Whitebeard watched the incoming rain of fire, pulling his right fist back before swinging it out with a bang.
Crack!
The air exploded, and at the same time, Whitebeard's arm tore open with a *boom*, muscles ripping and blood spraying.
An invisible vibration warped space.
The lava raining down reversed its trajectory, flowing back towards the continually forming lava projectiles.
Sakazuki stood at the apex of the lava column.
He looked at Whitebeard, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and said:
"You don't like a grand funeral, do you, Whitebeard?"
Whitebeard returned the smirk, saying:
"Go light candles on your birthday cake, magma brat."
With that, he unleashed his ability beneath his feet, his naginata crackling with Conqueror's Haki. He charged at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki activated his abilities, conjuring a long blade to meet the attack. Several magma dragons followed in his wake, overpowering the opponent with sheer force.
With a smirk and murderous intent in their eyes, the two clashed once more.
Boom!!!
-----------------
The Thousand Sunny.
Zephyr, after crushing Sanbell's wrist with a kick and snatching the trident, raised his foot to finish him off.
Whoosh—!
A green arrow-shaped slash shot towards his ankle.
Zephyr flickered, disappearing instantly.
He reappeared behind the swordsman with gravity-defying yellow hair.
His dark left hand seized the swordsman's swinging wrist.
Crack!
The wrist bone shattered, and his right hand caught the falling longsword, swinging it upwards diagonally.
Clang!
Thwack!
The clad Armament Haki only held for a moment before the yellow-haired swordsman was bisected.
"Taro!!!"
"You bastard!!!"
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
The crew on the ship watched Taro being cut in half, filled with rage and terror.
Sanbell, the fish-man, who had gotten up by the railing, his eyes bloodshot, roared:
"Fish-Man Karate!"
"Five Thousand Caliber Spinning Kick!!!"
With a flexibility that belied his stout physique, he launched a spinning kick towards Zephyr.
Zephyr, expressionless, gripped his blade with both hands.
Hum—!
His blade, coated with Armament Haki, slashed forward.
The blade met his foot, and within moments, Sanbell's body was sent flying by a massive slash, plunging into the sea.
Zephyr turned, blade in hand, and charged towards the strongest aura.
Clang!
A ragged figure appeared, blocking the blade:
"I won't let you go any further."
Rayleigh's deep voice echoed with killing intent.
Zephyr scoffed, putting force into his grip:
"Then try me."
Zephyr's immense strength pushed Rayleigh back.
The strong individuals in the pirate world were broadly divided into two types: assassins with high offense and low defense, and tanks with high offense and high defense.
The former were represented by figures like Rayleigh and Shiki, while the latter were represented by Garp and Roger.
Young Zephyr clearly belonged to the latter category.
Boom!
With a tremendous sound, Rayleigh was sent flying back.
Zephyr pressed his advantage, but a sword energy shot towards him. Zephyr parried with his blade, shattering the energy.
Grasping his blade with both hands, Zephyr unleashed Armament Haki and swung down.
Clang!
Two sword energies erupted, the shockwaves forcing the crew on the ship to shield their faces, unable to open their eyes.
-----------------
The sea battlefield.
Sengoku's massive golden form loomed hundreds of meters in the sky, overlooking the sea like a divine being.
Translucent energy bullets circled his palm, ready to be unleashed.
Suddenly, he spun around and thrust his palms forward.
The energy bullets connected to his palms, leaving long trails in the air as they shot towards the sea.
Boom!
A colossal shockwave erupted in the water, and the long trail connected Sengoku in the sky, continuously outputting his power.
"Ugh!"
Jabba, caught off guard in the water, was engulfed by the shockwave, a trickle of blood escaping his lips.
Sengoku in the air sensed Jabba being trapped.
"Haa!!!"
He roared, his massive palm glowing with golden light. The trail of energy bullets connecting to the shockwave in the sea expanded threefold.
With Sengoku's full power output, the shockwave beneath the sea rapidly spread.
A circular shockwave hundreds of meters wide formed, and Jabba, trapped at the center, his pupils contracted.
The feeling of impending death continuously stimulated his nerves.
He coated his entire body in Armament Haki to resist.
The shockwave in the sea seemed to reach its limit, and golden light flared.
Boom!!!
The violent explosion instantly created a massive pit thousands of meters wide on the surface of the sea.
The rampant air currents even caused Sengoku's tens-of-meters-tall golden form to be pushed upwards.
Giant waves spread outwards, and from afar, Rayleigh and Roger, locked in battle, abruptly turned towards Sengoku's direction, their killing intent surging.
"Jabba!!!!"
Furious Conqueror's Haki swept across the heavens and earth. On the sea below Sengoku, a figure wearing broken sunglasses floated on the water.
The future Pirate King's Left Hand—Jabba—was dead!
-------------------
The three-way battlefield.
Roger had completely lost his composure.
He gripped his sword with both hands, Conqueror's Haki swirling around him, his bulging arms swinging in a circle.
A circular wave of sword energy erupted from him, expanding outwards infinitely.
It forced back Kong and Garp, who had closed in.
He charged towards the Thousand Sunny.
The two, thrown back by the sword energy, imbued their fists with Armament Haki.
"Bone Shatter!"
"Cone Spike!"
They roared simultaneously in mid-air, their dark fists shattering the sword energy before them.
Then, sonic booms echoed through the air as their figures flickered rapidly, charging towards Roger.
Sengoku, who had killed Jabba, appeared on the direct path ahead of Roger.
His giant golden palm conjured two circulating energy bullets.
He formed a pincer attack with Garp and Kong, who were pursuing him from behind.
Roger looked at Sengoku ahead, his killing intent surging.
The Haki wrapped around his blade condensed into a tangible form, and he was about to swing.
Just then, an arrogant and domineering voice echoed from afar:
"Shishi-i Son: Kai'an!"
The Golden Lion Shiki was seen flying low across the sea, swords in hand.
Half of his blades were plunged into the seawater.
As Shiki's ability activated, small masses of water rose from the sea he carved through.
But the masses of water following him stretched endlessly, as if he had been flying for a long time.
With Shiki's loud shout, all the seawater rapidly collided and merged, instantly forming three colossal lion heads made of water.
Shockwaves accompanied by roars flew towards Sengoku.
Sengoku, mid-air, looked at the water lion heads with a hint of solemnity.
He turned, palms together, and pushed the fused energy bullets forward.
They shot directly towards the water lion heads, and as the two met,
Boom!
Golden light exploded, and the energy bullets and the water lion heads annihilated each other.
Under the violent impact, the water lost its buoyancy and fell back into the sea.
The Golden Lion grinned, unconcerned. A moment's distraction was all he needed.
Roger, who had been charging towards Sengoku, surged forward, his scarlet eyes blazing, and swung his sword at Sengoku.
Hiss—!
The colossal slash struck Sengoku's Haki-clad arm, crackling.
Boom!!!
Sengoku was sent flying backward, a deep gash appearing on his golden arm.
The Golden Lion held his dual swords and unleashed several slashes towards Kong and Garp:
"Gahahahahaha."
"Am I late, Roger!"
Roger's scarlet eyes glanced towards his Thousand Sunny, where Rayleigh's aura also showed signs of weakening.
"Just in time, Shiki."
With that, he charged towards the distant ships, his killing intent soaring.
The Golden Lion grinned and looked at Kong and Garp:
"Shishi-i: Senji'dan!"
Several slashes rained down, unlike Roger's wild slashes imbued with Conqueror's Haki that could not be directly resisted.
The sword energies unleashed by the Golden Lion were merely probing attacks. The two condensed Armament Haki around them, stomped their feet,
and their figures erupted towards the Golden Lion.
Crack crack crack crack!....
Like the sound of breaking glass, the multiple slashes were shattered.
Haki flowed around their fists as they charged at the Golden Lion from left and right.
------------------
On the edge of the Sgri Sea, the Golden Lion's fleet was heading rapidly towards G4 branch.
As soon as he reached the edge of the sea, the Golden Lion disembarked his fleet and headed towards the distant battlefield alone.
Mike Frank, captain of the Blizzard Pirates and a Logia-type user of the Snow-Snow Fruit, was also getting impatient.
Even from the edge of the sea, he could feel the residual Conqueror's Haki raging there.
It made him tremble with excitement and madness:
"Truly, truly, it's wonderful!!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
He transformed into wind and snow, constantly expanding and rotating outwards, appearing as a giant white cloud from afar.
The surrounding dozens of ships could feel the chill emanating from him.
He shot up into the sky, a colossal snow cloud spinning and rushing towards the site of the battle.
As the spinning snow cloud flew, it grew larger and larger.....