Ace staggered back a step, his breath ragged, flames flickering under the strain of exhaustion and pain. "You… You killed him!" he spat, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. "You think I'll forgive you?!"
Mihawk didn't answer right away. He lowered Yoru, its tip brushing the ice, and tilted his head slightly toward Whitebeard's body. "His death was honorable," he murmured, almost to himself. "That's what matters."
But the bay's attention suddenly shifted. Joz, the diamond colossus, burst from the fray, his arms glinting under the veiled sun. Behind him, the last loyal Whitebeard pirates—Marco, still shackled but thrashing furiously, Vista, his twin blades blood-streaked, and a handful of haggard survivors—turned toward Teach's crew. Their eyes burned with grief and resolve. "We're taking Father's body back!" Joz roared, his shining fists primed to smash anyone in their way.
Teach, at the center of his crew, let out a guttural laugh. "Zehahaha!" He threw his arms wide, a twisted grin splitting his face. "Look at these loyal mutts! Boys, let's have some fun. Let 'em come!" Van Augur shouldered his rifle, Catarina Devon drew a curved blade, and Sanjuan Wolf shook the ice with a single step. The air thrummed with tension—an explosive clash was brewing.
At that moment, a thunderous shout ripped through the sky from the admirals' platform. Sengoku, his face taut with fury, jabbed an accusing finger at Mihawk. "Dracule Mihawk!" he bellowed, his voice booming over the chaos. "Is this outright treason against the Marines? Answer me!"
Mihawk turned slowly, his eyes meeting the fleet admiral's with zero remorse. "I'm a pirate, Sengoku," he replied, his voice calm but laced with icy irony. "Did you forget? My chains were never as tight as you think."
A furious growl erupted. Akainu, reformed after Mihawk's shockwave, rose in a storm of smoking magma. His fists dripped lava, leaving glowing trails on the ice. "Traitor or not, I'll execute you all!" he roared, his eyes blazing with unrelenting hatred. "Pirates, Warlords, doesn't matter! You'll die under absolute justice!"
Sengoku, after a heavy pause, gritted his teeth. He raised a hand, his voice ringing like a divine edict: "Wipe them out! Pirates, Warlords—no mercy! Let this war erase their existence!"
The order was a spark on a powder keg. Marineford's already battered bay ignited again. The hesitant marines surged forward, weapons raised. The standing vice admirals—Onigumo, Doberman, Momonga—charged with military precision, their blades and fists cloaked in Haki. Aokiji cracked the ice beneath his feet, a deadly blizzard swirling around him, while Kizaru, perched on debris, fired blinding beams at the scattered pirates.
Whitebeard's pirates, led by Joz, crashed into Teach's crew with a deafening roar. Joz's diamond fists met Jesus Burgess's massive punch, unleashing a shockwave that split the ice for dozens of yards. Marco, freed from his cuffs by Vista, flared his blue flames, targeting Sanjuan Wolf with bottled-up rage. "You won't touch Father!" he yelled, his voice cracking with despair.
Teach, in the thick of it, laughed his head off, his darkness swallowing weaker attacks. "Zehahaha!"
Mihawk, still amid the whirlwind of violence, turned his gaze to Ace. The young man, still on his knees, stared at Luffy, who was struggling to stand, his body shaking with exhaustion. Ace's flames sputtered faintly, but his eyes blazed with fierce determination. Mihawk drove Yoru into the ice in front of him, a move that caught the flame pirate's attention.
"Be a big brother, at least," Mihawk said, his voice low but clear, nodding slightly toward Luffy. "He risked his life for you. Don't let him down."
Ace clenched his fists, his flames flaring a bit stronger. He looked up at Mihawk, his face twisted with hate and confusion. "I'll get revenge," he growled, his voice shaky but firm. "For Father. For all of this."
Mihawk's lips twitched—not a smile, but a shadow of amusement. "I'll wait for you in the New World, then," he replied, his words heavy with challenge. "If you make it through today."
A furious cry cut their exchange short. Akainu, striding forward, parted the crowd of fighters like a living torch. "DRACULE MIHAWK!" he roared, his magma fist cocked to strike. "Your insolence ends here!"
Mihawk spun, Yoru arcing perfectly to meet the attack. The black blade sliced the magma in two, scattering sizzling droplets in a shrill hiss. The swordsman stepped back, his boots sliding briefly on the ice before regaining balance with unearthly grace. "Execute your justice, Akainu," he taunted, his voice dripping with biting irony. "Show me what your flame's worth against my blade."
Akainu roared, a lava storm bursting from his fists. Mihawk leaped back, Yoru weaving in his hands to deflect each blow with supernatural precision. The two forces collided in a blast of light and heat, carving a smoking crater into the ice. Nearby fighters—pirates and marines alike—were swept away by the shockwave, screaming as they tumbled into the frigid water.
Further off, Ace helped Luffy to his feet, his flames shielding his little brother from flying debris. "We've gotta go, Luffy," he rasped.
Luffy, eyes half-shut, gave a weak nod. "Ace… We'll… beat 'em all… someday…" he breathed, a shaky smile on his lips despite the pain.
Around them, the war raged harder. Whitebeard's pirates and Teach's crew clashed in bloody chaos, their shouts and weapons ringing like a symphony of destruction. The marines, under Sengoku's command, pressed forward relentlessly, their ranks tight against the pirates' scattered forces. Aokiji froze an entire section of the bay, trapping dozens of fighters, while Kizaru peppered the battlefield with lethal beams.
Leo, in the swordsman's mind, felt his—or Mihawk's—heart pounding against his ribcage.
It's total war now, he thought, adrenaline electrifying his veins. And I'm right in the middle of it.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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