The movements of the God's Knights were subtle, seeming to go unnoticed except by the pirates and Marines closest to them.
But in reality, the strongest individuals on this battlefield had long since shifted their perception in this direction.
Among them, the three Emperors who had come into contact with the God's Knights during the God Valley Campaign, even while fighting against the Admirals, did not forget to direct their Observation Haki towards this area.
"Ha! The World Government remains as despicable as ever!"
Big Mom swung her sword, sending Akainu flying into the air, then used the power of the Homie 'Gaia' to violently yank him down to the ground.
This special Homie, transformed from mountain rock, possessed a gravity-manipulating ability similar to Issho's.
The difference was that it couldn't change direction as freely, and its range and force were somewhat inferior.
But these weren't issues when Big Mom infused it with her soul power to control it.
Even someone as strong as Akainu had to endure a moment of forced immobilization under Gaia's gravity suppression.
And that fleeting moment of rigidity was enough for Big Mom to execute one [Marma-Raid].
Zeus's lightning coiled around the blade. As Big Mom leaped into the air, did a flip, and descended with terrifying pressure, she slashed down at Akainu below.
Yet Akainu's expression didn't change in the slightest, remaining the same gloomy, slightly crazed look.
"As long as it eliminates evils like you, any means are justified."
In his heart, the hatred he held for Naruto, who had severed his arm and trampled on the World Government and Marine's dignity, even surpassed that for the Big Mom currently opposite him.
[Hell Hound!]
This move attacked enemies with an extending and retracting magma arm. Its characteristics were an extremely fast start-up and minimal tell.
This kind of insidious attack, even for an Emperor of the Sea, could easily land if they were caught off guard.
Like Big Mom right now.
Her Marma-Raid was already halfway executed, with no time to change course. It seemed she was about to be hit by Akainu's Hell Hound.
Fortunately, during the previous Whole Cake Island battle, the special Homies Big Mom created by consuming her own lifespan weren't limited to just Gaia.
"Mama, be careful!"
Accompanied by a sharp cry, Akainu's fist seemed to be blocked mid-air by some invisible wall.
It was Artemis, the mirror Homie born alongside Gaia.
Crack-
Under the intense heat of Hell Hound, the special mirror surface couldn't hold on for long, showing signs of melting, followed by the connected areas around it shattering.
However, buying these few seconds was enough to give Big Mom an opportunity.
"Well done, Artemis!"
Hearing Big Mom's praise, Artemis, whose body had sustained some damage, immediately showed a smile. Then it canceled the barrier against Akainu, replacing it with countless reflective mirror surfaces.
Now, every mirror around Akainu reflected the image of Big Mom rushing at him. Even his Observation Haki was being 'reflected' back by these mirrors, making it momentarily difficult for him to discern which was the real Big Mom.
If he couldn't tell, then destroy them all!
"Meteor Volcano!"
Giant magma fists flew out in all directions like they were free, shattering the mirror surfaces.
Big Mom's figure was exposed, but she didn't care.
At this moment, Zeus's lightning and Prometheus's flames had transformed into a bomb in her hand capable of destroying everything.
"It's been a long time since I used this move... Die, Akainu! Heavenly… Fire Blitz!!!!"
Fire and lightning intertwined, surging forward, triggering a super explosion the moment they made contact with Akainu's magma fists.
This explosion even affected the battles of the other two Emperors.
Kaido, whose flames had subsided and who had reverted to his human-beast hybrid form, was sent flying backward by the shockwave, barely managing to steady himself by driving his Hassaikai into the ice.
"Hey! Old hag! Have you gone mad?"
If even someone like Kaido couldn't stand firm, let alone others.
Aokiji, who had fully transformed into an [Absolute Zero Iceman], also chose to avoid the brunt, elementalizing his body and merging into the surrounding mist, turning it into tiny ice crystals resembling frost.
As for Whitebeard's side, the situation was a bit better.
The Gura Gura no Mi was a natural counter to such shockwaves. A simple punch could create shattered space to block the shockwave's propagation. (T/N: Tremor-Tremor Fruit.)
Thanks to this, while the Tobiroppo of the Beasts Pirates and various Ministers of the Big Mom Pirates were sent flying by the blast, people like Vista could still stand steadily on the ice and continue fighting.
It could only be said that when it came to caring for his subordinates, Whitebeard far surpassed those two.
However, doing this wasn't without cost.
"Where are you looking, Whitebeard."
Ama no Murakumo pierced through Whitebeard's shoulder. Using his clones to draw attention, Kizaru seized this opening and stabbed Whitebeard.
But the response was another fist.
Bam!
This time, it squarely hit Kizaru.
He himself was smashed heavily into the ice, his Marine cloak becoming tattered.
"Huff... Is that your idea of scratching an itch, brat?"
Though his words remained tough, it was clear that after fighting Kizaru for so long, Whitebeard's critically ill body was beginning to send out distress signals.
Especially after being pierced like that. Even if the wound wasn't large for Whitebeard, it had severed quite a bit of muscle and nerve, making it hard for that arm to exert force.
Looking at it this way, he might be the first of the three Emperors to be taken out of the fight.
...
Unlike the lively atmosphere of the main battlefield, the air among the few people on the execution platform had grown heavy.
"What are you doing, Garp?"
Sengoku's hand firmly gripped Garp, preventing him from taking another step forward.
In truth, in terms of physical strength, Sengoku was no match for Garp. What truly stopped Garp was his responsibility as a Marine.
But it was also this same sense of justice that drove Garp, not allowing him to turn a blind eye to the World Government's blatant kidnapping of the Empress.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if I recall correctly... Boa Hancock is currently still 'on our side', right?"
"Garp, did you not listen to a single thing I said during the meeting?"
In response to Garp's question, Sengoku didn't answer directly, instead replying with another question of his own.
Regarding the capture of Hancock, one of the Warlords, the decision had actually been made three or four days ago.
The World Government issued the order, and all upper echelons of the Marine had been informed.
Not only the three Admirals, but senior Marine officers like Tsuru, Issho, Aramaki, and Tokikake were also aware.
Perhaps only Hancock herself and the lower-ranking officers and sergeants on the front lines were unaware.
"I don't remember agreeing to..."
"Garp!!"
Feeling the force emanating from Garp, Sengoku even had to enter his transformed state.
Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu.
Sengoku, now several times taller, merely used one hand to pin down Garp, seemingly wanting to render him immobile like the monkey pinned under a mountain by a Buddha in some mythological tale.
But as the saying goes, the only thing that could truly make Garp stop was himself.
"Boa Hancock publicly attacked and resisted Marines during the Whole Cake Island operation. Don't tell me you didn't see that!"
"Her position as a Warlord should have been revoked long ago. It just so happened that..."
It just so happened to be arranged for this specific point in time.
The time when she was alone at Marineford, engaged in battle at the front lines.
Even Sengoku himself couldn't continue.
However, Hancock had indeed made actions hostile to the Marines during the Whole Cake Island incident.
Strictly speaking, the Marine's capture operation against her was legally justified.
"..."
Garp fell silent.
He understood perfectly well that those reasons were bullshit. The sole purpose of all this was simply to restrain the 'biggest variable' that hadn't yet arrived.
And the reason he couldn't advance further lay here as well.
Because this, too, was his own selfishness.
On one hand, Garp wouldn't allow Whitebeard and the others to rescue Ace. On the other hand, Garp also hoped Naruto would appear with absolute, overwhelming force to defeat him, making it impossible for him to stop it all.
'Naruto, why haven't you shown up yet?'
In the end, Garp lowered his head, choosing to step back before the execution platform. Sengoku also retracted his Daibutsu form.
"When the fog disperses and the broadcast resumes, we can begin the execution of [Fire Fist] Ace."
Whether talking to himself or revealing some information, Sengoku suddenly uttered these words out of nowhere.
The two soldiers responsible for the execution nodded in acknowledgment.
This made Garp even more anxious inside.
He knew Hancock and Naruto had an unusual relationship, even earlier than most other Marines.
Therefore, he could also understand that even if Naruto appeared here later, he would face the dilemma of 'saving his wife or saving his nephew'.
Meanwhile, Naruto, whom Garp was so preoccupied with, saw a familiar figure with a hairstyle resembling bull horns.
'That guy... if I remember correctly, he should be Stussy's subordinate, right?'
'Seems to be called... Brook? No, no, Blueno?'
Transformed into the Empress and bound with Seastone shackles, Naruto watched as Blueno, whom he'd met once before, opened an [Air Door] in the air, about to send him inside.
And at this very moment, several figures were already standing within the dimensional space Blueno had opened.