The aftermath of the battle stirred a massive cloud of dust. From within the haze, a figure was flung outward, droplets of crimson blood scattering through the air.
Mihawk had been struck by a force beyond his reckoning. Despite his best efforts, even the world's greatest swordsman couldn't withstand Alex's casual attack. A vicious wound tore across Mihawk's chest, mirroring the injury he had inflicted on Diamond Jozu earlier.
Alex hadn't killed Mihawk. His aim was to keep the battle entertaining, not to cut it short. A dead Warlord would only diminish the spectacle.
Mihawk's body collided with a wall at the docks, leaving a deep crater and cracks sprawling outward until the entire structure collapsed. Before the wall could crumble completely, Mihawk leaped from the crater, his sharp gaze unwavering despite his injuries.
The muscles around his chest wound contracted, staunching the bleeding. Like many top-tier fighters, Mihawk mastered Life Return, enabling him to control his body with precision. Given enough food, he could recover quickly.
The navy soldiers witnessing the scene on the icy battlefield were filled with dread.
"It's hopeless! What kind of monster is this? Even Mihawk couldn't withstand a single strike!"
"This isn't fair at all!"
Their morale plummeted as Alex made his way back to the bow of the Moby Dick 1, leaving Mihawk in relative peace. Once it became clear Alex wouldn't press his advantage, the navy regained its composure and resumed their defense against the advancing pirates.
Meanwhile, Kizaru, transformed into light, soared above the battlefield, aiming his attacks solely at Whitebeard. He had learned from Mihawk's misfortune—Alex was not to be trifled with.
Whitebeard chuckled as Kizaru's blasts targeted him. "So now I'm the easy one to pick on? This is a first."
Kizaru's attacks never reached their mark. A blazing figure intercepted him—Marco the Phoenix. With his body engulfed in azure flames, Marco absorbed the damage before delivering a powerful kick that sent Kizaru hurtling back.
Meanwhile, Jozu, having recovered from his earlier injury thanks to Marco's healing, lifted a massive block of ice and hurled it toward Marineford. However, Akainu intercepted it, launching his own fiery counterattack.
Meteors of molten rock rained down, obliterating ships and soldiers alike. Whitebeard and Akainu exchanged taunts even as they clashed.
Whitebeard: "Back to lighting birthday candles, magma brat?"
Akainu: "Not a fan of grand funerals, Whitebeard?"
Witnessing this iconic exchange firsthand, Alex couldn't help but smirk. In real life, their banter sounded less like epic declarations and more like two bickering children.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ground shook violently as a colossal figure approached from the sea. Not swimming, but walking.
Gasps rippled through the navy ranks.
"Unbelievable! He's even larger than the giants!"
"That's Little Oars Jr.! And he's one of Whitebeard's men!"
The towering giant proved unstoppable for regular marines. Even bullets barely pierced his thick skin, causing only superficial wounds. With ease, Little Oars Jr. lifted a warship and hurled it at the bay, shattering the defensive wall and creating an opening for the pirates.
Having completed his mission of breaching the wall, Little Oars Jr. could have retreated. But driven by loyalty and urgency, he pressed forward despite Whitebeard's warnings. His only goal was to rescue his dear friend, Ace.
"Courage isn't the same as recklessness," Whitebeard muttered as Oars charged ahead.
As Little Oars Jr. closed in on the execution platform, he was met by the Warlord of the Sea. Bartholomew Kuma, with his Paw-Paw Fruit, unleashed a devastating attack. He compressed an enormous bear-paw-shaped bubble of air and hurled it at Oars.
The attack, possessing power akin to that of a Yonko, sent Oars crashing to the ground, his massive frame bleeding profusely. Yet, his will remained unbroken. Struggling to his feet, he resumed his advance toward the platform.
However, the relentless assault of cannon fire and his grievous injuries eventually took their toll. As he pushed on, Oars aimed to take down at least one Warlord, hoping to ease the burden on Whitebeard's forces. But before he could act, Doflamingo severed one of his legs with a sadistic grin, sending him crashing to the ground, unable to rise again.
Doflamingo stood over Oars, laughing maniacally. "How amusing!"
A sudden whisper interrupted his laughter: "Oh? Just how amusing?"
Doflamingo's grin froze. He turned slowly, his gaze locking onto a white-haired figure standing ominously behind him.
It was Alex.
An unprecedented sense of dread gripped Doflamingo. His chest tightened as if death itself was clutching his heart. The overwhelming aura emanating from Alex left no room for defiance.
Doflamingo had always prided himself on his arrogance and power, but now, in front of Alex, he felt insignificant.
The once-confident Warlord forced a smile, speaking in the calmest voice he could muster: "Ah, Alex. We have no quarrel, do we? Why single me out?"
A cannonball exploded behind Alex, scattering shrapnel in all directions. Yet, as the shards neared Alex, they halted midair, trembling before him.
Bathed in the glow of the distant explosion, Alex's face remained shadowed. He smiled, his tone light but chilling: "No reason. You just annoy me."
Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged, but he quickly suppressed his rage. The simplicity of Alex's reasoning—that he was merely an irritant—struck a nerve.
To Alex, Doflamingo was nothing more than a pest, a bug to be squashed on a whim.
But Doflamingo was no mere bug. He was a Warlord, a king, a former Celestial Dragon.
Clenching his fists, Doflamingo swallowed his pride and attempted to reason further:
"Alex, I apologize if I've displeased you. But if you think I'm an easy target, you're mistaken. I'm a Warlord, a Devil Fruit user whose powers have awakened. I'm an ally of Kaido, one of the Yonko. And I'm a former Celestial Dragon.
"You may be strong, but I advise you to take your grievances elsewhere. I'm not someone who falls easily."
Doflamingo believed his long-winded speech would convince even Alex, the notorious criminal, to reconsider. After all, no one in their right mind would willingly antagonize half the major powers of the sea.
Most people, even the strongest warriors, tend to bully the weak while avoiding unnecessary risks. Doflamingo was sure Alex was no exception.
But Alex, observing the smug confidence in Doflamingo's expression, knew exactly what the Warlord was thinking. What Doflamingo failed to grasp was that Alex didn't see a difference between someone like Imu, the leader of the Celestial Dragons, and a lowly insect.
To Alex, they were all soft targets. In a world devoid of singular universal-level beings, or even talent-level entities, Alex was untouchable.
"If I insist on crushing you?" Alex asked with a playful smile.
Doflamingo's face darkened. The ice beneath his feet transformed into a mass of dense threads, launching a fierce attack.
"You'll pay dearly for that!" Doflamingo snarled, his grin twisted into a sinister smirk.
Though seemingly unhinged, Doflamingo's appearance had its charm, earning him a notable style boost. With his combat abilities now doubled, he believed himself nearly on par with a Yonko. He was confident that, even if he couldn't defeat Alex, he could escape.
Watching the approaching tidal wave of razor-sharp threads, Alex's amused smile grew wider.
Without fanfare, he raised a leg and kicked forward.
A black-red flash of lightning erupted, the result of pure physical prowess enhanced by a Black Flash strike. The compressed air surged like a cannonball, obliterating the threads in its path and slamming into Doflamingo with devastating force.
The impact sent Doflamingo hurtling through the air. His body skidded across the frozen ground of Marineford, carving a massive trench several kilometers long before finally coming to a stop.
At the end of the trench, Doflamingo lay motionless, his life force barely detectable. He had been utterly defeated in a single blow.
The other Warlords watched in stunned silence.
Moments earlier, Doflamingo had displayed power that could rival a Yonko, a performance that would have posed a challenge to any of them. Yet Alex had dispatched him effortlessly.
This realization sent a chill down their spines. If Alex could take out Doflamingo so easily, then none of them would fare any better.
Unperturbed by his decisive victory, Alex began walking toward the remaining Warlords.
Even the massive Little Oars Jr. had failed to elicit any fear from them, but as Alex approached, the tension became palpable.
Save for Bartholomew Kuma, who had long since abandoned his emotions, the Warlords involuntarily took a step back.
The remaining Warlords eyed Alex cautiously, fear etched across their faces. Each one dreaded becoming his next target, knowing full well they couldn't withstand his terrifying power.
Among them, Gecko Moria's face turned ashen. For some inexplicable reason, he felt Alex's gaze fixating on him.
As Alex steadily approached, Moria's last hopes of being overlooked evaporated. He was certain now—Alex was coming for him.
Like Doflamingo before him, Moria couldn't understand why. He had no past grievances with Alex.
When Alex finally stood before him, Moria forced a stiff smile and asked, "Mr. Alex, what brings you here?"
Alex didn't bother answering. Instead, he raised a hand and struck out, his palm charged with an immense force amplified by limitless vectors.
Every ounce of Alex's destructive energy poured into Moria. The Warlord barely had time to register the attack before his body detonated like a bomb, leaving only a deep crater in his wake.
Only then did Alex speak. "No reason. You just annoy me."
In two swift moves, Alex had defeated two Warlords of the Sea. One lay in critical condition; the other was obliterated beyond recognition.
The scene was broadcast live to Sabaody Archipelago, where reporters frantically relayed it to the entire world.
Audiences everywhere were left in stunned silence, once again reminded of Alex's overwhelming power.
Some astute observers noted a troubling trend: despite his string of victories, Alex had never seemed to exert himself fully. Whether facing Admirals or Warlords, his strength remained a mystery, as boundless as an ocean—deep, unfathomable, and capable of swallowing all in its path.
After disposing of Moria, Alex felt immensely satisfied. He'd long despised Moria's grotesque persona in the anime. Now, he'd finally delivered the slap the character so richly deserved.
Alex turned his gaze toward the remaining Warlords: a gravely injured Mihawk, the stoic Bartholomew Kuma, and the legendary Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
As his eyes lingered on Hancock, Alex gave a slight nod. Her beauty, rivaling even Shirahoshi's, confirmed her status as one of the most stunning women he had ever seen.
But Hancock's reaction was far from flattering. Seeing Alex's gaze, she frowned, thinking to herself, 'Another filthy man.'
Scarred by her traumatic past, Hancock harbored deep disdain for men. Even Alex's formidable strength couldn't soften her contempt.
With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a pink heart-shaped projectile, unleashing a barrage of enchanted arrows at Alex.
Thanks to the style multiplier, Hancock's power had surged significantly. Each arrow flew faster and hit harder than ever before, capable of challenging even an Admiral.
"Disgusting man! Take your eyes off me!" she shouted.
Hancock assumed Alex was like all the others—ensnared by her beauty, quick to forgive her attacks once she feigned innocence.
But her plan was doomed to fail. Alex's willpower was leagues beyond anyone else's. Her charms held no sway over him.
Calmly, he advanced, his Infinity nullifying the incoming arrows, which froze midair.
Before Hancock could resort to her usual coquettish tactics, Alex delivered a sharp slap to her face.
The sound of the slap echoed as blood spattered from her mouth.
"Strutting around like that," Alex said coldly. "Think you're pretty, huh? Pathetic."
He snorted. "Shrimp-brained narcissist."
°°°
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