The battle raged on, three against one.
"Sky-Shatter Hammer Strike!"
Hamme's Sky-Shatter came crashing down, only to be effortlessly blocked by Whitebeard's Murakumogiri.
Same with Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Whether it was Divine Axe Rhitta's magma fury or Borsalino's light blade, every attack was swatted aside like flies.
Between the Supreme Grade Blade and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Whitebeard's defense was impenetrable.
After a while, Hammer's mouth was dry from shouting out so many attack names.
"Hammer brat, no matter what fancy names you shout, it's still just you hammering over and over. No creativity."
Whitebeard looked at Hammer, who was wildly swinging his hammer, with utter indifference.
Hammer knew. Of course, he knew. But… It's not like he had anything else.
Did he have experience? Kinda.
But compared to Borsalino and Sakazuki? Still miles behind.
All he ever had was reckless brute force.
There was no such thing as technique in his fights.
"Tch! Like I needed you to tell me!"
"Omnidirectional Air Hammer!"
"Hammering of the Soul! Full Power!"
The air hammer vanished. Hammer flung his arms wide, and a heavy, booming hammer rhythm filled the air.
Whitebeard suddenly felt the space around his body lock down. The next moment, countless air-hammers rained down on him.
At the same time, hammering of the soul strikes began resonating in his mind.
Whitebeard felt the pounding in his mind and soul… and laughed.
"This level of attack? Gurararara!"
He didn't even bother blocking, letting Hammer's attack hit head-on.
"Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!"
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Blazing magma and blinding golden light exploded forth.
All three of them launched their ultimate moves.
Whitebeard was engulfed in smoke and fog.
The three stood shoulder to shoulder, wary and tense.
A roar shook the battlefield, and a massive shockwave erupted, obliterating all three attacks.
As the mist cleared, Whitebeard appeared.
A little disheveled: hat tilted, cloak torn, some minor burn marks on his body.
"Damn brats. This coat and hat weren't cheap."
"You'll pay for this."
His Conqueror's Haki erupted, eyes flashing crimson.
His aura transformed completely.
"Oh shit. This is bad."
Sakazuki and Borsalino nodded grimly.
This was the presence of a true apex power house.
"Enough games. Let me show you what a REAL pirate looks like."
Advanced Armament Haki
Those terms flew through Hammer's mind,
And stuck hard on one: Conqueror's Coating.
'Oh hell. He's really about to kill us.'
Whitebeard blitzed forward, Murakumogiri wreathed in crimson lightning.
Hammer instantly recognized the danger; this was Conqueror's Coating.
They cannot stop that.
"DODGE! DON'T BLOCK!"
He activated Soru, zigzagging away.
Borsalino vanished in a flash of light.
Only Sakazuki stood his ground, veins bulging as he gripped his Divine Axe tightly.
"ENOUGH! MAGMA ERUPTION!"
A torrent of magma blasted forward, but Whitebeard's Conqueror's Coating ignored all reason.
The magma was halted mid-air. It couldn't even touch Murakumogiri
The sword tore through the lava and lunged at Sakazuki with unstoppable force.
"DAMN IT, SAKAZUKI! IF I DIE, IT'S YOUR FAULT!"
"CHEST-BREAKING HAMMER!"
Hammer cursed. 'Why is this idiot so stubborn?? No wonder he almost got flattened by Whitebeard's punch in the future.
His body moves on its own.
He appeared beside Sakazuki and put everything into blocking the strike.
With a blinding flash, blood sprayed into the sky.
A massive wound opened on Hammer's chest.
His body was launched hundreds of meters away, falling unconscious instantly.
Sakazuki's eyes went bloodshot.
Ignoring Whitebeard completely, he dashed toward Hammer.
Golden light flashed again, and Borsalino appeared too, racing after their comrade.
Whitebeard watched with a warm grin.
"Not bad, kid. Reminds me of my younger self."
"Standing your ground against hopeless odds? Gurararara! What an idiot!"
"That's enough, boys. We're done here!"
Whitebeard leapt back toward the Moby Dick, frowned at the nearby warships, and triggered a massive seaquake.
The ocean erupted into towering waves, separating all three ships.
"Retreat!" Lance shouted.
All Marines, including Onigumo and Doberman, withdrew to the warships to brace for the tsunami.
The ice surface Hammer had made earlier shattered.
"Borsalino! Catch him!"
Sakazuki panicked as the ice disintegrated beneath him.
His Magma-Magma Fruit couldn't fly, and full activation would melt the remaining ice faster.
Borsalino was the only one who could help.
Hammer, unconscious, crashed into the ice and was swept away with the chunks by the tsunami.
Golden light zipped forward, and Borsalino's form began to take shape.
Just as he was about to reach Hammer-
A massive wave slammed down, sending both of them under.
"@#￥%&!!! HELP!!!" Borsalino's curses were loud.
"CRAP! MONKEY!! Hammer!!"
Sakazuki screamed in rage; the crashing waves couldn't drown out his fury.
The Warhammer cut through the sea and reached Sakazuki.
Lance grabbed a rope and dove in, swimming underwater toward Borsalino's last location.
The surface was chaos, and submerged searching was their only hope.
Sakazuki jumped aboard using Moonwalk, his heart racing.
Finally, after the sea calmed slightly.
Lance surfaced, hauling a limp Borsalino with him, face grim.
"Where's Hammer?! WHERE IS HE?!"
No one answered. Silence gripped the ship.
Lance returned with Borsalino.
Both their faces were grim.
Borsalino's expression was haunted.
'He was right there…I was a second too late.'
"This is Sengoku. Report the situation."
"Hmm… Whitebeard retreated? Good. Casualties?"
"…WHAT?! Say that again?"
"Hammer's gone? What do you mean by 'gone'? He's DEAD?!"
"…Oh, not dead. Good. Then where is he?"
"Lost? HOW?! Washed away by the tsunami on a block of ice?!"
"THEN GO FIND HIM! YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK UNTIL YOU DO!"
"DAMN IT! ISSUE A SEARCH ORDER NOW!
With the Den Den Mushi call slammed shut, both ships fell into heavy silence.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu