The terrifying onslaught of the Meteor Volcano was completely shattered by Luffy alone, with not a single magma fist able to break through his barrage of punches or come half a step closer.
Ace stood quietly behind Luffy, gazing at the back that, while not burly, was incredibly reliable. He stood there in a daze, his heart surging with boundless emotion.
Unconsciously, that younger brother who had always needed his protection—reckless and impulsive—had grown to such an extent.
His power had transformed, his resolve had toughened. He now possessed the strength to stand at the pinnacle of the sea, the ability to shoulder storms alone and, in turn, protect his older brother.
Once, he had always been the older brother guarding his younger sibling. But now, Luffy had grown into a man he could rely on with peace of mind, one who could step forward and shield him.
Luffy temporarily blocked Akainu's assault, buying himself and Ace a moment to catch their breath.
Not daring to delay any longer, the two seized the opportunity, turned side by side, and sprinted at full speed toward the outer edges of Marineford's harbor.
They were still in grave danger, with artillery fire roaring behind them and navy blockades spread across the path ahead.
At every key passage and intersection along the way, large numbers of navy officers formed layers of barricades, tightly sealing all escape routes, determined not to allow Fire Fist Ace and Straw Hat Luffy to slip away unharmed.
However, most of these obstructing marines were only at the ranks of lieutenant, lieutenant commander, or commander at best—merely mid-level officers of the headquarters who hadn't even mastered basic Armament Haki.
With such combat power, attempting to stop two individuals standing at the pinnacle of the sea was undoubtedly like striking a stone with an egg.
Facing the swarming crowd of marines blocking their way, Ace's expression turned cold. Flames surged around his body, crimson fire coiling around his arms as he uttered a low, fierce shout:
"Fire Fist!"
A torrent of flames erupted violently, transforming into a blazing stream that swept horizontally across the sky.
Wherever the flames passed, the air twisted and trembled from the scorching heat. The navy officers charging forward had no time to dodge and were instantly sent flying by the fiery shockwave, unable to rise and block them again.
Beside him, Luffy refused to fall behind. White flame clouds swirled around his limbs as he flipped through the air, his right leg pulled high before crashing down with a leg strike infused with Conqueror's Haki.
"Gomu Gomu no… White Stamp!"
The rubbery long leg smashed down with a force that tore through the air, its powerful impact stirring up shockwaves. Any navy officer swept by the leg's gust was sent flying hard, their formation instantly collapsing.
After just a brief clash, the defensive line was easily torn apart, unable to pose any substantial hindrance to the two.
The brothers moved one after the other—one with fire, one with rubber—their attacks alternating, unstoppable wherever they went.
The navy officers blocking their path along the way were effortlessly defeated, utterly unable to halt the two's side-by-side breakthrough. They could only watch helplessly as the pair broke through one blockade after another, steadily drawing closer to the port.
High above the battlefield, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates stood quietly, watching the figures of the two brothers below working in unison, breaking through enemy lines side by side. Waves of emotion stirred in their eyes.
Marco gazed gently at those two figures, his tone tinged with a sigh:
"What a moving scene... Brothers united, standing side by side to break through obstacles, sweeping away all enemies ahead. Such a bond is truly rare."
Flower Sword Vista, standing nearby, curled the corner of his mouth into a playful smile and teased:
"It's just that no one expected Ace, always so unruly and defiant, to be shielded behind his younger brother today.
I remember during casual chats before, he would always mention Luffy, calling him a crybaby over and over. Now, he's the one being desperately protected by his little brother instead."
Upon hearing this, everyone softly agreed, their eyes filled with knowing smiles, marveling at the wonders of fate.
Just as Luffy and Ace were about to break through the final line of defense, a piercing chill suddenly spread from ahead.
The temperature plummeted, moisture in the air instantly condensed into fine frost, and the ground quickly coated with a thin layer of white ice, sealing off the entire path forward.
Aokiji, enveloped in dense white freezing air, stepped out steadily from the swirling snow, firmly blocking the two's only way forward.
He calmly watched them and said in a detached tone:
"What touching brotherly love. It truly is moving.
Unfortunately, Marineford today is destined to be your burial ground.
You won't even have the chance to see tomorrow's rising sun. Escaping safely from here is simply impossible."
As his words fell, Aokiji slowly raised his arm, his hand forming into a blade, the freezing air around him wildly gathering and condensing, turning the hand blade into ice.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
With a light shout, the freezing air in the sky instantly took shape, transforming into a lifelike, massive ice pheasant.
Its beak sharp, wings coated in frost, carrying the extreme cold capable of freezing all things, it tore through the sky, charging straight toward Luffy and Ace.
The biting chill rushed toward them; the cold air alone was enough to freeze ordinary strong fighters.
If struck head-on by the ice pheasant, even a Vice Admiral would be frozen solid, reduced to a helpless captive.
Seeing this, Luffy instinctively moved to step forward and block the attack.
But the moment he shifted, Ace reached out and gently pressed his shoulder, his gaze firm, carrying the stubbornness of an elder brother, leaving no room for refusal:
"Luffy, step back. I'm the older brother. At a time like this, it's my duty to protect you. Move back and leave this to me.
Mirror Flame!"
The flames around Ace suddenly surged, crimson fire forming into a fiery mirror. The blazing flames soared skyward, colliding head-on with the roaring ice pheasant.
Fire and ice clashed in an instant, the opposing forces of heat and cold impacting and eroding each other, continuously grinding away.
Scorching flames burned the ice, while biting cold froze the fire. The two top-tier Logia-type powers wildly intertwined and clashed, erupting into vast shockwaves that swept outward in all directions.
Where ice and fire met, endless steam instantly billowed up, turning into a vast, white mist that enveloped the entire airspace, obscuring everyone's vision.
As the steam slowly dispersed with the wind, the chill and heat in the air faded together.
Aokiji's ice pheasant had been completely incinerated by the flames, while Ace's Mirror Flame had been thoroughly extinguished by the freezing air.
The two attacks were evenly matched, canceling each other out, with neither gaining the upper hand.
Witnessing this astonishing scene, the surrounding Marine soldiers stared wide-eyed in disbelief, exclaiming in shock:
"How is this possible? Admiral Aokiji's attack was completely melted away in an instant?"
"Fire Fist Ace's flames are actually this powerful, able to clash head-on with an Admiral's Logia-type power without losing ground!"
Among the pirate ranks, Flower Sword Vista couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"Hahahaha! What's so surprising about that?
That's our Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace.
It's only natural that he possesses such formidable strength!"