At that critical moment, a voice rang clearly in everyone's ears. It was not loud, yet it carried a strange penetrating power, as though it could soothe every raging presence, and even drowned out the roar of thunder:
"Enough, Ma Chao of Hua Country."
Before the voice faded, a dazzling pillar of golden light descended from the sky without warning. It did not attack Ma Chao, but landed precisely in front of the Marine Vice Admiral who was about to be swallowed by the lightning!
The newcomer transformed into a gigantic golden Buddha, thrusting his enormous golden right fist forward in a palm strike.
"Buddha Shockwave!"
The golden pillar of light and the dark-blue beam of lightning collided in an instant.
Boom-!
As the pillar of light and the dust dispersed, the newcomer's figure emerged, already out of his Mythical Zoan form. He wore a plain white Fleet Admiral's coat, its hem snapping in the gale stirred up by the thunderstorm. He was tall, with a solemn face, his signature frog glasses perched on his nose and the long beard on his chin braided down to his chest. Most striking of all were his palms pressed together and the warm yet majestic golden Buddha light naturally radiating around him. It was none other than Marine Headquarters' Fleet Admiral, Sengoku the "Wise Strategist"!
Unable to rest easy, he had actually come in person to this battlefield that had already become a hellscape!
"F-Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!" On the ice, Vice Admiral Momonga, who had already closed his eyes to await death, struggled to lift his head. Seeing that mountain-like figure standing in front of him, his eyes flared with disbelieving excitement and hope.
Ma Chao's thunderous strike was silently dissolved by the seemingly gentle yet indestructible barrier of Buddha light. The lightning