
In the high sky.
Renji's hair swayed in the wind, and infinite brilliance flickered in his cerulean pupils. A gloomy power, as if from hell, surged madly around him. The immense, condensed Cursed Energy even warped space.
Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!
Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!
Two orbs of light, one red and one blue, formed in mid-air.
Renji began to make hand signs, muttering incantations, "Nine principles, polarization, cacophony, between inside and out!"
The complete incantation, the complete hand signs, and Cursed Energy pushed to its limit.
Hollow Technique: Purple!
A purple light bloomed in the sky above Marineford, targeting... Whitebeard!