"Pops!"
Just as everyone's attention was focused on Lancelot and Whitebeard, Akainu suddenly launched a fierce attack, blasting away half of Whitebeard's face.
This scene fell into the eyes of all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, filling their hearts with shock.
Many let out involuntary gasps of surprise.
These gasps revealed extreme concern for Whitebeard's safety.
The voices even trembled, as if the entire Whitebeard Pirates had been startled by this sudden turn of events.
They stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with terror as they looked at Whitebeard, fearing he might suffer a devastating blow from this attack.
But deep down, they knew their Pops had already been severely wounded.
It was just that they were unwilling to believe it, reluctant to accept it.
After all, Whitebeard was their spiritual pillar, the backbone of the entire Whitebeard Pirates.
His existence was crucial to the Pirate Crew.
If anything were to happen to him, the entire crew would likely collapse.
Moreover, they were currently at Marine Headquarters, engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the Marines.
If Whitebeard were to fall here, it'd mean defeat in this war, and the consequences of defeat would undoubtedly be severe.
Most of them present would likely face capture or death, with only a handful possibly surviving by sheer luck.
Faced with such a harsh reality, how could they not panic or tremble with fear?
However, beyond their concern for Whitebeard's safety and their fear of losing the war, there was another emotion stirring deep within the hearts of the Whitebeard Pirates' members.
Unknowingly, many people's eyes had moistened, tears welling up at the corners.
After all, none of them were fools.
They understood Whitebeard's significance to the crew and recognized how the outcome of this war would affect each and every one of them.
But at this moment, their concern and worry for Whitebeard surpassed everything else.
Even in the face of overwhelming fear, it couldn't overshadow their profound affection for their father.
"Excellent!"
In stark contrast to the Whitebeard Pirates, the faces of the Marines were filled with delight.
This delight spread like ripples through the crowd, instantly igniting a fire in everyone's hearts.
Soon, delight transformed into excitement, surging like turbulent waves and stirring up a frenzy among the Marines.
Everyone's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit, their morale like a powder keg ready to explode.
"Attack!"
With this roar, the Marines seized the opportunity of the Whitebeard Pirates' disarray.
Led by the Vice Admirals, they launched a fierce assault on the Whitebeard Pirates like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.
This time, the Whitebeard Pirates were caught off guard.
Their defenses were torn apart in an instant, plunging the entire crew into a passive and vulnerable position.
Even the commanders, whose strength rivaled that of the Vice Admirals, were distracted, unable to fully commit to the battle.
Their minds were already preoccupied with Whitebeard, worried about his safety.
As for the remaining pirates, their morale had plummeted.
Once fierce and fearless, they now wore expressions of fear and panic, as if they'd lost their backbone.
Their attacks became hesitant and reactive, completely devoid of their usual sharpness and decisiveness.
What had once been an evenly matched battle now turned into a one-sided slaughter in an instant.
Pirates fell one after another under the Marines' relentless onslaught.
Standing on the high platform, Sengoku could no longer suppress the slight upward curve of his lips.
The current situation was overwhelmingly favorable for the Marines, and he could almost see the final outcome of this war.
"Perfect!"
Sengoku inwardly marveled at how this meticulously planned battle was finally concluding in the most ideal way he'd envisioned.
Such a flawless conclusion was something he had only dared to imagine, never expecting it to unfold so smoothly.
His gaze fell upon Lancelot.
His expression grew complicated.
Lancelot undoubtedly deserved the greatest credit for things progressing so smoothly.
First, it was his strategy that allowed Squard to severely wound Whitebeard.
This prevented Whitebeard from unleashing his full strength.
Second, Lancelot alone had successively held off "Flower Sword" Vista, "Diamond" Jozu, and Marco, leaving Whitebeard isolated and vulnerable.
This gave Squard the opportunity to strike.
Finally, he had directly engaged Whitebeard, creating the opening for Akainu to deliver another devastating blow.
Thus, Sengoku's admiration for Lancelot grew even stronger.
After all, this wouldn't only become the most glorious achievement of his life but also ensure his name would be forever etched into the annals of the Marines and even the entire World Government.
However, at that very moment, the injured Whitebeard suddenly let out a furious roar.
"Get lost!"
The sound was like that of a wounded beast, filled with rage and unwillingness.
Whitebeard tightly gripped his massive blade and simultaneously unleashed his terrifying Quake Ability.
Akainu clearly didn't anticipate that Whitebeard would launch such a fierce counterattack while injured.
He didn't even have time to react before Whitebeard's blade, imbued with terrifying power and the Quake Ability, struck him with devastating force.
Boom!
This earth-shattering blow was like a volcanic eruption.
Akainu's entire body was instantly blasted into magma, splattering outward like a surging torrent.
Wherever the scorching magma passed, the ground was scorched, emitting wisps of smoke as if everything around was about to melt away.
However, Akainu was, after all, a Logia Ability User.
His body possessed the characteristic of Elementalization, which made him not so easily defeated.
The splattered magma rapidly converged in mid-air, as if drawn together by an invisible force.
In the blink of an eye, the magma reformed into a human shape ten meters away, with Akainu standing there unscathed.
Nevertheless, despite successfully withstanding this blow, Akainu's condition was not good.
His face was unusually pale, as if drained of all color, and even his lips took on a sickly pallor.
His body trembled slightly, as if he was struggling to suppress the injuries within.
Pfft!
Suddenly, Akainu violently spat out a mouthful of blood. The crimson blood traced an arc through the air before splattering onto the ground.
This spurt of blood indicated that he'd suffered extremely severe injuries.
Witnessing this, Lancelot couldn't help but let out a click of admiration.
He inwardly marveled, Whitebeard truly lived up to his name!
Even in his old age, weakened by illness and injuries, and having suffered consecutive heavy blows, he could still unleash such a powerful strike, dealing such a severe blow to Akainu.
Moreover, Akainu was a Logia Ability User.
If it were anyone else, the injuries would likely have been even more severe.
Perhaps even fatal.
However, one undeniable fact remained: Whitebeard was now at the end of his strength.
No matter how powerful a burst of energy he could muster, the reality of his battered body and accumulated injuries couldn't be concealed.
Especially the two consecutive heavy blows he'd suffered had completely stripped him of any chance of leaving this place alive.
Unless he could abandon everything without a second thought, caring only for his own survival.
But unfortunately, he regarded these pirates as his own sons.
As a father, how could he bring himself to abandon his children?
Not to mention, he was Whitebeard!
He could choose to die in a spectacular, earth-shattering manner, but he could never tolerate living in such a wretched and disgraceful way.
Even in the face of death, he'd stand tall and proud, towering above all others.
And at this moment, his gaze slowly fell upon Ace on the execution platform, a hint of apology flickering in his eyes.
He certainly wanted to save Ace, but unfortunately, he was now truly unable to do so despite his desire.
Moreover, while Ace was his son, were the other pirates not his children as well?
They too were his children!
The bond between them was deep, to save a brother, they wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice their own lives.
However, at this moment, the situation was clear—pressing forward would be like moths flying into a flame, leading only to their pointless deaths.
Whitebeard knew this well.
He took a deep breath and, mustering all his strength, shouted loudly.
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, listen to my order—retreat..."
Before he could finish, a figure streaked through the air like lightning.
Upon closer look, it was Marco flying over with the injured "Diamond" Jozu in tow.
Marco's face was filled with worry, his eyes reflecting concern for Whitebeard and frustration at the situation.
But Whitebeard's gaze was fixed firmly on Jozu's chest.
There, a large chunk of flesh was missing from "Diamond" Jozu's chest, the gruesome wound recounting the severe damage he'd suffered.
Not only that, through the bloody gash, one could even see the stark white bone beneath the mangled flesh, a sight that sent chills down the spine.
It must be remembered that "Diamond" Jozu's ability allowed him to turn his body into hard diamond.
In other words, diamond was part of his body.
And now, the diamond on his chest had been shattered by Lancelot, meaning his body had suffered the same devastating blow—a piece of flesh had been blasted away!