Summit War · Pursuit

"Boom!"

A massive collision echoed as Whitebeard and the transformed Sengoku slammed into each other, a colossal shockwave rippling outward from the point of impact.

The nearby Marines, who had been closing in, were all knocked flat to the ground by the sheer force of the blast.

Naturally, such a clash did not last long; Sengoku was sent flying, while Whitebeard merely took a few steps back.

"Gurararara! Sengoku, it seems you've grown old! Your strength has regressed quite a bit compared to the past!"

After steadying his stance, Whitebeard laughed loudly as he looked at the Sengoku he had just sent airborne.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

"Ice Block: Partisan!"

At that moment, they didn't give Whitebeard much time. The instant Sengoku was knocked back, Aokiji and Kizaru noticed the shift in the situation and rushed in to provide support.

Unfortunately, as their attacks neared Whitebeard, he simply spun his Guan Dao, blocking both of their strikes with ease.

After parrying the attacks, he slammed the butt of his Guan Dao into the ground and threw a punch, sending a massive wave of seismic energy toward the two Admirals who had just struck. Kizaru, sensing danger, turned into light, but he was still a fraction too slow; he was knocked out of his elemental form and sent crashing into the wall ahead.

As for Aokiji, because he was further away, he reacted quickly and used his ice to retreat, though the ground where he had been standing was still shattered by the force of Whitebeard's attack.

"Buddha Shockwave!"

It was at this moment that the previously airborne Sengoku reappeared, his golden figure striking out with a palm toward Whitebeard once more.

As he thrust his hand forward, a massive swastika formed in his palm, slamming fiercely toward Whitebeard.

"Gurararara! Well come!"

Seeing Sengoku reappear, Whitebeard didn't show a hint of fear; he hoisted his Guan Dao, leaped from the ground, and slashed directly into the center of the swastika.

"Crack!"

Another sound of space fracturing rang out. The swastika seal lasted only a few seconds before it was shattered, and Sengoku was sent flying yet again.

"You're already old; you're no match for me alone!"

"Then what if you add me to the mix!"

Just as Whitebeard sent Sengoku flying again, Garp—who had vanished following Chen Qiang's words—appeared from out of nowhere and stood before Whitebeard.

"Garp! You've finally arrived!"

Whitebeard wasn't surprised by Garp's appearance; in fact, his smile only grew wider.

Before Chen Qiang had intervened to rescue Ace, Whitebeard knew that Garp hadn't truly left despite being provoked into stepping aside. Garp had been deeply conflicted—torn between his grandson and the Navy he had sworn to serve. When Chen Qiang goaded him, Garp had taken the opportunity to step away, adhering to the principle of "out of sight, out of mind."

Given Whitebeard's understanding of the old man, he knew Garp had used Chen Qiang's words as an excuse to leave. As a long-time friend, Sengoku understood this as well.

Though Garp usually appeared impulsive, he was very clear-headed about certain matters. By attacking Chen Qiang, he had signaled his stance with the Navy, and by leaving afterward, he had expressed his position as a grandfather, giving himself a graceful exit that Sengoku couldn't criticize.

Now that Garp had reappeared, he was acting strictly as a Marine to prevent Whitebeard from causing further widespread destruction. After all, his two grandsons had already evacuated, and by stepping in now, he was both obstructing Whitebeard and venting his own pent-up frustrations.

"Iron Fist!"

Without exchanging further words, Garp launched his attack directly at Whitebeard.

"Gurararara! Well come! As the final battle of this old era, let us fight to our hearts' content!"

Watching Garp charge at him, Whitebeard laughed again, throwing his own fist forward to clash with him.

For a time, Whitebeard stood alone, battling the Hero of the Marines Garp, the Fleet Admiral Buddha Sengoku, and the two Admirals Aokiji and Kizaru simultaneously.

The entire plaza was a scene of intense combat, with explosions echoing incessantly. The Marines who had been on the plaza were forced to retreat continuously, unable to even approach the perimeter of the battle.

On the other side, when Whitebeard had tossed Chen Qiang away, he had landed in the direction where Ace and the others were fleeing. Without hesitation, Ace leaped into the air and caught him.

"Ivankov, hurry and take a look—what's wrong with Chen Qiang?"

As Ace caught Chen Qiang, Luffy rushed over to check on his condition, calling out to the King of Okama, Ivankov, who was retreating nearby.

"It's nothing! Young Chen Qiang has simply exhausted himself. With his recovery ability, he should be back on his feet soon!"

Ivankov, summoned by Luffy, quickly examined Chen Qiang and discovered that he had no physical injuries; he had merely fainted due to severe mental exhaustion.

"Great Eruption!"

Just as Ace and the others prepared to retreat toward the sea, massive fists of magma flew into the sky, rapidly splitting into smaller projectiles that rained down from above.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The magma struck the ground, carving out massive craters, and the burning rock turned the entire battlefield into a sea of fire.

"Did you think you could escape so easily? You're dreaming!"

As the magma blocked their path, Akainu descended from the sky, landing directly in the path of Luffy and the others.

Initially, Ace and the others didn't intend to clash head-on with Akainu, so they immediately changed direction to continue their escape.

Akainu didn't pursue them immediately, instead choosing to mock Whitebeard, which struck a nerve in Ace and caused him to turn back to engage Akainu.

Unfortunately, Ace was no match for Akainu; after only a few exchanges, he was sent flying.

"Anyone here can escape, but the two of you cannot!"

After saying this, Akainu ignored the downed Ace, leaped over his head, and transformed his hand into magma to strike at Luffy.

At that moment, Luffy was carrying Chen Qiang's body, and with his own body covered in wounds, he had no energy left to dodge Akainu's attack.

It was then that Ace suddenly vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of Luffy just in time to block Akainu's strike.