While clashing with Sir Crocodile, Hawkeye still found time to observe the battlefield situation. Seeing Kuina, who was evenly matched with Flower Sword, a faint, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Sir Crocodile's attack descended once more, pulling Hawkeye's attention back.
In Impel Down, Sir Crocodile, wearing seastone handcuffs, couldn't use his devil fruit abilities. However, through constant training, his physique had been further tempered.
Now, having regained his Armament Haki and Observation Haki, he was actually fighting evenly with the somewhat distracted Hawkeye for a time.
Seizing the moment when all Three Admirals were distracted, Marco transformed into his mythical Zoan state mid-air and flew directly above the Execution Platform, intending to rescue Ace.
At this moment watched by all, one person moved.
Garp, who had been sitting beside Ace all along, seemed to have finally made up his mind. Armament Haki gradually surfaced on his tightly clenched fist. He leapt into the air and punched Marco, sending him flying.
"Come on, you pirates. If you want to pass here, you'll have to kill me first."
Marco, who had been able to withstand Kizaru's Yata no Kagami, was knocked to the ground by this single blow and was unable to get up again for a long time.
Seeing Marco being sent flying, Luffy's hope of saving Ace was shattered once more. Surrounded by Marines, Luffy suddenly erupted with an aura that drew everyone's attention.
Luffy's Conqueror's Haki burst forth from within, displaying his spirit on the battlefield where Ace faced a life-or-death crisis.
Dragon, flying in the air, revealed a smile, a silent acknowledgment of his child.
A flock of Crows lifted him up. Crow, the commander of the Revolutionary Army's Northern Army, used his Mera Mera no Mi to create Soot Crows that carried Luffy into the sky.
"Don't worry, Dragon's child. It's not yet time for despair."
Luffy, now in the air, aimed for Ace's location and jumped down, landing right in front of Garp.
"Move aside, Grandpa! I'm going to save Ace!"
Garp resolutely blocked Luffy's path: "I can't do that, Luffy. I am a Vice Admiral of Marineford. How can I retreat before a pirate?"
"I said it before, didn't I? If you want to pass, you'll have to defeat me first. This is the path you've chosen."
Steam billowed from Luffy's body as he entered his 'Gear Second' form.
Another gust of wind carried Luffy past Garp. Dragon's figure appeared before Garp, helping his son cross this final barrier.
Garp glared angrily at his son, Dragon, but within that anger, there seemed to be more a sense of release.
Having cast aside his inner reservations, Garp immediately went all out, even gathering his Conqueror's Haki: "Dragon, my dear son, you know the price of obstructing me, don't you?"
A black-red Conqueror's Haki also erupted from Dragon's body, though he seemed somewhat helpless. What he said was: "Come on. I'm not the man I was back then."
What he thought was: "Old man, why didn't you use this move when fighting your own grandson? Is this what they call 'generational favoritism'?"
On the battlefield at this moment, Marines below the rank of Vice Admiral were of no help at all. They had all been sent by Hera to the rear areas not yet affected.
The five auras—Garp's, Dragon's, Rayleigh's, Hera's, and Luffy's somewhat immature Conqueror's Haki—collided in the plaza, making the current Marineford feel like hell on earth.
The Conqueror's Haki of Kuina and the Empress were also stirred by the collision of these five, pressing down on their respective opponents.
Even elite Rear Admirals like Smoker and Hina were somewhat unsteady on their feet amidst this clash of Conqueror's Haki.
On the Marine side, Hera's clones helped to disperse the pressure, but the pirates suffered. Captain-level figures could naturally stand firm, but the Grunt Soldiers were not so lucky.
Darkness swallowed those Grunt Soldiers who had fainted, helping them escape this brutal battlefield.
Seeing Luffy about to charge onto the Execution Platform, a single person teleported there from the City of Devouring Time. It was none other than Mr. 3, who had been devoured by Hera at some unknown time.
Seeing Mr. 3, Luffy immediately shouted: "Quick, use your Wax-Wax Fruit to make a key!"
Sengoku, who had been standing on the Execution Platform all along, emitted a golden light from his body. The Mythical Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu (Great Buddha) manifested, and Sengoku transformed into a giant golden Buddha.
"This is not a place for you to run wild, boy."
A golden fist struck towards Luffy on the Execution Platform. Even before the fist in its Buddha state could get close, the shockwave had already descended upon the three of them.
Luffy's body rapidly swelled and enlarged. Mr. 3's Wax-Wax Fruit also created a barrier, and on the outermost layer, a Soot Crow managed to block the Buddha's fist.
The wooden Execution Platform could no longer hold on and was directly shattered by this punch. Amidst a cloud of dust, Hera, Whitebeard, and Rayleigh actually laughed.
A flash of firelight emerged from the dust, and another wave of Conqueror's Haki descended upon the battlefield. The hastily manufactured Pacifistas finally couldn't withstand so much pressure and collapsed one by one.
Sensing that Luffy had only sustained minor injuries, Hera smiled: "You talk about Garp, but Fleet Admiral Sengoku, didn't you also go easy?"
Facing an attack from the Fleet Admiral, Luffy actually survived. It must be said that Sengoku, too, had shown immense leniency, giving him a whole ocean's worth of leeway, out of consideration for Hera and Garp.
Black-red Conqueror's Haki intertwined across the battlefield. At this point, the Gorosei sitting in the Holy Land Mary Geoise had no way to intervene. Faced with Conqueror's Haki of this quality, a teleportation gate simply couldn't be opened.
The Gorosei seated in their chairs sighed: "It's fortunate these people aren't united. There are actually so many monsters with Conqueror's Haki now."
"Indeed. Let these pirates and Marines wear each other down. This is all thanks to that person's efforts."
The firelight that was Ace tore through the battlefield. With his other hand pulling Luffy, he charged out from the dust: "You've always been this reckless, never listening to me. You're such a handful, Luffy."
The conscious members of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army on the scene became excited.
"Ooooooh! Well done, Straw Hat!"
Dragon, who was fighting Garp, also laughed: "Well done, kid." However, it was precisely this moment of distraction that allowed Garp's large foot to come flying up, nearly rearranging the tattoo on his face.
Garp's voice came: "Brat, you still have the energy to be distracted while fighting me?" Sensing this scene, Garp also seemed to shed his burdens, his attacks growing fiercer.
Helpless, Dragon could only focus his energy for now, parrying Garp's attacks.
Marineford Vice Admirals surrounded the two, trying to block them and prevent them from reuniting with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates.
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