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The instant the crimson lightning appeared, an invisible wave of pressure swept across the entire battlefield. It was as if a towering mountain had suddenly materialized and pressed down heavily on everyone!
Blackbeard's triumphant smile abruptly vanished. Panic immediately crawled across his comical face.
"Con... Conqueror's Haki Infusion (Haoshoku Haki Kōka)!"
Sengoku and Garp also showed shocked expressions.
"Hey, hey! Is that really a power that can appear even in the East Blue?"
"This Auguro is far more terrifying than we imagined!"
The ultimate power mastered by the top-tier strongmen of the New World, the force that directly elevated Luffy from a mere Commander to the Fifth Emperor. No one in the entire Marine high command had ever conceived that Auguro would possess this power!
"Damn it! Damn it! How does this guy know that technique?"
Blackbeard hastily tried to retract his hand, but it was already too late.
"Genryū: Yōen (Source Flow: Blazing Flame)!"
Savage Spiritual Pressure condensed on the Zanpakutō, adding fuel to the fire of the Conqueror's Haki Infusion! The terrifying strike descended like a blazing sun, executed with almost no concern for technique.
The Fuzan (Slicing Cut) Auguro used earlier was the first form; Yōen (Blazing Flame) was the second. As the second form of the Genryū style created by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, this move focused not on technique, but on sheer momentum and presence!
After all, with his current strength, enemies that required complex techniques to defeat were virtually nonexistent.
Pfft!
The overly confident Blackbeard hadn't anticipated Auguro possessing the strength for a counter-attack. Unable to dodge, he was cleaved directly across the shoulder! The gash ran from his shoulder down to his abdomen, hideous and ghastly.
"AAAAGH! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
Blackbeard bounded several meters away, collapsing onto the ground and writhing uncontrollably.
However, Auguro clearly saw the wound on his body rapidly shrinking!
The peculiarity of the Dark-Dark Fruit was not, as Sengoku had guessed, the inability to use elementalization, but rather the inability to avoid attacks after elementalizing.
In exchange for this flaw, the absorbing nature of darkness allowed him to absorb damage. The catch, of course, was enduring the pain. The side effect of doubled pain was not something anyone could withstand!
Just now, after being hit precisely by the Conqueror's Haki Infusion, Blackbeard's eyes were nearly rolling back, and he clung to the edge of consciousness, refusing to completely pass out!
The Conqueror's Haki and Spiritual Pressure fused, raging within Blackbeard's body like ten thousand needles simultaneously piercing his entire being. This kind of torture was impossible for any ordinary man to endure.
As Blackbeard struggled, his crewmates instantly stepped in front of him. Shiryu held the Meitō, Raiu; Devon pulled out her long spear; and Van Augur raised his sniper rifle.
Faced with so many legendary figures, even Auguro knew he couldn't defeat them all. He wisely chose to retreat and regroup with Yoruichi and Soi Fon.
Blackbeard proved worthy of his title as a major villain in the One Piece world. After writhing in agony for a while, the Dark-Dark Fruit completely absorbed the injuries, and his body returned to normal.
"Auguro, I truly underestimated you!"
Having suffered such a huge loss at the hands of another for the first time, Blackbeard clearly marked Auguro as a target. After all, this guy was not known for his broad mind!
"Little ones! Time to go! We can't stay here any longer!" Blackbeard noticed Sengoku and the others quietly trying to surround him and decisively ordered a retreat.
"Blackbeard! You ambitious scoundrel, go back to Impel Down where you belong!" A shockwave shot out from Sengoku's hand.
Unfortunately, Blackbeard was prepared. He absorbed the shockwave completely with a Dark Water from his right hand.
"Zehahaha! Sengoku! Put your focus on me, will you? The battle situation is getting unfavorable!"
No sooner had Blackbeard finished speaking than a terrifying aura surged skyward from the battlefield. Several figures appeared on the path the Marines were using to pursue the Whitebeard Pirates.
"This war should end now! Please, everyone, give me some face!"
A single-armed figure stood at the forefront, exuding an imposing and powerful aura.
It was the Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks!
"He finally arrived?" Auguro muttered to himself. He had initially thought Shanks wouldn't show up, given how messy the plot had become. Ace had been rescued, and the Whitebeard Pirates' retreat was far smoother than in the original timeline.
Although the Marines hadn't given up the chase, their casualties were only about half compared to the original events. He hadn't expected Shanks to still choose to intervene.
"If there is anyone who still wishes to fight, let us be your opponents!" Shanks' voice was filled with authority.
"Heh heh! I never imagined the little brat from back then would possess such dominance now!" Rayleigh said with a look of gratification.
Jabba nodded slightly as well. None of the people who came out of the Roger Pirates were mediocre!
Bullet, on the other hand, watched Shanks with interest. In him, Bullet saw a rare glimpse of Roger's shadow!
Alas, seeing Shanks' missing arm, the fighting spirit that had briefly surged in Bullet's heart extinguished. Like Mihawk, Bullet knew that the current Shanks was not in his prime. There was no point in fighting such an opponent!
"Mr. Rayleigh, Mr. Jabba, and Elder Brother Bullet! Could I please ask you to leave first?" Shanks addressed the three men respectfully. After all, they were his seniors from the same ship, and Shanks felt he owed them that deference.
Auguro, at this moment, failed to realize that it was because of them that Shanks was forced to intervene! Whitebeard was dead, and most of the Whitebeard Pirates had successfully retreated.
However, Auguro's group, combined with Rayleigh and the others, totaled five Admiral/Emperor-level powerhouses! If the fight continued, the outcome would be several times more catastrophic than in the original timeline!
If that happened, there would be no talk of maintaining the global balance of power!
Therefore, Shanks had to intervene to prevent the absolute worst-case scenario.
Rayleigh was already looking to leave. After all, Ace had successfully escaped. He just hadn't found a good window to do so due to the persistent Marines. With Shanks' appearance bringing a temporary lull to the battlefield, Rayleigh naturally didn't want to stay.
Rayleigh and Jabba exchanged a glance, then turned and walked away.
As for Bullet, he was no longer someone they could command! His assistance in rescuing Ace was merely a temporary alliance.
Bullet laughed heartily.
"Sengoku, Garp! I'll let you off for now! Next time, we'll settle the score properly!"
Though he badly wanted to cause a ruckus in Marineford, he dared not disrupt Aizen Sōsuke's plan!
Based on their prior exchange, Bullet was certain that Aizen Sōsuke and Auguro were working together! Otherwise, with Aizen Sōsuke's true power, those two women would never be his match.
The so-called capture of a traitor was nothing more than an elaborate act put on by both sides.
"Haha! Pulling a trick on the Marines and the World Government! These two really know how to play the game!" Bullet couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He was intensely curious about the full extent of Aizen Sōsuke's plan.