Blackbeard Appears
Whitebeard's body bent slightly, but he did not fall down. He endured the pain, clenched his fist, turned around abruptly, and slammed it down on Akainu's head from above.
Akainu had been injured by Whitebeard's attack earlier, and although his injuries were not minor, he seized the opportunity when he saw Whitebeard overwhelmed by Sengoku and the others' attacks, exposing his defenseless back. He didn't even consider what would happen if Whitebeard dodged his attack. And as he expected, his giant lava fist [Hellhound] hit Whitebeard, causing a fatal wound. However, he underestimated his opponent. Despite suffering multiple injuries, Whitebeard not only survived Akainu's full-force attack but also had the strength to counterattack!
In the instant Akainu looked on in disbelief, Whitebeard's massive hand, imbued with the power of Tremor-Tremor, slammed down on his head, slamming it into the ground. A transparent white aura emanated from the hand, spreading outwards with tremendous force, violently ravaging the muscles throughout his body!
The surging force sent dust and debris flying everywhere, obscuring several figures on the battlefield, making it difficult for anyone to see what was about to happen.
"Pops!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates' eyes widened in horror, and they shouted excitedly.
Ace clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and tears streamed down his face. All the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. He understood that all these sacrifices were for the sake of allowing himself and the Whitebeard Pirates to return to the New World. If they rashly turned back, it would only waste his Pops's painstaking efforts...
"We... retreat..."
Marco struggled to utter a few words. He had been with the Whitebeard Pirates the longest and had the deepest bond with Whitebeard and his son. This made his pain all the more intense. However, as the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, he had a duty to fulfill his Pops's dying wish, to shoulder the responsibility of leading the charge, and to ensure everyone's safe return to the New World. Even in the face of immense suffering, he had to loudly issue the order, "Everyone... do not look back!"
"Withering and decay are the laws governing all things..." A sharp glint flashed in Dracule Mihawk's eyes. "No one can remain on the throne of the World's Strongest forever..."
"Whitebeard..." Crocodile's expression turned extremely displeased. "You wouldn't lose like this, would you...?"
"Just one person, yet he managed to hold off four of the Navy's top fighters..." Buggy observed. "As expected of you... Whitebeard..." He lowered his voice, "If everyone were to retreat like this, the outcome of this war would be perfect... I truly hope there aren't any unnecessary casualties..."
The dust was dispersed by the immense force, and the battle scene was once again brought into everyone's view. The Whitebeard stood upright in the center of the battlefield, his chest covered with wounds of varying sizes, like a sieve. The two most serious wounds, about the size of a fist, were located at the junction of his chest and abdomen, and his body was almost completely destroyed.
Aokiji and Kizaru knew that Whitebeard's physical condition could not hold out for much longer, so they stopped interfering and instead focused their attacks on the pirates who wanted to retreat. Akainu looked terrible, covered in blood and half-kneeling on the ground. He tried his best to get up, but found that he could not stand up for the time being. Whitebeard's attack had injured the joint tissue in his knee!
Forced back thirty or forty meters by the shockwave, Sengoku stared intently at the seemingly dying Whitebeard, "Even with such severe injuries, he still possesses such terrifying power..."
"It's still early..." Whitebeard replied casually, showing no sign of fear. Even though his body was riddled with wounds, he still possessed the confidence of the [World's Strongest]!
Meanwhile, Buggy, who was preparing to wrap things up, also gave orders to the crew to prepare to evacuate to the Big Top. Akainu was forced to leave Whitebeard Pirates alone, and Ace was also unharmed. As long as everyone left safely, his objective in this war would be successfully achieved.
However, the Navy has no intention of letting the pirates run rampant.
"Don't think you can leave so easily... Yasakani Sacred Jewel!!"
Ignoring the vast chasm, Kizaru used the [Yata Mirror] to teleport and remain suspended in the air, his body emitting countless dense light Whitebeard Pirates that enveloped the Whitebeard Pirates in all directions. Meanwhile, Aokiji refroze the inner harbor, preventing the pirate ships on the surface from escaping.
At that moment, the navy noticed something unusual and immediately shouted to each other, "Hey, hey, hey, what's that?!"
"We've been discovered!"
A figure even larger Marineford's Marine Headquarters fortress peeked out from behind.
That is...
"It wasn't just him, there were people on the Execution Platform too!!"
The navy sailors pointed towards the Execution Platform, their mouths agape in astonishment. Even Sengoku roared in disbelief, "You?!... How did you get here?!"
"Oh, they've finally found us..."
The entire Blackbeard Pirates stood on the Execution Platform, revealing triumphant smiles.
The Whitebeard frowned. "It's you..."
"Hahaha—" Blackbeard grinned, revealing his broken teeth, "Long time no see! It's great to see you one last time before you die, Pops!!"
"Those are the death row inmates from Impel Down Hell [level 6]... How could they be here?!"
"Each of them committed heinous crimes, each one of them has been erased from the public eye... They are all world-class criminals who cannot be allowed to live in this world..."
"That body, several times larger than a giant, is... [the colossal battleship] The Sanjuan Wolf!"
"[Corrupt King] Avalo Pizarro...[Crescent Moon Hunter] Katarina Tipo...[Big Barrel] Buster Jot..."
"And... what's going on with [Shiryu of the Rain] in Impel Down Hell?!"
The navy was immediately abuzz with excitement. Even the Marine Vice Admiral admirals felt a deep unease and worry as they looked at the group of people who had gathered.
Sengoku looked at the Execution Platform with a grim face, "Shiryu... you... how is Magellan? How did you all get here!"
Shiryu, puffing on a large cigar, said, "I'll confirm this with you later. Anyway, I've joined forces with them. Looking forward to working with you from now on!!"
"Hehehe, sorry." Lafitte adjusted his top hat. "Before setting sail, I hypnotized the marines in the engine room. They were told to let any warships from the [Gates of Justice] pass through, which seems to have made things easier for the others as well..."