Boom—!
"Ow—!!"
The thick, water-like Buddha Impact Wave smashed directly into the Blast Breath, driving it upward, and finally slammed viciously into Kaido's jaw.
Kaido yelped in pain, his massive dragon body flipping over and flying backwards.
"It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku!!"
"That guy Kaido, doesn't he realise where he is? Marine Headquarters is not a place where he can run wild!"
The Marines below cheered.
First, White Tiger repelled Whitebeard, and now Sengoku had knocked back Kaido.
At this moment, the morale of the Marines on the battlefield had been pushed to its peak.
Even their sword swings seemed to have more power, making the pirates scream in agony!
After firing the shockwave, Sengoku's body rapidly shrank back to human form.
He stood calmly beside the execution platform, guarding Blackbeard and commanding the entire battlefield.
His Daibutsu Fruit granted him the strength, wisdom, and spirit of a Buddha, making him the ultimate warrior with perfect heart, body, and technique!
"Bwahahaha! Looks like it's my turn. My Iron Fist is thirsting for action!"
Seeing this, Garp rubbed his knuckles and used Geppo to chase after the flying Kaido.
"Gurararara! That idiot Kaido!"
Whitebeard glanced at Kaido's situation out of the corner of his eye and relaxed slightly.
He put more strength into his hands, black lightning crackling wildly as his massive body leaned forward, pressing down on Atlas.
With Kaido joining the fray, they wouldn't be too passive. Garp's delay in joining the battle had already put indescribable pressure on the pirates present.
After all, Garp's reputation was too resounding. The title of "Marine Hero" was far more intimidating to pirates than he imagined.
"Heh, even with that shit-stirrer Kaido joining, your Whitebeard Pirates' odds of winning still aren't great!"
Atlas slowly but firmly pushed Whitebeard back, a mocking smile on his lips.
"Gurarara! What a boastful brat!"
Zzzzz—!
As soon as the words fell, two highly destructive laser beams shot from Atlas's eyes, mixed with strange black electricity, heading straight for Whitebeard's chest!
The Power of the Pig Talisman!
He had unlocked the Pig Talisman's power three months ago but hadn't had a chance to use it.
As he expected, the Pig Talisman's laser beams were somewhat similar to Kizaru's lasers, just with a different firing method.
Unlike the Dragon Talisman's explosions, the Pig Talisman's ability was more focused on cutting, and its range was limitless.
In other words, as long as he could see it, the Pig Talisman's beams could reach it.
It was niche, so Atlas had been looking for ways to use it differently.
Swish—!
Whitebeard's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected this brat to hide such a trick. But at this moment, he was undoubtedly in a dilemma.
Either take the hit, or take a slash from this brat!
Soon, Whitebeard made his choice.
He twisted his body slightly, covering his chest with jet-black Armament Haki. The laser beam instantly pierced through his flesh and fascia, but was stopped by his bones!
"Conqueror's Haki infusion? Interesting brat!"
If it were just a simple laser attack, his Armament Haki would have been fearless. But he hadn't expected this attack to be infused with Conqueror's Haki?
This overturned Whitebeard's worldview.
Unless... the opponent wasn't using a Devil Fruit ability at all!
However, delving into that wasn't very sensible to him. Dealing with the immediate crisis was key.
On the execution platform, Sengoku, observing the overall situation from above, narrowed his eyes and pondered secretly.
Did this brat get another weird ability? It looks like Borsalino's lasers.\
.....
Aboard the evacuation ship near Sabaody. The screen showed the moment lasers shot from Atlas's eyes.
"Sugoi! Ace, look! How did the old man do that?"
Luffy could no longer suppress his excitement. His eyes sparkled as he grabbed Ace's arm with both hands and shook it back and forth.
"Idiot, let go of me!!"
Ace shook off Luffy's grip with some disgust, but his eyes never left the big screen. After all, what man dares to refuse shooting lasers from his eyes?
"Eh? Ace, you're so mean. But the old man is so cool. I want to do that too."
Luffy pouted enviously.
...
Zzzzz—!! Zzzzz—!!
Tasting success, Atlas continued to sweep his gaze, wanting to slice directly into Whitebeard's body.
Conqueror's infusion... Atlas had long wanted to combine it with the talisman abilities.
The talismans were different from Devil Fruit abilities.
It is well known that superpower derivatives cannot be coated with Haki, even Conqueror's Haki.
Like Kaido's Blast Breath, it's just a conventional method, incomparable in power to a Conqueror's infused [Thunder Bagua].
But talisman abilities and Devil Fruit abilities are fundamentally different, perhaps not even products of the same world.
Naturally, the rules are different.
In fact, the talismans' power can grow stronger as the user's physical strength increases.
However, Atlas still had a human body. No matter how much he trained, there was a limit.
He couldn't be compared to a god like Shendu. The effects and upper limits of the talismans were incomparable.
However, Atlas still couldn't figure out the use of the increasingly clear phantom of Shendu engraved in his mind.
Vwoom—!
Crack—!
Before Atlas could think further, the space in front of him shattered like a mirror. The laser beams from his eyes instantly refracted along the broken mirror shards.
Tremor power, dozens of times stronger than before, drilled into his body, recklessly turning his insides upside down.
Organs, bones, almost instantly shattered.
This old guy? Is this his trump card?
A thought flashed through his mind as his body flew. The power of the Horse Talisman roamed his body, enveloping him in a green glow.
Undoubtedly, Whitebeard's Devil Fruit ability had awakened.
Forcibly stopping his body, Atlas charged forward again, looking as spirited as if the person who had just been severely injured wasn't him at all.
Wielding his great sword, he clashed with Whitebeard once more.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Gunpowder smoke filled the air, Marines and pirates fought in a chaotic melee, and battle cries soared to the sky, finally converging into tragic scenes transmitted to the world.
"Marines... do your best!!"
Someone started shouting, and a multitude of voices joined in. Civilians watching the broadcast clasped their hands together in prayer.
"Marines, you must destroy the Whitebeard Pirates!!"
"Go, Marine heroes!!"
"Victory will belong to justice! Those damn pirates should just die!"
Sengoku stood on the execution platform, taking in the entire battlefield with perfect clarity.
He could clearly see the current situation.
Facing the fierce Marine offensive, the Whitebeard Pirates were retreating steadily, barely able to hold on.
Although the forces gathered at headquarters weren't all of the Marines' strength, the vast majority of mid- to high-level, elite Marines had been summoned.
Especially the newly promoted Vice Admirals, whose displayed strength was not to be underestimated.
Onigumo looked grim, his long hair flowing behind him, vaguely forming the shape of six arms. Holding sabre-style longswords, with a lit cigarette in his mouth, he charged into the pirates alone, unstoppable.
Splurt—!
"Ah—! Ah—!!"
Another dull sound of blades cutting flesh. Blood splattered, countless pirates were cut down, and a vacuum was instantly created around him, standing out starkly on the battlefield.
Clang—!
A crisp sound of metal clashing interrupted Onigumo's movements. He raised his slightly bloodshot eyes and glared fiercely at the pirate blocking him.
Whitebeard's 5th Division Commander, "Flower Sword" Vista!
"Marine! That's enough!"
Vista's face was frosty. His two swords dragged on the ice, carving two clear tracks. Scarlet blood dripped from the blades onto the ice like blooming roses, dazzlingly bright.
Clearly, quite a few Marines had just fallen at his hands.
"Vista? Two-sword style swordsman?"
Onigumo's gaze paused on the blood on the blades, his expression growing even colder.
"The number of swords does not determine a swordsman's strength!"
Although he didn't know if the opponent's eight-sword style was a Devil Fruit ability or some strange technique, Vista was quite confident in his own swordsmanship.
"Words are useless with me. Let our lives verify what is useful!"
Before he finished speaking, Onigumo's eight longswords slashed down directly, without any hesitation, smooth and natural. Clearly, he had developed his own style of swordsmanship.
Vista didn't back down either. He leapt backwards into the air, his longswords dancing rapidly. A large number of flower petals fell from the sky, like a beautiful painting, but filled with lethal threat.
Clang!! Clang clang clang!
Sparks flew. Every petal that landed on Onigumo's blades was like facing thousands of slashes. The ear-piercing sound of friction was incessant.
These petals... were actually composed of countless tiny slashes!
However—
Onigumo narrowed his eyes. The arms behind him assumed a strange posture, like an eight-armed demon god, surrounded by a black aura.
Swish—!
A storm of slashes erupted from where he stood. The slash petals created by Vista were instantly swept away, accompanied by the constant wailing of metal.
Suddenly, a point of cold light pierced through the blade storm, smoothly delivering a blade edge to Onigumo's face.
Clang—!
Just as the blade was about to touch Onigumo's face, a katana suddenly appeared, knocking Vista's sure-kill strike away.
"Hey! Onigumo, be careful. That's a division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
A bearded Marine with squinted eyes said, smiling.
The cigar in his mouth bobbed up and down as he spoke, shaking some ash onto his black suit, making him look very amiable.
"I know. Why are you here, Momonga?"
Onigumo steadied himself, his gloomy eyes glancing at the tear in his grayish-white suit. His gaze toward Vista became even more ferocious.
That suit was personally selected for him by Admiral Sakazuki...
"Well, Granny Tsuru sent me."
Momonga glanced at Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was moving back and forth across the battlefield carrying a few cleansed pirates, and replied with a smile.
"But for now, let's take care of this Whitebeard Pirates' 5th Division Commander."
On the other side.
"Huff... huff... Is this guy's ability to manipulate gravity at will?"
Marco looked wretchedly at Issho opposite him. He had already entered his hybrid form, but his burning blue flames were much dimmer.
His body was covered in shallow white sword marks, and he was panting heavily. Clearly, his stamina could no longer sustain high-speed regeneration.
Even the flames of the phoenix had their limits. He had thought about fighting from a distance, using hit-and-run tactics.
But the moment he spread his wings and lifted even half a foot off the ground, he would be rapidly pulled down by a powerful gravity.
His strength would vanish like a clay ox entering the sea, without a sound. Even his ranged attacks, upon nearing the old man, would be knocked down quickly, leaving him silent.
It was as if an invisible force field surrounded him at all times. The closer one got, the more it felt like sinking into a quagmire, making it hard to struggle.
"Sir, you might as well surrender. Why struggle in vain?" Issho said unhurriedly.
His robes were spotless, untouched by dust.
"Cut the crap! I will never surrender!"
Marco shouted lightly, leaned forward, and suddenly rushed forward at high speed.
A large amount of blue phoenix flames condensed into tail feathers in his hand, finally forming a giant flame fist that he swung at Issho.
[Blue Bird]!
...
Rayleigh looked solemnly at Akainu, who was dripping magma in front of him.
The surrounding ice had completely melted, hot steam filled the air, and the deep blue seawater bubbled and boiled. Ice chunks drifting from afar melted instantly.
It was as if a completely independent world had formed, in stark contrast to the icy and snowy world on the other side.
"How is it? Tired? Want a halftime break?"
Rayleigh casually scanned the surroundings, forcing a smile.
"Hmph! I never agreed with letting you pirates go. Since you jumped out seeking death today, then stay at Marineford forever!"
Akainu snorted coldly. The speed at which magma was secreted from his fists increased, and a thick, pungent smell of sulfur constantly drilled into Rayleigh's nose, assaulting his nerves.
"Great Eruption!!!"
High on the execution platform, Sengoku constantly observed the movements on the battlefield, silently counting the time in his heart. His hand, however, had quietly touched another signal transmitter.
Once pressed, the 50 warships outside the harbour would completely encircle the area. This was a combat force far more terrifying than a mere Buster Call.
Not a single pirate, not even a fly, would be able to escape!