If not for the sheer physical power of the Giant race, that last clash would have left Vivian in serious trouble.
Even so, her hands were numb from the impact. To absorb the force, she had been forced to stomp deep footprints—half a meter deep—into the plaza of Marineford.
"Damn it! This monster…!"
Vivian gritted her teeth, her beautiful face twisting into a fierce expression as she tightened her grip on her nodachi, preparing to strike again.
To outsiders, the Marines had many Giant Vice Admirals, but back when Vivian was still a new recruit, the Giant race was seen as nothing more than savage cannibals by most civilians and even Marines.
Had Kizaru not personally taken her in, she wasn't sure if she would have even made it this far.
And besides Kizaru, the first person who didn't care about her Giant heritage and stood by her side as a comrade was Dalmatian.
SMACK!
Just as Vivian was about to throw caution to the wind and go all out against Whitebeard, a sharp slap landed on the back of her head.
"What have I always taught you? You think you can just charge in recklessly against a monster like Whitebeard?"
Standing atop Vivian's shoulder, Kizaru's voice carried a hint of exasperation.
Yes, under his guidance, Vivian's strength was at least on par with a Shichibukai.
But not all Shichibukai were equal—Mihawk or Hancock could stand their ground against Whitebeard, but if you swapped in Moria, that would just be feeding him a free kill.
And Vivian?
Her level was about the same as Moria's.
If Whitebeard had gone all out just now, she would have ended up like Dalmatian—either critically injured or knocked out cold.
"Kizaru, sir!"
Rather than feeling frustrated by the scolding, Vivian beamed with excitement.
To her, as long as Kizaru was here, there was no enemy he couldn't handle.
"It's Admiral Kizaru!"
"We're saved! If Admiral Kizaru takes action, he'll definitely defeat Whitebeard!"
"To fight alongside Admiral Kizaru… This is incredible!"
With Kizaru's arrival, Marine morale skyrocketed.
Even though many of them had never actually seen him fight, they had absolute faith in his power.
"Gurarara! Now this is a rare opponent!"
Whitebeard let out a booming laugh, but if one looked closely, they'd notice his grip on Murakumogiri tightening ever so slightly.
Technically, among the three Admirals, Kizaru had interacted with Whitebeard the least.
But in Whitebeard's eyes, neither Aokiji nor Akainu could compare to this "Marine monster" in terms of sheer unpredictability.
"We may be old acquaintances…"
Standing atop Vivian's shoulder, Kizaru looked down at Whitebeard, his usual lazy demeanor tinged with cold sharpness.
"But I can't just stand by while you hurt my subordinates."
Had Shanks or Dragon not joined the war, Kizaru wouldn't have been particularly concerned with hunting down Whitebeard.
Unlike the ambitious and expansionist Pirate Emperors, Whitebeard was ultimately just a guardian, not a conqueror.
As long as Kizaru became Fleet Admiral, he wouldn't have to worry about the Whitebeard Pirates causing problems.
However, the moment that Dragon and Shanks entered the battlefield, Kizaru had to consider a very serious issue.
If the Whitebeard Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and the Red-Haired Pirates were to join forces…
If they combined their strengths—especially with Roger's remnants like Rayleigh in the picture…
Even for Kizaru, that scenario would be a major headache.
Which meant—Whitebeard had to die.
Because only he had the strength, prestige, and connections to bring this unstable alliance together.
"Kizaru, sir! Take that bastard down! He nearly killed Dalmatian!"
Vivian glared furiously at Whitebeard!
If not for the fact that Dalmatian was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user—Inu Inu no Mi, Dalmatian Model— and had already awakened his abilities, making his vitality incredibly tenacious, he might already be dead at Whitebeard's hands.
"Gurarara! If you want my life, then come and take it!!"
Whitebeard saw the killing intent in Kizaru's eyes—this "Marine monster," who had not taken a fight seriously in years, was genuinely trying to kill him.
Yet, even so, Whitebeard simply laughed fearlessly.
He had faced countless enemies who wanted his head, but after all these years, he was still standing.
On the other hand, many of those who had once been major threats were now either dead or vanished from the seas.
"Step back! Ama-no-Murakumo!"
Kizaru leaped down from Vivian's shoulder, summoning a brilliant blade of pure light from thin air.
With a light tap of his toe, he exploded forward at terrifying speed, closing the distance between himself and Whitebeard in an instant.
"Quake Slash!"
Whitebeard didn't hesitate—he swung his blade immediately.
His Supreme Grade blade, Murakumogiri, was coated in Haki, turning it pitch black, but at the same time, the blade radiated the unique white glow of the Gura Gura no Mi's power.
Even against Kizaru, the most unpredictable of the Admirals, Whitebeard had no choice but to go all out.
Clang!
Light met steel, and a devastating shockwave erupted from the clash, sending a blast of force in all directions.
Only Vivian, who had heeded Kizaru's warning and retreated immediately, managed to stay on her feet.
Every other Marine within several hundred meters was sent flying.
"Such strength… No wonder they call you the world's strongest man."
Kizaru's face showed "surprise".
Whitebeard almost choked on his own breath.
This bastard was holding a sword in one hand, while Whitebeard himself had to grip his own weapon with both hands to match him—and he still had the nerve to act impressed?
"Damn you! Still as annoying as ever!"
Whitebeard cursed, but deep down, he was shocked.
The pressure in his hands made it clear—even by his past standards, this "Marine monster" was far beyond what he expected.
Even Gol D. Roger, at his peak, had never put this much pressure on him.
"You're old, Whitebeard."
Kizaru's words were blunt and unapologetic.
His physical strength, his Armament Haki—they had all deteriorated compared to their last battle.
Even his Conqueror's Haki, which represented one's spirit, had faded significantly, nearly dropping out of the top-tier ranks.
If not for his monstrous foundation, Whitebeard would have long since lost the title of "strongest."
"Not necessarily!"
Whitebeard roared, and with a sudden surge of power, the white glow of the Quake-Quake Fruit returned to his blade.
With sheer brute force, he shattered Kizaru's light sword into pieces.
Even though it was reinforced with Haki, a sword made from Devil Fruit energy could never compare to a Supreme Grade blade like Murakumogiri.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
But Kizaru didn't care at all.
He could summon infinite light swords if he wanted—Whitebeard could break them all day long, and it wouldn't matter.
Instead, he raised his hand, and countless beams of light shot toward Whitebeard, forming a barrage so dense it covered the sky.
At this point-blank range, combined with the speed of the Pika Pika no Mi, dodging was impossible.
"You think this can scratch me?!"
Whitebeard's entire body shone with the white light of the Quake-Quake Fruit.
The instant the beams touched him, they were shattered by shockwaves.
Yet, despite neutralizing the attack, Whitebeard's face remained grim.
In just two exchanges, Kizaru's power had already exceeded even his prime.
To keep up, Whitebeard was forced to continuously use the Quake-Quake Fruit's ability.
The problem was—his body might not last.
"How terrifying…"
Kizaru vanished into light and reappeared behind Whitebeard.
Whitebeard sensed something and tried to turn, but—
He was too slow.
Bang!
A blindingly fast kick struck Whitebeard square in the chest.
Despite his massive size, he was sent hurtling dozens of meters away.
When he crashed into the ground, he tore a deep trench into the battlefield, with dust and debris covering the sky.
Before the Marines could even react, Kizaru was already upon Whitebeard again.
This time, his foot was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, prepared to deliver a fatal blow.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, BRAT!"
At the last moment, Whitebeard's massive form burst out of the dust cloud.
A fist, larger than a cannonball, came crashing toward Kizaru.
Boom!
Fist met foot—a clash of raw power and speed!
Both warriors, their attacks infused with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, clashed in a cataclysmic explosion—a collision akin to planets colliding.
The shockwave rippled outward from the epicenter, tearing the ground apart. Stone and earth were blasted away, leaving a trench over a meter deep. The force of the impact sent tremors through the entire battlefield—even Marineford itself quaked.
And when the full shockwave finally erupted, the battlefield was left with a massive crater, several hundred meters wide and at least thirty meters deep.
"Rankyaku: Feilian!"
Still airborne from Whitebeard's punch, Kizaru twisted mid-air and unleashed a devastating Rankyaku toward the ground before effortlessly flipping and landing.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed through the dust and smoke.
Whitebeard's chest split open—a gaping wound over a meter long carved into his flesh by Kizaru's vacuum blade.
If not for Whitebeard's monstrous durability, any other man would have been cleaved in half on the spot.
"So that's it… Sacrificing your defense to put everything into your attacks."
Kizaru's eyes narrowed—he had seen through Whitebeard's strategy.
No wonder, even after overestimating Whitebeard's strength, their battle had still ended in a stalemate.
"Gurarara! Still as annoying as ever, you damn Marine monster!"
Whitebeard clutched his chest wound, yet his face still bore a fearless grin.
As if a cut deep enough to expose his organs was nothing more than a scratch.
"Your journey ends here, Whitebeard."
Kizaru's voice was calm and absolute.
If this were the Whitebeard of his prime, the man once hailed as the strongest, he might have had a chance to escape.
But this aging, weakened Edward Newgate, whose power had fallen below even 60% of his peak, had no chance of survival against him.
"Pops!"
"Bastard! Let me through, or I'll kill you!"
"Everyone, save Pops!"
From every corner of the battlefield, the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders finally realized the desperate situation Whitebeard was in.
But no matter how they struggled, the elite Marines outnumbered and outmatched them, blocking their path.
And as the battle shifted in Kizaru's favor, the Marines' morale soared, driving the pirate alliance further into retreat.
"Do you see now?! This is the fate that awaits you if you continue to resist!"
Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, cast a satisfied glance at Kizaru.
That prodigy of the Navy, the one he had once placed so much hope in—Kizaru had finally returned to his true self.
Then his expression darkened as he glared at the "mysterious hooded figure" blocking his path.
Everyone who needed to know already knew what old face lay beneath that hood.
But as long as the Marines weren't willing to break all ties just yet, they couldn't expose that bastard.
"Kizaru is that strong…?"
The "hooded figure" felt both relieved and troubled.
Relieved—because if Kizaru had been serious back on Sabaody, he might not have walked away alive.
Troubled—because if Whitebeard was about to die, how the hell was he supposed to rescue Ace and Luffy from Marineford?
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Akainu grinned with satisfaction as he clashed with Dragon.
Even though he had lost the Fleet Admiral's position, if they could wipe out two Yonko crews and cripple the Revolutionary Army in one battle, he'd be more than happy to remain an Admiral forever.
"Die, Dragon! Inugami Guren!"
The temperature around Akainu skyrocketed, his entire body blazing with molten magma.
The very air itself seemed on the verge of combustion.
"Storm Dragon Claw: Dragon Horn Strike!"
Dragon met Akainu's attack head-on, showing no fear.
Even as he fought, his eyes flicked toward Kizaru and Whitebeard.
But he wasn't concerned about Whitebeard.
No—his real concern was Kizaru, the man who was single-handedly overpowering Whitebeard.
"This situation… might be worse than I thought."
Shanks' expression was grim.
He had come to end this war, to maintain the balance of power on the seas.
Yet, instead of forcing both sides to halt the battle, the arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates had only intensified the conflict.
Thankfully, Whitebeard was still clear-headed. Rather than fighting to the bitter end just because he had powerful reinforcements, he had chosen to stay behind and cover his crew's retreat.
The real question was—could Whitebeard hold out long enough for his people to escape Marineford?
Shanks had once been confident in Whitebeard's strength, but…
He had never witnessed Kizaru's true prime.
Shanks had risen to prominence too late, missing the era when Kizaru earned the title of "Marine Monster."
Unlike Blackbeard, who had frequently heard Whitebeard mention Kizaru's name, Shanks had little firsthand knowledge of the Admiral's true power.
To him, Kizaru was at best on the same level as Akainu.
Perhaps even slightly inferior, given how inactive Kizaru had been in recent years.
But what Kizaru was displaying now…
It was almost unbelievable.
Because he wasn't fighting just anyone—he was fighting Whitebeard.
°°°
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