#1488 - Chapter 1498: The Battle of Marineford
However, the ruthless Akainu pursued them relentlessly like a ravenous wolf, closing the distance with each step, each carrying a chilling pressure.
Time seemed to slow down, as if it had solidified.
Luffy gasped for breath, heavy breaths escaping his mouth in raspy wheezes.
He struggled to raise his head, his eyes fixed on the pirate ship that was close at hand, and the crew members standing on the deck desperately waving and shouting at them.
A comforting smile gradually appeared on Luffy's face as he thought, 'As long as we can get on that ship, Ace will be saved for sure!'
But, at this critical moment, suddenly, a dazzling blaze illuminated half the sky, followed by an intensely scorching heat that swept over them.
Luffy's heart jolted, images flashing through his mind, and an ominous premonition surged within him.
"No good!"
Luffy cried out inwardly, leaping to the side without hesitation.
No sooner had he moved than a thunderous crash echoed, and scalding magma rained down, slamming into the spot where Luffy had just been standing.
The tremendous impact unleashed a powerful shockwave, causing the ground to tremble.
Luffy reacted swiftly, rolling on the ground upon landing, while tightly protecting Ace beside him, tumbling a dozen times through the dust-filled earth before finally regaining his footing.
"Ace!"
Forgetting his own dishevelment, Luffy hurriedly turned to check on Ace's condition.
Just then, Akainu advanced towards them, his heavy footsteps echoing with each stride.
“You will not escape, I swear on the honor of the Navy!”
Akainu, like a wounded but still ferocious beast, glared at the fleeing pair, his body drenched in blood.
Blood mixed with molten magma streamed down his cheeks, creating a bizarre and terrifying sight.
“Damn it!”
Watching Akainu relentlessly pursuing them, step by step, the face of Luffy, usually so full of confidence and smiles, finally showed a hint of panic.
At the same time, Ivankov and Jinbe also noticed the ruthless Akainu rapidly approaching.
“Damn, it’s Akainu!”
Ivankov exclaimed in alarm.
On the other side, Whitebeard also spotted his beloved son Ace, his weathered eyes widening instantly, revealing endless worry and anxiety.
“Ace!”
He roared hoarsely.
Their only thought was to save Ace and Luffy!
“Ace!”
Whitebeard let out a terrified roar, striding forward without hesitation, rushing towards Ace's location.
On the other side, Garp also snapped out of his shock, taking a deep breath and shouting, “Stop!”
Then, like an arrow released from a bow, he charged towards Akainu, heedless of the danger.
In the blink of an eye, Akainu's magma fist, filled with terrifying power, was about to slam down on Luffy and Ace.
However, the distance between them was too great, and even if they rushed over with all their might, by the time they arrived, it would probably be too late.
At this moment, Luffy's eyes widened, staring in horror at the massive magma fist as it crashed down on him like Mount Tai.
“Luffy!”
On the other side, Ace also widened his eyes, staring intently at Luffy, who had selflessly stood in front of him, his eyes instantly bloodshot, and he screamed with a cracking voice.
Just as Akainu's earth-shattering magma fist was about to strike, a sharp, piercing whistling sound suddenly came from afar.
Then, with a loud "轰隆" sound, a dark shadow descended from the sky with lightning speed, slamming down in front of Luffy, and deeply embedding itself into the hard earth.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a trident radiating a mysterious light.
Surprisingly, facing Akainu's full-force magma fist, this trident remained as steady as Mount Tai, without budging an inch.
Not only that, but its surface also shimmered with faint, colorful lights, as if it possessed endless power.
This sudden change caught everyone present by surprise.
“A trident? Where did a trident suddenly come from?”
The members of the Royal Shichibukai, who had been watching from the sidelines, almost as if they were just bystanders, were also slightly stunned by the scene before them, their faces full of astonishment.
And when they saw the trident stuck in the ground, one of them—Doflamingo's face changed abruptly.
Without hesitation, he turned his head to look at the turbulent sea, where a golden, magnificent giant ship was sailing against the wind and waves, slowly entering people's field of vision.
“That’s… the Gold Pirates!”
Doflamingo recognized the ship and the people on it at a glance, and thought to himself.
“呋呋呋呋呋呋……”
A low and strange laugh suddenly rang out, breaking the originally calm sea.
Doflamingo grinned, a slightly mocking smile appearing on his face: “The Rockefeller family has appeared again! This is really interesting.”
He smiled, squinting his eyes, revealing an unpredictable expression.
Doflamingo looked a little embarrassed at this time, his clothes were severely damaged, his breathing was very weak, and he seemed to have just experienced a fierce battle.
However, even in such a disadvantageous situation, his eyes still sparkled with excitement and curiosity, and he was not affected by the predicament at all.
Mihawk, who was standing next to him, just glanced at Doflamingo lightly before shifting his gaze to the vast sea.
Just then, a slight tremor came from the waters of the Marine Headquarters in the distance.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a huge ship shining with golden light slowly approaching.
This ship was like a mobile gold mountain, radiating dazzling brilliance.
