Summit War · Rescue

The one who suddenly appeared to block Sengoku's strike was none other than Whitebeard, who had broken through the perimeter wall at some unknown moment!

Whitebeard blocked Sengoku's attack with a single punch, and considering he was already in a severely wounded state, the sheer power he possessed was evident.

"Ice Spear!"

Just as Chen Qiang was controlling Oars and turning to look at the Whitebeard who had intercepted the attack, Aokiji leaped onto Oars' body and launched an assault toward Chen Qiang and Ace, who were atop Oars' head.

"Tiger Slash!"

The moment Aokiji launched his attack, Chen Qiang reacted. He controlled the turning Oars to pivot once more, and as he did, a phantom of a giant blood-colored tiger manifested around Oars. Once the tiger shadow appeared, it swiftly opened its gaping maw and swallowed the ice projectiles fired by Aokiji in one gulp.

At the same time, the Butcher Knife in Oars' hand did not stop; it continued to swing toward Aokiji, while the tiger shadow that had just appeared detached from Oars' body and descended upon Aokiji alongside the blade.

"Crack! Crack!"

After the attack landed on Aokiji, a sound of shattering ice echoed out. Aokiji was pulverized into shards of ice and fell to the ground below.

But it wasn't over yet. As Aokiji fell to the ground as ice shards, Oars, under Chen Qiang's control, spun the Butcher Knife in his hand, instantly pointing the tip downward and plunging it directly into the ice fragments below.

However, the abilities of a Logia-type Devil Fruit were truly monstrous. Just as the blade tip pierced the ice shards, Aokiji's figure emerged from the ice surface on the other side. A massive block of ice appeared, crawling up Oars' leg and reaching his waist in the span of a single breath.

"Roar!"

Seeing this, Oars let out a thunderous roar. A burst of blood-red light erupted from his body, shattering the ice at his waist, and he turned his blade to strike at Aokiji once more.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

Just as Oars swung at Aokiji again, a brilliant yellow light erupted from the other side. Dense, small projectiles of light flew rapidly toward Oars' upper body—it was Kizaru, one of the three Admirals, making his move.

"Puchi!"

Caught off guard, Oars' body was sprayed with blood as the light projectiles punched small holes through him. However, the spurting blood rapidly formed a crimson barrier in front of Oars, blocking the subsequent barrage of light.

Although the attacks were largely blocked, Chen Qiang, who had been controlling Oars' body, instantly turned deathly pale as the blood in his body was drained in an instant.

As Chen Qiang's face paled, the red light in Oars' eyes faded, and with a loud boom, he collapsed to the ground.

Because Oars had fallen, Whitebeard noticed the situation behind him and moved to intercept the attacks from Kizaru and Aokiji.

But due to this distraction, Akainu, who had been locked in combat with him, seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack, punching Whitebeard square in the chest.

"Puh!" Whitebeard's entire chest was pierced through by Akainu's fist!

Turning around to punch the sneak-attacking Akainu away, Whitebeard spat out a massive mouthful of blood; it was clear this blow had severely worsened his injuries.

"Pops!" "Pops!" "Pops!"...

Seeing Whitebeard wounded, the surrounding members of the Whitebeard Pirates rushed toward him in a panic.

"Ace!"

At this very moment, the battered Luffy also rushed onto Oars and reached Ace's side. With a face full of joy, he hugged Ace tightly, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

"Luffy!"

Seeing Luffy appear, Ace was deeply moved, his own tears never ceasing.

"I'll get these handcuffs off you right now!"

After hugging Ace for a moment, Luffy immediately fished out a key from his person and began to unlock Ace's shackles.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

It was at this moment that Kizaru, taking advantage of Akainu's sneak attack, broke free from Whitebeard and launched an assault toward the location of Chen Qiang and the others, with countless yellow light projectiles raining down rapidly.

"Fire Gun!"

Fortunately, just as Luffy helped Ace unlock the handcuffs, Ace stood in a horse stance as the light projectiles arrived. Placing his hands at his waist, he fired a massive amount of flames from his palms, blocking the incoming yellow light.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The flames and light collided repeatedly in the air, producing a series of explosive sounds.

"Rest in peace! Ace has been saved!"

Just as Ace and Kizaru engaged in battle, Chen Qiang, who had been completely bloodless, slowly recovered. He opened his eyes and stood up shakily from atop Oars' head, looking at the now-lifeless Oars with a sense of melancholy.

"Ice Blade!"

After Chen Qiang stood up, Aokiji's figure suddenly appeared, a massive sword of cold ice in his hand, thrusting directly toward Chen Qiang's chest.

"Puchi!"

Chen Qiang could not keep up with the speed of these Admirals; by the time Aokiji appeared before him, he reacted, but it was too late to dodge, and he was pierced through by the ice blade.

"Tiger Rend!"

After taking the hit, Chen Qiang did not hesitate. The long blade in his hand transformed into a giant blood-colored tiger, which bit down on Aokiji, shattering him into ice shards once again.

However, at that same moment, the ice that had been embedded in Chen Qiang's chest spread rapidly, and in the span of a single breath, he was encased in an ice sculpture.

"Flame Commandment: Fire Pillar!"

On the other side, with Luffy holding off the charging Marines and Ace fighting Kizaru with all his might, the scene atop Oars was chaotic, with constant collisions between flames and light.

It was clear, however, that both Aokiji and Kizaru were holding back. After fighting for a while, they turned their attention away to attack the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates who had rushed to the scene.

As for Whitebeard, his injuries were worsening by the second, and amidst the intense combat, his stamina was rapidly reaching its limit.

"BOOM!"

It was at this very moment that the main ship of the Whitebeard Pirates began to plow across the ice, charging rapidly toward the plaza. The one at the helm was none other than Squard, who had previously stabbed Whitebeard; judging by his expression, he clearly intended to atone for his actions with his own life.

However, just as the ship was about to reach the plaza, it was brought to a halt by Whitebeard, who dragged his heavily wounded body into its path.

"Pops!"

Seeing Whitebeard stop the ship, Squard was filled with astonishment.

"Squard, you brat, don't you know how unfilial it is for a parent to outlive their child?" Whitebeard stopped the ship with a single hand and lectured Squard, who stood on the deck.

"Don't get ahead of yourself; that strike of yours wasn't enough to take my life!" After reprimanding Squard, Whitebeard turned to face the battlefield, his voice deep and resonant, clearly signaling his forgiveness for Squard's earlier betrayal.

"Our objective has been achieved! There is nothing left for us here! Listen well, Whitebeard Pirates: I am now issuing my final captain's order. You are to part ways with me here and now. All of you must return to the New World safely. I am a relic of the old era, and there is no ship in the new era capable of carrying me!"