Sakazuki was locked in combat with Whitebeard.
His officers clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders.
Onigumo, wielding dual blades, crossed swords with Vista, another master of the two-sword style.
Doberman faced off Whitey Bay, the "Ice Witch."
Marines and pirates alike formed small battle groups, each locked in fierce combat.
"So this is that 'divine weapon' forged by that blacksmith, Hammer kid? Not bad at all! The sheer heat radiating from it, impressive!"
Even Whitebeard couldn't help but acknowledge the weapon's power, feeling the strength and blazing heat flowing through Sakazuki's Divine Axe as he clashed with his own weapon, Murakumogiri.
With a powerful swing of his arm, he sent Sakazuki flying backward, admiration flashing across his face.
"Tch! I'm not done yet!"
Dog Bro, far from a pushover, had charged up energy in his weapon for a while now. Magma erupted from the Divine Axe Rhitat like a volcanic blast, roaring straight for Whitebeard.
But Whitebeard didn't even flinch. With a single swing of his naginata, he split the magma in two, and then used his Tremor powers to scatter the energy completely.
Sakazuki, undeterred, launched another flaming fist of magma at Whitebeard.
Whitebeard only laughed and answered with his own left fist, releasing a quake burst that once again neutralized the magma mid-flight.
The clash intensified, magma and Haki blanketed the entire battlefield in chaotic fury.
"Such terrifying Haki and tremors... We must be close."
Aboard the Warhammer, Borsalino and Hammer stood side by side.
This time, instead of taking his own battleship, Borsalino chose to ride with Hammer, partly because of the Warhammer's superior weapons and manpower.
"Tch. Looks like we're a bit late. Shall we go ahead, Monkey bro?"
Borsalino nodded, putting on his special glasses.
"Hammer-kun, these glasses won't fail me, right~?"
"Relax. Unless you deliberately try to miss, they'll work perfectly."
These new glasses, crafted by Hammer, had ultra-range vision, a passive focus boost, and enhanced Observation Haki training capabilities. They were leagues ahead of the previous model he gave Borsalino.
"Tch tch tch… Looks like I can't slack off this time. The Whitebeard Pirates are so scary~."
"Alright, stop yapping. If we're late, Sakazuki's going to chew us out. I'll fly us there with the Flying longsword, get ready."
"Lance! Full speed ahead! All weapons prepped! Fire suppression the moment we're within range!"
Lance nodded, polishing his sniper rifle until it gleamed, ready for war.
"If it turns into melee combat, Shirley, equip everyone with shields immediately. This is the New World. We're facing the Whitebeard Pirates. I don't want to see a single casualty, got it?!"
"If one can't win, two fight. If two can't, bring four. You have one job, stay alive!"
Hammer's tone was dead serious. There was no talk of "we must win" or "we must kill the enemy." Just one priority, survival. Everything else was meaningless.
With that, Borsalino turned into a beam of light and launched into the sky. Hammer drew his longsword and soared after him.
Back in the thick of the battle, Sakazuki was in a bad spot.
Whitebeard wasn't even going all out, and still had him completely suppressed.
His Marines, outmatched by the battle-hardened Whitebeard Pirates, were being pushed back, casualties mounting by the minute.
Even Onigumo and Doberman were bleeding.
"Damn you, Whitebeard!"
He launched his signature attack again, this time not into the sky, but directly at Whitebeard.
"Still haven't learned, brat?"
"Let me teach you something! QUAKE SLASH!"
Whitebeard smirked. Tremor energy coated Murakumogiri, regardless of the collateral damage to the sea or his own ship, and he swung.
He cleaved downward, unleashing a strike that tore through space itself.
The quake-infused blade shattered the flaming meteor barrage like glass and continued toward Sakazuki, unstoppable.
He quickly coated Rhitta in Armament Haki and raised it to block, ready to meet the devastating strike.
Two swords intercepted the quake slash just before it reached Sakazuki.
One shimmered with golden light.
The other radiated freezing cold.
"Quit standing around! Help me already!"
It was Hammer and Borsalino, arriving just in time, diving into the battle at breakneck speed.
Sakazuki grinned, leapt forward, and joined the clash, Rhitta striking alongside the two swords.
All reinforced with Armament Haki.
Together, they managed to barely stop Whitebeard's quake slash head-on.
"Oh? Two more newcomers."
Whitebeard glanced at the golden glow and icy edge.
"The golden brat... and that sword, the one that defeated Redfield? Then you must be Hammer?"
Whitebeard retrieved Murakumogiri, eyeing the newcomers with amusement.
Hammer, over three meters tall, looked like a child before Whitebeard's towering 6-meter frame.
"Damn... I thought I was tall. Next to him, I look like a scrawny brat."
Hammer joked, but his grip on Winterborne tightened, and his expression turned serious.
Even Borsalino, normally smug, was deadly focused, his whole body glowing gold.
"Gurararara! All three of the Marines' so-called 'rising stars' in one place? I must be really popular!"
"Perfect. Let me test your skills."
A shockwave of Conqueror's Haki blasted across the battlefield!
The trio gritted their teeth and held their ground.
They knew this was unlike any fight they'd ever faced.
Whitebeard raised his naginata and slowly stepped forward, each footfall pounding in their ears.
The three exchanged glances. In a flash, their coordination synced.
"Too cramped on the ship. Let's take this to the sea!"
Hammer leapt off the ship, freezing the ocean's surface with the power of Winerborne.
In seconds, a vast ice field formed beside the two warships.
Sakazuki shot Whitebeard a mocking glare, then jumped down with Borsalino.
Whitebeard, unfazed, jumped onto the ice too.
Hammer grinned and sheathed his sword, switching to bare fists. The sound of hammering echoed around him as he entered his battle stance.
Sakazuki raised Rhitta. Borsalino gleamed with golden energy.
Whitebeard, on the other hand, simply watched with amusement, not at all concerned about the hammering sounds around Hammer.
"Gurararara! Such bold words from a runt."
"So you're the one they call the 'Divine Blacksmith'?"
Hammer felt an ominous chill.
And sure enough, those legendary words came next:
"Come be my son, brat!"
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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