The instant the Marines were trapped in the sea of fire, Sengoku and Tsuru's expressions changed drastically. They had not expected someone in the opposing camp to pull such a move. It was absolutely brilliant. From this move alone, it was clear that the Star Alliance had no intention of retreating; they were determined to fight the Marines to the death.
The sea surface frozen by Aokiji was blasted apart one shell after another. The raging flames kept melting the ice beneath the ship-filled sea. The Marines running across the ice were trapped amid flames; once the ice under their feet melted, they had nowhere to stand. In an instant, they were caught between water and fire. The devastation could not have been worse.
The Marines had been played by the Star Alliance and were immediately caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. Before the fire had even burned for long, casualties rose geometrically. Watching from the rear, Sengoku's exhausted, haggard face seemed even older.
Neither Sengoku nor Tsuru had calculated that the Star Alliance would have the resolve to destroy all their warships, then turn around and fight the Marines to the death. This single misstep had inflicted enormous damage on the Marines.
"Aokiji!" Seeing countless Marines struggling painfully amid water and fire, Sengoku had no choice but to deploy Aokiji.
A frigid wind swept across the sea. Admiral Aokiji rose into the air, bringing down a swath of icy radiance. Every flame across the ship-filled sea was extinguished in an instant, and the exploding 313 shells immediately fell silent. Once again, Aokiji turned the situation around with his powerful Devil Fruit ability.
But the scene was utterly tragic. The Marine vanguard had suffered devastating casualties. Many had been blown to pieces, while countless others had been