At that moment, Aokiji arrived beside Sengoku and Akainu. Both men were slightly surprised by his sudden appearance. Sengoku immediately asked,
"Kuzan, why are you here? Have you dealt with Fire Fist Ace?"
"Not yet," Aokiji replied. "But his right arm is crippled, and his injuries are severe. Even if he survives, his threat level will be greatly reduced."
Akainu instantly understood Aokiji's tendency to hold back, and his dissatisfaction flared.
"Why didn't you just kill him? With your strength, that shouldn't have been difficult."
Aokiji scratched the back of his head, sounding helpless.
"I didn't really have a choice. Too many people were protecting him—I couldn't finish him off cleanly. Besides, I came to report something important to you, Sengoku-san."
Though Sengoku was also displeased with Aokiji's habit of leaving things unfinished, Kuzan was still the man he regarded as his successor. He suppressed his irritation and asked calmly,
"What is it?"
Aokiji's expression turned unusually serious as he relayed everything Marco had told him earlier, word for word.
After hearing the report, both Sengoku and Akainu fell silent, their expressions tinged with skepticism. Still, if even half of it was true, then Blackbeard's threat far surpassed that of Fire Fist Ace.
Akainu spoke first, his voice icy.
"If that's the case, then we should eliminate him immediately—cut the problem off at the root."
Sengoku shook his head.
"No. If what Kuzan says is true, then Blackbeard's body has enormous research value. We must capture him alive. For now, we wait—let Whitebeard and Blackbeard decide the outcome."
Meanwhile, in the duel between Whitebeard and Blackbeard—
At first, Whitebeard was at a disadvantage. Unfamiliar with Blackbeard's ability to nullify Devil Fruits, he was briefly suppressed. But the strongest man in the world was no stranger to battle. Decades of experience sharpened his instincts, and he quickly grasped one of Blackbeard's fatal flaws.
With a thunderous roar, Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri downward, slashing brutally.
"AAARGH! It hurts—damn it, it hurts!"
The darkness instantly scattered. Blackbeard crashed to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony. Before he could even recover his breath, Whitebeard was already upon him. Murakumogiri pierced straight through Blackbeard's palm, pinning him to the ground, while Whitebeard stomped down with his other foot—completely sealing his ability to use Dark Water.
Whitebeard then grabbed Blackbeard by the throat. White vibration waves surged around his palm as his eyes burned with killing intent.
"Arrogance… recklessness… those are your true weaknesses. Teach—go to hell and beg Thatch for forgiveness!"
Panic instantly replaced Blackbeard's bravado.
"No! Pops, please—I was wrong! Spare me! Am I not your son?! Do you really want to kill me?!"
Boom!
Another violent shockwave detonated at point-blank range, smashing Blackbeard's body and leaving his face drenched in blood.
Yet even then… Blackbeard did not die.
Whitebeard's earlier battles against Sengoku and Akainu had already drained him to his very limits. His strength was nearly spent. Even unleashing a full-powered blow now was no longer enough to finish Blackbeard in a single strike.
The strongest man in the world had finally reached the edge of his life.
"Cough—cough—cough…!"
Blackbeard staggered back, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he stared at Whitebeard in horror.
"This damn undying old man… he's already this badly injured—how is he still standing?!"
Whitebeard's body had clearly reached its limit. His massive frame swayed, teetering on the verge of collapse. Once Blackbeard finally regained his footing, any thought of a fair duel vanished from his mind. He turned sharply to the figures behind him and barked,
"Brothers! Attack together! Finish this old monster right now!"
Blackbeard's crew—treacherous, vicious, and utterly shameless—had no intention of honoring a one-on-one fight. Seeing Whitebeard barely able to move, they immediately raised their guns and cannons, unleashing a merciless barrage of bullets and shells toward him.
Outside Crescent Bay, Marco noticed Aokiji's sudden departure—and his eyes lit up.
'This is it…'
With Aokiji gone, only Kizaru remained to block their escape.
"Jozu!" Marco shouted urgently. "Now's the time!"
Jozu's face lit up with excitement. He grinned fiercely.
"Leave it to me!"
Leaping high into the air, Jozu coated his fist in diamond and smashed it down with all his might.
CRACK—!
The frozen surface split open, fractures racing outward in a widening circle. Jozu began tearing at the ice, but with one arm missing, prying loose such a massive slab was far more difficult than before.
"I'll help!" Marco called out instantly.
Realizing Jozu's reduced strength, Marco flew to the opposite side. Together, the two commanders tore free an enormous chunk of ice from the frozen sea.
"Leave the rest to me!" Marco shouted.
His legs transformed into sharp talons as he lifted the massive ice block—nearly thirty meters across—high into the air, then hurled it straight down.
"Giant ice—!"
"Run!"
The Marines scattered in panic as the colossal block crashed down, forcing them to retreat in disarray.
Hovering in the air, Marco swept his gaze across the battlefield and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates—gather immediately!"
At once, the division commanders moved toward him. The subordinate pirates hesitated, confusion written across their faces. Hadn't they just vowed to fight to the death?
Marco's voice rang out again, firm and commanding:
"Hurry! We're preparing to retreat!"
"Retreat? We still have a way out?"
"I don't know—but if Captain Marco says so, then there must be a plan!"
Trusting him completely, the pirates disengaged from the Marines and rushed toward Marco.
"Captain Marco, what's going on?!" someone shouted from below.
Marco answered loudly,
"Have you forgotten? Pops left us one last ship."
For a moment, there was stunned silence—then realization hit.
"That's right!"
"The ship under the sea!"
Hope reignited in the eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Marines, overhearing this, snarled in anger.
"Hmph! At a time like this, they're still thinking about escaping?"
"Typical pirates—don't let them get away! Kill them all!"
Marco turned sharply to Jozu.
"Jozu, widen the opening!"
"Got it!" Jozu roared.
Once again, the two commanders worked in perfect sync—smashing, tearing, and ripping massive slabs of ice free, then hurling them down like falling mountains. The Marines were forced to scatter repeatedly, their formations thrown into chaos as the path to escape was finally, slowly, being carved open.
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