The Clash of the Titans.

The attack devoured any and everything in it's way, from Marines to cannons to buildings.

In it's wake there lay nothing but mere rubble, with blood smeared on top. That attack, might have as well been on par with one of Whitebeard's strongest quakes there.

Though rather than scattering the attack in a wide range like the quakes, this Divine Departure was focused, and an attack focused could cause twice the destruction, or so it was said.

It was Advanced Conqueror' Haki, coated on the warrior and the blade alike, which caused both to cackle with a sound like that of lightning, while dark tentacles and tendrils flew about wildly, while the attack was being charged.

And when unleashed, the world ceased to take a breath.

Yet, all was not joy for the pirates behind Roger, for Sengoku had arrived to save the Marines from total annihilation.

Just as the attack was let loose, Fleet Admiral Sengoku transformed into his 'Golden Buddha' form, which made him into a titanic monstrous glowing buddha, which radiated pure strength just by standing still.

When the Kamusari was midway to the scaffold, the massive Sengoku threw his own punch against the attack.

"Shōgekiha!!!"

And if that shockwave of an attack had not been let fly, the entirety of the Marine Headquarters would have reduced to dust. The entire Naval forces would have just failed to exist any longer, at least those on the side of the Execution Platform.

The attack itself was a mountainous golden shockwave, which was strong enough for collateral damage. The consequences resulted in loss of Marines, but had he not done it, there would have been three times the damage done.

Simultaneously as the two magnificent attacks collided, the impact was enough to level the ground for a hundred-pace radius and more.

A crater deeper than Luffy's height appeared there, and that in itself was filled with reddish crimson blood.

At that moment, there was nothing more grim than Sengoku's grimace.

Another half of their forces obliterated.

Two thousand Marines, against the might of ten thousand pirates, including the late-coming Luffy and his boat of escaped prisoners.

Oh, victory was almost guaranteed for the pirates, because of the coming of their King, except for the fact that it was not that easy. Any Marine beside Ace could slit his throat and call it a day, and no pirate would be able to do anything.

Before Sengoku could release another one of his attacks on Roger, he heard someone speak to him, from behind his back.

" Sengoku. . .! Let me try to handle Roger."

'Hawkeye' Mihawk muttered, his hat covering his sharp eyes. He was ant-like when compared to Sengoku, but in him he had a strength unlike any on the side of the Marines.

Everyone knew that no Shichibukai was loyal to the World Government. They all knew that they had just come there for the joy of it or to retain their special privileges.

And Mihawk, who had formerly come to Marineford for the latter, now decided that he had come there for the bliss of it.

He was just there to try out, to 'spar' against the Pirate King.

While he walked bravely with an air of defiance and icy coldness which could mar a boulder, Sengoku reduced back to his original human form.

The Fleet Admiral turned back towards the execution tower, and when he crossed paths with the Greatest Swordsman in the World, he whispered firmly, " Remember, Mihawk. You are no longer the greatest swordsman."

Mihawk scoffed, for he was not one with overconfidence. Going by the looks of it, it seemed that this Roger was even more powerful than the current Whitebeard.

Before he could move a muscle, suddenly a humongous head popped out from above the walls. It glanced at the unconscious Monkey. D. Luffy and sighed, "I tried to varn you!!! I hate to say I told you so but from the look of things…!" It was Emporio Ivankov, another commander of the Revolutionaries, once captured and thrown into Impel Down, the Greatest Fortress. To see him and other prisoners, irked all the Marines, but there was nothing they could do.

Ivankov continued without taking a breath. " Are you still in one piece, Strawhat?!"

Whitebeard glanced at him, and gave luffy to one of his pirates. " The boy's done enough. Tend to his wounds."

But Luffy stirred and twisted vaguely. "Bah! Ugh… Let go of me. I don't need to be taken care of…!"

But the other pirates did not pay heed, for they cared for him. "Hey! Quit moving around so much! We're running out of time for ya…!"

But Luffy, beaten up as he was, found enough strength in him to shout weakly. " I said move it! ACE IS . . .the ONLY BROTHER I've got in the WHOLE WORLD!!!"

As he pushed off from the pirate who was holding him, he tried to run towards Ace, in vain.

His legs faltered, and he fell down headfirst, his cheek bones producing a crack.

Jinbei, also one of Ace's dear friends, could not let his companion's brother die.

Just as Luffy's face hit the ground, he came rushing towards him with speeds one would not believe for a man of his posture.

Accompanied by a doctor, ( Jinbei was clever ) Jinbei lurched, " Luffy! Doctor, do something to revitalise him."

Whitebeard eyed Luffy with tight eyes. "This kid… He's full of spunk but nothing to talk. His bark is worse than his bite, is what I would say. Still, I always had a soft spot for idiots like him." Giving a light chuckle, he sharpened his eyes to the battle ahead.

Ahead, where only Mihawk was supposed to come, there arrived Admiral Akainu too.

Oh yeah, Whitebeard held more than a grudge for that kid. That brat had made one of his loyal allies to stab his own captain, him, Whitebeard. The only thing that lead as repercussions to that was death.

And thus, this scene, was nothing short of legendary.

On one side came Gol. D. Roger and Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate, flaunting their superior swords, and on the other came Dracule 'Hawkeye' Mihawk and Admiral Sakazuki, one with a blade believed to be the strongest ever, with skill enough to be worthy of it, and another flexing his bulked up magnificent arms, steam rolling off of it.

When one witnessed that, words failed to describe. Nothing short of epic and miles above legendary; Someone had yet to invent a word fit enough to describe the clash.

A clash of kings, for any who possessed the Colour of the Supreme King was nothing but a king. As every pirate stopped and every Marine paused to stare at the spectacle, they unconsciously backed off.

The collateral Haki caused itself was enough to make any Commodore make a stumbling run in the opposite direction.

First, Whitebeard positioned himself, creating potential energy in his arm, while creating the blob of condensed power. As he leaned forward to release it, Akainu the Magma Human swished forward at an alarming speed to block the attack coming forth.

As a 1500 degree hot leg collided with one of the Saijō Ō Wazamono, shockwaves almost as powerful as the one Sengoku put forth were released.

Steam and smoke covered the clashing duo, as both jumped back a dozen paces to recover from the impact.

Akainu hissed as he came forward again. "At the rate you both are going, the island is going to get wiped off the face of the planet . . . !!!"

Whitebeard smugly replied, simultaneously wiping off blood from his protruding chin, caused because of Akainu, " Gurarara . . . Well then I guess you're just gonna have to stop me."

Raising backwards his hand, Whitebeard threw a punch which made King Elizabello ||'s King Punch look like an infant doing a tantrum-punch.

Of course, it was not a normal one. Where the hit landed, cracks of fissures appeared in the air, and the very air trembled with fright.

And to protect himself and his fellow companions, Akainu threw a defensive massive meteor that might have looked offensive in the absence of the Quake.

As the waves of force radiated, Mihawk was far from perturbed. He walked bravely, while his brain pounded in on what Sengoku had said.

You are no longer the Strongest Swordsman in the World.

Huh. Even that would not change anything to his power and advanced skills. This Roger had to be a couple of years older than Whitebeard ; He had to be.

Being a nigh-eighty year old man, Mihawk hoped unconsciously that his power had decreased over time, though that did not seem to be the case.

Mihawk wanted to spar against him. He wanted to test his strength against the Pirate King.

Ah, he himself could not believe he was getting cold feet.

Roger strode with a royal stance and an iron will, and spoke, " That's a fine sword you got there, lad. Mind letting me have it?"

Dracule Mihawk scoffed. " Over my dead body."

Roger replied with no less fervour, " And over it shall I pass to acquire it."