Chapter 376: Whitebeard, Not Inferior!

An ancient volcano erupted once more, boiling lava nearly illuminating heaven and earth!

Thus the glaciers melted; countless pirates near Akainu were even burned from a distance, their bodies turning entirely red as they wailed and leaped into the water, unaware that the surrounding sea had already been boiled!

Heaven and earth turned crimson!

A red sun rose above the glaciers of Marine Headquarters!

The Marine Admiral bearing the title of 'Strongest' revealed destructive power akin to a natural disaster in this moment!

Those nearby, such as the Decalvan Brothers and Donquixote Doflamingo, withdrew violently, fleeing hundreds of meters in an instant, so much so that they could not even spare a glance at their opponent before them!

For even staying one second longer meant risking being directly burned by Akainu's sudden eruption, a mighty force beyond what ordinary people could oppose!

"En heh heh heh heh heh heh—!"

A suppressed, hoarse, and ferocious laugh squeezed out from Donquixote Doflamingo's grinning mouth.

He leaped up, stepping on silk threads to hover mid-air, viewing the entire battlefield clearly.

Akainu, blazing like a meteor, swept past him, carrying terrifying high temperatures as he rushed toward Whitebeard, who stood atop the Moby Dick in the distance!

"This is the Navy's strongest monster!"

"And truly the number one man of the Navy in the coming era!"

"Monster-like combat power sufficient to rival the Emperor of the Sea, pity... ultimately unable to defeat that man crowned with the title of World's Strongest!"

The moment his voice fell.

Akainu's attack arrived before Whitebeard once again, another swift and fierce Inferno Hound!

The erupted speed was even three parts stronger than that previous punch!

Pity.

He had chosen the wrong opponent.

Whitebeard, returned to his peak, was nearly invincible.

On this battlefield of Marineford, even Sengoku and Garp might need to join hands to have a fighting chance.

Recall that Golden Lion of old, with a ship's wheel embedded in his head, still fought Garp and Sengoku for three days and three nights, destroying half of Marineford before finally admitting defeat.

Whitebeard...

Would only be stronger!

"Bang—!"

Similarly a heavy punch, similarly the strike location, similarly the atmosphere instantly torn apart.

This time Whitebeard moved with killing intent, directly smashing Akainu into the glacier with one punch!

Crack crack crack crack—!

Cracks spread all the way, nearly tearing apart every glacier in the harbor.

The seawater churned.

While everyone around barely managed to stand firm, Akainu, the Marine Admiral, had already vanished without a trace.

The inhumanly robust king stood on the deck holding a blade in one hand, facing off from afar against Sengoku and Garp on the execution platform.

Whoosh—!

The sea wind howled.

Every gaze on the battlefield converged upon Whitebeard!

"Is this Whitebeard?!"

Seeing this scene, witnessing that man standing in the center of the battlefield who was invincible with his presence alone, everyone around fell silent.

"Even that Akainu was..."

"Is this the existence who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King Luo Jie?!"

"How can such an opponent possibly be defeated?!!"

Helmeppo slashed down an attacking pirate with one cut, but feeling the surging Haki, he felt his legs go weak.

Even though he had long seen Garp act, witnessed that kind of mighty power capable of shaking heaven and earth at will, none brought an impact as intense as Whitebeard.

"Even if we are just swept by the aftermath, we will die!"

"Koby..."

Helmeppo hurriedly turned his head to look at the companion beside him, but saw only a figure covering their ears, stumbling away in flight.

Just as he rushed to pursue, his movement was interrupted by a pirate nearby.

In his hasty rush to meet the enemy, Helmeppo was immediately wounded, a scar left on his chest deep enough to see the bone.

Enduring the pain, he swung both blades to repel the invading pirates, then pursued Koby's figure without looking back.

He did not believe Koby would flee the battlefield out of fear!

But the fact stood before him, leaving him no room for argument!

After all, the opponent was Whitebeard, the World's Strongest Man!

On the execution platform.

Ace saw this scene, watching those comrades in the distance giving their lives for his sake; his heart was tormented, yet he also felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.

He had felt this sensation from Luffy before!

Being needed, being acknowledged, and being saved!

But precisely because of this, he was even more unwilling to lose these true family members!

"Pops..."

"Everyone..."

Ace lifted his head, looking toward Whitebeard in the distance.

He was clear about Whitebeard's physical condition, naturally knowing that the once domineering Emperor of the Sea had long been terminally ill with little time left.

Thus, when Whitebeard appeared here, it meant... he had no intention of returning alive!

"Don't do anything foolish!"

"Someone like me isn't worth—"

"What foolishness are you spouting!"

A rough, resolute voice rang out, cutting off Ace's words of self-abandonment.

When Ace lifted his head again to gaze at the Moby Dick.

Whitebeard had already seized the Murakumogiri from the deck, his posture calm, his gaze sweeping over all with disdain, radiating an unshakable resolve:

"Lads, charge with me and rescue Ace!"

As his voice landed.

Whitebeard leaped down from the Moby Dick, his blade wreathed in a vibration bubble sweeping across everything before the execution platform!

The shattered glacier cleared a vast path, pointing straight at Fire Fist Ace atop the execution platform.

In a single strike, he achieved what tens of thousands of the Whitebeard Pirates had failed to accomplish against Sengoku; at this moment, the shock Whitebeard imparted upon everyone was beyond words.

Majestic and domineering!

The king of old let the world witness his former strength and glory in this very instant!

Ace lowered his head, unable to hold back his sobs.

Patter—!

Tears burst from his eyes, shattering upon impact with the execution platform.

Garp sat nearby, also keeping his head bowed.

What he had to admit was that what neither Luo Jie nor himself had given Ace...

Whitebeard had given!

Compared to Garp and Luo Jie, Whitebeard was a qualified father; at the very least, Whitebeard's eyes held only his family.

Sengoku reached out to pat Garp's shoulder, casually shedding the greatcoat from his own shoulders, readying himself for battle.

Akainu could not match Whitebeard in his prime; in two encounters, he was instantly suppressed. As Fleet Admiral, and the ballast stone of this battle, he absolutely could not allow Whitebeard to advance another step!

Sengoku glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand:

"Fifteen minutes remain until the execution; from now on, we cannot let that monster advance another step!"

"Garp..."

Sengoku opened his mouth; even he found himself unable to ask Garp to act at this moment, yet unexpectedly, the latter slowly rose to his feet.

Swish—!

The cloak bearing the word 'Justice' slid from his shoulders; two veterans of the old era had already resolved to fight their final battle against Whitebeard!

Yet the movements of both men froze in the next instant!

Upon the glacier cleared moments ago by Whitebeard's fist, a blond figure holding a sword in one hand had somehow appeared standing there.