Chapter 83: Sinking Marineford
Chapter 83: Sinking Marineford
"Get out of my way!" Ace roared, his right foot enveloped in Armament Haki and blazing flames, forming a three-legged golden crow as he kicked fiercely at Doflamingo.
"Damn it!" Doflamingo cursed, manipulating his fingers to weave a barrier of white silk threads in front of him. But the Golden Crow tore through the barrier, striking Doflamingo's chest with immense force.
Doflamingo's chest caved in, and he was sent flying tens of meters back, landing with his chest scorched, his fate uncertain.
"Anyone who dares stop me will die!" Ace declared, his eyes burning red as he glared at Gekko Moria and Bartholomew Kuma.
Frightened by Ace's ferocity and witnessing Doflamingo's defeat, Gekko Moria backed away, unwilling to face Ace.
However, Bartholomew Kuma held his ground. He expanded his arms, generating a bear paw-shaped bubble that began to shrink rapidly. Ace, breathing heavily after exerting so much power, understood the threat Kuma posed.
Marco was gravely injured, Jozu weakened by Aokiji's ice, and Vista occupied by Marines. With Whitebeard battling Akainu, Ace was left to face Kuma alone.
Ace drew a deep breath, preparing to confront Kuma, but a booming voice interrupted. "Ace, I'm here!" Ace turned to see Little Oars Jr., a towering giant, approaching.
"Oars!" Ace's face lit up with hope. Kuma noticed the giant and accelerated the compression of his bear paw bubble.
"We can't let him finish charging!" Ace realized, rushing at Kuma. But Kuma deftly sidestepped, evading Ace's attack.
Ace's heart sank at Kuma's agility. "Even with that huge body, he's so nimble," he thought.
"Ace, step back! I'll handle this," Oars thundered, swinging his massive sword at Kuma.
The blade cleaved the air, but Kuma leapt away, dodging effortlessly. The sword struck the ice, leaving a massive fissure.
Oars pressed on, swinging again, but Kuma continued to evade, the bubble in his palm now the size of a hand.
"Bear's Paw Impact," Kuma murmured, releasing the bubble. It rocketed towards Oars, striking his abdomen with explosive force.
Boom!
Oars's chest caved in, blood spewing from his mouth as he collapsed, blocking the pirates' escape route.
"Excellent work, Kuma," Sengoku praised from the high platform, confident that the fallen giant would trap the pirates.
"Oars, wake up!" Pirates rushed to their fallen comrade, but Oars lay motionless, eyes white.
"Everyone, push together! We have to move him!" Dozens of pirates strained to budge Oars's massive form, but he remained immovable.
"Marines, advance! Kill those pirates!" Marines descended from all sides, engaging the Whitebeard pirates in fierce combat.
"Damn it, let's fight!" The pirates steeled themselves for battle, but suddenly, Oars stirred.
"Whoa... huuuuh." Oars drew deep breaths, grasping the steel city wall and slowly hauling himself up.
"Don't let him rise! Fire at will! Pacifists, target that giant!" Sengoku commanded.
Cannons and pacifist lasers bombarded Oars, tearing his body with wounds that bled profusely.
Oars fell once more.
"Protect Oars!" Marco shouted. Luffy inflated himself into a giant balloon, bouncing back cannonballs.
Boom boom boom!
Explosions rocked the forts, while Ace's flaming bullets detonated pacifist lasers.
The battlefield was ablaze with chaos and destruction.
"Oars, wake up!" Ace pleaded, and Oars seemed to hear him.
With effort, Oars moved, his broken left arm unable to support him. He stopped struggling to stand, instead using his right hand to grab the steel plate shattered by Whitebeard, creating a makeshift ladder.
"Ace, everyone, climb over me!" Oars urged, making a bridge for the pirates.
Tears welled in Ace's eyes, and Marco, Jozu, and others were equally moved.
"Jozu." Even Whitebeard, witnessing the scene, was touched.
"You're distracted!" Akainu emerged from the sea, striking Whitebeard's chest once more.
Whitebeard's chest dented under the blow, but his murderous intent flared. He seized Akainu's head and slammed him into the ground.
"Impossible!" Akainu's eyes widened in disbelief. He'd used full force, yet couldn't penetrate Whitebeard's Haki.
"You die, Akainu!" Whitebeard activated the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a white energy sphere forming in his palm before contracting sharply.
Energy erupted violently, creating a ten-meter crater as destructive waves radiated outward, fracturing the steel walls.
Akainu spat blood, a severe wound marring his head as his consciousness faded. But with sheer will, he clung to awareness.
From afar, Chiba observed, impressed. "Akainu's resilience is remarkable, even after Whitebeard's onslaught."
Whitebeard, surprised by Akainu's endurance, hurled him skyward, gripping his blade with both hands.
A massive white energy sphere enveloped the blade, then condensed.
Whitebeard swung down, the blade shattering the space around Akainu's abdomen, cracks webbing across his body.
Akainu vomited blood as magma and crimson spilled from him, finally succumbing to unconsciousness.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power rippled through Marineford, splitting the ground and toppling buildings. The island seemed to sink under the assault.
Marineford, a symbol of Marine strength, was crumbling, its loss more than material—a blow to Marine's spirit.
With morale shaken, the Whitebeard pirates could exploit the chaos to escape.
Whitebeard's intent had been dual: to kill Akainu and to demoralize the Marines, giving his sons a chance to flee.
Panic spread among Marines at the sight of their collapsing headquarters.
"No, Marineford is sinking!"
"Marineford, the unsinkable fortress, is falling! Can we win?"
"It's over, Marineford is sinking! Can we defeat the pirates?"
"What do we do? He sank Marineford. Is fighting pointless?"
"Snap out of it! Keep fighting!" Sentomaru barked, furious at the Marines' hesitation.
"Whitebeard." Sengoku's voice carried a note of fear for the sea's mightiest man.
Whitebeard combined power with cunning, and Sengoku knew he must be stopped now.
Sengoku seized the phone transponder, rallying the troops. "Marines, even if Marineford falls, we can rebuild it stronger, better. Our fortress is not walls, but our spirit and will to fight."
Sengoku's words inspired the Marines, reminding them of their mission and support from the world.
Rayleigh chuckled, "Chiba, you're quite famous now."
Chiba grimaced, "Why'd he mention me?"
"Sengoku might want you for Marine's marshal," Rayleigh speculated.
"If I become marshal, I'll double your bounty," Chiba retorted, uninterested in leadership roles, preferring research and strength-building in the background.
"Marines, fight on for justice!" Sengoku's speech reignited Marine fervor.
Yes, they could rebuild Marineford. With Chiba's training and potions, they could grow stronger, eventually defeating all pirates.
"We have Chiba! We won't lose!"
"With Chiba's methods and potions, we'll become invincible! Pirates, prepare to die!"
Marine morale surged as they charged the pirates with renewed vigor.
The Whitebeard pirates, focusing on escape, dropped weapons and fled over Oars's body.
"Sengoku!" Whitebeard roared, knowing he must strike Marine's leader to ensure his sons' escape.
Energy radiated from Whitebeard, black Armament Haki cloaking his blade, crackling with Conqueror's Haki.
"Conqueror's Haki?" Chiba watched intently, recognizing the formidable power.
Rayleigh, recalling past battles, marveled at Whitebeard's might, unchanged by age or injury.
The Conqueror's Haki, combined with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, made Whitebeard's strike a force even Sengoku might not withstand.
Sengoku, acknowledging Whitebeard's threat, knew his defeat would demoralize the Marines, risking their rout.
"Garp!" Sengoku shouted, calling for aid. On the ice, Garp lay still, gazing skyward.
"Stop pretending!" Sengoku urged, but Garp remained motionless.
Vice Admiral Tsuru approached Garp, recalling past victories. "Remember capturing the Golden Lion with Sengoku? He acts for Marine, justice, and the world's safety."
Garp, moved by her words, sat up, grinning. "I've wanted to fight the strongest man at sea for a long time."
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.