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Shin, blissfully unaware that he was causing a headache for the Five Elders, was currently dealing with Sugar.
"Intentionally spilling juice on my clothes… you've got some nerve," Shin said, giving Sugar a pointed look.
"I didn't do it on purpose," Sugar said, her face a perfect mask of innocence. But the mischievous glint she couldn't quite hide in the depths of her eyes didn't escape Shin.
"Still trying to deny it?? I saw you spill it on me with my own two eyes!"
Seeing her attempt to feign innocence, Shin's gaze sharpened.
"Liar! You weren't even looking back at me. How could you have seen it?" Sugar shot back, unconvinced.
"Sugar, have you forgotten about a little thing called Observation Haki?" Robin said, patting Sugar on the head.
"Don't pat my head!" Sugar scowled, trying to look fierce.
Robin had only hit on part of the truth. Besides his Observation Haki, Shin's eyes offered a complete 360-degree field of vision. He could see everything happening behind him just as clearly as what was in front.
"Still trying to act tough?" Robin grabbed Sugar's cheeks and gave them a playful stretch.
It was true. Robin's new favorite pastime was teasing Sugar. In fact, almost everyone on the ship enjoyed riling her up just to watch her get flustered—even her own sister, Monet, was no exception. One could say Monet wasn't exactly a model older sister.
Of course, Shirahoshi was the exception. With her gentle nature, she was more likely to be the one getting teased than doing any teasing herself.
Shin glanced at the brewing squabble between Sugar and Robin but decided to ignore it. Normally, he might have watched with interest, but right now, the Summit War was far more important. He wondered if Luffy would still make an appearance.
The incident with the Celestial Dragon had still occurred, and Luffy had been sent flying by Bartholomew Kuma, just like in the original story. This time, however, he hadn't landed on Amazon Lily. Where he had ended up was anyone's guess.
Shin hadn't bothered to keep tabs on the protagonist, Luffy. He had little interest in the Straw Hats' affairs.
As things stood, Luffy had yet to appear, and Ace was on the verge of being rescued.
The Whitebeard Pirates surged forward, unleashing a terrifying wave of power. Even Sengoku was caught off guard by the sheer force they could muster.
And Whitebeard—wasn't he supposed to be a frail old man, no longer a threat? Why did he look anything but?
Right now, Whitebeard was holding his own against three Admirals, showing no signs of faltering or fatigue. He seemed even stronger than he was in his prime.
And in a way, he was.
In his youth, Whitebeard's power was immense, but his control over that power and his mastery of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit were nowhere near their current level. Now, with the body of his prime and his current mastery of his Devil Fruit, he was stronger than ever before.
"All forces, stop them from reaching Ace!" Sengoku roared after sending Jozu flying again.
Though he'd knocked Jozu back, the Diamond pirate's injuries weren't severe. It wasn't that Sengoku's shockwave lacked power; Jozu's defense was just that formidable.
His incredible durability was enough to hold off even Sengoku for a considerable amount of time.
"Onigumo, you deal with Diamond Jozu," Sengoku ordered.
Though Onigumo was no match for Jozu, he should be able to keep him occupied. He was a Headquarters Vice Admiral, after all.
Onigumo's expression was ferocious. If Zoro was a Three-Sword Style user, then Onigumo was an Eight-Sword Style user.
He had mastered the Six Powers to their absolute limit, able to use his hair with the same dexterity as his arms. To an onlooker, it appeared as if he had six spider-like arms in addition to his own, each brandishing a sword.
Sword auras erupted as Onigumo charged Jozu, fighting with a reckless abandon that matched his fierce appearance. Even Diamond Jozu was wary of him now.
Onigumo was a skilled swordsman, a master of the Six Powers, and proficient in both Armament and Observation Haki. In his own right, he was a genius.
Of course, compared to monsters like the Admirals, he seemed insignificant. But to an ordinary person, he was a force to be reckoned with.
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With Onigumo handling Jozu, Sengoku didn't stay idle. He charged Whitebeard himself.
At the same time, he ordered the video Den Den Mushi to be shut off. The situation was looking dire for the Marines. He couldn't risk broadcasting this any longer, or their prestige would take a massive hit.
"
Sengoku roared, unleashing a shockwave at Whitebeard. The three Admirals surrounding Whitebeard were also caught in the blast. Sengoku made no effort to control the attack's range; in his giant golden Buddha form, it was impossible to avoid hitting them.
But it didn't matter. The Admirals were all Logia users and could simply turn intangible to avoid the damage. Whitebeard, on the other hand, had no such ability. He had to take it head-on.
"Gurararara! It's been a long time since I've had a good fight, Sengoku."
Whitebeard slammed his bisento into the ground, the muscles in his right arm bulging like steel.
Colorless Armament Haki coated his fist as he met Sengoku's golden form head-on.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The very foundations of Marineford cracked, and countless soldiers were killed in the ensuing shockwave.
It was a grim reminder of how powerless the weak were. A mere aftershock from the clash between Whitebeard and Sengoku had claimed so many lives.
'Good thing none of my own were hurt,' Whitebeard thought, glancing at his crew.
Fortunately, the attack hadn't harmed any of the Whitebeard Pirates. At this point, even he couldn't use the full power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit recklessly. Its power was immense, but in a chaotic battle like this, he risked hitting his own men.
Pfft!
Sengoku coughed up a mouthful of blood as his body was sent flying, crashing through several buildings before coming to a stop, critically injured by Whitebeard's full-powered punch.
"SENGOKU!" Garp's expression changed.
He could no longer stay on the sidelines. He immediately moved to block Whitebeard, preventing him from pursuing the injured Sengoku.
"Whitebeard, your strength seems to have returned to its peak… No, you're even stronger than you were in your prime."
Garp's eyes narrowed as he faced Whitebeard. The man before him exuded a sense of danger Garp had never felt before.
There had to be a reason for this sudden resurgence of power, this enhancement beyond his peak.
Garp just didn't know what it was.
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