Marineford Battlefield – The War Reaches Its Climax
"Where did they go?!"
With a quick glance, Sengoku realized that Hancock and Kuma had disappeared. His expression darkened as he immediately sounded the alarm:
"Bai Yu's spatial transfer?"
Hearing this, Garp, who was standing nearby, looked stunned.
"No one else is within a hundred-mile radius… even the Pirate Empress's presence has completely vanished—gone without a trace."
"No, he must still be here!"
Sengoku couldn't see anything unusual, but his instincts made him look up toward the sky.
Yet, all he saw was a clear blue sky with drifting white clouds—nothing at all.
"If you think you can detect my invisible spaceship under the cover of my extraordinary vision, you're still far from capable…"
Bai Yu didn't care about their vigilance. Instead, he hugged Hancock, who had rushed toward him the moment she arrived on the ship.
"Husband… aren't you going to do anything?" Hancock asked shyly, her face blushing.
Nami pouted, crossing her arms.
"How many times have I told you? Don't hog Bai Yu when everyone else is around!"
"Does the concubine know you, little sister?" Hancock suddenly switched back to her arrogant demeanor.
"I swear, I'm going to put her in her place!" Nami fumed, but Kaya and Vivi quickly held her back.
"Alright, everyone, sit down," Bai Yu commanded, making sure the girls settled in before turning his gaze toward the broadcast screen.
He smirked.
"Sengoku shut down the live broadcast? Then let's stream it again—but in even higher definition."
"Yes, Master," Athena responded obediently.
She activated a transponder snail to film the radar scan and reestablished the live feed.
Seconds later, across the world, viewers were surprised to see the battle resume on their screens—this time in even clearer quality.
Back on the Battlefield
Kaya looked puzzled.
"It seems like everything is almost over… Brother Bai Yu, aren't you going to join?"
Bai Yu shook his head slightly.
"No rush…"
His eyes shifted toward Ace.
"It's too chaotic right now. Let's wait for the battlefield to settle a bit."
Meanwhile, Whitebeard, severely weakened by his injuries, was being relentlessly attacked by Aokiji and Kizaru, putting him in an increasingly dire situation.
Ace, freed from the ice that had encased him, immediately rushed toward the spot where Hancock had been frozen. Sabo shattered the ice, then did the same for Luffy.
Now, the three brothers were running together.
In the distance, Akainu sneered coldly:
"It seems Whitebeard saved a useless brat. His father is about to die, yet all he wants to do is run away?"
"What did you say?!"
Ace halted in his tracks, his anger boiling over as he turned back.
"Dad won't die here!"
"Ace, don't—!"
Sabo's expression tensed as he tried to grab Ace, but Ace shook him off, his furious gaze locked on Akainu.
Akainu smirked.
"You think he won't die? Use those pathetic eyes of yours—how much longer do you think your 'dad' can last?"
Ace turned to look—Whitebeard, bloodied and battered, was struggling against Aokiji and Kizaru.
His heart clenched.
"Dad!"
Tears welled up in his eyes.
Sengoku had already given the order, and the Admirals were attacking Whitebeard at full force. Ace, overwhelmed with emotion, instinctively tried to run toward him.
Sabo, knowing the situation was dire, immediately reacted.
Slap!
He smacked Ace across the face.
"Get a grip! What do you think you can do by running over there?!"
Ace gritted his teeth.
"I can't just let Whitebeard die without saving at least one of his sons! Leave me!"
Sabo used the opening to grab Ace and forcefully drag him away. Luffy followed, shouting loudly.
"Great Eruption!"
Akainu launched a powerful attack.
His lava fist burst forward like a volcanic eruption, splitting into countless molten projectiles that rained down toward the three brothers.
"Phoenix Seal!"
Marco arrived just in time, intercepting the attack.
A massive shockwave erupted as Marco's flames clashed with the volcanic bombs, neutralizing them in mid-air.
Ignoring Marco, Akainu scoffed coldly.
"Run while you can! You're all nothing but trash, and Whitebeard is just another relic of a bygone era!"
"Damn you!"
Ace broke free from Sabo's grip once again.
His entire body ignited in flames as he spun around in rage, charging toward Akainu.
Sabo clenched his fists in frustration.
Luffy, still somewhat oblivious, asked,
"Ace is so strong… can he beat an Admiral now?"
Sabo's expression darkened.
"No. He's going to die."
"Huh?! Then we have to save him!"
Before Luffy could finish speaking, Sabo had already dashed forward, and Luffy quickly followed.
Ivankov held his head in frustration.
"Are all three of them crazy?!"
The Fatal Moment
Marco managed to stop Akainu's first attack, but his relief was short-lived.
Seeing Ace turn back again, Marco's voice grew desperate.
"Go back!"
"But Marco—he insulted Dad!" Ace protested.
Marco's patience snapped.
"If you don't leave now, your brothers will die too! GET OUT!"
Ace gritted his teeth and finally turned to leave—
But Akainu's cold voice rang out once more:
"Run if you want! But know this—Whitebeard was never as great as Roger. Even in the afterlife, he'll still be beneath him!"
Ace froze.
His fury exploded into an inferno.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Enraged beyond reason, he released a fiery blast that sent both Luffy and Sabo flying backward.
Now filled with nothing but murderous intent, Ace charged at Akainu at full speed.
Marco's eyes widened in horror.
"ACE, YOU IDIOT!"
At the same time, Akainu took a single step forward.
A hundred meters—nothing for him.
With terrifying speed, he closed the distance instantly.
"He's dead."
From aboard his ship, Bai Yu shook his head slightly.
Garp, held back by Sengoku, could only clench his fists in helpless rage.
Whitebeard, still surrounded by the Admirals, was too far away to intervene.
It was too late.
"DIE!"
Akainu's magma fist collided with Ace's Fire Fist—
And burned straight through him.
For a split second, time itself seemed to stop.
Ace's eyes widened in shock.
The battlefield fell silent.
Sabo and Luffy, just getting back to their feet, were frozen in horror.
Whitebeard, struck again by Aokiji and Kizaru, momentarily lost all strength.
All eyes were on Ace.
"Cough… cough…"
Blood dripped from his mouth as he weakly turned toward Whitebeard.
He tried to speak—
But his hands went limp, and his body began to fall.
"ACE!!"
Luffy screamed in agony, his Conqueror's Haki exploding once again.
Sabo gritted his teeth, his rational mind barely keeping him together. He knocked Luffy unconscious and carried him away.
"Don't think you can escape!"
Whitebeard, his rage reaching an unprecedented level, unleashed a catastrophic shockwave that tore Marineford in half.
With his final command, he roared:
"All of you—RETREAT! This era has no place for an old relic like me!"
And so, the legend of Whitebeard reached its final act.
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