Even as he stared at Ace on the execution platform thousands of meters away, Whitebeard still found it hard to believe. Were the brats these days really this bold?
Not only had someone released several prisoners from the sixth level of Impel Down, but they also disguised themselves as Ace and willingly faced public execution under the eyes of the entire world. It was a daring plan—risky, yet not without a chance of success. If it really worked, Sengoku's reaction would be priceless. Just thinking about it made him smile.
Turning back to look at the ship's cabin behind him, a rare gentle expression crossed Whitebeard's face. For him, no matter how the world changed, everything was fine as long as his family remained safe.
"What a terrifying sight—giants really can grow to such a size."
Following Aokiji's move, Kizaru finally made his move as well.
His pupils reflected Little Oars' massive figure. Despite muttering about how scary it was, the chilling aura he radiated remained undiminished.
He instantly vanished into light and reappeared mid-air above the battlefield, glowing with intense brightness. Tremendous energy surged from his body.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
In a flash, countless beams of light infused with powerful energy blasted out simultaneously, all aimed at Little Oars who was hurling sea kings in the distance.
"I won't let you succeed, Kizaru!"
A blue figure suddenly appeared, intercepting all of the incoming light beams mid-air.
The sight shocked everyone watching. Kizaru was an admiral—yet someone had managed to block his full attack. And it wasn't Whitebeard. In that instant, all attention shifted. People wanted to know—who could be this powerful?
A sharp cry rang out like a bird's call. From the swirling energy emerged a half-human, half-bird creature.
"That—that's Marco the Phoenix, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
A Marine cried out in shock. As the first division commander, Marco's fame was second only to Whitebeard himself—even Ace, before his identity was revealed, didn't compare.
Now people could accept Kizaru being blocked—after all, it was Marco.
"Heh heh, my turn now!"
Marco's half-bird body suddenly transformed into a giant blue phoenix. With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot toward Kizaru with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he was above Kizaru and launched a devastating kick downward.
Though the strike was sudden, Kizaru, a seasoned fighter, reacted in time—raising his arm to block the blow.
"Get lost!"
However, just before impact, Marco unleashed a sudden burst of strength—going beyond his limit. The sudden surge of power caught Kizaru off guard and sent him flying, crashing to the ground.
While people could barely accept the earlier exchange, this time it was too much to believe—Admiral Kizaru had been sent flying with a single kick. Was this some kind of joke?
Regardless of how unbelievable it was, the truth was right before their eyes. No amount of disbelief could change the outcome.
Marco's interception had completely thwarted Kizaru's assault on Little Oars. With the final battle still ahead, both sides were only testing each other. No one had truly gone all-out yet.
Meanwhile, at the front lines, Diamond Jozu was not about to be outdone. Slamming both hands into the icy ground, he shattered a massive section of it—forming a giant ice boulder over fifty meters in diameter. In an astonishing feat, he lifted it barehanded. The sheer display of brute strength was even more shocking than Marco's blow. An ordinary person lifting a multi-ton glacier? It was almost divine.
"Let's see how you deal with this!"
Jozu hurled the ice mountain like a cannonball at the Marines. Faced with the oncoming mass, tens of thousands of Marines looked stricken with despair. No one could calmly face a falling mountain—this level of attack was beyond the capabilities of any Rear Admiral.
As the ice was about to crash down, Akainu could no longer remain still. He rose, his right arm transforming into molten magma. Drops of searing lava dripped to the ground, instantly corroding holes into the solid floor.
"Great Eruption!"
With a swing of his arm, his magma fist expanded to several meters wide, tearing through the massive ice block like it was nothing but tofu.
In seconds, the glacier—bigger than even a giant warrior—melted completely.
But Akainu wasn't done. With a shake of his right arm, the hardened lava exploded into a barrage of molten projectiles, raining down like volcanic shrapnel onto the pirates. And that was just the beginning—his real assault had yet to come.
"Meteor Volcano!"
With a deep roar, massive balls of magma, each several meters wide, shot skyward before plummeting indiscriminately across the battlefield. The scene resembled an actual volcanic eruption. Each molten meteor carried destructive force.
Akainu's sudden eruption dealt heavy damage to the pirates, halting their momentum. The advantage Little Oars had created vanished instantly, and the battle fell back into a fierce stalemate.
At this point, aside from Garp and Sengoku, all the top-tier fighters from both the Marines and Whitebeard Pirates had joined the fray.
The battlefield descended into utter chaos. Smoke, cannon fire, screams, and roars filled the air—showcasing the brutal nature of war in all its horror.
Witnessing all the incredible and bizarre powers, Kaidi's heart stirred with excitement. If he could copy them all, he would become unbelievably powerful—especially Kizaru's Light-Light Fruit, the perfect ability for killing, looting, and escaping. With its explosive attacks and unmatched speed, it was the ultimate all-in-one power.
Thanks to this ability, Kizaru had earned nicknames like "The One Who Kicks Supernovas Like Soccer Balls" and "The Admiral Who Can Take Down a Yonko When His Salary's Paid."
"New mission assigned. Host, please take note."
While Kaidi was daydreaming, the system notification snapped him back to reality. He quickly pulled up the system interface in his mind. Ever since freeing Ace, the system hadn't given any new missions, and the delay had left Kaidi anxious to grow stronger.
Mission Brief:The host has now successfully joined the Summit War. This is the perfect opportunity to make a name for yourself.
Mission Objective:Reveal your true identity before the war ends.
Mission Rewards:1,000,000 exchange points, 25 skill points.
After confirming he wasn't imagining things, Kaidi was ecstatic. A full million points! With that, he could finally afford some real upgrades.