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Ivankov leapt high, filling the sky with a storm of claw shadows, blood-red light blazing around him.
With a final strike, his claw stretched out unnaturally long and pierced straight through Akainu's body.
The stone behind Akainu shattered into fragments. Smoke poured from his body, thick and black, his form looking more demonic than human.
Rivers of magma streamed from his wounds, hissing and spitting smoke the instant they hit the ground.
"Revolutionary Army's… Emporio Ivankov!" Akainu growled."Just like the rumors say—wielding bizarre tricks!"
Ivankov struck a flamboyant pose."Newkama Kenpo, Secret Beauty Technique #44—Death Attraction Fist!!!"
"I love it hot!!"
He spun forward with dazzling speed, but Akainu's blazing magma fist smashed straight into him.
Akainu, face dripping with blood, stood shrouded in molten rock—terrifying beyond words."I don't have time to play with you."
The blast erupted across Ivankov's face, sending him flying, magma exploding outward in a storm of fire.
"So hot!!!"
Ivankov's lips instantly swelled grotesquely, like sausages about to burst.
The surrounding battlefield turned into an inferno of fireballs raining down like artillery.
Smoke poured from Ivankov's mouth as flames consumed the ground around him. He collapsed unconscious in the blaze.
"Iva!!!" someone screamed.
The Navy pressed hard, gunning down fleeing pirates from every direction.
Akainu's magma-dripping body surged forward, closing in on Jinbe, who was carrying the unconscious Luffy away.
At last, Jinbe reached the shore, hope flashing in his eyes—until the sea in front of him suddenly froze solid.
On the far side stood another admiral—Aokiji.
Akainu charged in from behind. With Aokiji blocking the way forward, Jinbe was trapped between them.
"You have nowhere left to run," Akainu declared, his voice a death sentence.
Jinbe's fist surged with strength and he swung with all his might—only to find his hand instantly scorched and smoking as it touched Akainu's molten body.
"Straw Hat boy!!!"
"Got you!"
Akainu's blazing fist closed in on Luffy—
But Jinbe threw his body in front of him, taking the blow head-on. The inferno punched through his flesh, flames erupting skyward in a blazing pillar.
Luffy's straw hat tumbled through the air, drifting down onto the frozen sea.
"Jinbe!!!" the pirates roared.
A horrific wound split open across Jinbe's body, the searing flames even burning into Luffy cradled in his arms.
They crashed downward. At the last moment, Jinbe twisted his body, shielding Luffy again as they smashed into the ice. Blood gushed from his mouth.
Akainu landed before them, eyes cold."Still getting in my way, Jinbe?"
Blood streaming from his nose and mouth, Jinbe turned painfully toward Luffy."Sorry, Luffy… I've only hurt you more."
"Idiot. Is this really the time to be worrying about someone else?" Akainu sneered, stepping closer."If not for you interfering, my fist would've gone straight through his heart. That would've been merciful, at least. Quick."
"Isn't that right, Jinbe?"
"Are you really going to keep protecting him? When you're already about to die?"
Jinbe roared, blood spilling from his lips as he forced his broken body upright, surging forward with a desperate charge.
But his strength failed—he collapsed once more.
In his fading mind, a memory stirred—Ace's final plea."If I die… I'm counting on you, Jinbe. Look after my little brother."
Jinbe clenched his teeth."I won't let him die. Even if it costs me my life!"
He threw his body protectively over Luffy.
"Enough talk!" Akainu raised his colossal magma fist for the kill.
Suddenly, the ground split open, and a lance of sand ripped through Akainu's body.
The sand coalesced—into none other than the former Warlord, Crocodile.
"Sandstorm!!!"
A miniature tornado of sand formed in Crocodile's hand, whipping toward Luffy and Jinbe, tossing them clear of danger.
Akainu's bisected body melted into magma and began reforming.
"Someone catch them!" Crocodile barked. "Get them on a ship, now!"
Jinbe stared in shock."Crocodile…!"
With a swaggering grin, Crocodile snapped,"If you've got something worth protecting, then protect it to the end! Stop letting these bastards run wild!"
Whitebeard's men charged toward where Luffy and Jinbe had been blown, shouting, "Quick, catch them!"
Akainu swung his magma fist once more, launching a blast toward their path.
Meanwhile, Buggy the Clown—flying aimlessly—suddenly felt searing heat behind him."What the hell?! Why's it so hot all of a sudden?!"
He spun and froze in terror at the incoming magma. Desperate, he bolted forward—and spotted Jinbe and Luffy tumbling ahead.
"For my life's sake—fine, I'll grab you two!" Buggy screeched, hauling them away at breakneck speed.
"Thank you, Red Nose—we're saved!" Jinbe rasped.
But as Akainu advanced, shadowy figures appeared around him—Whitebeard's division commanders.
In the present day—aboard the Sunny.
"LUFFY!!!"
Zoro slammed his fist against the deck in rage."Jinbe risked everything to protect him. Damn it! If I'd been there, even against an admiral, I'd never have backed down!"
Usopp stood up sharply."Me too! I'd have gone to save Luffy, even if it killed me!"
Nami, Chopper, and Franky moved in behind Zoro, their faces grim.
Robin's calm voice cut through."Luffy… why weren't we there on that battlefield? We're all part of the Straw Hat Pirates. How could you charge into such danger alone while we hid far away?"
Luffy turned to them, eyes soft but determined."Don't worry. In the future, we'll face hardships together. All of us."
"For Straw Hat, you'd all throw your lives away?"
"We've seen it with our own eyes—his willpower and determination are unlike any other!"
"The man Ace entrusted… the man even Pops acknowledged."
"We have a duty to carry him into the new era!" Whitebeard's commanders declared with fierce conviction.
"You really are something else… Whitebeard Pirates!"
Marco's blue flames roared around him as he shouted,"Akainu! The danger you see in killing him is equal to the hope we place in keeping him alive!"
While Blackbeard clashed violently with Sengoku on one front, Akainu now faced the full fury of Whitebeard's division commanders on the other.
Magma blasted in every direction, turning the frozen sea into a burning wasteland.
Beneath the chaos, a pirate ship surfaced from the deep."Captain, we've found open waters without ice."
"Surface now!"
The ship broke through the waves—and was immediately spotted by Buggy.
"Bring Straw Hat here!" a voice called from the deck.
"Straw Hat? What kind of weird nickname is that? Who the hell are you?!" Buggy demanded.
The voice replied coolly,"Someday, Straw Hat and I may stand as enemies. But fate is fate, even if it's twisted. To let him die here would be far too boring."
"Captain of the Heart Pirates—Trafalgar Law!"
"I'll see him escape!"
"For now, leave him to me—"
"I'm a doctor!!!"
"..."
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