The war on the Red Line intensifies, and the Sabaody Archipelago behind it has also entered a life-or-death struggle.
The Whitebeard Pirates ' captains fought individually, keeping the remaining Marine Vice Admiral firmly occupied.
Marco transformed into Phoenix, circling in the air, his blue flames forcing back swarms of naval soldiers.
Jozu's diamond body was like a moving wall, rampaging through the naval formation.
Vista's twin blades drew silver arcs through the crowd.
The Vice Admiral fought desperately, but faced with the full force of the Whitebeard Pirates ' attack, their defenses were gradually compressed.
In the center of the battlefield, only Ace and Akainu remained, facing each other from afar.
The flames surrounding Ace reached their peak, making him resemble a burning sun.
The crimson flames distorted the surrounding air, and the mud beneath their feet was baked until it cracked, with fissures spreading in all directions.
He stared intently at Akainu, his eyes filled with all the hatred that had accumulated since the Paramount War.
" Akainu."
Ace spoke, his voice hoarse, each word filled with suppressed rage.
"You killed Pops Paramount War."
Akainu stood opposite him, magma gushing wildly from his body, forming a layer of crimson armor around him.
Lava dripped onto the ground, scorching the soil into a glassy state. A sinister smirk played on his lips.
" Whitebeard was a remnant of the old era. I killed him to uphold justice."
"You're doing his bidding?"
Ace clenched his fist, flames seeping from between his fingers.
Who do you think you are!
Ace made the first move.
The Fire Fist, imbued with the shockwave of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, blasted towards Akainu.
Wherever the fist passed, the air was torn apart with a piercing explosion.
Akainu also threw a punch, his massive lava head snapping at the Fire Fist.
The moment the flames collided with the magma, a violent explosion occurred.
The shockwave ripped away all the surrounding ruins, and the ground was scorched and melted into a glassy state. Crimson lava and orange flames intertwined, illuminating the entire battlefield.
The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle.
Ace's flames became even more agile, combining the Flame-Flame Fruit with the physical techniques of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, each move cunning and unpredictable, constantly circling around Akainu to attack.
His fists were engulfed in flames, each punch carrying the shockwaves of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, blasting large craters into the ground.
Akainu's magma was even more domineering, each punch carrying earth-shattering power, forcing Ace to retreat continuously.
The two exchanged blows, each sustaining further injuries.
Ace's shoulder was scorched by lava, his skin and flesh were charred black, but he didn't even flinch.
Akainu was struck in the chest by Fire Fist, his clothes burned to ashes, and a charred fist mark appeared on his skin, but the magma surged up and instantly filled the wound.
"Is that all you've got?" Akainu sneered. "You couldn't stop me at Paramount War, and you can't stop me now."
"Who said I was going to block it?"
Ace wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the flames reignited.
I'm going to kill you.
He took a deep breath, the flames compressing wildly within his body before exploding with a roar.
The crimson flames turned incandescent white, the temperature so high that even the air seemed to be burning. Akainu's expression finally changed.
On the other side, Marco faced off against Aokiji.
The Phoenix's blue flames danced in the sky as Marco transformed into a giant bird, circling in the air, each dive accompanied by scorching flames.
The chilling aura of the Aokiji rose from the ground, Ice Age unfolded time and again, freezing the entire battlefield into an ice field.
Ice and fire collided repeatedly in the air. The ice melted under the fire, and water vapor filled the air.
The fire was frozen by the ice, and the blue flames were enveloped in white frost.
Marco's recovery ability prevailed.
The frozen wings reignited within seconds, and the icy wounds healed rapidly in the firelight.
Although Aokiji's ice attacks were fierce, they couldn't kill Marco; instead, Marco kept closing in on him.
"A troublesome ability," Aokiji muttered, as the chill emanating from his body surged once more.
Garp did not step forward to help.
He stood at the edge of the battlefield, his fists clenched, looking at Ace in the arena with a complex expression.
Ace and Roger looked exactly alike back then.
The way that kid was fighting so hard reminded Garp of many years ago.
He was about to take a step when a black figure blocked his way.
Dragon stood opposite Garp, his black cloak covering most of his face, revealing only the lower half of his hard-lined mouth.
Neither of them spoke; they simply faced each other, the air thick with tension between them.
A gust of wind blew, lifting a corner of the dragon's cloak to reveal a face beneath that bore a resemblance to Garp.
Finally, Garp spoke first, his voice hoarse. "You've finally come this far."
Long responded calmly, "This is my justice."
Garp remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he clenched his fist.
"Then let's go."
Before the words were even finished, the two attacked simultaneously.
Garp's iron fist was coated in Armament Haki, and black and red Inazuma exploded on the surface of his fist. When he threw the punch, the air itself created a sonic boom.
A storm raged in the dragon's palm, the vortex compressing into a fist-sized sphere, which slammed down to meet the iron fist.
The moment the fist collided with the wind, a visible shockwave spread out in all directions.
The surrounding ruins were crushed into powder, the ground collapsed by half a meter, and rubble flew in all directions.
They each took a step back, then charged forward simultaneously.
Garp's punches were as fast as Inazuma, each aimed straight for vital points.
But every time his fist was about to hit, it would deflect slightly by half an inch.
Dragon's storms are equally fierce, each cyclone capable of tearing steel apart, but when they come to Garp, the power is always somewhat restrained.
The battle between father and son, though lacking the fiery intensity of the fight between Ace and Akainu, was far more dangerous.
Both were fighting desperately, yet both were holding back.
Garp's punches had never hesitated so much, and Dragon's Storm had never held back its power so much.
In various parts of the battlefield, the Whitebeard Pirates ' captains gradually gained the upper hand.
The Marine Vice Admiral suffered a series of defeats, falling one after another.
Akainu was tightly bound by Ace, Aokiji was held back by Marco, and Garp was blocked by Dragon.
The navy is leaderless and is finding it increasingly difficult to function.
Ace bravely took Akainu's punch head-on, using the momentum to fly backward and create distance.
His chest was badly scalded by lava, but he was smiling.
He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and flames gathered wildly, compressing into a huge fireball in his palms.
The fireball grew larger and brighter, and the center of the blazing white flames began to turn blue, like a small sun hanging in the sky above the battlefield.
" Akainu--!"
Ace's voice echoed in the flames.
"The score for the Paramount War will be settled today, once and for all!"
Akainu let out a maniacal laugh, and all the magma in his body surged out, gathering above his head to form a giant lava dog head.
The dog's head opened its massive maw and roared at Ace, dripping crimson magma that burned deep craters into the ground.
Both were prepared for the decisive blow.
Flames and lava surged simultaneously, turning the entire battlefield crimson.
At the very moment the two collided—
A blinding flash of light instantly engulfed the entire island; the collision of lava and flames created a massive Fire Pillar, even from a height of ten thousand meters.
From the top of the Red Line, one can see the flames shooting into the sky below.