"Even so, I still love you!"
Whitebeard's words once again shook the battlefield. The morale that had wavered due to Squard's betrayal was completely restored in that instant, brought back by Whitebeard's declaration.
"D-Don't joke with me! Y-You were planning to sell our lives away!"
Squard, overwhelmed by Whitebeard's boundless love, broke down in regret.
"Who was it… who dragged your loyal, honest heart into such corruption?"
Whitebeard's face twisted in fury. But his anger was not directed at his son, who had dared raise his blade against him. No, his fury was for the one who had deceived his son into treachery.
"It was the traitor of the Navy—Akainu. He said that if I stabbed you, then the allied crews would be spared."
Squard's voice was hoarse and weak, his life ebbing away from the wound he had inflicted.
"So that's what Akainu told you? I know full well how much you despise Roger. But Squard! How foolish is the idea of a son repaying a father's sins? Has Ace ever wronged you? You and Ace have shared joys and hardships alike, haven't you? Again and again, you and your crewmates overcame obstacles, and now… you've made it here. You are both my beloved sons, Squard!"
Whitebeard's voice was deep and powerful, every word carrying weight and sincerity. His words pierced straight into Squard's heart. The sword he had been gripping so tightly finally slipped from his trembling hands and clattered to the deck.
"Uhh… ah! Ahhh!"
Tears flowed freely down Squard's face, but nothing could erase the consequences of what he had done. He alone would have to bear them.
"By the way, brat! Can you take away the wound my foolish son has given me? A wound that should have been mine to bear alone."
Whitebeard raised his naginata, Bisento, and stood tall once again. Despite the heavy injury he had just suffered, his towering figure was as imposing as ever.
"I refuse. Everyone has to bear the weight of their own choices. Not killing him is already the greatest mercy I can give you."
Seeing that the matter was resolved, Jiang Lin turned away and leaped off the Moby Dick. He had no intention of killing Squard—because he knew Whitebeard would never allow it. But neither would he heal him, for this was a lesson Squard had brought upon himself.
"You really are an infuriating brat."
Whitebeard's gaze shifted past his son. Standing at the bow, he looked straight toward the execution platform. His eyes blazed with fury as he bellowed:
"So you say I would betray my own sons?! Sengoku, you've played me like a fool!"
Slamming his fist down, Whitebeard sent massive shockwaves rippling outward. With a single blow, he shattered the two great icebergs that Aokiji had frozen in place to seal the bay.
"So he's opening a path of retreat for the pirates? What a troublesome man."
Sengoku's voice rumbled from the execution platform. Whitebeard's move had disrupted his carefully laid plans.
"The ice wall is gone! Those battleships can move again! That means… we now have a way to escape!"
Out in the bay, the allied pirates' faces lit up with surprise and relief. The doubts sown by Squard's betrayal were wiped away by Whitebeard's actions, which destroyed any lingering fear.
"As pirates, what you choose to believe in… that's for you to decide!"
Whitebeard's roar thundered across the battlefield, shaking countless lost hearts back to clarity. Akainu's ploy to break their morale had utterly failed.
"It was all a lie… the Navy tricked us!"
"Damn them, they played us for fools!"
"Father would never betray us!"
Cries of defiance and renewed faith echoed from every corner of the bay.
"Those who would follow me—throw your lives aside and come with me!"
At last, the man sitting in command all this time made his move. Whitebeard himself was stepping onto the battlefield. The war had now entered its all-out stage.
"Prepare for combat! The world's strongest man is about to unleash his fury!"
Sengoku's voice rang out from the execution platform as he ordered the Navy to brace themselves.
"It's time!"
Whitebeard's voice boomed in reply as he leaped into the air, his defiant roar answering Sengoku's declaration of fear.
"So Whitebeard is finally going to fight, is he?"
On the ice, not far from the Moby Dick, Jiang Lin could feel the immense wave of fighting spirit surging behind him. His expression grew heavy. The battle had reached its most critical stage.
With Whitebeard taking the field, the Navy's top forces would inevitably commit themselves. At that level of intensity, even Jiang Lin would struggle to keep up with everything happening across the battlefield.
"Whitebeard… don't you dare die!"
Jiang Lin roared with all his heart, his voice laced with desperation.
"Hmph! Brat, you should worry more about yourself!"
Whitebeard's aura swelled higher and higher. Even at his advanced age, he was still—without question—the strongest man in the world.
"Haha… is that so?"
Jiang Lin's body ignited with blue flames, transforming into a mighty phoenix that spread its wings and soared skyward.
"Stop him!"
Sengoku's order rang out the moment Jiang Lin took flight.
"What a terrifying brat…"
In the midst of battle, Kizaru cast a mocking glance toward Jiang Lin, his tone full of derision.
"Jiang Lin, our fight isn't over yet!"
Aokiji strode past the Navy soldiers, moving straight toward Jiang Lin's path.
"Heh… Whitebeard…"
Akainu's eyes narrowed, locking onto Whitebeard with burning hatred.
"Attack!"
At Sengoku's command, the war erupted into its next stage.