As the smoke from the bombardment faded, the sound of orderly and heavy footsteps echoed from the distance. Rows of white-uniformed figures gradually emerged.
The pirates and the Revolutionary Army felt their hearts sink.
The Marines had arrived.
When they clearly saw the formation, despair settled in completely.
At the very front stood six figures.
Admiral Akainu, Admiral Aokiji, Admiral Kizaru, Admiral Aramaki, Admiral Nightingale, and Admiral Kuma stood side by side.
Behind them followed elite Vice Admirals such as Ginny, Momonga, and Doberman, along with a massive force of Marine Headquarters soldiers.
Just their presence alone was suffocating.
Aramaki noticed Dragon among the enemy ranks and smirked.
"Yo, isn't that former Marine Dragon? Long time no see."
Aokiji's face darkened with displeasure.
"Dragon, traitor."
Dragon's expression remained grim. He said nothing, his only thought now was escape.
Even Big Mom understood the situation had turned against them.
She clenched her fists, standing still with an unusually serious expression.
Lloyd gave a faint smile. His wings trembled as he rose into the sky.
Akainu and the other Admirals immediately lifted their heads to look at him.
Akainu raised a magma-coated arm, black smoke curling from it, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Under everyone's gaze, Lloyd lifted the Demon Blade Muramasa and spoke a single word.
"Kill."
That single command rang like a death sentence.
The Navy's war machine activated instantly.
The six Admirals unleashed their abilities at the same time. Magma, ice, light, forest, violet flames, and shockwaves erupted together, tearing through the battlefield and claiming countless lives in an instant.
Before the survivors could recover, the Marines charged.
From above, it resembled a white tide swallowing everything in its path.
Already shaken, the pirates and Revolutionary Army began to collapse under the assault.
Katakuri and the others struggled just to defend themselves.
Even Big Mom found herself under pressure.
Admiral Kuma suddenly appeared in front of her and struck.
Big Mom swung back without hesitation.
After undergoing rigorous Marine training, Kuma's strength had far surpassed his former self. With the power of the Paw Paw Fruit and the resilience of a Buccaneer, he stood firmly at Admiral level.
He blocked Big Mom's Haki-infused strike with his paw pads, the two massive figures locked in a clash.
However, in raw strength, Kuma could not match her. He was slowly pushed back.
At that moment, a violet meteor descended from the sky and crashed into Big Mom.
"Fallen Angel Hammer!"
Kuma vanished instantly using his ability.
Big Mom was engulfed in violet flames.
A figure shot out from the blaze. Admiral Nightingale hovered above, gripping her weapon.
A furious roar erupted as Big Mom blasted the flames apart with a violent shockwave.
She stood at the center, part of her hair scorched.
Hera hovered beside her, panicking.
"Sorry, Mama, this isn't normal fire, I cannot absorb it."
Enraged, Big Mom grabbed Hera and forced her into Napoleon, then infused Zeus's power as well. A massive blade formed, shrouded in eerie green energy.
With explosive speed, she rushed toward Kuma and unleashed a devastating slash.
"Cognac!"
Kuma raised his palms and blocked again.
The paw pads absorbed the force, stopping even a Haki-infused attack from breaking through.
At the same time, Nightingale descended from above, violet flames gathering as she struck down once more.
Facing the combined assault of Kuma and Nightingale, Big Mom gradually fell into a disadvantage.
Elsewhere, Dragon was in an even worse state.
He was facing Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Aramaki, his former Marine peers.
Blue ice, green forest, and raging wind collided violently across the battlefield.
Aramaki transformed into a towering tree giant, his body stretching over a hundred meters.
With a swing of his arms, countless vines shot upward like serpents.
Dragon moved through them, forming wind blades to cut down those he could not evade.
Just as he broke free, a massive ice bird rushed toward him.
"Pheasant Beak."
Dragon hastily formed a hurricane to intercept it.
The collision shattered the attack into countless ice fragments, but before he could recover, Aokiji and Aramaki closed in from both sides.
Caught between them, Dragon struggled to keep up.
With only one arm, he quickly faltered under their combined assault.
Aramaki's massive fist slammed him into the ground.
Aramaki laughed loudly, excitement evident on his face.
"Now this is a fight!"
...
Whitebeard spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering before dropping to one knee.
His cloak was gone, his bare upper body covered in glowing golden scars. A massive hole pierced through his abdomen, its edges charred black.
Particles of light gathered.
Admiral Kizaru descended, hands still in his pockets.
From the side, Akainu approached slowly, his arm formed of magma.
In front of them, darkness twisted and gathered.
Lloyd's figure emerged from the vortex.
Whitebeard lifted his head and stared at him.
Forcing his exhausted body upright, he drove his naginata into the ground, determination burning in his eyes.
The earth began to tremble.
A deep rumble spread as the ground shook violently.
Whitebeard gritted his teeth. His muscles bulged unnaturally, veins twitching as blood seeped from his skin.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates changed expression.
At the rear, Teach's eyes widened, unable to hide his excitement.
Without hesitation, he abandoned Chiffon and rushed forward.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Whitebeard had finally unleashed the awakened power of the Tremor Tremor Fruit.
That power was overwhelming, but it came at a cost.
Since his health declined, Whitebeard had never used it again.
In his current state, forcing this power would not kill him immediately, but it would leave him crippled.
And that was exactly the moment Teach had been waiting for.
===
I low-key pity Whitebeard TT...
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