Chapter 45 Monsters of old era

At that moment, the sky above Marineford appeared as if it had been split by something.

The dark clouds hovering over the battle between Garp and Redfield divided into two, stretching several kilometres. In stark contrast to the tragic scene below, beams of golden sunlight shone down from the center.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Whoosh——

Conqueror's Haki surged through the sky, crackling like bolts of lightning.

The shockwaves from Garp and Redfield's clash created a danger zone, with no one daring to approach within a kilometre. Anyone who ventured too close would be blown away by the aftermath of their battle.

People around the world watching the live broadcast were left dumbfounded. They had never expected the old pirate to possess such incredible strength.

What they didn't anticipate was that Garp, while facing Redfield, also had to contend with the equally terrifying Gabban. The sight of this left many in shock.

Even Whitebeard, engaged in a two-on-one battle in the distance, noticed the situation and was taken aback. Then, Whitebeard's laughter resonated through the sky:

"Gurarara! Garp, Redfield, Gabban, it seems you monsters aren't as worn out as I thought!"

Hearing this, Kizaru puckered his lips and commented, "Hey, hey you are a guy fighting two opponents, have no right to call others monsters, right? It's quite scary."

Akainu roared, "Whitebeard, are you losing your mind while fighting us? Dark Hound!!!"

Despite Whitebeard glancing in the direction of Garp and Redfield, he paid no attention to Akainu's sudden attack. With a casual wave of his hand, he dispersed it with tremendous force.

Boom!

Click, click, click!

The Dark Hound that Akainu had transformed into shattered in an instant.

In truth, unless Whitebeard sustained serious injuries, it was impossible for others to successfully sneak attack him. Not to mention being attacked by his son, Squard.

Several years ago, Ace attempted to sneak attack him on the ship using his Mera-Mera Fruit ability but failed. Even when Whitebeard was asleep, Ace couldn't land a successful attack. This comparison made it evident that Whitebeard's life was truly coming to an end.

He understood this himself. Otherwise, why would he be at the forefront of the battlefield?

Didn't he know the vast strength gap between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Naval Headquarters?

Impossible!

Regardless of whether Ace could be saved or not, he was determined to give himself, Ace, and the world a final resolution. Ivankov had informed him of the consequences he would face after using the Hormonal Fruit ability to heal, but he still made the choice without hesitation.

After dispelling Akainu's sneak attack, Whitebeard looked up at the sky. Buggy, who was slowly making his way back to the execution platform, took a deep breath and shouted:

"Buggy! I entrust Ace to you! The Whitebeard Pirates will forever remember your help!"

Buggy, in the sky above, casually waved his hand without stopping.

Whitebeard's declaration left everyone stunned, especially the members of the Whitebeard Pirates. They couldn't believe that the mighty Whitebeard, who had always been so strong, would utter such words.

Whitebeard's sons understood the meaning behind their father's words, and others also realized why Whitebeard spoke so suddenly.

It meant that Whitebeard might not have much time left.

"Father!"

In the distance, Marco, who was fighting alongside Diamond Jozu against Aokiji, teared up as he looked in Whitebeard's direction. His heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Hey, Marco, do you still think you can fight me with your mind elsewhere?"

In the next moment, Aokiji appeared next to him and kicked him away, turning Marco into an ice sculpture in an instant.

"Ice-Age!"

When Diamond Joz charged forward and attacked Aokiji with a diamond weapon, Aokiji, without dodging, exhaled a breath of cold air.

Crack, crack, crack—

Almost immediately, Diamond Jozu transformed into a five to six-meter-tall ice sculpture.

In an instant, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates' first and third divisions were temporarily subdued by Aokiji.

This was the price to pay for allowing distractions in the face of top-tier combatants.

Whoosh—

After suppressing the two, Aokiji immediately rushed toward Whitebeard without the slightest hesitation. Kizaru, in agreement with the plan, transformed into a golden streak of light and headed for Buggy.

Akainu, on the other hand, engaged in a direct confrontation with Whitebeard.

In that split second, the three Admirals worked together in harmony, exchanging positions to execute their strategies. Among them, Kizaru was the fastest and the only one who could stop Buggy.

Aokiji and Akainu planned to join forces and face the full force of Whitebeard's final attack.

This was the unspoken agreement among the three Admirals.

No matter what, Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't be forced to make a move by pirates. Otherwise, the Marines would truly lose their prestige on this day.

"Hmph!"

Whitebeard understood this too, and with a cold snort, he swung Murakumogiri, the white shock force slashed towards Kizaru.

Hum!

Boom!

Chila—

Just as Kizaru was about to vanish, Murakumogiri pierced through him, preventing him from escaping. Simultaneously, the terrifying power of the Shock Fruit coursing through the blade caused blood to spray from Kizaru's mouth.

But Whitebeard didn't stop there. He raised his right hand high, assuming a punching stance.

Akainu and Aokiji bombarded simultaneously, felt their hearts skip a beat from the terrifying shock force above.

"You monster!"

"Is this the power of the strongest man in the world?"

Akainu and Aokiji were genuinely alarmed.

"Greatest eruption!"

"Ice Age!"

Akainu and Aokiji unleashed their strongest moves almost simultaneously.

A determined gleam flashed in Whitebeard's eyes as he brought down his raised right arm.

"!!!!!"

At that moment, the attacks of Akainu, Aokiji, and Whitebeard collided.

Rumble—

The sky and earth trembled, and the space itself seemed to collapse.

Boom!

Crack, crack, crack—

Marineford shook violently, and the Naval Headquarters building, already riddled with cracks, collapsed completely.

Bang!

In the next instant, the space shattered, obliterating the attacks of Akainu and Aokiji. Both were sent flying thousands of meters, causing the outer wall of Marineford Square to crumble.

Puff—

Whitebeard spat out a mouthful of blood, tightly gripping Murakumogiri as he knelt down on one knee. With a resolute expression, he raised his head and laughed heartily.

"Gurarara! I'm happy, so Murakumogiri!"

However, at that moment, Kizaru, who had been impaled by Whitebeard's Murakumogiri, shot a laser from the air with an expressionless face and spoke simultaneously.

"What a monster! With a old body like that, you can still unleash such a move? It's terrifying! I'll give you a final farewell, Whitebeard."

Boom!

Whoosh!

In the next moment, a terrifying explosion engulfed an area hundreds of meters around Whitebeard. Witnessing this scene, Margao, Diamond Joz, and others who had just escaped danger cried out at the top of their lungs.

"Pops!"

Buggy, above in the void, glanced back momentarily.

And at that moment, Sengoku abruptly shouted in a deep voice.

"Now is the time! Proceed with the execution!"