The mocking laughter of the Five Elders still echoed over the ruins of Marineford.
But in the very next second, Venus, now transformed into his Bakotsu form, surged forward wrapped in a chilling frost!
No words.
The massive skeletal frame stomped onto the frozen ground and shot forth like a black lightning bolt—instantly crossing a kilometer—its enormous bone claw aiming straight for Lucian Thorn's head!
It was incredibly fast!
But just an inch before impact—
Thud!
A giant fist, wreathed in cloudlike white steam, gently intercepted the attack.
"Shishishi!"
Nika Luffy grinned from ear to ear, bursting into a laugh full of freedom and joy. No one had noticed when he'd arrived beside Lucian. His towering figure stood like a mountain, effortlessly catching Venus' strike.
"You're not just fighting one of us!"
Lucian cracked a smile too, his golden divine eyes flicking toward Mercury, who was stirring in his Sunaworm form.
"Oi oi oi! You two little brats!"
At that moment, the booming voice of elder Whitebeard shook the air, but landed precisely in the ears of Lucian and Nika Luffy.
"You two punks, listen up!"
"These five bastards are immortal in the truest sense! No matter how badly you hurt them, they regenerate instantly. Even if you leave only a piece of them behind, they'll come back again and again!"
"Normal attacks won't do a damn thing!"
Prime Whitebeard picked up where his older self left off, voice thundering with supreme authority.
"There's only one way to deal lasting damage to them."
"And that's with Conqueror's Haki—not just any, but the kind that surpasses all the rulers of this sea!"
"Only by coating your attacks with the purest Conqueror's Haki can you wound them at their core!"
"You understand?!"
His words weren't just for Lucian and Luffy—they were for everyone present.
Infinite regeneration.
Immortality.
And only the highest level of Conqueror's Haki could harm them?!
How were they supposed to fight that?
Very few present even had Conqueror's Haki, let alone mastered it at that level. Besides Whitebeard himself—who else could pull it off?
"Shishishishi!"
A carefree laugh full of joy rang out.
Peak Nika Luffy, his body swaying like rubber in the wind, had cartoonishly large eyes sparkling with excitement—completely unafraid.
"This sounds fun!"
"Don't worry, Pops!"
From above, Lucian's voice echoed across the battlefield, filled with unshakable confidence.
"Relax, Pops."
"Dealing with cockroaches that won't die…"
"Well, I've got a few tricks just for them."
"Leave them to us."
Before his words even faded, Lucian vanished from sight!
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared right in front of Bakotsu Venus and Sunaworm Mercury, hurling a punch so fast and silent that no sound followed—but both monsters' faces twisted in alarm, and they raised their arms to block!
Then—
Rubber Giant!
Nika Luffy roared with laughter, his body ballooning into a massive titan. His enormous fists, cloaked in Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, came crashing down on Itsumade Jupiter and Fengxi Mars!
Gods and monsters clashed in the skies above and the battlefield below—exploding into full-blown war in an instant!
Elder Whitebeard watched it all unfold, his mouth stretching into a wide, satisfied smile.
Then he turned his gaze toward the Marines' top brass, all staring up in dread.
"Gurararara!"
He pounded his Murakumo Giri into the ice, unleashing the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, shaking all of Marineford to its foundations. Giant cracks spread from where he stood.
"Well then…"
"…leave the small fry to us!"
"Rayleigh!"
"Ahh, seriously… if I'd known it would be this wild, I'd have dragged Roger along. He would've loved this kind of scene."
The Dark King Rayleigh appeared beside the two Whitebeards like a phantom.
"But I suppose, since it's Sengoku and Kong we're up against, it won't be boring."
Sengoku and Steel Bone Kong's expressions immediately darkened.
One Prime Whitebeard.
One Elder Whitebeard.
One Peak Rayleigh.
Three of the old era's apex warriors—now joining forces!
"All units, engage!" Sengoku bellowed, his voice hoarse from the strain.
"Gurararara! Come play with me, Kong!"
Prime Whitebeard laughed wildly, taking a step that blurred past visual limits. His Murakumo Giri, blazing with spatial-quaking energy, swept toward Steel Bone Kong.
"Damn you, Newgate!" Kong roared, muscles bulging, his fist slamming forward to meet him!
BOOM—!!!
An indescribable shockwave exploded between them, blasting apart the frozen ground of Marineford into a storm of shattered ice! The very wind from their fists was enough to drive back ordinary warriors!
"Sakazuki!"
Elder Whitebeard locked eyes on Akainu, fury burning in his gaze.
"You bastard… are you ready to face my wrath?!"
It was time to settle the score!
"Great Eruption!"
Akainu didn't back down. A massive magma fist rose skyward, clashing with Whitebeard's devastating white quake!
Elsewhere, Rayleigh's ghostlike figure had already entangled Sengoku—swordlight clashing wildly against Buddha's divine radiance!
"Damn it, Rayleigh! Can't you pick someone else to fight? You've been on my tail since you showed up!"
"Now now, Sengoku, don't be like that. We're old friends, aren't we? A little reunion brawl feels appropriate!"
"Bastard!" Sengoku roared, releasing another wave of divine impact!
Legend vs Legend. Strength vs Strength.
Marineford had become a battlefield for the gods!
"Let's go too!"
This timeline's Luffy looked at his brother Ace. They exchanged a grin—perfect understanding between them.
"Oh!"
"Fire Fist!"
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
Back-to-back, the brothers charged into the Marine lines like twin blades—unstoppable!
"Three-Sword Style…"
Zoro bit down on Wado Ichimonji, a demonic aura surging in his eyes.
The Whitebeard Pirates' commanders followed Luffy and Ace's lead, launching a full-scale assault on the Marines!
The battle's outcome… was drawing near.
High above—
Nika Luffy slammed a fist the size of a battleship down on Fengxi, driving the monster deep into the ice, shaking the entire island.
"Shishishi! Got him!"
He was about to cheer—
—but then his smile froze.
Fengxi, pulverized into mush, reformed like flowing sand. Within seconds, it stood fully restored—without a scratch.
"It's useless," it said coldly.
"I told you, we're—"
BOOM!
A foot came crashing down from above, stomping Fengxi back underground.
Lucian had appeared atop its head, looking down at the four grotesque monsters with an icy smile.
"Immortal, huh?"
"Is that so?"
He slowly raised his hand.
A tiny flame—golden, eerie, unnatural—flickered to life in his palm.
"Then let's find out…"
"Is your regeneration faster—"
"—or does my fire burn faster?"
Amaterasu.