With a thunderous boom, Akainu's overwhelming force slammed Marco straight into the wall, his body embedded deep within it. The searing heat instantly melted the stone around him, the ground beneath his feet turning soft and viscous like lava. Just as Marco's strength faltered and his knees nearly buckled, a voice rang out.
"Dance of Roses—!"
A razor-sharp wave of sword energy slashed through the air, forcing Akainu to halt his advance.
Akainu's eyes narrowed. The magma fists coating his arms shot forward like cannon shells, smashing into the already exhausted Marco and driving him even deeper into the wall. A split second later—boom!—both fists detonated, scattering countless volcanic bombs across the battlefield.
"Tch… more trash who don't know their place," Akainu sneered, his gaze falling on the newcomers—Vista, Namur, and Izo.
At the same time, blue flames erupted from Marco's body once more, burning away the magma clinging to him. The charred flesh rapidly regenerated, his wounds knitting together in mere seconds.
"Marco, are you alright?" Namur asked anxiously as he rushed over.
"I'm fine," Marco replied, breathing heavily. He glanced down at his palm—still flushed red from the heat—only to watch the burns vanish completely moments later. He lifted his eyes to Akainu, his gaze heavy. This wasn't just a powerful enemy.
This man was a monster.
'If it weren't for the Phoenix's regeneration, I wouldn't even be able to stand against him…' Marco thought grimly.
From the moment he had transmigrated into this world, he had known the truth. In the Marineford War, the real threat wasn't Sengoku, nor the other Admirals—it was Akainu. Among all the top-tier fighters, he was the only one who fought without restraint.
That was why Marco had poured everything into Strength through the system, neglecting other attributes entirely—just to endure Akainu's blows.
And yet… even now, with his Strength surpassing seven thousand—more than double his original self—he still couldn't stop him.
If Whitebeard was the world's strongest pirate, then Akainu was undoubtedly the world's strongest Marine.
Watching Marco heal yet again, Akainu clicked his tongue in irritation. "That Phoenix ability is truly troublesome. If I can't kill you in a single strike, you'll just keep regenerating."
To Akainu, Marco's raw power was only slightly above the other commanders. The real problem was his absurd recovery. Unless his destruction overwhelmed Marco's regeneration, killing him would be impossible.
"Don't fight him alone," Izo said firmly, raising his guns. "Let's attack together. I'll provide cover fire."
"Alright," Marco agreed without hesitation.
With Vista pressing the attack head-on, Marco shifted his focus to defense, while Izo's precise gunfire harassed Akainu from afar. Backed by multiple commanders, the crushing pressure eased slightly. Together, they managed to hold Akainu in place.
But only just.
They could restrain him—but defeating him was far beyond their reach.
After more than a dozen brutal exchanges, Vista closed in beside Marco and spoke urgently, "Marco, we need to pull back. There's no reason to keep clashing with an admiral. Ace is already safe."
Izo nodded sharply. "He's right. Even together, we can't bring him down. Retreating now is the smartest move."
Marco exhaled slowly, eyes still locked on Akainu.
They hadn't won—but they had accomplished what mattered most.
Ace was alive.
Marco glanced around the battlefield and saw that most of the Whitebeard Pirates had already withdrawn. Only a handful of commanders were still holding the line. He gave a small nod and said decisively, "Alright… we're pulling out."
Without hesitation, the group turned and retreated.
The brief clash with Akainu had carved the truth deep into Marco's bones—the gap between himself and an Admiral was still immense.
"Tch…" Akainu's expression darkened further as he watched them escape, his killing intent flaring. He immediately moved to give chase.
Elsewhere, Whitebeard was locked in a fierce battle with Kizaru.
Whitebeard understood Kizaru's greatest threat all too well—his speed. If Kizaru broke away and went after Ace, escape would become nearly impossible.
"You're really giving it everything you've got, Whitebeard~" Kizaru drawled as he casually dodged another attack, a beam of light firing from his fingertips.
Whitebeard answered by punching the laser itself. The beam shattered midair, fragments of light scattering harmlessly across the plaza.
Kizaru was about to press the attack when a flash of steel cut through the space between them. Vista's blade sent a crescent of sword energy flying toward Kizaru, forcing him to elementalize and retreat.
"Whitebeard—!"
"Die, Whitebeard!"
The instant Kizaru was pushed back, more than a dozen Marine rear admirals and commodores surged forward, swarming Whitebeard without giving him a moment's respite.
"Out of my way!" Whitebeard roared.
Murakumogiri blazed with Armament Haki and the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit as he swung it forward, shattering the very air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another earthquake erupted. Shockwaves rippled across the plaza, the ground rolling like storm-tossed waves.
But this was not the sea.
The concrete strained under the relentless tremors—then finally gave way. With a series of deafening explosions, the ground of Marineford Plaza fractured, chunks of stone and debris blasting upward and sending thousands of nearby Marines flying.
"That damn monster…" Momonga muttered grimly. Against power like this, resistance felt meaningless.
"Oh? You've left yourself open, Whitebeard…" Kizaru's languid voice drifted through the chaos.
A laser pierced straight through Whitebeard's body.
Whitebeard grunted, blood spilling from his mouth as he glared coldly at Kizaru in the distance. "What an irritating brat…"
"Don't give him time to recover—keep attacking!" Momonga shouted, charging forward himself.
"Die, Whitebeard!"
The Marines surged again, fearless—or perhaps resigned.
Kizaru hovered at a safe distance, his speed allowing him to strike whenever he pleased. Watching Whitebeard fend off the onslaught, he spoke lightly, almost mockingly, "You're facing at least commodore-level fighters now. How much longer can that old body last, hmm?"
"Anyone who wants to die—come!" Whitebeard thundered.
He threw another punch, and the shockwave it unleashed became a raging hurricane, scattering the charging Marines like leaves before a storm.
As Whitebeard gathered his power once more, preparing to crush them again—
Biu—!
Another laser bored through his body.
Kizaru's voice followed, smooth and almost regretful. "I warned you not to show openings in front of me, Whitebeard… Otherwise, I might just kill you by accident."
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