#1495 - The Battle of Marineford (One Hundred and Seventeen)

A deafening boom echoed as Akainu was the first to falter.

His once mighty magma fist, capable of destroying heaven and earth, suddenly cracked apart.

The originally blazing hot magma vanished in an instant, as if extinguished by an invisible force.

All that remained on the massive fist was a piece of incredibly hard stone, shaped like a fist.

However, on the surface of this seemingly indestructible stone, fine, narrow cracks were spreading rapidly, visible to the naked eye.

With a crisp "crack" that reverberated through the sky, the entire stone finally succumbed to the surging power within, abruptly exploding into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.

Simultaneously, Akainu's massive body couldn't withstand the immense backlash, and he was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

"Pfft!"

With a muffled sound, Akainu, like a falling meteor, violently coughed up a mouthful of blood in mid-air.

Instantly, his face, already as pale as paper, became even more bloodless, as if the flame of life was about to be extinguished.

At the same time, the clothes on his upper body couldn't withstand the enormous impact and were instantly torn to shreds, fluttering down.

Immediately afterward, a deafening roar resounded as Akainu's heavy body slammed with the force of thunder against the wall inscribed with the word "Justice."

The incredibly sturdy wall, under the impact of this terrifying force, shattered like fragile porcelain, turning into countless fragments of stone that flew everywhere.

As the wall collapsed, the entire tall and magnificent Marine Headquarters began to shake violently, teetering on the verge of collapse.

In the blink of an eye, this building, symbolizing the Navy's authority and honor, completely collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.

And the word "Justice" was buried deep within the ruins, as if it had disappeared forever.

However, the matter did not end there.

Just as Akainu crashed into the wall, an incredibly powerful shockwave spread out from the point of impact in all directions.

Akainu, caught in the middle, couldn't resist this force and was directly blasted thousands of meters away, leaving a shocking trail of broken trees and shattered rocks in his wake.

At this moment, Charlotte, located on Kame Island in the New World, slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on the distant, breathtaking battle.

When he saw Whitebeard unleash that earth-shattering, ultimate strike, a surge of amazement welled up in Charlotte's heart.

Although he knew something of Whitebeard's peak strength in his youth, this strike far exceeded any attack he remembered.

"He... has taken another step!"

Charlotte muttered with a solemn expression, clearly sensing an unprecedented threat from this strike.

Even though he was only watching the battle through a screen, the suffocating pressure still transmitted through the image, causing his heart to race uncontrollably.

"Perhaps, if Whitebeard's body wasn't plagued by those hidden injuries, his true strength would shock the entire world!"

Charlotte murmured, a hint of regret and awe in his eyes.

"Gura Gura no Mi!"

Charlotte stared ahead, a feeling of indescribable shock rising in his heart.

In the past, he hadn't felt much about the Gura Gura no Mi, merely thinking it was a bit stronger in destructive power.

After all, being able to easily shatter islands and create terrifying waves was something that Charlotte himself could achieve, although not as effortlessly as Whitebeard. It wasn't difficult for him to achieve such an effect.

But now, when the Conqueror's Haki and the power of the Gura Gura no Mi intertwined, the resulting power left Charlotte dumbfounded.

He clearly felt that this immensely powerful force seemed capable of tearing through the void, even breaking through the spatial barrier!

Charlotte stared intently at his palm, slowly clenching his fist, a surge of excitement rising from the bottom of his heart.

For a long time, his strength had reached its peak, and any further improvement was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

In his eyes, apart from the very few Devil Fruits that contained special rules, the attack effects of other ordinary Devil Fruits could be achieved with his sword, and he was confident that he could do it better than anyone with such Devil Fruit abilities.

Therefore, for a long time, Charlotte had always held a hint of contempt for powerhouses like Whitebeard who relied on Devil Fruit abilities to fight.

Rather than finding a fatal weakness of fearing water, it was better to go all out to make oneself flawless and indestructible.

However, now his strength had suddenly fallen into a stagnant state.

This situation made Charlotte feel extremely tormented, like an ant on a hot pot, restless and uneasy.

Because he knew that time was of the essence, and he had to break through the current bottleneck as soon as possible to further improve his strength.

Otherwise, facing the impending crises triggered by Luffy, he would probably be unable to cope.

That crisis was like a beast shrouded in mist, full of mystery and the unknown.

Charlotte knew nothing about it, and a sense of panic rose in his heart.

After all, before he transmigrated to this world, the manga "One Piece" had not yet reached its final ending, and there were countless unsolved mysteries waiting for him to explore and uncover.

And these unknowns became the shadow that lingered in Charlotte's mind, making him feel apprehensive.

At this critical moment, Charlotte eagerly desired to gain more power to dispel the haze of fear in his heart and calmly deal with the ensuing variables.

Just then, the words "Gura Gura no Mi" flashed through Charlotte's mind like a lightning bolt, instantly igniting the fire of interest in his eyes.

He murmured, "Perhaps... !"

At the same time, on the other side of the Red Line, in Mary Geoise, the five highly respected elders—the Five Elders—were solemnly staring at the huge screen in front of them.

The image on the screen was none other than Whitebeard's towering figure.

Saint Saturn suddenly stood up, his sharp eyes fixed on Whitebeard, his expression extremely serious.