#236Chapter 237 Old Friends from the East China Sea! The Clash Between the World's Number One Slash and Black Flame
Chapter 237 Old Friends from the East China Sea! The Clash Between the World's Number One Slash and Black Flame
As Viktor forcefully cleaved open the charred road with his blade, a brief vacuum passage appeared on the solid ice, still crackling with eerie blue electric arcs.
Without hesitation, Luffy activated Gear Second, and hot pink steam rose from his body.
Sabo then wrapped his arms and arms with profound, high-level Armament Haki and Dragon's Breath.
The two brothers transformed into two swift afterimages, one red and one black, racing at breakneck speed along the broken ice surface, heading straight for the execution platform.
The Whitebeard Pirates captains standing around the Moby Dick were also infected by this indomitable spirit.
Marco, Jozu, and the others immediately raised their arms and led their pirates in a new, ferocious charge towards the Marine headquarters.
The vice admirals, who had just recovered from the shock of the thunderous strike, knew that they must not let the two men get even a step closer to the execution platform.
They bit their tongues hard, using the excruciating pain to force themselves to calm down from the oppressive feeling of despair, and roared as they directed their troops to reorganize the defense line.
"Stop them!"
"We absolutely cannot let Straw Hat Boy and that revolutionary army get past!"
Several powerful and sharp sword energies and the vacuum slashes generated by the Six Styles "Storm Kick" attacked Luffy and Sabo from both blind spots like a dense rainstorm.
However, before these deadly attacks could land...
Ivankov, the transvestite king, and Jinbe, the knight-errant.
Even Crocodile, who had just been punched by Luffy and was now complaining that the Marines were in his way, decisively attacked at the same time.
The raging sands transformed into a sturdy shield, and the water waves formed a massive ocean current.
Accompanied by Ivankov's extremely destructive and seductive gaze, he blocked all the attacks coming from both sides.
"Straw Hat Boy, Sabo Boy! Just charge forward, we'll take care of the marines on both sides!" Ivankov shouted.
In the midst of this unstoppable charge.
Standing at the forefront of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk, the "World's Greatest Swordsman" who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened his sharp, eagle-like eyes.
He watched silently as Luffy raced across the ice, and as Victor sheathed his sword.
This aloof swordsman did not, as was originally destined, swing his sword to test the distance between himself and Whitebeard.
Instead, he slowly raised his arm and drew one of the twelve supreme grade swords he carried on his back—the black sword "Night".
As the massive cross-shaped longsword was drawn, a sharp sword intent that seemed capable of slicing through the soul instantly swept across the entire arena.
A rare hint of interest flashed in Hawkeye's eyes.
The image of that floating restaurant in the East China Sea involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
At that time, these young people, fresh out of school, were just weaklings who had just embarked on the Grand Line.
Hawkeye's calm yet penetrating voice echoed clearly across the battlefield amidst the raging gunfire:
"What a memorable reunion... Straw Hat Boy, Guren."
"Since we parted ways in Donghai, your growth has truly been astonishing."
Hawkeye gripped the broad hilt of his sword with both hands, his gaze fixed intently on the two people in front of him.
"Let me personally weigh you all, who emerged from the weakest sea, and see just how much weight you truly possess now!"
Before he finished speaking, Hawkeye swung his black sword "Night" with both hands without any hesitation or reservation.
"Whoosh—!"
A terrifying, eerie green flying slash, large enough to split a massive iceberg in two, exploded with a deafening roar along the broken ice surface.
This sword light, carrying the force of splitting the heavens and earth, swept up countless ice shards and hurtled straight toward Viktor and Luffy.
Seeing the scale and power of this slash, even the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates behind them showed expressions of shock.
This was no casual swing; it was a serious strike delivered by the world's greatest swordsman.
Faced with this green slash that seemed to cleave the world in two, Viktor decisively stopped in his tracks.
He turned his head slightly and whispered to the two people behind him, "You two keep going, leave this to me!"
Without hesitation, Luffy and Sabo immediately went around to the sides.
Facing the overwhelming green sword energy alone, Viktor's deep black eyes instantly ignited with a fervent fighting spirit.
Within his eye sockets, the crimson kaleidoscope of eternity spun rapidly, radiating a chilling power.
With a crisp "click" of metal scraping, the black sword Qiushui was drawn once more.
Facing the world's number one swordsman, Viktor held nothing back.
With a thought, he simultaneously and without reservation wrapped his Armament Haki, along with the inextinguishable Amaterasu, around the blade of Shusui.
The dark red, domineering lightning intertwined and merged with the pitch-black, eerie flames.
The terrifying heat and destructive aura it emitted scorched and distorted the surrounding air.
Viktor gripped the hilt of his sword with one hand and, from bottom to top, met Hawkeye's dazzling green slash with a fierce, domineering black sword aura!
"[Amaterasu - Eclipse Slash]!"
"BOOM!!!"
Two sword energies, one green and one black, representing the pinnacle of swordsmanship in this vast ocean, collided violently in the very center of the battlefield.
The pitch-black karmic flames leaped wildly, as if they had transformed into a greedy beast, ready to devour Eagle Eye's pure green sword light along with the sky above.
A terrifying energy storm swept across the entire area from the point of impact.
The already cracked, hard ice began to shatter inch by inch under the violent collision and crushing of the two extreme sword intents, turning into ice shards and white mist flying everywhere.
Two forces, each capable of severing everything, were locked in a stalemate in mid-air.
They were locked in a fierce struggle, and finally, amidst the intense turbulence, they both soared into the sky.
The aftershocks of the sword energy that shot straight into the sky even briefly tore a huge gap in the thick, leaden-gray clouds that never dissipated above Marineford, revealing the long-lost azure sky!
Luffy, who was running at top speed, felt a tremendous commotion coming from behind him.
He looked up at the huge gaping hole in the sky, and a wide, radiant smile spread across his face.
"Hehehe! Victor! You've really gotten stronger!"
The storm and ice chips gradually subsided.
Hawkeye stood still, watching the flying slash in mid-air that had been completely neutralized by the black flames and lightning.
On his usually calm and aloof face, a rare smile of excitement appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He held his black sword "Night" horizontally in front of him, gazing at Viktor, who wielded the sword, from a distance, and offered his assessment of him as the world's greatest swordsman:
"No longer the sharp-eyed fledgling in the East China Sea..."
"Now you truly have the qualifications to stand at the summit of this vast ocean, Crimson Victor!"
However, just as everyone was captivated by the awe-inspiring clash between these two top swordsmen, the situation on the battlefield took another dramatic turn.
A dazzling golden cross suddenly lit up without warning right in front of Luffy and Sabo as they ran.
Marine Admiral Kizaru had somehow transformed into countless golden photons.
Using the Yata Mirror's reflection on the smooth ice surface, he bypassed all the outer defenses at the speed of light, like a ghost, and firmly cut off Luffy's path.
Kizaru stood with his hands in his pockets, his lips slightly pursed, a dangerous glint flashing beneath his signature brown sunglasses.
"Speed is power... Straw Hat Luffy."
Kizaru's tone remained nonchalant, but his movements were extremely sharp.
Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?
Before he could finish speaking, Kizaru had already raised his right leg high.
His toes flashed with dazzling golden light as he mercilessly swept them toward Luffy's head!
The deadly attack at the speed of light caused Luffy's Observation Haki, honed on the brink of death, to issue a frantic warning.
However, in the high-speed running state of second gear.
The immense inertia left his body no time to make an effective dodge, and he could only watch helplessly as the golden light rapidly magnified in his field of vision.
At this critical moment when life and death were at stake.
"Smack!"
A hand, covered in deep, dark, high-level Armament Haki and resembling a dragon claw, suddenly emerged from one side.
This hand, in a completely unreasonable manner, disregarded the Logia-type elementalization and firmly gripped Kizaru's right leg, which was flashing with dazzling golden light and was about to fall!
The powerful impact created ripples of air that made Sabo's tall black hat flutter loudly.
Sabo stood steadily in front of Luffy and slowly raised his head.
On that face bearing burn scars, beneath his left eye, was a chilling, piercing murderous intent and an unwavering resolve.
A slight smile played on his lips as he stared intently at the utterly bewildered Kizaru.
"I'm sorry, Admiral."
"I can't just stand here and watch you kick my brother away!"237Chapter 238 The Catastrophe of Meteor Volcano! The Strongest Man Who Shattered the Lava
Chapter 238 The Catastrophe of Meteor Volcano! The Strongest Man Who Shattered the Lava
A violent gust of wind swept between the two, causing Sabo's tall hat to flutter loudly.
Beneath Kizaru's signature brown sunglasses, a hint of genuine surprise flashed in his usually nonchalant eyes.
He looked at the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff blocking Luffy's way, and drawled out his words:
"Oh my~ To protect his younger brother, he can even withstand my light-speed kick. What a touching display of brotherly love."
"Dragon's Breath!"
Sabo didn't waste any words; his azure eyes flashed with murderous intent.
He suddenly tightened his grip on Kizaru's calf, and the high-level Armament Haki that had been brewing in his palm for a long time erupted like a volcano.
"boom--!"
A terrifying, almost tangible, internal destructive force surged outwards directly from the point of contact.
The powerful force sent Kizaru, who was in a photon elemental state, flying backward dozens of meters.
Kizaru's body transformed into countless scattered golden photons in mid-air, before reforming at a safe distance.
Having forced the general back with a single blow, Sabo shook his arm, which was now hot and numb from colliding with the high-heat photon.
Instead of pressing his advantage, he shouted at Luffy behind him without turning his head:
"Luffy, I'll handle this glowing old monkey!"
"Keep pushing forward, no matter what happens, don't stop!"
"I understand, Sabo!"
Luffy nodded heavily.
He stretched out his hand, which was covered in ice shards, and forcefully pressed down the straw hat on his head, fixing his gaze on the execution platform in the distance.
Then, his legs unleashed tremendous power, allowing him to leap across the battlefield where Sabo and Kizaru were facing off, and continue to transform into a pink steam phantom, hurtling towards Ace.
On the other side of the battlefield, the earth-shattering clash of sword energy finally came to an end.
Viktor's Eclipse Slash, a fusion of domineering aura and black flames, and Hawkeye's gigantic, eerie green flying slash, seemingly capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, both exhausted their energy during their mid-air clash.
Ultimately, they were both annihilated in a distorted energy storm.
Amidst the swirling ice crystals, Hawkeye Jorah Mihawk stood silently in place.
The world's greatest swordsman cast a long, sharp glance at Viktor, who was not far away.
To everyone's surprise, he did not choose to continue wielding his sword.
Instead, he flipped his wrist and put the black sword "Night," which exuded endless pressure, back behind his back.
With a crisp sound of it returning to its sheath, Hawkeye actually turned to the side, making way for Viktor.
"Go," Hawkeye said calmly. "You have grown to a point where I can look forward to your future."
"As a swordsman, I have no reason to stop a top swordsman who draws his sword to fight for his captain."
Upon hearing this praise from the pinnacle of swordsmanship, a hint of a smile flashed in Viktor's deep eyes.
"Thank you very much."
Viktor chuckled softly, his wrist deftly flashing in a sharp, swift motion.
The black sword, Autumn Water, transformed into a streak of black light and precisely sheathed itself.
Without pausing for a moment, he moved with lightning speed, immediately catching up with Luffy's breakout pace.
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku surveyed the situation below.
Watching Luffy and Victor tear through the Navy's defenses like two sharp knives, getting closer and closer to the execution platform.
The already ashen face of the Warring States period was now so dark it seemed as if water could drip from it.
He could no longer contain himself, turned to the executioner beside him and roared, ordering his men to skip all the tedious procedures and prepare to execute Ace immediately.
Meanwhile, the naval headquarters on the ice also took action.
Accompanied by a series of uniform, heavy, mechanical footsteps, led by Sentomaru, the captain of the Naval Science Unit.
Dozens of massive, emotionless killing machines—the "Pacifistas"—emerged from their positions on either side of Crescent Bay.
"Target locked."
The pacifists opened their mouths, their palms gleaming.
Countless deadly, dazzling laser beams, like a dense rain of death, were unleashed upon the escape team and the charging pirates on the ice, unleashing a ruthless and indiscriminate barrage of firepower.
"Boom boom boom!"
The ice surface cracked continuously under the bombardment of lasers, with water droplets and ice shards flying everywhere.
Just as one of the pacifist's mechanical eyes flashed red, locking onto Luffy who was running wildly, and the laser from his mouth was about to be shot out.
A tall, graceful, and stunningly beautiful figure, exuding a captivating fragrance, suddenly appeared from the side.
"Fragrant feet!"
Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Pirate Empress, delivered a powerful high kick with a sharp whistling sound, striking the pacifist's metal head precisely.
With the petrification effect of the Devil Fruit power and powerful physical skills, the expensive killing machine was instantly reduced to shattered stones.
Under the stunned and horrified gazes of the entire navy.
This pirate empress, who is usually proud and aloof towards men, now has blushing cheeks, like a young girl in love.
She quickly walked to Luffy's side and, taking advantage of the chaos, secretly slipped a metal key into Luffy's hand.
"Luffy…this is the key to Ace's handcuffs. I've finally got it."
Hancock's voice was barely audible. She then turned around, spread her arms to block Luffy from behind, and coldly looked at the surrounding Marines.
"You go quickly, I'll cover you here!"
This scene completely ignited the fury of the Navy headquarters.
Admiral "Akainu" Sakazuki sat upright directly below the execution platform.
His eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his naval cap, were fixed intently on the vast battlefield engulfed in strife and chaos.
He watched as Hawkeye openly slacked off and let the enemy go, the soldiers who were "betrayed" by the Empress in public and retreated, his colleague Kizaru who was blocked by Sabo of the Revolutionary Army and could not get away, and the Straw Hat Luffy who was only one step away from the execution platform.
An uncontrollable rage surged within Akainu, and he completely lost his patience.
In his view, the Navy's supreme and inviolable absolute justice was being trampled underfoot by these lawless pirates.
"A bunch of useless trash..."
Akainu gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up from his seat.
A terrifyingly high temperature that was suffocating instantly swept out from him.
"Those two wicked sons of Drag, and that extremely annoying Crimson Victor..."
"Since none of you are going to make a move, then I will burn these evil bloodlines to ashes!"
Akainu let out a furious roar as he looked up at the sky.
His thick arms instantly became completely elementalized, transforming into churning, dark red magma-flowing, destructive arms.
The pungent smell of sulfur filled the air, as if the surrounding oxygen had been instantly sucked away.
"Major Eruption - Meteor Volcano!!!"
Akainu's fists moved like the wind as he furiously unleashed countless massive lava fists towards the gloomy sky above.
The thick, leaden-gray clouds in the sky were instantly illuminated in a fiery red, as if the end of the world had arrived.
Immediately afterwards, a dense, devastating meteor shower, like a cataclysmic meteor shower, saw countless enormous dark red lava balls descend from the sky, trailing long plumes of black smoke.
They crashed mercilessly onto the thick, expansive ice of Crescent Bay, carrying extreme temperatures hot enough to melt steel.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The hard, millennia-old glaciers were easily breached the moment they came into contact with the magma, creating deep, bottomless holes.
The originally cold seawater in the bay began to boil violently, sending up large plumes of scalding white steam.
Disaster struck indiscriminately.
Whether it was the charging pirates or the navy soldiers who couldn't dodge in time, they all screamed in agony in this despairing sea of fire that fell from the sky.
The Whitebeard Pirates' warships, anchored on the ice, were also hit one after another, bursting into flames, and their mainmasts collapsed in the fire.
Among the meteor shower, several of the largest lava meteors seemed to have eyes, precisely locking onto Luffy and Victor, who were running wildly on the ice, as well as Sabo, who was fighting fiercely with Kizaru.
The lava, with the terrifying force of Mount Tai crashing down and destroying everything, slammed down fiercely!
Feeling the overwhelming heat and destructive aura emanating from above, Viktor decisively stopped in his tracks.
He slowly raised his head, his black hair dancing wildly in the hot wind.
Within his eye sockets, the crimson, eternal kaleidoscope pattern began to spin rapidly.
A massive amount of cold chakra surged wildly within his body.
He was preparing to unleash his full power and activate his complete Susanoo to withstand this catastrophic attack.
However, just as Viktor was about to form the hand seals...
"Woo la la la la la!"
A loud, boisterous laugh, like rolling thunder, suddenly exploded in Viktor's ears:
"Don't be too eager to show off, young first mate."
"This tiny flame, too hot even to light a birthday candle, should be left to this old bone of the old era!"
Viktor's eyes flickered slightly.
Before anyone knew it, the burly old man in the large white coat had already walked steadily to the front of the group.
Edward Newgate, with his white beard, stood tall and held his hands tightly to the Supreme Grade Sword "Murakumogiri" that had accompanied him throughout his life.
On his thick arms, the veins bulged out like coiled dragons.
A deep and domineering Armament Haki instantly enveloped the sharp blade, causing it to emit a series of dragon-like hums.
Facing the rain of lava meteors raining down from above, seemingly intent on destroying everything.
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly exerted force in his waist, swinging the Murakumogiri and slashing it fiercely into the void above!
"Snap!!!"
Accompanied by a deafening sound, as if the entire sky were being torn apart by the shattering of glass.
Whitebeard's naginata slashed fiercely into the invisible air.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's supreme power, said to be enough to destroy the world, erupted without reservation at this moment!
Centered on the blade, the vast air, including the surrounding space, was instantly shattered, creating countless massive, dark, and deep cracks resembling a dense spiderweb!
A terrifying shockwave, indescribable in words and utterly domineering, surged into the sky like a reversed Milky Way!
"BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"
The next second, a scene that shocked the world unfolded.
Those deadly magma meteorites, carrying extreme temperatures and as large as mountains, came into contact with this pure vibrational force capable of shattering an entire island.
It was like a fragile, dry lump of mud, violently shaken in mid-air, cracked and then completely shattered!
The meteor shower that filled the sky was abruptly interrupted by this attack.
It transformed into countless harmless sparks and pebbles, scattering across the ice like dazzling fireworks.
One strike can shatter the heavens!
Whitebeard slammed the Murakumogiri sword he was holding heavily onto the ice beneath his feet, creating a deep crack.
His tall and imposing figure was like an insurmountable barrier of a demon god, blocking all dangers from his path.
He stared intently at Akainu, whose face was extremely grim below the execution platform, his voice booming like a great bell, echoing throughout the entire battlefield:
"Ura ra ra ra! How pathetic you are, Akainu!"
"You're a hundred years too early to take the lives of my children!"
Then, Whitebeard roared at Luffy, who was stunned by the power in front of him:
Straw Hat Luffy!
"Don't stop!"
"Keep moving forward!"238Chapter 23rsal of the Backstab! The Crimson Eye That Sees Through Illusion
Chapter 239 The Reversal of the Backstab! The Crimson Eye That Sees Through Illusion
As Whitebeard shattered the meteor volcano that resembled a natural disaster with a single blow, and as Victor, Luffy, Sabo and the others made unstoppable progress on the ice surface.
The pirates' initial intimidation from the Admiral's aura instantly surged to its peak at this moment.
The deafening shouts of battle echoed through the sky as the pirates of the New World, like a pack of wolves, began their frenzied advance towards the central square of Marineford.
Directly in front of the square, scorching steam and acrid gunpowder smoke filled the air.
Akainu Sakazuki's face was ashen. He had originally tried to force his way through the defensive line to personally eliminate Luffy and Victor, two huge variables.
However, an insurmountable, towering figure, like a demon god, stood firmly blocking his path.
"Where do you think you're going, you lava brat?"
Whitebeard, wielding the Murakumogiri, looked down at Akainu from his elevated position.
Enraged, Akainu's arms instantly transformed into rolling magma, unleashing a ferocious and unparalleled offensive.
But whether it's the "great eruption" that can melt glaciers, or the deadly lava punches in close combat.
When they touched Whitebeard's "Murakumogiri," which was imbued with profound, high-level Armament Haki and the power of vibration, they were all easily shattered.
Faced with this monster who was not injured like in the original story and was known as the "strongest man in the world".
Akainu's pride and joy, his extreme destructive power, couldn't gain him any advantage whatsoever; magma splashed everywhere under the impact of the shockwave.
Realizing that a direct confrontation would not be enough to defeat Whitebeard at his peak in a short time.
Akainu's eyes, hidden beneath his military cap, instantly turned incredibly sinister.
After a violent collision, he used the momentum to retreat, his peripheral vision piercing through the thick smoke, secretly glancing towards the rear of the Whitebeard Pirates.
There stood a deadly trap that he had meticulously planned and laid out long ago.
On the ice surface far behind, the giant vortex spider Squard held a huge long sword, but stood frozen in place like a statue.
In his mind, like a revolving lantern, the heart-wrenching lies that Akainu had uttered when he secretly approached him before the war replayed endlessly:
"Whitebeard had already made a deal with the Navy's high command..."
He intends to use the lives of all of you pirates under his command to save the life of his beloved Ace…
"Look, the Pacifistas' artillery is all aimed at you, while the Whitebeard headquarters crew is completely unharmed. That's the best proof!"
Looking ahead at the white-bearded figure, as imposing as a mountain, who was fiercely protecting everyone on the front lines.
Squard was plunged into an unprecedented struggle and pain.
He swallowed hard, his dry throat tight, and beads of cold sweat covered his forehead, sliding down his cheeks.
Ultimately, his deep-seated hatred for the destruction of his former comrades by the Roger Pirates, and the despair of believing he had been betrayed by his most beloved "father," completely overwhelmed his reason.
Squard took a deep breath and forced down his trembling hands.
He used the excuse that "the situation at the front is urgent and I need to report to my father in person."
Grasping the enormous longsword, he walked step by step past his companions, toward the white-bearded man who was completely unsuspecting of his "son".
When the distance between the two people is reduced to within arm's reach.
Squard clenched his teeth, and the veins on his arms bulged like writhing dragons.
His bloodshot eyes gleamed with a resolute killing intent. He suddenly drew his heavy longsword and, with all his might, thrust it fiercely into the white-bearded man's broad chest.
However, Squard, blinded by anger and despair, was unaware of this.
As a transmigrator who knew the original course of this world, how could Victor allow this enormous tragedy, which was enough to change the balance of war, to be repeated under his nose?
Squard's sharp blade was less than ten centimeters from Whitebeard's skin.
Just when even Whitebeard himself had completely trusted his son and had lowered his guard, at the critical moment...
The eerie, eternal kaleidoscope pattern in Victor's eye sockets suddenly erupted with a terrifying mental fluctuation that sent shivers down one's spine!
A high-level visual illusion was activated silently in an instant!
Squard's forward-leaning body suddenly stiffened.
In his vision and perception, he clearly felt that the long sword in his hand had successfully pierced through the white-bearded man's chest with unstoppable force.
He could even feel the blade tearing through flesh and the gushing, scalding blood.
But in the real world of everyone around, Squard's assassination attempt was strangely frozen in mid-air.
He was like a wax figure whose soul had been drained, his eyes unfocused, and the huge long sword hovered in front of the white-bearded man's chest, the blade unable to push forward even an inch!
Before the captains around them, such as Marco and Jozu, could react to what strange situation had occurred, the situation was completely different.
"Sizzle—!"
A black afterimage wreathed in raging, dark blue lightning crossed the chaotic battlefield with incredible speed, appearing beside Whitebeard as if by teleportation.
Viktor let out a cold snort.
He gripped the black sword Qiushui tightly with both hands, but did not use the sharp blade.
Instead, he used the broad back of his blade, carrying an unparalleled and powerful force, to deliver a fierce and heavy sweeping blow to Squard, who was frozen in an illusion.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by a dull thud of bones colliding.
Squard, trapped in the illusion and unable to break free, was sent flying by the immense force.
His body traced a parabola in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the hard ice surface, sliding backward for dozens of meters before coming to a stop.
The intense physical impact finally broke the mental shackles.
Squard coughed up a mouthful of blood, his unfocused eyes jerked violently, and he finally awoke completely from that illusory dream.
This sudden turn of events caused an uproar in the previously noisy surroundings.
Marco and the other captains and pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates were all shocked as they watched Viktor suddenly strike and ruthlessly kill one of their own.
"Red Lotus! What are you doing?!"
Marco, engulfed in azure phoenix flames, demanded an explanation in a stern voice.
Viktor, however, paid no attention to the murderous gazes around him that seemed to want to devour him alive.
He lazily hoisted the black sword Qiushui onto his shoulder, strode forward, and stomped heavily on the huge longsword that Squard had just dropped.
Viktor looked down at Squard, who was coughing on the ice, a smirk playing on his lips.
"A brain is a good thing, but it's a pity you forgot to bring it with you when you went out."
"You can believe Akainu's clumsy, third-rate divisive tactics without a doubt, and even turn your knife against your father who has always protected you."
"Squard, you're hopelessly stupid!"
Just as Viktor finished speaking these merciless words, he successfully reversed the biggest tragic turning point in the Marineford War.
The system's crisp and pleasant notification sounded in Viktor's mind right on time:
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully prevented the 'Great Vortex Spider Backstabs Whitebeard' incident!]
[The host's actions profoundly altered the timeline of the Marineford War, successfully preserving the world's strongest man's peak combat power and preventing him from suffering fatal internal injuries!]
[Reward received: 30,000 Ninja Points.]
Father and Son, a Bankruptcy Conspiracy
Hearing Viktor's words, and recalling Squard's strange behavior and the fallen weapon, he felt a surge of emotion.
The Whitebeard Pirates members around them finally snapped out of their daze and realized what was happening.
Several pirate captains near the Great Whirlpool Spider were furious. They stepped forward and firmly held Squard, who was still vomiting blood, on the ice.
All eyes were fixed on the tall, imposing man, awaiting his judgment.
Whitebeard slowly turned around, lowered his head, and looked deeply into Squard, who was pinned to the ground, with his eyes full of experience and vicissitudes.
There was no anger in his eyes, only an indescribable sense of tolerance and heartache.
"Let him go." The white-bearded man's voice was steady and deep.
"Dad?!"
The pirates who were holding Squard down were stunned when they heard this, and they could hardly believe their ears.
But faced with his father's unquestionable authority.
They gritted their teeth and obeyed the order, releasing their grip and kicking the giant vortex spider onto the ice.
Whitebeard withdrew his gaze, turned back, and left his broad and imposing figure to Squard.
"Woo la la la la..."
Whitebeard let out a low laugh, his tone revealing the absolute aura of a king of the sea.
"Squard, if you still have the guts to assassinate your father, then try again anytime."
"If you don't have the guts, then grip your weapon tightly and get to the front lines to charge into battle!"
Hearing Whitebeard's words, which were not blaming but full of boundless tolerance, he was deeply moved.
Squard's last shred of psychological defense completely collapsed.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily onto the cold ice, digging his hands into the ice shards as he wailed.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Dad! Waaah!"
Squard's cries were filled with endless regret and self-reproach.
"I was so stupid! I was misled by the Navy, and I actually doubted my father... I deserve to die!!"
With Squard's public display of grief and tears, he directly exposed the navy's despicable "divide and conquer" tactic.
These words were clearly transmitted throughout Marineford and even to other parts of the world via the image Den Den Mushi (snail phone) on the battlefield.
In the distance, Akainu, standing below the execution platform, heard this confession and his facial muscles twitched violently, his face instantly turning extremely ugly.
Meanwhile, on the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku clenched his fists tightly.
Their carefully planned scheme was originally a fatal mistake—the most crucial step in weakening Whitebeard during the war.
But to everyone's surprise, the company so casually announced its complete bankruptcy.
Whitebeard, at his peak, is about to reveal his true terror to the Navy.239Chapter 240 The Conqueror's Haki of the Old and New Eras! Severing the Demon God's Despair
Chapter 240 The Conqueror's Haki of the Old and New Eras! Severing the Demon God's Despair
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku looked down at the ice.
When he witnessed Victor forcibly interrupt Squard's deadly assassination attempt and even publicly expose the Navy's divisive tactics, he was deeply moved.
Zhan Guo's imposing face, which usually didn't show anger, completely darkened.
He was acutely aware that the situation he had painstakingly created was now completely out of his control.
A Whitebeard at his peak cannot be trapped by mere scheming.
"Activate the encirclement barrier!" Sengoku swung his right arm sharply, issuing the iron-blooded command.
With a deafening roar of machinery, the ice around Crescent Bay in Marineford shattered.
Towering, incredibly thick steel walls, their surfaces coated with seastone, rose slowly from the seabed like colossal steel beasts.
This impenetrable encirclement, with its continuous structure, trapped the Whitebeard Pirates and the Escape Team inside the bay like turtles in a jar.
At the same time, Admiral Akainu appeared atop the towering iron wall.
His face was cold, and his arms had already transformed into churning, dark red lava, which began to pour "meteor volcanoes" into the enclosed bay below without restraint.
Dense meteorites of magma rained down like a storm, and the originally thick ice layer rapidly melted and boiled under the terrifying heat.
Within minutes, the entire Crescent Bay was transformed into a veritable furnace of death.
"Never mind that, execute Fire Fist Ace immediately!"
Sengoku looked down at the pirates who were still putting up a stubborn resistance, gritted his teeth and gave the final order.
Upon receiving the marshal's death order, the two executioners on the execution platform raised their gleaming longswords high without hesitation, aiming them at the back of Ace's neck.
Seeing the merciless blade about to fall, Luffy, who was running wildly through the sea of fire below, had eyes wide open in fury.
He desperately reached out, as if trying to grasp something across the distance of space, and a desperate roar that pierced the heavens erupted from his throat:
"Give me....."
"Stop it—!!!"
boom!
With that roar, an incomparably violent and unyielding Conqueror's Haki, filled with the aura of an indomitable king, erupted from Luffy's body like an invisible storm.
Almost at the same moment!
Whitebeard, who was still at his peak, also let out a heavy, cold snort.
His lion-like eyes suddenly widened, and a dark red Conqueror's Haki, even deeper and more terrifying than Luffy's, transformed into a pillar of light that shot into the sky.
Two powerful auras, representing the pinnacle of the "new era" and the "old era," resonated and collided terrifyingly in the sky above Marineford's plaza.
Even the dark clouds in the sky were forcibly dispersed by this force.
On the execution platform, the two executioners, wielding long swords, were the first to be struck.
Their eyes rolled back instantly, they foamed at the mouth, and collapsed limply to the ground.
Not only that, but tens of thousands of ordinary naval elites who were not determined enough also fell unconscious in large numbers, like wheat being harvested, with the sound of weapons falling constantly in the air.
Although the activation of both Conqueror's Haki successfully interrupted the execution, it bought Ace precious time.
But the pirates remained trapped within the boiling encirclement.
"Diamond" Jozu and several other squad captains roared and charged forward, attempting to smash the iron wall blocking their path with brute force.
However, with a dull thud, they discovered in despair that the specially made enclosure, which contained a large amount of sea stone, was indestructible.
Even the captain's full-force attack couldn't leave even the slightest crack on it.
The scorching lava continued to fall, and a sense of despair began to spread rapidly among the pirates.
At this critical moment when they were caught between a rock and a hard place, Viktor strode forward and came to the front of the group.
He tilted his head back slightly, his dark, tousled hair dancing in the hot wind.
Those once deep eyes were now spinning wildly at an extraordinary speed.
Due to continuous high-intensity overload operation, a trace of bright red blood slowly seeped from the corner of his eye and slid down his cold and stern face.
Under the horrified gazes of 100,000 marines and countless pirates.
A massive, suffocatingly large amount of crimson chakra erupted from Viktor's body like a volcanic eruption.
Flesh and blood give rise to it, and meridians intertwine it.
Accompanied by a piercing roar of energy.
A fully formed Susanoo, clad in heavy Tengu armor and with enormous wings that blot out the sky, rose directly from the ground!
This energy demon, towering over 100 meters tall and resembling a demon descending to earth, instantly filled the entire space of Crescent Bay.
Faced with the colossal size of the complete Susanoo.
Even the tall naval vice admirals below seemed like insignificant ants at this moment.
Viktor's body floated within the shimmering diamond-shaped crystal on Susanoo's forehead.
He clasped his hands together abruptly, his eyes cold and resolute.
"Zheng—!"
The enormous crimson demon god moved in sync.
It stretched out its enormous, sky-covering hand and pulled out the chakra lightsaber radiating an aura of destruction from its waist!
Viktor had a sudden thought.
In an instant, the raging blue Chidori lightning, the deep crimson high-level Ryuo aura, and the black Amaterasu karmic fire that could never be extinguished appeared.
Three distinct yet equally deadly forces intertwined wildly on the massive blade, even cutting the surrounding space into tiny black fragments.
"The so-called absolute iron wall..."
Victor's voice, transmitted through the massive chakra demon, resounded like thunder across Marineford:
"Can it withstand a sword that can cleave through all things in the universe?!"
His eyes widened, and he let out a series of hoarse roars:
"—[Susanoo's Ultimate Technique: Takemikazuchi's Punishment]!!!"
With this furious roar, the hundred-meter-long giant sword, carrying a terrifying, world-destroying force, cleaved through the sky and crashed down towards the indestructible encirclement wall in front of it.
"BOOM!!!"
The earth-shattering roar caused the entire island to tremble violently.
The encirclement wall, on which the naval high command had placed great hopes, along with the massive, mountain-like ice layer behind it, was cleanly and neatly sliced open by this devastating sword strike, leaving an enormous gap!
Steel breaks, glaciers collapse.
A shower of rubble and ice crashed down, forcibly opening a wide passageway leading directly to the square.
The pirates, who had narrowly escaped death, stared at the enormous chasm for a moment before erupting into a frenzied cheer that shook the heavens and the earth.
However, unleashing this devastating attack also comes at a heavy price.
He continuously unleashed high-level eye techniques and large-scale ninjutsu, and repeatedly activated and maintained the complete Susanoo.
Viktor's vast, boundless energy and chakra were finally completely drained.
The enormous crimson demon emitted a deep hum, then dissipated into countless tiny specks of light in the gale.
Viktor, who was in mid-air, suddenly felt everything go black before his eyes, and a strong sense of dizziness instantly swallowed up all his consciousness.
He lost control of his body, and like a kite with a broken string, he plummeted straight down from a height of 100 meters to the cold ground below.
"Victor!"
Seeing this, Luffy, who was running below, widened his eyes in anxiety.
He shouted and suddenly compressed his legs to propel himself forward to catch the falling first mate.
"Leave it to me, Straw Hat Luffy!"
Just as Luffy's voice fell...
A streak of brilliant blue-green flames streaked across the smoke-filled sky like a shooting star.
Marco, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, also known as "Phoenix".
Using his superior speed, he caught Victor, who was plummeting rapidly, in mid-air.
Marco lowered his head and looked at the face in his arms, which was unusually pale from exhaustion.
For the first time, the eyes of this battle-hardened deputy were filled with deep respect and awe.
He knew all too well the incredible power contained in that sword strike.
Marco steadied himself in mid-air, flapping the beautiful wings on his back that burned with blue flames.
He shielded Viktor tightly against his broad back, raised his head, and facing the raging flames of battle, let out a thunderous shout towards Luffy and Sabo, who were preparing to charge below:
"Straw Hat Luffy, you've done more than enough as the first mate!"
"Even if we, the Whitebeard Pirates, die, we will pave the way for you on the rest of the journey!"
"Go! Go save your brother!"240Chapter 241 A Frenzy Across the Line of Death! Hero's Tears and the Descent of the Great Buddha
Chapter 241 A Frenzy Across the Line of Death! Hero's Tears and the Descent of the Great Buddha
In mid-air, a bluish-green flame streaked across the smoke like a brilliant shooting star.
Marco landed steadily on the ravaged ice.
He held Viktor tightly in his arms.
Marco carefully handed the pale-faced Viktor over to Ivankov and his revolutionary men who had arrived behind him for protection.
Then, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates turned around and stared intently at the huge gap that Victor had cleaved open with all his might.
"Thump!"
Edward Newgate, with his white beard, slammed his Supreme Grade Sword "Murakumogiri" heavily onto the ice, the immense force sending shards of rock and ice flying everywhere.
The world's strongest man took a deep breath and issued his highest command to the entire army:
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, heed my command!"
"Don't let that brat's efforts go to waste."
"At all costs, cover the straw hat boy and the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff as they rush to the execution platform!"
"Oooooooooooooo—!!"
Accompanied by deafening, frenzied shouts of battle.
The originally trapped pirate army surged into the core of the plaza like a flood bursting its banks, rushing straight toward the execution platform through the passage that Victor had forcibly cleaved open.
However, as the three admirals, the highest fighting force in the Navy, they would never allow these pirates to set foot on the plaza, a territory that represents absolute justice.
Aokiji Kuzan leaped into the air, his body hovering in mid-air.
He released a chilling aura from his hands, attempting to use the "Ice Age" to reseal the gaping wound.
On the other side, Kizaru Borsalino also transformed into countless golden photons, coalescing in the air, his fingertips flashing with deadly light, ready to snipe Luffy and Sabo who were charging at the forefront.
"Your opponent is us!"
With a clear and high-pitched bird song, Marco transformed into a giant phoenix burning with blue-green flames and soared into the sky.
He flapped his wings, reaching extreme speed, and kicked away Kizaru's "Yasakani no Magatama" that was about to be released.
At the same time, "Diamond" Joz let out a roar like a wild beast, his body flashing with a dazzling, sharp light.
He transformed into an indestructible, enormous diamond, using a savage and terrifying impact to withstand the extreme low temperatures that could freeze the ocean, and managed to withstand Aokiji's attack.
With the Whitebeard Pirates' captains risking their lives to provide cover, Luffy and Sabo's charge was no longer hindered by the Admirals.
Luffy maintained his Gear Second speed, his body radiating hot pink steam, his skin turning bright red due to the high pressure of his blood.
Sabo's hands were wrapped in a deep, dark, high-level aura of dominance, and his eyes were sharp.
The two brothers, back to back, were like two sharp, unstoppable daggers, charging fiercely into the encirclement of the naval elite.
The fists howled, and the dragon claws tore through the air, carving a bloody path to the execution platform amidst a hail of bullets.
After overcoming countless fallen elites, Luffy and Sabo finally reached a dangerous position less than 100 meters from the execution platform.
However, the road ahead has been completely blocked.
Below the steps, there were densely packed naval troops, armed with muskets and sharp swords, standing ready for battle.
Moreover, the ground of the square had been shattered by previous artillery fire and earthquakes.
There were huge pits and rubble everywhere, making it impossible to use any leverage to jump across the last hundred meters.
At this critical moment when they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
Imazuna, the Revolutionary Army cadre who had been silently following behind Sabo, suddenly leaped high out of the crowd.
"Crack! Crack!"
Lightning's hands instantly transformed into giant, sharp scissors.
He moved with lightning speed, cutting through the hard stone slabs in the square as if they were soft cloth!
Go!
"Straw Hat Luffy! Chief of Staff!"
Under the incredible manipulation of Lightning's Devil Fruit power, a massive spiral stone staircase made of solid stone slabs rose from the ground!
This staircase, defying the laws of physics, spanned over the heads of all the naval soldiers below and connected straight to the edge of the execution platform high above!
Without any hesitation, the two brothers leaped up in unison, stepped onto the staircase leading to hope, and sprinted wildly upwards.
Just as Luffy and Sabo were about to reach the top of the execution platform, a massive, mountain-like figure descended from the sky.
"Bang!"
The person slammed heavily onto the top of the stone steps, the enormous impact shattering large sections of stone slabs and sending dust billowing up.
Naval hero Monkey D. Garp, breathing heavily, blocked the path his two grandsons were about to take.
"If you want to get over here, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
Garp's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an undeniable authority, yet with a barely perceptible tremor.
"I'm a vice admiral from the Navy Headquarters!"
Garp clenched his iron fists tightly, fists that had sent countless great pirates to the bottom of the sea.
At this moment, this legendary veteran who dedicated his life to justice is experiencing unimaginable torment.
Torn between the duty of "absolute justice" and the "family ties" that bind us together.
His soul was being torn apart madly, and the pain was beyond description.
"Get out of the way, Grandpa!"
Luffy and Sabo shouted in unison.
Although their eyes were red and filled with tears, their upward momentum showed no sign of slowing down.
They had only one thought in their minds: to rescue Ace!
Luffy pushed the steam of Gear Second to its limit and stretched his right fist backward.
Sabo gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, which was wrapped in a dark and domineering aura.
Facing the howling wind, the two of them simultaneously unleashed a full-force attack on their grandfather, whom they had feared and respected the most since childhood!
"ah!"
Garp roared, veins bulging on his face.
He raised his right arm and swung his mighty fist at his two grandsons who were charging towards him.
But just as the wind howled and their faces were about to collide...
Looking at Luffy and Sabo's resolute and unwavering eyes, and in the corner of my eye, Ace's face was filled with despair and pain on the execution platform.
In the final instant before throwing his fist, Garp painfully closed his eyes, which were filled with the marks of time.
The Armament Haki on his fist, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, silently dissipated a second before the collision.
"Bang--!"
Luffy and Sabo's fists slammed solidly into Garp's face.
With an immense burst of power, this renowned naval hero, feared even by the Pirate King, unleashed his full power.
Like a kite with a broken string, it fell helplessly backward from the high spiral staircase.
As his body plummeted in the raging wind, a tear, tinged with tearing pain, slid down from Garp's tightly closed eye, eventually disappearing silently into the smoke-filled battlefield of Marineford.
After passing the fallen Garp, Luffy and Sabo leaped and landed steadily on the towering execution platform.
More than a decade later, in this deadly place of the Navy Headquarters.
The three brothers overcame countless hardships and obstacles to finally complete this epic reunion.
Ace, kneeling on the execution platform, looked at his two younger brothers who were so close to him.
He bit his lip hard, but tears streamed down his face like broken beads, soaking the wooden board on his chest.
"Garp! You bastard!"
"Don't forget you're a navy officer!"
At this deeply moving moment of reunion, a roar filled with boundless rage exploded on the execution platform.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had been standing to the side, was completely enraged.
He witnessed his old comrade-in-arms Kapna's obvious "letting him off the hook," and could no longer maintain the composure and demeanor befitting a marshal.
"Don't think this is the end!"
"None of you wicked bloodlines will escape today!"
The Warring States period was filled with fury, and his body suddenly swelled up as he roared.
A dazzling golden light burst forth from his body, enveloping the entire execution platform like a blazing sun.
Zoan type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Great Buddha form!
The Warring States period was transformed into an enormous, pure gold Buddha statue, majestic, sacred, and filled with a suffocating sense of terrifying oppression.
He raised his enormous golden hand, the palm gathering a destructive shockwave powerful enough to shatter the entire island, and slammed it down on Luffy and Sabo, who had just charged forward.
"Quickly unlock the door with the key! I'll hold him off!"
Faced with this deadly blow that could shatter someone to pieces, Sabo roared in fury.
He stepped forward and stood in front of Luffy and Ace without hesitation.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, unleashing all the remaining domineering energy within him to its limit, releasing the strongest dragon breath to directly confront the golden giant hand descending from the sky.
"BOOM!!!"
The massive golden shockwave collided violently with Sabo's all-out defense on the narrow execution platform!
The terrifying energy wave swept across the sky like a category 12 typhoon, and the blinding light was impossible to look at directly.
The towering execution platform began to shake violently from the brutal impact of the blow.
The thick wooden stakes creaked and cracked under the weight, teetering on the brink of total collapse!
And behind Sabo's desperately holding on back.
Luffy gritted his teeth, his hands trembling slightly from the shock of the reaction force.
But the metal key entrusted to him by the Empress was about to be inserted into the hole of Ace's heavy seastone handcuffs...