The Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates—
The two central forces of today's monumental war.
The battle that once seemed to end… ignited again.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard's deep laughter rolled across the shattered Marineford. His massive form straightened as he lifted the legendary blade, Cong Yunqie. The weapon pulsed with dazzling vibrations, coated in the energy of the Quake-Quake Fruit, and came swinging down with world-shaking might.
"Hmph!"
Marshal Sengoku snorted coldly and brought his hands together.
DUANG!!!
In an instant, his Zoan Devil Fruit — Model: Great Buddha — erupted to life.
Golden light engulfed him as his body expanded skyward, transforming into a massive, radiant Buddha that towered above the battlefield.
The golden palm of Buddha Sengoku descended with divine force.
The impact created a shockwave so massive it clashed directly with Whitebeard's quake-powered strike.
Space itself trembled.
The air warped under the collision of two world-class powers.
A blinding light burst forth — brighter than the sun — followed by an explosion that tore through heaven and sea alike.
The shockwave hurled both Marine soldiers and pirate captains through the air like ragdolls.
When the thunderous clash finally eased, Sengoku's golden eyes narrowed.
"Whitebeard," he said, voice booming. "You've grown weaker. In the old days, I could never have caught one of your blows head-on."
Whitebeard grinned through the chaos, his voice steady and proud.
"Gurararara! Say what you want, Sengoku. Tricks like that won't change anything. Our will—our fighting spirit—won't waver. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way!"
"In that case…" Sengoku muttered, his gaze shifting. "As you wish."
The ground beneath them cracked open as Admiral Akainu arrived, magma spilling from his fists like molten rivers.
"Great Eruption — Red Lotus Hound!!!"
The sky burned crimson. From Akainu's arm, a colossal magma hound lunged forward, fangs bared, leaving trails of molten rock in its wake.
"Not this time!"
A clear voice roared from above.
Marco the Phoenix, commander of Whitebeard's First Division, dove between Akainu and his captain, blue flames trailing behind him.
"I won't let you hurt him again!"
That image — the war in the "singing world," when Akainu's blow had fatally pierced Whitebeard — burned in Marco's memory. He had failed to shield his father then.
This time, he would not.
"Blue Flame Barrier — Immortal Thistle!"
Marco's body burst into azure fire as he fully transformed into his phoenix form. His wings spread wide, creating a blazing shield of blue light that collided with Akainu's magma head-on.
The impact crackled, fire and magma fusing in a storm of heat that shook the earth.
Meanwhile, on the opposite flank—
"Ice Saber — Arctic Pheasant Fang!!!"
Admiral Aokiji sliced downward, his right arm sharp as a blade.
Crack—crack—crack!
From his hand, a massive bird of solid ice materialized, wings spread in a chilling arc.
"Leave this one to me!"
Fire Fist Ace, the captain of the Second Division, charged forward.
He had been imprisoned before—bound and helpless. But now, finally freed, he refused to stay back.
"Flame Mirror!!!"
The power of the Flame-Flame Fruit roared to life. Waves of fire surged from his fists, forming a wall of molten flame that collided with Aokiji's ice bird midair.
When fire met ice, the world hissed.
Steam erupted in massive clouds, blanketing the battlefield in a suffocating fog.
"Ace! Watch out!"
Sabo's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
"Nani?!"
Ace froze for a split second. Though his Observation Haki wasn't as refined as Sabo's, he could still feel it — a murderous presence closing in from within the steam.
Crash!
A hole tore open through the white mist.
From it came Aokiji, his arm wrapped in both Armament Haki and a layer of freezing mist, forming an icy gauntlet that gleamed like crystal.
The Admiral wasn't holding back anymore.
His intent was absolute.
Combining the Frozen-Frozen Fruit's elemental power with the iron fists he had inherited from the Marine hero Garp, Aokiji drove his blow forward — a move perfected through countless days of brutal training, pounding warships into scrap to hone this single strike.
Even Fire Fist Ace — one of Whitebeard's greatest captains — could not simply block it.
It was unstoppable.
Ace knew that.
He saw it coming.
But retreat was not an option.
"Fire Fist!!!"
He clenched his fists and poured all his power into one blazing strike, hurling a massive torrent of flame directly at Aokiji's attack.
The two fists collided.
For an instant, the world seemed to pause.
Then—
Boom!!!
The ice gauntlet shattered the fire apart, cutting through the inferno as though slicing paper. Aokiji's frozen iron fist slammed directly into Ace's chest.
"—Guh!"
Blood burst from Ace's mouth as his body shot backward like a cannonball, slamming into the ground with a deafening crash.
One strike.
That was all it took.
Fire Fist Ace had fallen once again — engulfed in flames and blood.