All Marines retreat! Get back into the bay!"
Sakazuki seemed to anticipate Whitebeard's next move. Suddenly, his pupils shrank, and he couldn't help but feel horrified. He immediately yelled at the surrounding sailors.
Most Marines hadn't realized what Sakazuki meant. But due to his long-standing prestige and his remarkable performance just now, they obeyed his orders without hesitation, trusting General Akainu. They quickly evacuated the area.
However, a small number of Marines hesitated to retreat as no direct orders were issued to them. The final outcome for them was predictable.
Sakazuki had no time to concern himself with them. He hurriedly retreated tens of feet, distancing himself from Whitebeard, and mustered up his energy, staying on high alert for Whitebeard's next move.
At this moment, Whitebeard suddenly let go of the naginata in his hand and plunged it into the ground. Then, raising his hands, he squatted slightly as if grasping something invisible and intangible. With a forceful motion, he pulled at the void with both hands.
When Marco and the other captains saw this scene, they immediately recognized it. They exclaimed: "Everyone, stay away from Dad! Dad is going to make a big move!"
Whitebeard no longer concerned himself with his pirate group. His entire being radiated an overwhelming aura. In an instant, the void trembled! The entire world seemed eclipsed, as though the sky was about to collapse. The ground began to tilt, and most people couldn't maintain their balance. They staggered and fell in a miserable state.
Even more terrifying, the distant sky darkened as thick clouds blocked out the sun. The sea became turbulent, as if the Sea God himself was enraged. Countless marine creatures fled in panic, desperately trying to escape this hellish battlefield.
Huge waves, hundreds of meters high, surged towards the coast, threatening to submerge the fortress on the edge of the island.
"Aokiji!" Sakazuki shouted.
Aokiji snapped out of his daze and immediately reacted. Using his frozen fruit ability, he quickly froze the incoming waves, narrowly averting the crisis. However, the buildings within the Marine base weren't spared. Most of them collapsed as if struck by a massive earthquake, reduced to ruins. Only the Marine headquarters building, fortified for such disasters, remained standing.
The earth-shaking vibrations lasted for several minutes before finally subsiding. As calm returned, everyone unsteadily got back on their feet, realizing the sheer terror of the destruction caused by this natural disaster.
"Is this… is this Whitebeard? Is this really a power humans can possess?" Countless surviving Marines and pirates looked at the devastated island in horror.
Whitebeard's attack had destroyed the island's base. Ruins lay everywhere, and many people, including pirates, were trapped beneath the debris, their fates uncertain. The sea nearby remained turbulent, the huge waves refusing to calm.
The sheer scale of Whitebeard's ultimate move left everyone in awe of his power.
"Old man!"
Witnessing the devastation on the island, Sakazuki's anger boiled over. The heavy Marine casualties and the desecration of an island they had occupied for centuries were too much to bear. The destruction of the Marine base, a symbol of justice, was a glaring insult.
So many sailors had perished. It was a blow to the ideals Sakazuki held dear. "Whitebeard! This is where you will be buried today!"
As his words fell, Sakazuki's body became engulfed in lava . Magma rolled and bubbled from him as he prepared his next move.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Countless magma balls erupted from Sakazuki's body, surging straight towards Whitebeard. Yet Whitebeard didn't flinch. He didn't even glance at the oncoming magma. Instead, he reached for the large naginata beside him, gripping it firmly. With his thick arms, he swung the naginata and charged directly at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki hadn't expected Whitebeard to ignore his attack and forgo any defense. Isn't this a thousand injuries to the enemy and eight hundred losses to oneself? he thought. It became clear that the old man was willing to die with him.
Sakazuki had just unleashed his full strength, leaving him no time to gather more power. He had no choice but to meet Whitebeard's counterattack head-on.
"Bang!"
The ground shook violently under the clash. The residual force of Whitebeard's sword swept hundreds of meters around. Sakazuki's fist clashed with Whitebeard's naginata. He bent his body and, holding back the urge to vomit blood, barely managed to withstand the attack.
But Whitebeard wasn't finished yet. It seemed as though he was venting all his remaining strength on Sakazuki. "Haaah!" Whitebeard shouted as his right fist glowed faintly with white light. From below, it looked like a comet descending from the heavens.
The terrifying punch, augmented by the Shock Fruit and his top-tier weaponized Haki, descended with unrelenting force. Under Sakazuki's frightened yet defiant gaze, Whitebeard's fist smashed down mercilessly.
"General Sakazuki!!!"
Many Marines who witnessed the scene cried out in shock. Even Aokiji, Kizaru, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru on the execution platform were stunned. The terrifying power contained in Whitebeard's punch was enough to destroy the world.
Close by, Vice Admirals like Doberman, Onigumo, and Stainless couldn't help but look on with worry. Under Whitebeard's relentless attacks, the ground around Sakazuki cracked open, creating a massive fissure more than ten meters deep. The devastation was unimaginable.
"Did General Sakazuki die?"
Marines whispered among themselves as they watched Whitebeard kneeling, breathing heavily. Sakazuki's figure was nowhere to be seen. Many thought he had been killed.
Sakazuki, deep in the fissure, felt his internal organs aching from the shock wave. But to his surprise, he was otherwise unharmed. Despite his military uniform being reduced to rags, his muscular body remained unscathed.
He realized how resilient his body was. Not many could endure a full-force blow from a raging Whitebeard and survive. Sakazuki had not only withstood it but had also emerged without severe injuries. This old man's desperation had pushed him to his limits.
Sakazuki clenched his fists. His resolve burned as bright as his magma. Justice wasn't achieved yet. He couldn't allow himself to falter now.
Suddenly, the tattoo on his chest glowed a dazzling red, illuminating the dark fissure. Sakazuki was stunned. A warm current coursed through his body, restoring his strength and banishing his exhaustion. Could this tattoo have the ability to rejuvenate him, much like the Senzu Beans from the Dragon Ball anime?
But now wasn't the time to ponder such things. Knowing his strength, he focused back on his opponent. Today, Sakazuki would kill the emperor. "Justice will prevail!"