Akainu dodged to the side, then countered with Magma Fist from the side.
Whitebeard parried with the hilt of his sword, and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power dispersed the magma.
The two engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat on the ice, exchanging blows with knives and fists, each collision causing small-scale tremors and explosions.
"I founded the Whitebeard Pirates over twenty years ago—over twenty years ago—!!!"
Whitebeard swung his sword down, the impact sending numbness through Akainu's arms.
"How dare you scheme against my son?!"
With another sweeping slash, Akainu was forced back several steps by the force of the blade.
"Was it useful?!"
Whitebeard's third slash came down from above, and Akainu took the blow head-on with his arms crossed, causing a large crack to appear on the ice beneath his feet.
My sons aren't fools!
They followed Lao Tzu because he treated them like his own sons!
It's not because of any bullshit interests!
Whitebeard's attacks grew increasingly fierce.
The naginata in his hands was like an extension of his arm, each strike carrying the power to shatter everything.
Although Akainu was also fighting back, he was clearly being suppressed.
Another punch exchanged.
"Boom--!!!"
The shockwave exploded again.
This time, Akainu retreated a full five steps.
A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, and several cracks appeared on his magma-transformed right arm.
Although Whitebeard is advanced in years, with the help of Roy's potion and the Pure Gold ring, he can still maintain his peak fighting strength for a short period of time.
He brought the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to its fullest potential, and every punch and every slash carried earth-shattering power.
But high in the sky, Roy on the Ark Maxim frowned slightly as he watched the two figures locked in fierce combat below.
"In the end, even time can't save him, Whitebeard."
Roy's voice was very soft, so soft that only he himself could hear it.
His Observation Haki is very clear.
Whitebeard's aura is still stable, but maintaining this high-intensity output comes at the cost of a rapid depletion of his stamina.
The potion from Hachinosu improved Whitebeard's health, and the Pure Gold ring could slow down aging and keep his physical condition at its peak, but it couldn't conjure up physical strength out of thin air.
Getting old is getting old; that's an unchangeable fact.
But at least for now, Whitebeard is holding on.
On the ice, the clash between Whitebeard and Akainu continued.
"Vibration - Air Quake!"
Whitebeard punched the air, and the shockwave spread forward from the fist, sending Akainu flying.
Akainu did two somersaults in the air and crashed into the hull of a warship, smashing a large hole in it.
But Akainu immediately rushed out.
The headstrong Marine Admiral's mouth was covered in blood, but the fighting spirit in his eyes remained undiminished.
" Great Eruption!!!"
The Magma Fist was unleashed again, this time with a greater amount of magma than ever before.
A massive Magma Fist slammed down on Whitebeard, turning half the sky a dark red.
Whitebeard cleaved the magma in two with a single stroke, the vibrations from the blade sending the magma flying everywhere.
Then, seizing an opening in Akainu's attack, he took a step forward.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power was concentrated in his left fist, and an uppercut landed squarely on Akainu's chin.
"Snap--!!!"
Akainu was blasted into the air. He tumbled twice in the air, spitting out a mouthful of blood, before crashing heavily onto the ice, creating a crater more than ten meters in diameter.
But before Whitebeard could give chase, his body suddenly swayed.
Whitebeard pressed his right hand sharply against his chest.
Squard's sword strike.
Although that sword strike wasn't fatal to him, his age was a factor.
Combined with the intense, continuous fighting just now, the toxins spread through the bloodstream even faster.
Moreover, although the wound on his chest had begun to heal, it had been torn open again during the fight, and blood had completely stained his clothes red.
It was that brief pause.
Akainu sprang up from the ice pit.
" Hell Hound --!!!"
The Magma Fist struck Whitebeard precisely in the chest.
The scalding lava hissed as it struck the Whitebeard's chest.
The intense heat penetrated the skin, burned the muscles, and even the bones creaked under the impact.
Whitebeard was blasted backward and sent flying.
His feet carved two deep furrows into the ice, sending ice chips flying, and he slid for dozens of meters before finally regaining his balance.
He looked down at his chest.
Armament Haki protected his vitals at the last moment, but Akainu's punch was too powerful.
His chest was scorched black, the smell of burning skin filled the air, and tiny bubbles of lava were still bubbling from the edges of the wound.
"Cough--"
Whitebeard coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the ice, mixing with charred skin fragments.
Akainu emerged from the ice pit, lava still churning on his right arm.
He looked at the wound on the Whitebeard's chest, a cold smile curving his lips.
"He's getting old, with Whitebeard."
"Is that not enough?"
The Whitebeard raised his head.
A trickle of blood still clung to the corner of his mouth, and smoke was still rising from the burns on his chest.
But there was no fear in his eyes when he looked at Akainu; instead, a smile appeared on his face.
"Kid."
Whitebeard's voice was hoarse but still booming, "It's too early to talk about that now."
He thrust the Murakumogiri the ice beside him, the hilt embedding itself deeply into the surface.
Then he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the surging blood in his chest.
Slightly bend your knees, forming a power-gathering arc.
His fists were crossed in front of his chest.
The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was simultaneously concentrated in his fists.
Two translucent vibrating spheres spun rapidly, faster and faster, causing the surrounding air to vibrate and produce a piercing buzzing sound.
The ice surface began to crack around him, and the cracks spread wildly in all directions, even causing the distant Marine Headquarters building to tremble slightly.
Then--
Whitebeard simultaneously unleashed both fists to his sides.
"Karara--!!!"
The sound of space shattering was deafening.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit unleashed its full power.
The area of atmospheric fragmentation was larger than ever before. Cracks spread from the Whitebeard's fists to both sides, extending all the way to the horizon.
The entire island of Marineford was shaking violently. Huge cracks appeared in the walls of the Marine Headquarters building, stretching from the foundation to the top floor, with broken bricks and concrete blocks raining down from the walls.
The naval soldiers in the square lost their footing and fell to the ground in droves.
Some people screamed while clutching their heads, some grabbed the ground to try and steady themselves, and some were even thrown into the air by the shockwave.
The warships in the harbor were shaken and tilted, with several of the closest ones capsizing completely.
The gun emplacement detached from its base and crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
The entire island of Marineford was tilted several degrees by the impact.