In the next instant, his figure turned into a streak of golden light again, colliding with Marco in the blink of an eye.
"Phoenix Brand!"
"Ama no Murakumo!"
A ring of ripples spread outward, shaking the sky.
Time ticked by, but the pirates' advance remained firmly contained within the Inner Bay.
"The Marines have committed more to this war than we could ever have imagined!"
"Almost everyone fighting is the best of the best."
"They even outnumber our entire force!"
Beside Whitebeard, Jozu and the others spoke with grave expressions.
Whitebeard swept his gaze across the battlefield, his eyes flickering as he remained silent.
The war had been fiercely intense from the outset, with both sides constantly suffering losses.
But as the king of his side, he could not act lightly.
In a sense, his victory or defeat would determine the ultimate course of this war. If anything happened to him, everyone on the battlefield would face destruction.
Quietly tightening his grip on the Naginata's shaft, he looked straight ahead at the figure beneath the Execution Platform.
"Xia Le still hasn't truly made his move!"
"And then there are..."
His gaze shifted to Sengoku and Garp.
The Marines' fighting strength was truly alarming. Having an expert like Xia Le among their middle generation made him especially wary.
The current state of the battle left him no choice but to wait.
He hoped the pirates under his command could open a breach and give him an opportunity.
Fortunately, Red-Haired was also his ally in this war and could ease a considerable part of his burden.
Just then, the Shichibukai standing at the very front moved.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk!"
The pirates cried out in alarm.
Wearing a top hat, Mihawk leaped down from the elevated platform and raced toward