At that moment, the three Admirals looked grim. They had believed victory was certain once the encirclement wall was activated — never imagining the plan would collapse so completely. There must have been a traitor within the Marines who leaked their strategy; otherwise, Whitebeard could never have struck with such perfect timing. But suspicion mattered little now. Even if they uncovered the mole later, their immediate priority was to crush the Whitebeard Pirates' offensive once and for all.
"Whitebeard Pirates, don't get too arrogant!" Akainu stepped forward without hesitation. He had been the architect of the encirclement wall plan, intending to personally wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates. With the plan ruined, he no longer held that central role. Still, he was determined to eliminate Whitebeard himself, clearing his path toward promotion to Fleet Admiral.
"Great Eruption!" With a furious roar, Akainu unleashed a magma fist over twenty meters wide. The blazing blow surged forward. Whitebeard didn't flinch; he roared back, "Get lost, brat!"
With a loud ping, Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit–powered punch met Akainu's magma fist head-on. The impact tore through the air, rupturing reality. Trembling shockwaves ripped apart the sea, magma and flame erupted, crashing like waves against mountains. In an instant the world itself was remade: white fissures of quake energy twisted with red magma, two colors clashing with catastrophic power. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Magma-Magma Fruit, both terrifyingly destructive Devil Fruits, reshaped the battlefield in a fiery quake.
"How is this possible? Akainu actually withstood Pops' punch head-on!" someone gasped.
"Get away from Pops! Don't get caught in the aftermath!" another shouted in panic.
"Now's our chance — rush to the platform! Save Ace!" The Whitebeard Pirates' captains seized the moment without hesitation, charging toward the execution platform.
Nearby, Little Oars lay on the ground. He struggled to his feet, his gaze fixed on Ace above. Despite his massive frame, the platform wasn't far. He resolved to crawl, inch by inch, intent on rescuing Ace himself. "Ace, I'm coming for you…"
Suddenly, Aokiji's lazy voice drifted through the air — laced with an unmistakable chill of killing intent. "You've caused enough trouble, demon. You ruined our perfect plan. Now it's time for you to disappear," he drawled. "Ice Age," he murmured.
In the next instant, freezing ice poured down on Little Oars like a waterfall. In just three seconds, frost swallowed his head, his limbs, his entire massive body — turning him into a colossal ice statue.
"Little Oars…" The Whitebeard Pirates cried out in terror and sorrow.
Aokiji's contemptuous gaze swept over their ranks. He called out softly, "Stop your mourning. If he is thawed in time, maybe there's still hope. But be gentle — his body is fragile now. Too much force and he shatters into shards."
A heavy silence fell. The Whitebeard Pirates exchanged troubled looks; they were powerless. Whitebeard clenched his teeth. His Tremor-Tremor abilities could obliterate ice, but in this moment, he faced a terrible dilemma. They had come to Marineford to rescue Fire Fist Ace, yet he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice another son in the process. His rage smoldered, silent but burning.
Akainu roared again, launching another magma fist toward Whitebeard. The Admiral's fury threatened to consume the battlefield.
Whitebeard braced himself, meeting the attack with a punch, and shouted over the chaos, "Save Ace now! Once Ace is safe, use fire to melt the ice around Little Oars!"
"Yes! Keep attacking — go save Ace!" Jozu shouted, stepping forward. "We can't let Little Oars' sacrifice be for nothing," Izo added urgently.
Their grief transformed into resolve. The Whitebeard Pirates surged forward like a tidal wave, their focus razor-sharp on breaking through the Marines' defenses.
Aokiji glanced at them, a hint of surprise in his cold eyes. He'd assumed the enemies might hesitate after losing one of their own. Instead, their fury had only intensified. "They really are difficult to deal with," he muttered.
At that same moment, after shaking off Kizaru's interference, Marco's form shifted suddenly. In a flash, he transformed into his Human–Beast Form. With lightning speed, he soared through the air, evading Marine fire, grabbing both Luffy and Jinbe, and rocketing directly toward the execution platform.
Whitebeard raised his arm and called out, "All hands, protect Marco!"
"Pops, yes!" "Commander Marco!" "Commander Marco — rescue Ace!" The cries of the crew echoed in unison, like fuel to a roaring fire.
Kizaru, seeing the desperate charge, twisted his lips into a lecherous grin. "Oh? Whitebeard betting everything on you, First Division Commander Marco," he taunted. "But this old man will not make it easy for you." His form began to elementalize, intending to block Marco's path.
At that moment, Fifth Division Commander Vista stepped forward. The flash of his blade forced Kizaru to pause his transformation. "Don't think you're getting past, Kizaru," Vista snarled.
Kizaru's expression flickered, then settled back into indifference. Facing not only Vista, but also Fossa, Rakyō, and Kingdew standing firm before him, he gave up his pursuit. Against such determined captains, risking his life for a paycheck wasn't appealing.
On the other side, Jozu, Blamenco, and Izo worked together to restrain Aokiji. With so many captains pressing in, he couldn't break free. Marine soldiers were in disarray, shaken by the wall's collapse and the Whitebeard Pirates' ferocious assault.
Marco flew steadily toward the platform, closing the distance meter by meter. Then, above him the sound of cannons erupted. Marine officers barked orders: "Fire! Stop Marco! Do not allow him near the platform!"
Cannonballs rained down from all sides. For a moment, it seemed unstoppable — but then, captains leapt in and intercepted the barrage, shielding Marco with their bodies, sacrificing themselves for the mission.
Sengoku's face turned colder as he watched Marco closing in. Just as the distance fell below a hundred meters, and Sengoku prepared to intervene, a familiar figure sprang up — and charged toward Marco with terrifying speed.
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