Chapter 583: Ending the War?
One black and one white flame, dragging long fiery tails, spiraled out alternately, meeting Akainu head-on.
Seeing such strange flames, Akainu instinctively sensed something was wrong, but by then it was too late to dodge. He could only abruptly halt his movement and shift to the side.
However, the black-and-white flames still grazed the right side of his waist...
A single graze was enough!
The principle behind Ian and Ace's combined technique, Infernal City Flame, lay in the peculiar balancing effect between the black and white flames. When the flames brushed against Akainu's waist, that balance was broken.
The next second, a violent explosion of flames erupted, bursting into a massive firestorm!
The firestorm first expanded outward, the volume of both black and white flames surging, then instantly contracted into a huge vortex, continuously drawing in everything around it, pulling it all into the fiery whirlpool.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded. The black and white flames spun rapidly like a Taiji pattern, churning and spreading, gradually forming a colossal pillar of fire at the center. This pillar rotated, growing thicker, more violent, and taller, as if trying to pierce the sky, becoming a tornado of flames.
On the ground, the fire's range expanded further—one hundred meters, two hundred meters, five hundred meters, one thousand meters!
Since Ian, Ace, and Akainu had been fighting nearby, few dared to linger in the area, so not many unlucky souls were caught in the blast. When the firestorm appeared, even the dullest realized another massive area-of-effect attack was coming. Abandoning their opponents, they fled in panic, scrambling to get as far away as possible.
For a moment, almost everyone on the battlefield was drawn to the firestorm, staring blankly at the raging waves of flame, their eyes filled with shock and terror.
Just as everyone thought the flames would keep spreading, the firestorm suddenly collapsed!
Boom!! The towering pillar of fire plummeted, crashing to the ground, unleashing endless heat and shockwaves in an instant!
Countless pirates and Marines were blown away by the blast wave. Even those farther off had to shield their eyes from the intense light and hurricane-force winds.
A mushroom cloud slowly rose from the explosion's center, carrying dust and steam...
As the smoke gradually cleared, the stunned pirates and Marines finally saw three figures within the haze.
Ian and Ace stood side by side, arms raised in front of them. In truth, even they hadn't expected Infernal City Flame's power to be so terrifying. Fortunately, Ace was made of fire, and Ian could control flames, so when the firestorm erupted, the raging inferno didn't harm them.
But within a two-mile radius, the ice on the ground had completely evaporated. The exposed rocks had turned into glittering glass, cooling with the sea breeze, emitting a series of sharp cracking sounds...
Looking up, the two faced their opponent. Akainu had returned to his normal form, standing at the explosion's center.
He had been caught in the firestorm, and since his ability was entirely different from Ian and Ace's, after the flames ravaged him, his entire body had turned into a human-shaped glass statue!
Simply put, magma is molten rock. When hit by the instant high temperature of the firestorm, his body crystallized just like the ground's rocks.
Gulp! A Marine soldier swallowed hard, staring blankly at Akainu's statue, still frozen in a defensive pose with arms crossed over his chest.
"Akainu Admiral!?"
"Is Akainu... dead!?"
Pirates and Marines alike speculated in astonishment.
But then, a cracking sound came, and Akainu suddenly moved!
He swung his arm violently, shattering the glass crystals into countless fragments that fell away. He broke free with a furious roar!
Ian and Ace instinctively stepped back, on high alert, but inwardly they were amazed. Even after being roasted like that, Akainu was still alive...
However, after breaking free of the glass crystals, Akainu stood there panting heavily, not attacking. Ian and Ace saw that while the crystals on his body had shattered, those on his arms remained.
Akainu's arms hung limp as magma rolled over his body, slowly recovering. Though his entire body had crystallized, only his skin had turned to glass. When those crystals fell off, it was like Akainu had shed a layer of skin. With a Logia's fluid self-healing ability, he could still recover.
But... his arms, which he had used to shield himself, couldn't recover!
As the area most severely hit by the flames, Akainu's arms had crystallized far worse than he imagined. The high temperature had penetrated deeper from the outside in than anywhere else on his body.
Looking at his trembling arms, Akainu felt an immense weight. He could barely feel them anymore—no sensation at all.
Even Armament Haki couldn't block this heat. Akainu realized that if his arms weren't treated immediately, they might be permanently crippled!
Enraged, Akainu glared at Ian and Ace, cursing through gritted teeth: "You two little bastards! Daring to wound me like this... I'll kill you!"
Now, due to his severe injuries, Akainu seemed to lose his composure, charging at Ian and Ace again. Hearing his curses, the two frowned, exchanged a glance, and rushed forward to meet him!
Ian drew Thousand Cherry Blossoms, and Ace swung his Fire Fist, one left, one right, aiming at Akainu's glassified arms!
Since you really don't want your hands, we'll grant your wish!
Ian and Ace could sense that among the three Marine Admirals, Akainu had the strongest killing intent. He wanted to kill Luffy, Ace, and Ian. So they wouldn't show any mercy—strike while the iron was hot!
Just as the three were about to clash again, two figures suddenly appeared in the field!
It was Kizaru and Aokiji! As soon as they appeared, Kizaru grabbed Akainu, stopping his charge, while Aokiji stood before Ian and Ace, conjuring a massive ice wall to block their attacks!
Ian's Evil King Flame Slayer Sword pierced through Aokiji's ice wall, the tip just reaching Aokiji behind it, leaving a shallow cut on his face. Ace's Fire Fist slammed into the ice wall, shattering it into a shower of ice shards.
"..." Aokiji looked at Ian and Ace before him. Though he said nothing, his eyes conveyed a resolute message.
They couldn't let Ian and Ace cripple a Marine Admiral here...
Despite Aokiji and Akainu's long-standing discord, they were both Marine Admirals—the highest combat power deterring pirates. He and Kizaru couldn't stand by and watch Akainu lose his arms, becoming a cripple.
Akainu's severe injuries surprised them, but with prompt treatment, his hands might still be saved. However, that required stopping him from continuing to fight Ian and Ace...
Enel and Fujitora now stood behind Ian. The earlier Infernal City Flame had drawn everyone's attention, pausing their own battles, allowing Aokiji and Kizaru to slip over.
The three Marine Admirals now faced off against Ian's group of four, with the potential for a seven-person battle at any moment.
Elsewhere, Whitebeard's fight with Sengoku and Garp had also stopped. Turning to look at Ian and the others, Whitebeard gripped his naginata, a smile on his face: "Sengoku, that brat of yours, who's only fit for lighting candles at birthday parties, doesn't seem so impressive!"
Sengoku and Garp were also slightly out of breath, looking troubled at the distant Akainu. They knew that if the fight continued, Akainu might pay a heavy price for this war.
But with the war at this point, the Marines were in a dilemma—unable to back down easily...
Should they take a step back, end the war, and treat Akainu quickly, or keep fighting? Sengoku hesitated.
Just then, two urgent shouts came from different directions.
"Sengoku Fleet Admiral!!"
"Your Excellency the Fleet Admiral!!"
One voice came from behind, the other from the side. Both carried a sense of urgency, drawing the attention of many on the battlefield.
Sengoku turned to see a Marine Rear Admiral running toward him from behind, holding a Den Den Mushi. This Rear Admiral arrived faster than the Marine Captain running from the side, reaching Sengoku first.
"What is it?" Sengoku asked, frowning.
"This..." The Rear Admiral looked around awkwardly, then gestured for Sengoku to come closer.
Sengoku deactivated his Great Buddha form, returning to normal size. The Rear Admiral leaned in and whispered urgently: "Your Excellency, news from Mary Geoise. Thirty minutes ago, Marshall D. Teach of the Blackbeard Pirates, along with his crew, attacked Mary Geoise. They killed three Celestial Dragons, destroyed numerous buildings, and raided the World Government's confidential office, stealing documents about the Marine Science Unit's location..."
"What!?" Sengoku's eyes nearly bulged out at the report. Cold sweat poured down instantly.
The Rear Admiral was also drenched in sweat, continuing: "The CP agents couldn't stop them. Fortunately, Vice Admiral Momousagi led reinforcements. The Blackbeard Pirates likely didn't want to clash with her and left before she arrived. Currently, their whereabouts are unknown..."
Hearing this, Sengoku nearly ground his teeth to dust. He immediately realized the war couldn't continue. The World Government's message was a clear order for him to lead the troops back... Damn it! From Teach's mysterious disappearance earlier, Sengoku had suspected he was up to something, but he never imagined the Blackbeard Pirates would attack Mary Geoise!
Just as Sengoku was thinking this, the Marine Captain from the side arrived. Without hesitation, he ran up and shouted loudly: "Bad news, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Off the coast of New Edd War, a massive ship has appeared, heading this way. The lookout confirmed... there's only one person on board—it's Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors!!!"
Boom! This news was like dropping another massive bomb on the entire battlefield...
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