As the words fell, Whitebeard raised his hand and issued a stern order to his fourteen division commanders and all members of the Whitebeard Pirates:
"Everyone, listen! Charge across the ice and attack Marineford at all costs to rescue Ace!"
"Yes, Old Man!"
The fourteen division commanders responded in unison, their voices booming across the sea.
Immediately afterward, the Whitebeard Pirates charged swiftly across the ice frozen by Aokiji toward Marineford.
The pirates on the ships brandished their weapons, roaring as they launched a fierce assault on the Marines.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! Hold Marineford! Do not let the pirates approach the execution platform!" Sengoku also commanded.
Following Sengoku's order, the 100,000 elite Marines raised their weapons and charged toward the oncoming pirates.
Numerous Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals of the Marines also took to the field, each leading their soldiers into battle against the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
In an instant, the sounds of battle cries, clashing weapons, and explosions echoed throughout Marineford.
Within moments, blood stained the ice red.
The battle between the two sides instantly escalated into a white-hot phase.
At that moment, Flower Sword Vista, holding a longsword, fixed his sharp gaze on Hawkeye Mihawk, who stood among the ranks of the Seven Warlords of the Sea:
"Mihawk, I've long heard of your reputation! I've been wanting to have a proper fight with you!
Today, let us have a good match and see whose swordsmanship is superior!"
Hearing this, Hawkeye Mihawk slowly raised his head.
His eyes were calm as he looked at Flower Sword Vista, nodding slightly before speaking plainly:
"Since you wish to fight, I shall grant your wish."
With those words, Hawkeye's figure flashed, instantly appearing on the ice. With a slight swing of his Black Blade Yoru, a massive Flying Slash shot toward Flower Sword Vista.
Flower Sword Vista's expression changed, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. He swiftly swung his longsword, sending an equally massive Flying Slash to meet the attack.
Boom!
The two Flying Slashes collided, producing a deafening roar.
A powerful shockwave spread outward, shattering the surrounding ice.
Immediately afterward, the two engaged in a fierce duel, with terrifying Flying Slashes ravaging the ice.
Wherever they passed, both the ice and nearby ships were sliced in half.
Both of their swordsmanship had reached the pinnacle of the world. Every clash generated earth-shattering power, leaving everyone present stunned.
The battle between the Marines and the pirates continued, while the duel between Flower Sword and Hawkeye undoubtedly became one of the most dazzling highlights of the great war.
At that moment, Kizaru's eyes behind his sunglasses scanned the chaotic battlefield as he plotted his next plan to slack off.
Now was the beginning of the battle. If he didn't find a good excuse to withdraw at this moment, it would be difficult to retreat later, as he would have to face even stronger enemies.
Soon, his gaze settled on Whitebeard, and an idea immediately formed in his mind.
But before he could rise, a figure swept past him, charging toward Whitebeard.
That person was Ivan!
He swept a grave gaze across the battlefield, focusing particularly on the fourteen division commanders and Whitebeard himself:
"As expected of the Whitebeard Pirates, who have dominated the seas for decades. Their reputation is well-deserved.
Even just the division commanders under him are each as strong as monsters.
It seems the only way to end this war quickly and minimize losses is to capture the leader first!"
Before his words had fully faded, Ivan soared into the air, charging straight toward Whitebeard's location.
His speed was so extreme that it tore through the air with a piercing shriek, drawing the attention of everyone on the battlefield.
On the ground, Kizaru's smile froze for an instant, his eyes behind the sunglasses filled with astonishment.
He watched Ivan's receding figure, his lips twitching slightly as he grumbled inwardly:
"Hey, hey, hey... those lines he just said were all the ones I had prepared!"
Kizaru felt bitterly aggrieved, yet there was nothing he could do.
Having served in the Navy for many years, he had long mastered the art of slacking off.
In a war of this scale, avoiding the attention of higher-ups while smoothly making it to the end was a profound skill.
At the start of the war, when the battlefield situation was still unclear and there were plenty of opponents to choose from, it was the perfect time to slack off.
Picking a suitable opponent for a harmless skirmish—neither appearing idle nor expending too much energy—was his perfect plan.
But he never expected that just as he had chosen his target, this junior Ivan would beat him to it.
Kizaru shook his head helplessly. Could it be that Ivan was also a master of slacking off?
However, this frustration didn't last long, soon replaced by relief.
In the air, Ivan had already closed in on Whitebeard.
The next moment, a purple glow emerged from his hand, spreading across Snowfall.
He gripped Snowfall tightly and swung it with force: "One Sword Style: Purple: Severing the Void!"
A massive deep-purple slash erupted, carrying an earth-shattering momentum as it hurtled fiercely toward Whitebeard.
Ivan held nothing back, immediately unleashing his strongest move aside from Advanced Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
Below, Whitebeard stood at the bow of the Moby Dick. Seeing the slash powerful enough to cleave space itself, his brow furrowed slightly.
A slash of this intensity was something even he could not ignore!
Just as he prepared to act, using the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to intercept the attack, a dark figure suddenly appeared before him.
The man had long hair cascading over his shoulders, a cold and stern face, and an aura of arrogance that seemed to look down upon the world between his brows. It was Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Madara glanced sideways at Whitebeard, declaring with domineering confidence:
"The war has only just begun. Having the commander-in-chief take action personally is not the Uchiha way.
Rest assured, this Navy brat will be handled by me. You just stay back and watch."
Before his words faded, intense blue flames erupted around Uchiha Madara's body. Within the flames, the faint outline of bones began to form.
"Susanoo!"
With a low shout, the massive Susanoo instantly took shape, towering dozens of zhang high, its form majestic like an ancient giant.
But the moment the Susanoo fully materialized, it suddenly began to shrink rapidly.
Its originally dozens-of-zhang-tall body dwindled to just a few zhang in height in the blink of an eye.
As Susanoo's size continued to compress, its defensive power surged accordingly.
Clearly, even Uchiha Madara had to take Ivan's slash seriously!
Then, Uchiha Madara manipulated Susanoo, extending its massive arm to fiercely swat at that purple slash.
Boom!
The purple slash collided violently with Susanoo's palm, the immense impact instantly erupting and forming a terrifying shockwave that swept out in all directions.
The purple slashing light relentlessly assaulted Susanoo's palm, tearing it apart.