Marineford's square had long since been drenched in magma, ice, and blood. The roar of cannon fire kept the ground trembling, and the battle between a hundred thousand Marines and tens of thousands of pirates had entered its most frenzied stage of slaughter.
Below the Execution Platform, Luffy was covered in wounds, his white shirt soaked through with blood. His strength had long since been pushed beyond its limits, and only his determination to save Ace drove him to rise from the ground again and again. Before him stood the final defensive line of Marine Vice Admirals, and above them, two executioners on the Execution Platform had already raised their long blades.
"Ace!! Hold on a little longer!! I'll be right there!!"
Luffy roared, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted beyond his control!
Black lightning darted wildly across the square like frenzied snakes. An invisible pressure swept across the battlefield like a tsunami, and dozens of elite Marines before the Execution Platform instantly rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious. Even the two executioners went rigid, their long blades clattering to the ground.
At that moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the wounded boy in the center of the battlefield, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
On the Execution Platform, Sengoku's face turned livid. He slammed his fist against the railing and roared, "That brat!! He has King's Haki Potential too?!"
Garp sat at the edge of the Execution Platform, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He looked down at Luffy, his eyes filled with conflicting feelings and shock. He had long known that Luffy possessed Conqueror's Haki, but he had never expected the boy to unleash such terrifying pressure in a desperate situation like this.
Watching Luffy's back, Whitebeard let out a