The surrounding Marines were still struggling to grasp the situation, but the moment Sengoku spoke, their spirits rallied.
Right, there's no time to waste—rescuing the hostages comes first!
Yet, in that very instant, Garp suddenly shouted, "Bad news! That Lin Xuan and that strange woman in white—they're gone!"
"What?!" The others paled in shock.
They whipped their heads around, only to find that where Lin Xuan and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had stood moments ago, there were now nothing but two human-shaped hollows in the ice—clear outlines of their figures.
But where were Lin Xuan and Kaguya?
The next moment, their blood ran cold.
Above the execution platform where the three Celestial Dragons were imprisoned, Lin Xuan and Kaguya emerged from a bizarre black void in the air.
This was Kaguya's space-time ninjutsu—Yomotsu Hirasaka.
"Good work, Kaguya," Lin Xuan said approvingly.
Kaguya remained silent.
She understood that his praise wasn't just for her timely assistance—it was also because she had chosen to act, signaling her submission to his authority.
On the other side, Sengoku and the others had no idea what Yomotsu Hirasaka was, nor did they understand the complex dynamic between Lin Xuan and Kaguya. But the moment they saw the two appear directly above the Celestial Dragons, they knew—their plan had failed.
To make matters worse, just as Lin Xuan and Kaguya broke free, many others across the frozen Sabaody Archipelago were also finding ways to escape the ice.
Minato Namikaze and Tobirama Senju used Flying Thunder God to teleport out. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha simply brute-forced their way free.
"Stop them! I'll rescue the Celestial Dragons!" Kong roared, charging straight for the three hostages.
Sengoku, Garp, and the remaining elite Marines immediately sprang into action. Some lunged toward Lin Xuan and Kaguya, while others rushed to intercept Minato, Tobirama, and the nearly freed Madara and Hashirama.
Their desperate plan was simple—have some stall Lin Xuan's group while Kong seized the chance to save the Celestial Dragons.
But the distance was still too great. Even at their fastest, it would take them several breaths to close the gap.
And for someone like Lin Xuan, a single breath was more than enough to kill three defenseless hostages.
Yet, in that critical moment—
"DIE, YOU BASTARDS!"
A furious roar shattered the air.
To Sengoku's shock, the voice belonged to Akainu—and the admiral had somehow already closed in on Lin Xuan's position.
Akainu looked battered, one arm nearly destroyed, his body drenched in blood—all wounds inflicted by Madara earlier. His injuries had been so severe that everyone assumed he was out of the fight.
But now, with sheer willpower, he had forced himself back into the fray, his remaining arm morphing into molten lava as he unleashed a devastating attack.
"Meigo (Hell Hound)!"
His magma-coated fist elongated like a spear, hurtling toward Lin Xuan with terrifying speed and force.
This was the same technique that had blown off half of Whitebeard's face in the original timeline.
Seeing the attack, Sengoku and Garp immediately changed course, intending to use Akainu's assault as a diversion while Kong rescued the Celestial Dragons.
But Lin Xuan didn't even flinch.
"Kaguya," he said calmly, "grab the Celestial Dragons. Now."
Without a word, Kaguya activated Yomotsu Hirasaka again.
A dark portal opened beside her—and another appeared directly behind the three frozen Celestial Dragons.
Lin Xuan reached through the spatial rift, yanking the hostages free from the ice and holding them up as human shields—right in the path of Akainu's Meigo.
At the same time, he and Kaguya slipped through the portal, reappearing safely on the execution platform.
In that split second, Akainu's attack was no longer aimed at Lin Xuan—but at the three Celestial Dragons.
"WHAT?!"
Akainu's face twisted in horror. He tried desperately to stop his attack—but it was too late.
BOOM!
The molten fist pierced straight through the Celestial Dragons' bodies, impaling them like skewered meat.
Silence.
Absolute, suffocating silence.
To make matters worse, the Den Den Mushi cameras held by Frecks and the others—though frozen—were still broadcasting.
The entire world watched as the three Celestial Dragons were switched with Lin Xuan at the last second, only to be burned alive by Akainu's attack.
Stunned disbelief.
No one could process what had just happened.
The Celestial Dragons—the so-called "gods" of the world—hadn't even realized they'd been freed from the ice before Akainu's magma incinerated them from the inside out.
As for Akainu himself?
The man who had sought to redeem himself, to restore the Marines' honor—had just personally executed three Celestial Dragons on live broadcast.
The sheer shock and self-loathing overwhelmed him.
His vision darkened.
And with that, Akainu—the indomitable Red Dog—collapsed mid-air, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
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T/N:
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