Shockwaves tore through the air, space trembled violently, and a terrifying force capable of shaking heaven and earth abruptly took shape.
"Air Shake: Overclocked Resonance!"
A powerful roar echoed across the sky as layer upon layer of high-frequency vibration power surged upward, striking the surface of the giant meteor head-on.
At the same moment, Marco spread his wings and soared into the air, his sharp talons wrapped in Haki as he faced the descending celestial body.
"Undying Bird: Phoenix Seal!"
A searing blast of flame slammed into the burning rock layer, erupting in a deafening roar.
Flower Sword Vista, Diamond Jozu, Blamenco, and the other captains of the Whitebeard Pirates all unleashed their strength simultaneously. Weapons wrapped in various forms of Haki, swordsmanship, martial arts, and Devil Fruit abilities were poured out in full force.
Countless pirates followed suit, exerting every ounce of their combat power. A torrent of dense attacks rained down like a storm, continuously bombarding the meteor.
Layer upon layer of relentless assaults washed over the burning giant meteor.
Deafening explosions echoed without end as shattered rocks fell incessantly. Under the combined, desperate assault of everyone, a significant portion of the meteor's surface was forcibly shattered.
But it was far from enough.
The kilometer-sized meteor was simply too massive, its foundation too solid. The surface they had shattered with all their might was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Time ticked away, second by second. The meteor continued its descent, drawing closer and closer to the ground.
Everyone kept unleashing their techniques, their stamina rapidly depleting. Their breathing grew increasingly labored, and each strike became more taxing.
By the time the meteor was about to crash down upon them, its immense shadow completely enveloping everyone, the celestial body still retained nearly half of its original mass.
This remaining half of the meteor still contained a terrifying power sufficient to slaughter everyone present.
If it were to crash down, the majority of the Whitebeard Pirates would be instantly crushed, leaving no trace behind.
Just as the entire crew was plunged into utter despair, Misaka Mikoto finally completed her prolonged charge.
Electricity surged violently around her body. Countless bolts of lightning converged in her palm, thousands of arcs intertwining and coiling as she mobilized all the electromagnetic forces in the surrounding space.
In the next instant, the violent power of lightning condensed into a giant beam of light that pierced through heaven and earth.
Her eyes were icy cold, her aura reaching its peak. She uttered each word with heavy emphasis:
"Hundredfold Railgun!"
Boom!
A beam of lightning dozens of meters thick shot forth, tearing through the air with terrifying penetrating force capable of piercing anything, and struck the remaining half of the meteor.
Extreme electromagnetic force instantly detonated the internal structure of the rock layer. The violent impact force spread rapidly along the core of the meteorite.
A deafening explosion shook Marineford as the meteor's hard core disintegrated instantly.
The terrifying meteor was finally completely shattered by this single strike!
The lethal crisis had finally dissipated!
The Whitebeard Pirates, having narrowly escaped death, gasped for breath.
Shattering one meteor had consumed a massive amount of their stamina.
With the danger gone and their tense nerves suddenly relaxing, Diamond Jozu looked up at the weakened Ivan hovering in mid-air and taunted:
"So what if you can summon such a huge meteor?
The combined strength of the entire Whitebeard Pirates is enough to shatter any destructive attack. Your technique is nothing special!
Trying to defeat us with such methods is utterly impossible!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ivan raised his gaze, panting heavily and swaying unsteadily, seemingly having reached his limit.
Yet the corner of his mouth still curled into a faint smile:
"Oh? Since you're all so confident, I'll give you another one."
A single offhand remark instantly froze the air across the entire battlefield.
Before his words even faded, a second colossal meteor slowly materialized in the distant sky, similarly wreathed in world-scorching flames, once again hurtling toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
At this moment, Diamond Jozu's face instantly paled, all color draining away.
He wished he could slap himself hard—what a jinx he had been.
There was no time to catch their breath or regroup; a new crisis had already descended.
Whitebeard, Misaka Mikoto, and the others had no choice but to join forces again, rallying all remaining strength to confront the second meteor.
After a bitter struggle, the second meteor was finally shattered by their combined efforts, scattering fragments of rock across the sea.
Two consecutive kilometer-wide meteors had completely crushed Whitebeard's side.
Whitebeard's injuries continued to worsen, his aura fading, while Misaka Mikoto gasped heavily, her stamina largely depleted. The rest were already at their limits.
Of course, Ivan, who had manipulated two giant meteors in succession and repeatedly pushed his stamina to the brink, could no longer hold on.
His vision darkened, and he nearly fainted.
Seeing Ivan incapacitated, Garp moved swiftly, stepping forward to shield him and escort him away from the center of the battlefield.
Although Ivan had temporarily withdrawn, the situation on the battlefield had completely reversed.
Akainu slowly emerged from the ruins, his expression complex as he watched Ivan being escorted away by Garp:
"Though the brat is detestable, I have to admit that what he did today truly accomplished a great feat."
The two meteors, amplified by gravitational force, had drained most of the stamina of the Whitebeard Pirates. After two rounds of high-intensity defense, their overall combat power was halved.
In contrast, on the Navy's side, Sengoku and Garp had not exerted their full strength throughout, the Three Admirals remained at their peak, and the elite Navy forces were unscathed.
Thus, the advantage had completely shifted to the Navy.
The scales of victory tilted decisively and overwhelmingly toward the Navy's side.
With his vast experience, Whitebeard instantly saw through the current situation.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at his own side's weakened morale and cursed angrily:
"Damn that Ivan brat!"
Nearby, Buggy had long shed his earlier arrogance. Witnessing the destructive power of the two meteors and seeing the Whitebeard Pirates' pitiful state firsthand, he shrank back nervously.
He quietly assessed the battlefield, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind:
"The situation has completely changed. The Whitebeard Pirates are no longer capable of fighting, and the Navy is about to launch a full-scale counterattack.
With my current strength, even if my potential has been enhanced, if an Admiral targets me, I'll still die...
No, I have to find a way to leave this place. Survival is what matters most."
Just as the various factions were silently calculating, a resolute figure suddenly charged forward.
Ignoring his own injuries, Luffy fixed his gaze on the execution platform high above.
He rushed recklessly toward it, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Damn Navy, don't think you've won for sure!
I won't let you succeed! Ace, I will definitely save you!"
On the execution platform, Ace watched his brother charging forward without regard for his own safety and shouted in warning:
"Don't come any closer, Luffy! Don't be reckless!
All the Navy Admirals are stationed here, and you're already badly injured. If you charge up here recklessly, you'll only die in vain. Don't throw your life away for me!"
Luffy shook his head, shouting with all his might:
"I don't care, you're my brother! I could never abandon you!
Ace, I will definitely save you!"
Yet, killing intent had already quietly lain in wait.
Scalding magma surged from the side without warning—Akainu seized the opening and launched a surprise attack.
The searing lava roared forth with extreme speed.
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