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The sea level surged higher, with waves rising in relentless succession, signaling the brewing chaos.
By now, the Whitebeard Pirates had fully landed on the grounds of Marineford, bracing themselves against the full force of Marine attacks.
Whoosh!
A streak of red shot through the battlefield.
Akainu charged forward with his fist engulfed in molten lava. His target was none other than Whitebeard himself.
The air around Akainu warped under the sheer heat of his attack, and the ground beneath his feet was reduced to cinders.
Clang!
Whitebeard's Murakumogiri met Akainu's lava-laden punch head-on. The weapon, charged with the vibrations of his Quake-Quake Fruit, clashed fiercely with the Admiral's magma, sending sparks flying in all directions.
The collision seemed to split the atmosphere itself, dividing it between two opposing forces of destruction.
The resulting shockwaves exploded outward, spreading like a violent storm across the battlefield and shaking the ground beneath the combatants.
Despite the overwhelming heat and force, Whitebeard's earthquake energy proved superior. Akainu was forced to retreat, sliding back as he gritted his teeth.
But just as Whitebeard prepared to press the advantage, another threat emerged.
From the forest summoned by Ryokugyu, an enormous wooden golem took shape. Its massive form radiated vitality and power as it raised a colossal fist and roared toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard, unshaken, summoned the familiar white halo of his Quake-Quake Fruit in his palm, ready to counter the incoming blow.
Flash!
A blinding light pierced the battlefield.
In an instant, two laser beams shot forth from Kizaru's raised fingers, slamming into Whitebeard's chest with terrifying precision. The Admiral's attack left two searing wounds, and Whitebeard staggered from the pain.
The force of the attack weakened his own counter, and the wooden golem's punch collided with him at full strength. The impact sent Whitebeard stumbling backward several steps, clutching his Murakumogiri tightly.
He steadied himself but suddenly coughed up blood. His large frame hunched slightly as he clutched his chest, his expression grim.
The dual injuries from Kizaru's lasers and his existing wounds had taken a severe toll.
"Father!" Marco cried out in desperation, his voice laced with panic. "You despicable cowards! Ganging up on him like this!"
Flames of blue phoenix fire burned more intensely around Marco as he lashed out in fury. His attack surged toward the Vice Admirals blocking his path.
"Pirates like you deserve no mercy!" snarled Vice Admirals Momonga and Onigumo.
The two struck back with their Armament Haki-coated blades, intercepting Marco's attack. Despite his anger, Marco, like the other Whitebeard division commanders, found himself outnumbered and restrained by the Marines' overwhelming forces.
The addition of the monster-like Admirals, along with the elite Vice Admirals brought in through conscription, had turned the tide against the Whitebeard Pirates.
This relentless pressure on Whitebeard's forces extended to the Straw Hats and their allies, leaving them equally pinned down.
"This is a place of justice, we cannot allow you pirates to run wild any longer."
The Straw Hats turned to see Marine Vice Admiral and Chief of Staff Tsuru stepping into their path.
"Move it, old lady! Get out of my way!" Luffy shouted.
In Second Gear, Luffy charged forward, disappearing in a blur of speed. To him, anyone standing between him and rescuing Ace—whether young or old, man or woman—was an obstacle to be overcome.
Tsuru sighed softly. "He's as impatient and reckless as Garp."
Effortlessly dodging Luffy's strike with Observation Haki, Tsuru reached out and grabbed his extended arm.
In that moment, her Devil Fruit ability activated.
Luffy's body began to twist and spin uncontrollably, as if he were being tossed into a washing machine.
"Ugh! What the hell is this?!" Luffy shouted, his voice rising in panic.
In mere seconds, his entire body was flattened and limp, resembling a piece of wrung-out cloth.
"Damn it… I can't move!" Luffy yelled, struggling in vain as his consciousness remained intact, but his body refused to return to its original form.
"Luffy!"
Seeing their captain incapacitated, Enel, Sanji, and the others rushed forward to rescue him.
However, in mere moments, Vice Admiral Tsuru extended her hand, touching each of them as they approached. Like Luffy, they too fell to the ground, their bodies flattened and limp, resembling paper cutouts.
The veteran Vice Admiral made it look effortless, subduing the Straw Hats with her calm, calculated moves.
"Don't worry," Tsuru said, glancing down at the incapacitated crew. "I'll see to it that you're sent to Impel Down. At least there, you'll survive this battle."
Her sharp gaze shifted to Sanji. "And you, boy from the Vinsmoke family… you won't be harmed either. After all, you hold certain special privileges."
Sanji's eyes widened in shock, his pupils narrowing sharply. A mix of frustration and defiance surged within him as he gritted his teeth, unable to respond or move.
Suddenly, a loud warning blared across Marineford, echoing through the battlefield.
"Woo… woo… woo…"
The blaring sirens caught everyone's attention. Sengoku, who had begun to feel a measure of control over the battlefield, turned his head toward the mouth of the bay, his expression darkening with confusion.
"The tsunami is coming!"
The panicked voice of a Marine watchman cut through the commotion.
All eyes turned toward the horizon, where an enormous wave, towering hundreds of meters high, surged forward at an alarming speed, blotting out the sky.
"Is that… a tsunami?"
"How is that possible?"
"Wait… is this Whitebeard's doing?"
Marines turned pale with terror, while even the pirates stared at the incoming wave in stunned silence.
The sheer scale of the tsunami was beyond comprehension. Whether Marine or pirate, all knew they would be swallowed in an instant if the wave reached them.
"This isn't natural! This is man-made!"
Speculation rippled through the crowd. Aside from Whitebeard, there were only two figures capable of such devastation: the enigmatic Snake Princess of the Sky Kingdom… and that man.
Sengoku's expression turned grim. If another of the Four Emperors had entered the fray, the entire war could spiral beyond his control.
Crash!
The colossal wave loomed over the battlefield, casting its immense shadow across the bay. Yet, before it could strike the square, Whitebeard moved.
Clenching his massive fist, he swung upward, releasing the full force of his Quake-Quake Fruit.
Boom!
The air cracked violently as his quake shattered the incoming wave.
For a moment, it seemed the tsunami was neutralized. But then, high above, a searing blast of heat descended from the sky, slamming into the highest point of the wave.
Boom!
The violent explosion disrupted the shockwave's rebound. The result was catastrophic.
The tsunami collapsed, falling in all directions. The force of the cascading water sent enormous waves crashing toward the coastline, unleashing devastation across Marineford.
Though the square itself was spared from a direct hit, the waves reached the coast with terrifying impact, driving high-rise surges of seawater into the bay.
Warships and other vessels moored nearby were consumed by the abyss-like waves, shattered and sunk in moments.
Boom! Boom!
Buildings along the shore crumbled under the relentless force of the water. The bay, once frozen solid by Aokiji, was reclaimed by the raging ocean.
Countless ships were crushed and splintered into debris, their remains scattered across the tumultuous sea.
The Moby Dick, already close to shore, fared better than most, sustaining only minor damage. However, nearly half of the other auxiliary ships, as well as the Thousand Sunny, were destroyed, reduced to precarious wrecks.
The Straw Hats watched in despair as the destruction unfolded, tears streaming down their faces at the sight of their precious ship in ruins.
For the Whitebeard Pirates, the loss was even graver. Many of their allied vessels were swallowed whole by the sea, vanishing into the depths like prey consumed by a massive predator.