"Whitebeard!"
Akainu roared, fury blazing in his molten eyes. His legs exploded with force as he launched a devastating kick at the giant standing before him.
CRACK!
Spiderweb fractures spread across the air like shattered glass—but Whitebeard's massive chest held firm, a wall of unyielding steel that absorbed the strike.
"System Notice: Paw-Paw Fruit successfully loaded. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds."
While Akainu's attack faltered, Jiang Lin seized the opening. The Admiral was midair, unable to anchor himself. Jiang Lin's eyes sharpened, his hand rising to strike.
"Repel!"
A paw-shaped shockwave surged forward—only for an ice wall to materialize, cutting him off.
"Brat… you dare!"
Akainu's rage boiled over. He smashed a magma fist into the air wall, cloaking himself in steam. Hidden in the fiery haze, he vaulted over Whitebeard and charged Jiang Lin head-on.
"Hellhound!"
His magma-clad arm howled through the air, molten jaws snapping toward Jiang Lin.
"Pressure Cannon!"
Jiang Lin thrust his palms forward, unleashing a barrage of compressed paw-shaped air bombs. They hammered into Akainu's strike one after another, detonating in violent succession.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Admiral's arm buckled under the repeated impacts, magma recoiling like dynamite exploding inside his veins.
Then Jiang Lin's palms pressed forward again. "Paw Shock!"
A single, fist-sized paw glided lazily toward Akainu. The moment it reached him—
BOOM!
The blast tore through the smoke. Akainu staggered out, his body riddled with smoldering holes, molten blood oozing through the wounds. His fury burned brighter than his magma.
"Brat…!"
The lava roiled as his form knitted itself back together.
"Yare yare… this fight isn't over yet?"
A beam of yellow light flickered, and Kizaru appeared beside Akainu. Draped in his gaudy yellow suit, the third Admiral had arrived.
"You caught Ivankov?" Akainu demanded, glancing at him.
Slumped over Kizaru's shoulder was the battered revolutionary, Ivanovankov.
"Operation is proceeding smoothly. Commence Ace's execution at once."
The shrill, feminine voice came from the execution platform. The genderbent Sengoku raised the Den Den Mushi high. With Ivankov captured, the Navy could reverse Jiang Lin's chaos eventually. There was no longer any reason to delay.
Akainu's fists clenched tight, his glare fixed on Jiang Lin. But Sengoku's urgency was undeniable. Grinding his teeth, he pulled back.
As he retreated, he rained magma fists down upon the Moby Dick. Fireballs smashed into her decks and masts, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates erupting into a burning inferno.
The flames lit the entire plaza.
"Akainu!"
Jiang Lin's face twisted in fury, but his body was spent. Chasing would be reckless.
"Whitebeard, your era ends here!"
Akainu's voice thundered across the battlefield. Another blazing fist soared, crashing toward the Moby Dick's mast.
"Not so fast, Akainu!"
Jiang Lin's right hand snapped up, releasing an enormous ice phoenix. It swept into the air, froze the magma mid-flight, and clamped its beak around the mast. With a powerful heave, the frozen bird wrenched the mast free and hurled it back to the plaza.
CRASH!
The colossal mast slammed down before Whitebeard and Jiang Lin, its tattered flag whipping in the flames.
The Moby Dick burned behind them, swallowed in fire. Whitebeard's face hardened with grief, but his stance never wavered. He could not falter—not now. He was more than a man. He was a pillar. If that pillar cracked, everything would crumble.
"Brat… thank you."
His deep voice rumbled forward. He wasn't ignoring his beloved ship; he simply could not allow himself to act, not with the weight of an era pressing down on his shoulders.
Behind him, his crew shouted in anguish.
"Our ship… the Moby Dick! The vessel that carried us for decades—"
Whitebeard finally turned, his expression softening as he gazed at the burning flagship.
"…Forgive me."
It was a whisper, but it carried the weight of a farewell.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Shellfire erupted across the plaza. The pirates had no time to grieve—life and death pressed upon them again.
Then, impossibly, a massive shadow stirred. From within the bay, Little Oars Jr. rose, battered but alive.
"Ace! Ace… huff… huff… Ace! I'll protect you!"
His voice cracked, his giant frame trembling on the verge of collapse.
"Oars!"
Ace's desperate cry rang from the execution platform. Terror gripped his heart as he watched his friend force himself upright.
"Oars!"
Whitebeard's voice, low and solemn, followed.
"He's alive… Oars is still alive!"
Hope lit the pirates' faces as the giant loomed once more.
"Prepare to fire!"
Sengoku's golden eyes narrowed. He raised his slender arm in command.
CLACK, CLACK!
Marines raised rifles. Cannons shifted in unison, all trained on the giant.
"Fire!"
The order cracked like thunder. Bullets and shells tore into Oars Jr., his massive body absorbing the full brunt of the barrage.
"Oars!"
Ace's voice broke. His despair deepened with every shot. Oars was too big—he couldn't dodge, couldn't shield himself. All he could do was endure.
The pirates roared in helpless rage, trapped behind the encircling walls, unable to reach him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The plaza thundered. Oars staggered, his body shaking violently under the rain of fire.
Yet he raised his scarred head, blood dripping, eyes locked on the execution platform. His lips formed only one word—"Ace." It was that unyielding will alone that kept him standing.
"What a troublesome giant…"
Kizaru handed Ivankov off to nearby Marines, his gaze flicking lazily to Oars.
"He's only prolonging the inevitable. End this quickly."
A commander barked orders, soldiers rushing to reload.
But Kizaru raised a hand. "No need. I'll finish him myself."
The Marines froze. "Admiral Kizaru?!"
He pursed his lips, a mock sigh escaping. "Execution won't wait forever. All I need is to blow his head off."
His fingertip shone with blinding light, aimed squarely at Oars Jr.'s skull.
"It's over."
Then—
"Fish-Man Jujutsu: Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!"
A geyser of seawater erupted from beneath the cracked ice, blasting into the plaza. It swallowed Kizaru's beam whole, dousing the light.
As the spray cascaded back into the sea, a figure emerged—soaked, bloodied, clutching a massive tree trunk.
"Luffy…"
Kizaru tilted his head, lips quirking into a parody of fear. "So scary… to be this strong so young."
Jiang Lin's eyes lit up. "Now's the chance!"
His body flickered into golden light as he flashed behind Oars Jr.
"Negative Healing Cannon!"
He slapped the giant's thigh, releasing a colossal crimson paw. It burst upward, hovering above the plaza like a mountain.
"Yata Mirror!"
Kizaru countered, yellow lightning streaking toward it.
But Jiang Lin's hands moved faster. Scarlet orbs poured from the giant paw, raining onto the Marines below.
"Feel the agony you've dealt others!"
AAAAAAHHHHH!
Screams shook the square. Marines writhed on the ground, clutching their bodies as the crimson spheres embedded in their chests forced them to relive unbearable pain. In an instant, swaths of soldiers collapsed, their will to fight ripped away.
Above them, the glowing orbs drifted ominously, a storm of suffering ready to fall again.
"What a terrifying brat… so this is Bartholomew Kuma's power?"
Kizaru's eyes narrowed, his attention shifting from Luffy to Jiang Lin.
"You insolent brat!"
Akainu's voice thundered, his glare fixed solely on Jiang Lin. From the moment he appeared, the Admiral had locked onto him like prey.
"This stage isn't meant for you."
Aokiji's tone was quieter, but his icy eyes followed Luffy.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard stood tall within the bay, smiling faintly at his giant subordinate.
"Oars. Stay strong. I need your strength."
"Father!"
Oars Jr.'s voice quaked, eyes shining with devotion.
"Jozu! Time to play our trump card. Everyone—advance on the plaza!"
Whitebeard's order rippled through the battlefield like a war drum.
Amid the chaos, Jiang Lin stood firm, his gaze locked on the execution platform.
"Ace! I've come to take you back!"
His voice cut through the roar of battle. His eyes ignored the three Admirals barring his way, piercing straight toward the brother he had sworn to save.
"Jiang Lin! Luffy!"
Ace's tears had long since dried. His eyes flicked between them, brimming with pride and sorrow.
And watching from the platform, Sengoku's feminine features twisted with hatred. His eyes, sharp as a predator's, never left Jiang Lin.