A thunderous explosion rang out as Sengoku's Shockwave struck San Juan Wolf squarely in the chest. The giant's massive body trembled, then slowly tipped backward. When he crashed down, the already ruined Justice Tower was completely crushed beneath his overwhelming weight, collapsing into rubble once again.
Blackbeard saw everything clearly, yet he could not afford to be distracted. The darkness swirling around him thickened and expanded, swallowing Whitebeard's entire body. In only a few breaths, the great pirate's corpse was fully shrouded in black mist. From the outside, only an enormous black silhouette remained visible, pulsing with ominous power.
"This is bad, we cannot let him succeed," Sengoku shouted sharply. Even if he could not be certain that Blackbeard was truly capable of stealing another Devil Fruit, he could not take that risk.
"Ice Age."
Aokiji released a terrifying wave of freezing air. In an instant, the entire plaza was engulfed in intense cold. Jesus Burgess and Doc Q were caught completely off guard, their bodies instantly frozen into solid ice, their expressions locked in shock.
"What?!" The remaining members of the Blackbeard Pirates felt their pressure multiply in an instant. Two of their combatants had been neutralized with a single move. The power of an Admiral was fully on display.
Akainu took in the scene and grew even more furious. While Aokiji had resolved two enemies instantly, he himself had been stalled by Shiryu alone. The magma along his arm surged violently, forming a boiling blast of propulsion.
"Get out of my way…!"
Shiryu's back was drenched in cold sweat. The pressure Akainu released felt suffocating. At any moment, he believed he could be burned alive. He seized the brief opening and leaped backward at full speed.
Boom.
Akainu's molten fist slammed into the ground where Shiryu had just been standing, the impact sending magma rippling across the shattered plaza.
Akainu followed Shiryu with his eyes, cold and furious, then shifted his gaze straight to Blackbeard. The dark sphere around Whitebeard's body had fully formed.
"Die. Great Eruption."
A colossal magma fist roared through the air toward Blackbeard.
Shiryu's face turned pale, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to act. He launched into the air and swung his blade with all his strength. The massive magma fist was split cleanly in two, lava crashing to either side in a blazing torrent.
"Damn you, Shiryu!" Akainu roared in rage. He had already been stopped once by Marco, and now even Shiryu dared to block him. To him, it felt like his authority was being trampled repeatedly.
Shiryu landed heavily, his breathing ragged. Although he had blocked the attack, the strain was enormous. Every exchange with Akainu demanded his full strength. Internally, he cursed without pause.
"Hurry it up, Teach…"
On the other side, Aokiji attempted to advance again, only to find Catarina Devon and Avalo Pizarro barring his path.
"Why are you helping him?" Aokiji asked calmly. "You have only known Teach for a few hours. Even if he showed you kindness, neither of you strike me as the type to repay loyalty so blindly."
Pizarro laughed, his sharp grin filled with madness. "This is a gamble. We are betting on Teach's future."
Catarina Devon sneered as well. "He holds a secret that no one else does. If he succeeds, then we truly reach the peak of the world."
Aokiji's eyes narrowed. "So he really is trying to steal Whitebeard's Tremor Tremor Fruit."
Both Pizarro and Devon stiffened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Then this old man absolutely cannot allow it to happen." Sengoku's expression hardened. He raised his palm toward Blackbeard once more. "Shockwave."
At that very moment, Laffitte burst forward without hesitation, placing himself directly between Sengoku and Blackbeard. The Shockwave struck his body head-on. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying backward through the air.
"Damn it…" Sengoku's face darkened. Step by step, the situation was becoming more dangerous. If Blackbeard truly succeeded in obtaining the Tremor Tremor Fruit, then with two Devil Fruits, his future threat would be unimaginable.
And if the rumors Marco had shared with Aokiji were true, that Blackbeard might possess the ability to wield even three Devil Fruits, then the world itself would face a disaster unlike anything it had seen before.
At that critical instant, another figure finally entered the battlefield.
Hero Garp.
With an explosive burst of speed, Garp appeared directly in front of Blackbeard. His fist drove forward at point-blank range, smashing straight into Blackbeard's face.
"Bone Fist."
The Marines erupted with cheers.
"It's Vice Admiral Garp!"
Blackbeard flew backward, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.
"Damn it… that hurts. That really hurts…" Blackbeard groaned, clutching his face as he slowly pushed himself up. His expression was dark with frustration. He had been only a step away from success, yet Garp had appeared at the worst possible moment.
"Captain, are you alright?" Van Auger rushed to his side at once.
"I am fine." Blackbeard spat to the side and forced himself fully upright.
Shiryu and the other remaining Blackbeard Pirates regrouped around him. Shiryu lowered his voice and asked, "Teach, did you succeed?"
Blackbeard's face twisted as he answered, "No. I was just a little short."
Sengoku finally let out a breath he had been holding. Aokiji glanced toward Garp and spoke casually, "Well, it is good to see you, Garp-san. If you had not arrived, that man might have truly succeeded."
Garp clenched his fists, his expression firm. "I am a Marine. Protecting this fortress is my duty."
Deep within his heart, Garp's hatred toward Blackbeard burned fiercely. If not for him, Ace would never have been captured. The war, the destruction, the countless deaths, all of it traced back to Teach.
Akainu watched Garp in silence, irritation brewing within him. Earlier, Garp had shown restraint toward his own grandson, yet now he struck Blackbeard without hesitation. Still, Akainu kept his thoughts to himself. Garp's prestige within the Marines remained unshakable.
Nearby, Catarina Devon spoke in a low, uneasy tone, "Teach, it seems the Marines already understand your plan. They were prepared for you to steal Whitebeard's power."
Above the battlefield, far from this chaos, Marco was already moving in the shadows, his own objective drawing closer with every passing second.