He did not stop there. Although Akainu had fallen into the ground, he knew full well that Akainu possessed an incredibly tenacious vitality and would not die—only injured.
If given time to recover, Akainu would quickly return to peak condition.
This was a Navy Admiral, a true monster. Even with a gap in strength, it was difficult to determine victory or defeat in a short time!
Moreover, his goal at this moment was not merely to severely injure Akainu, but also to crush the Navy's morale, to carve a path for Luffy toward the execution platform, and to rescue Ace.
Therefore, he had to press the advantage, giving the Navy no chance to catch their breath.
In the next moment, Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri once more. On the blade, black-red Conqueror's Haki Lightning and white Vibration Power completely fused, forming a dazzling light blade.
Gripping the blade with both hands, he raised it high, then, mustering all his strength, slammed Murakumogiri fiercely into the ground.
"Earthquake: Earth-Rending Sea-Churning!"
With this strike, he unleashed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to its absolute limit, aiming directly to shatter the very foundation of Marineford beneath the island, causing the entire inner bay to collapse.
In this way, Akainu would be completely submerged in the sea!
Boom!
Murakumogiri slammed violently into the ground. The extreme Vibration Power instantly transmitted deep underground, spreading wildly along the island's foundation.
The ground began to tremble violently. Countless enormous fissures rapidly appeared and spread, as ruined buildings and collapsed fortresses tumbled into the cracks.
On the execution platform, Sengoku, seeing this scene, could no longer concern himself with anything else, roaring at the top of his lungs:
"Sakazuki!"
If Akainu truly drowned in seawater, the Navy's strength would be greatly diminished.
In this war, they would be completely thrown into a passive position, even facing the possibility of defeat.
Without further hesitation, Sengoku's figure flashed as he immediately charged toward Whitebeard, intending to stop him.
But he had only taken a few steps forward when a figure appeared before him, blocking his path.
Misaka Mikoto firmly held Sengoku back, preventing him from advancing even a single step further.
"Navy Fleet Admiral, your opponent is me. If you want to save Akainu, you'll have to get past me first!"
Sengoku stared at Misaka Mikoto blocking his way, his eyes filled with rage and apprehension.
He knew Misaka Mikoto's strength was formidable; breaking through her blockade quickly would not be easy.
But with Akainu in imminent danger, he had no time to tangle with Misaka Mikoto. He could only launch a forced attack, trying to break through her obstruction.
Meanwhile, standing at the edge of the execution platform, Garp watched the scene unfold, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his heart caught in intense turmoil.
Akainu was a Navy Admiral, a core force upholding the Navy's Justice. Now that Akainu was in crisis, according to his duty, he should immediately rush to the rescue and stop Whitebeard.
But he upheld Justice with his own principles.
He could, out of duty, watch Ace be executed, but he would absolutely not become an 'accomplice,' would not take the initiative to act.
Just as he hesitated, a figure suddenly flashed past, instantly appearing beneath the descending Murakumogiri once more.
Ivan tightly gripped his longsword Snowfall, Conqueror's Haki surging wildly around him.
Without a moment's hesitation, he gripped Snowfall tightly and swung it upward with a fierce slash, meeting Whitebeard's Murakumogiri head-on.
"One Sword Style: Gravity Blade: Void Strike!"
Ivan's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Before Snowfall and Murakumogiri made direct contact, two powerful surges of Conqueror's Haki clashed first.
Boom!
The shockwave from the collision of Conqueror's Haki instantly swept across the entire area.
The ground beneath Ivan's feet shattered instantly, sending rubble flying everywhere.
But just as the ground was about to collapse completely, the gravity beneath Ivan and Whitebeard suddenly vanished, replaced by an immense Repulsive Force.
This force was so powerful that it lifted both Ivan and Whitebeard into the air, separating them from the ground.
Using gravity, Ivan dragged Whitebeard's body high into the sky, avoiding the full force of Whitebeard's strike and preventing a large portion of Marineford from being obliterated.
The sight of Ivan dragging Whitebeard into the air and averting the island's crisis was witnessed by everyone present.
That white figure had forcefully intercepted a strike from Whitebeard at his peak, turning the tide of a battle on the brink of chaos and giving the Marines a moment to catch their breath.
On the execution platform, Sengoku finally relaxed slightly, loudly praising Ivan:
"Ivan, well done!"
His tone carried both relief after a narrow escape and undeniable astonishment.
He had always known Ivan was strong, but he never imagined Ivan had reached such heights.
Even Akainu couldn't withstand Whitebeard at his peak, yet Ivan had forcefully intercepted him.
This level of strength exceeded his expectations, giving him a tremendous surprise.
In the air, Ivan and Whitebeard hovered side by side.
This was Ivan's Gravity Blade, quite similar to the future Admiral Fujitora's Gravity Blade, but Ivan's version far surpassed Fujitora's in terms of power.
It was precisely this formidable ability that allowed Ivan to intercept Whitebeard's attack and prevent Marineford's destruction.
As one of the sea's top powerhouses, Whitebeard naturally knew Moon Walk.
He vibrated the air around him slightly, using the recoil to maintain considerable mobility.
Feeling the lightness of being completely free from gravity's pull, a gleam flashed in Whitebeard's eyes:
"Young Ivan, your ability is far more interesting than that magma brat's!
But I don't have time to waste with you now. Get out of my way!
I'm going to save my son, and no one will stop me!"
Without further hesitation, Whitebeard gripped his Supreme Grade Sword Murakumogiri with both hands, channeling the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power to its limit.
The blade of Murakumogiri instantly emitted a blinding white light.
Within the light, black and red Conqueror's Haki Lightning crackled wildly.
"Murakumogiri: Void Quake: Thousand-World Slash!"
With a furious roar, Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri with all his might. The blade sliced through the air with a piercing shriek, sending countless deep white spatial fissures rapidly spreading toward Ivan.
Each spatial fissure contained extreme Vibration Power, tearing through the air, distorting light, and even shattering the surrounding clouds in an instant.
The power of this strike had already surpassed that of an Admiral, reaching an even higher level.
If it were anyone else facing an attack of this magnitude, they would undoubtedly choose to evade immediately, not daring to confront it head-on.
Even Garp, who could withstand Mihawk's Divine Departure, was no exception.
After all, this was the awakened power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, not an ordinary slash or impact.
In the face of shattered space, any matter, any defense, would be twisted and torn apart.
Even formidable Armament Haki struggled to withstand the destructive force brought by the shattering of space.