His body stiffened involuntarily, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
This pressure made him feel as if he had returned to his early days in the Navy, facing his instructor Zephyr.
It was an overwhelming suppression in every aspect!
As a Navy Admiral who had fought countless battles throughout his life, he hadn't felt such crushing pressure in a long time.
But now, facing Whitebeard at his peak, he truly understood that the title "World's Strongest Man" was not an empty boast.
It was a power that could make even the mightiest tremble!
Before Akainu could think further, Whitebeard leaped into the air, his massive frame looming over Akainu like a dark cloud.
Gripping Murakumogiri with both hands, the white glow on its blade grew increasingly dazzling.
Black-red lightning coiled around the blade, intertwining with the white light and radiating a terrifying aura.
"Murakumogiri: Blade Quake!"
With a furious roar, Whitebeard brought Murakumogiri down toward Akainu with supreme force.
The edge of the Supreme Grade Sword, infused with ultimate quake power and Conqueror's Haki pressure, struck Akainu even before the blade reached him, the impact of Conqueror's Haki slamming into his body.
Akainu felt his entire body go numb, a sweet taste rising in his throat, and an intense sense of suffocation washing over him.
But he was, after all, a Navy Admiral. Faced with pressure capable of crushing even New World powerhouses, he held firm, lifting his head sharply as a flicker of madness flashed in his eyes:
"Ahhhhh, you old relic of a bygone era should just die! Why cling to life and struggle?!
Hound's Red Lotus!"
As he shouted, Akainu's arm instantly transformed into a ferocious magma hound, surging with scorching lava and destructive power as it lunged toward Whitebeard.
He poured all his strength into blocking this strike, determined to break Whitebeard's suppression.
He wanted to prove that the Navy Admirals of the new era could crush the legends of the old.
Yet, the moment their attacks collided, all of Akainu's pride shattered.
Crack!
The magma hound disintegrated instantly before Whitebeard's Murakumogiri.
Scorching lava scattered in all directions!
Akainu managed to hold out for only a brief moment before being violently sent flying by Murakumogiri.
His body flew uncontrollably backward, crashing through countless ruined houses and walls in a series of thunderous impacts.
Even in absolute disadvantage, Akainu did not give up completely.
At the last moment of his retreat, relying on astonishing willpower, he forcibly steadied himself, seizing the brief gap in Whitebeard's output power.
At this critical juncture, Whitebeard's strength had not fully retracted, leaving him unable to withdraw Murakumogiri for a counterattack. He could only rely on his physical body to withstand the sneak attack.
A sinister smile flickered in Akainu's eyes as he gloated inwardly:
"Even if you're Whitebeard at your peak, there will still be openings right after unleashing a full-power move!
Even if this strike doesn't kill you, it'll inflict serious injuries and drastically reduce your combat power!"
Without hesitation, he gathered his strength and launched a fierce attack toward Whitebeard's chest:
"Hellhound!"
An intensely concentrated magma dog's head shot rapidly toward Whitebeard's chest.
This strike was executed with extreme speed and a tricky angle, aimed directly at Whitebeard's heart.
Yet he never expected that Whitebeard would show not the slightest fear in the face of this fatal blow.
Whitebeard decisively abandoned using Murakumogiri, slowly extending his palm. White shockwaves gathered once more upon it as he reached out and directly grabbed toward that magma hound head.
Squelch!
The palm made contact with the magma hound head in an instant. Scorching magma instantly enveloped Whitebeard's hand, emitting a sizzling sound as white steam shot skyward.
But Whitebeard's hand remained as immovable as steel.
Shockwave force erupted from his palm, firmly gripping the magma hound head. The violent shockwaves instantly shredded it apart.
A large amount of molten rock scattered in all directions, most of it landing on Whitebeard himself. The scorching magma slid down his robes, burning his skin.
Yet, astonishingly, this magma—hot enough to melt steel—fell upon Whitebeard as if striking hard metal, naturally sliding off without causing him any substantial harm.
His skin merely reddened slightly, his face showing no trace of pain, as if that magma were nothing but ordinary warm water.
Akainu crashed heavily into the rubble. He struggled to rise from the ruins, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
When he saw Whitebeard completely unscathed, he was utterly stunned, muttering in disbelief:
"This... how is this possible?!
My Hellhound couldn't harm you in the slightest? How can you be this powerful? How can the gap be so immense?!"
Whitebeard looked at Akainu's wretched state and roared with astonishing presence:
"Magma brat, have you ever seen me in my prime?"
As his words fell, Whitebeard slowly raised Murakumogiri. Upon the blade, white shockwave force and black-red Conqueror's Haki Lightning intertwined once more.
He slowly brought the blade down in a chopping motion. Though the movement was slow, it contained ultimate power.
Murakumogiri sliced through the air, cleaving a deep white fissure in the sky.
That was the mark of space being torn apart by shockwave force!
"Murakumogiri: Sky-Quake: Space-Splitter!"
Whitebeard's furious roar rang out again. That deep white spatial fissure, like a ferocious giant serpent, rapidly extended toward Akainu.
Wherever it passed, air and ground were torn asunder, emitting crisp, shattering sounds like breaking glass.
Crack! Crack!
Akainu's expression twisted fiercely as his entire body transformed into magma:
"Damn old man, don't get cocky! Volcanic Impact!"
Magma erupted like a volcano, surging from his fist toward Whitebeard.
But this attack, akin to a natural disaster, was easily shredded apart by the spatial quake.
Amidst the sky full of lava, Akainu let out a roar as his body was ensnared by the spatial fissure.
The next moment, the spatial fissure completely swallowed Akainu. Violent shockwave force rampaged wildly within his body.
The earth was shaken open into a deep, profound fissure, which continuously spread and widened.
Akainu vomited blood, his entire body slammed deep into the earth by immense force, falling completely still.
If Marineford's island foundation hadn't been sturdy enough, Akainu might very well have been driven straight through layer after layer of bedrock by this power, plunging into the sea.
At that moment, as a Devil Fruit user, he would be unable to move in seawater. Unless someone came to rescue him, he would likely drown!
"Pay the price, you magma brat!"
Whitebeard glared in the direction where Akainu had been smashed into the ground, his eyes still burning with rage.
He tightened his grip on Murakumogiri, the tremors and Conqueror's Haki around him still surging wildly.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "GoddessTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!