"Captain Rakuyo!"
"Captain!"
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates' 7th Division cried out in alarm, rushing forward, intending to rescue Rakuyo from Aeridar's grip.
"Have I been too low-profile these past two years? How is it that every stray cat and dog dares to approach me."
Aeridar raised his head, looking with annoyance at the pirates swarming towards him.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible force erupted from Aeridar's body, radiating out in all directions.
Rumble!
"Ah!"
"No!"
"What's happening?"
Dozens of pirates' bodies stiffened, and they were all simultaneously sent flying by the invisible attack, each spitting blood as they crashed to the ground.
"Get lost!"
Aeridar gave a cold snort, let go of his grip, and kicked Rakuyo's body.
Thud!
Rakuyo's body arched, and he tumbled hundreds of meters away, rolling across the ice.
"Damn it! That bastard!"
"Captain Rakuyo was defeated in one blow!"
"Too strong! Even the Captain wasn't his opponent! That bastard!"
The surrounding pirates stared at Aeridar in terror.
Meanwhile, inside the Marineford bay.
"What's wrong? 13th Division Commander, Water Buffalo Atmos~"
Doflamingo chuckled strangely, looking at Atmos, completely unconcerned by the massive blade just centimeters from his head.
"M-My body… what did you do, Doflamingo!"
Atmos demanded nervously, as he found his body was no longer under his control.
"Captain Atmos!"
The surrounding members of the Whitebeard Pirates noticed something was wrong and rushed to provide support.
"Don't come over here! Stay away from me!"
Atmos frantically yelled, dimly feeling that his body was being controlled by Doflamingo.
"Fuffuffufu~"
Doflamingo said nothing, merely giving a strange laugh. As his five fingers twitched, Atmos's body moved involuntarily, brandishing his twin blades at his own comrades.
Slash, slash, slash…
"My body won't obey!"
"Stop it, Doflamingo!"
Atmos swung the two swords in his hands wildly, hacking and slashing. One Whitebeard Pirate after another fell into pools of blood, all killed by his own hands, including members of his own division and other divisions.
"Pirates are Evil? Marines are righteous? These terms have always changed throughout the course of history."
"Kid's who have never seen peace and kid's who have never seen war have different values!"
"Those who stand at the top determine what's wrong and what's right! This very place is a neutral ground!"
"Fufufufufu~ Justice will prevail you say, of course it will!"
"Those who win the war, become the Justice!!"
Doflamingo stood on the ice plain, his hands spread wide, chuckling as he delivered these profound words.
"Whitebeard..."
"Heh heh heh~ I can't hold back anymore."
Flying into the air, Aeridar tilted his head, looking at Whitebeard on the Moby Dick within the bay. The expression on his face grew increasingly twisted.
His body occasionally twitched, coupled with his twisted, manic expression, making him look like a madman.
"He's flying!"
"The impact wave, and the invisible attack just now... now he's flying!"
"What exactly is this guy's ability?"
The pirates below stared in shock at Aeridar hovering in mid-air. Only a handful of people in the entire world could fly.
"WHITEBEARD!!!"
Boom!
A ring of air exploded in mid-air. Aeridar blasted forward, a blur of shadow, rushing straight for Whitebeard on the Moby Dick.
"He actually attacked Whitebeard!"
"What is that lunatic trying to do? Challenge Whitebeard?"
"No way, right?"
The Marines' faces were filled with shock.
"Aeridar!"
Hancock was filled with worry.
"That guy actually went for it!" Doflamingo stared intently.
"Hmm?!" Mihawk narrowed his eyes, watching steadily.
"Pops!"
Ace cried out. He had witnessed the other party's overwhelming power years ago. Although he had great confidence in his father, he couldn't help but worry.
In an instant, Aeridar reached Whitebeard and smashed out a punch.
"Gurararara~ Golden Ring brat!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily, recognizing Aeridar. He immediately threw a punch forward.
The two men simultaneously smashed the air in front of them.
Thud! Crack!
A circle of intense shockwaves immediately spread out. The air split like a mirror, the atmosphere itself had been cracked!
"This is…"
Seeing this sight, even Whitebeard, known for his composure, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Separated by ten meters, the two men punched the air simultaneously, and cracks appeared in the air before each of them. The atmosphere itself was fracturing.
This was clearly a phenomenon that should only be caused by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"Heh heh heh heh! Didn't expect that, Whitebeard!"
Aeridar's face was filled with madness as he sneered, "Surprised? Caught off guard?"
"The power of Quakes… you're not the only one who has it! Heh heh heh heh…"
All of Marineford fell silent. Both Marines and pirates stared blankly at the clash between Aeridar and Whitebeard.
"Wait, wait... am I seeing things?"
"Pops's power… no way! It must be fake!"
"Impossible! There should only be one Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
"The power to destroy the world… someone other than Whitebeard actually possesses it."
"Indeed, the old intel was correct."
In the next moment, the Whitebeard Pirates commanders, Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals… everyone burst into an uproar.
"Brat! I don't know why you possess the same power as me!"
"But you're nowhere near my level!"
Whitebeard's expression hardened. The muscles on his thick arm bulged, and he suddenly exerted more force, amplifying his quake ability.
Crack!
The air seemed to visibly cave in, and the cracks in the atmosphere instantly doubled.
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Aeridar roared back, unleashing his own power. Several more cracks appeared in the air before him.
Crack! RUMBLE!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the area. The air trembled violently, emitting a fierce reverberation. A shockwave surged out like a wall of air dozens of meters high, stirring up dust everywhere.
The entire Marineford island vibrated violently as if struck by an earthquake. Cracks rapidly extended across the ice plain. The thick, solid ice within a hundred-meter radius instantly shattered into pieces, sending many Marines and pirates falling into the seawater below.
"Run, run, run, run!"
"RUN!"
"If you get caught in that, you'll die!"
The nearby pirates and Marines were terrified, their courage shattered, desperately fleeing in all directions. Yet, many were still swept away by the wall-like shockwave.
"Golden Ring brat!"
The deck beneath Whitebeard's feet shattered, and the ship's bow caved in, forming a large crater. He looked up at the sky with cold eyes.
"Impressive! It seems your strength is still close to its peak because of the SS agent!" Aeridar flew back out of the smoke, hovering in the air. He looked down at Whitebeard, his face a mask of madness and ferocity.