Hellhound, at the beginning of Sakazuki's battle against Whitebeard, was roughly similar to that one "Allahu Akbar" strike.
Unlike the move Titan's Wrath, which bursts instantly upon impact in a close-range, area-of-effect magma attack, the strongest single-target assault technique—Hellhound—concentrates the release of internal and external pressure into a single point before being unleashed through the arm in an explosive thrust.
In Sakazuki's conception, this close-range finishing move was supposed to be faster to execute and have greater impact than his mid-range techniques.
The goal was to ensure that once unleashed, it would hit, and once it hit, it would be fatal—a move designed for instant execution.
Because Hellhound is sudden and requires no charging, it excels at penetrating defenses, breaking through other protective techniques with an overwhelming force akin to toppling mountains.
However, unfortunately, as Sakazuki's ultimate killing technique, Hellhound remains an incomplete product.
The explosive speed is there, the terrifying piercing power is there, and the precise control of his Devil Fruit's power needed to concentrate such immense force into a single point is also there.
But there remains a significant issue in coordinating Observation Haki with this attack technique.
No matter how powerful the strike is, if it doesn't hit, it's useless.
The speed of Hellhound's activation is simply too fast, making it difficult for Sakazuki to use his Observation Haki to accurately track the precise landing point of his own attack.
Without the "fire control system" provided by Observation Haki, Sakazuki could only rely on his eyes to barely aim at Edward Newgate's head.
However, Whitebeard was not some stationary target like Mannoroth, and Sakazuki was not some reckless warrior charging in with Bloodhowl and Enrage.
Sensing danger through his Observation Haki, Whitebeard swiftly tilted his head to the side, narrowly dodging the fatal strike. The raging magma column grazed his right chest and surged diagonally upward.
For the first time in his battle against this Navy officer, Whitebeard felt the presence of death—this move was truly capable of threatening him.
A burning pain spread from his right pectoral muscle. Even though he had covered his body with Armament Haki in advance, the area struck by the attack still bore five claw-like gashes, where the skin and flesh were slightly peeled back.
Whitebeard's counterattack arrived almost simultaneously. His massive, pitch-black fist clenched tightly and came crashing down—
"Boom!"
The impact forcefully embedded Sakazuki, who had leaped into the air, straight into the ground below.
"Senior Brother!!!"
Just as Kuzan burst in from the outer coating of Fish-Man Island, his eyes widened in shock as he witnessed Sakazuki being smashed into the ground by Whitebeard with a single punch, his fate uncertain.
With a fierce motion, Kuzan swung his arm, and the ice spears surrounding him—glowing with a ghostly blue hue—instantly broke the sound barrier, shooting toward the great pirate.
Edward Newgate glanced down at the crater where the Navy officer lay, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Halting his attack, he casually swung his fist into the air.
The atmosphere fractured once more, like a transparent glass window shattering into countless cracks.
The resulting shockwave obliterated the incoming ice spears and surged toward Kuzan, who was diving from above.
Crack! Crackle!
The elementalized ice produced by the Ice-Ice Fruit shattered under the impact. The falling shards of ice and freezing mist rapidly condensed in the high-altitude air, instantly engulfing Whitebeard in an overwhelming chill.
[Ice Ball]
A massive sphere of ice formed in an instant, trapping Whitebeard within.
After landing a successful hit, Kuzan did not turn to check the effectiveness of the ice entrapment but instead crouched down to assess Sakazuki's injuries.
Seeing the man still attempting to rise, Kuzan sighed in slight relief. Though Sakazuki looked battered, his senior brother's absurdly tough physique remained as durable as ever.
Crack! Crackle!
The thick layer of ice did not even last a second before it suddenly exploded. Amid the swirling cold mist, Whitebeard's towering figure emerged, looking more terrifying than ever.
"So, you can't freeze vibrations, huh?"
Kuzan muttered to himself as he turned around, stepping in front of the just-recovered Sakazuki to shield him.
Crossing his hands before him, his bony yet powerful fingers exuded a dense, chilling mist. With a flick of his wrists, two ghostly blue ice javelins rapidly formed in his grasp.
"Gurararara! Now, that was refreshingly cold!"
Edward Newgate glanced at Kuzan, who had suddenly inserted himself into the battle, and casually remarked on the piercing chill of the previous ice entrapment.
Sakazuki, pressing a hand against the ground, stood up. Though his duel with Whitebeard had not lasted long, the injuries he sustained would have left an ordinary Vice Admiral severely wounded and unable to continue fighting.
Even giants would struggle to withstand the full force of Whitebeard's seismic punches.
Though not in peak condition, Sakazuki still had enough fight left in him.
"Where are they?"
Taking a step forward, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Kuzan.
"Up there."
Kuzan pointed toward the upper section of Fish-Man Island's coating.
The outer double-layered bubble surrounding the entire island had frozen a portion of the seawater solid, forming a hollow ice pathway about 10 meters wide and stretching several kilometers long, leading to the uppermost part of the coating.
Numerous small, individual bubbles emerged from the ice tunnel, piercing through the island's coating. A series of rapid sonic booms echoed through the air as figures began descending from above.
Clad in Justice coats, high-ranking officers of the Navy Headquarters landed one after another, forming a human barrier at the frontlines—though not an impenetrable one.
"Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral Gion!"
A cold female voice called out from beside Sakazuki.
"Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral Doberman."
A fierce-looking man in an officer's uniform stood with a defiant glint in his eyes, unable to hide his rebellious nature.
"Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral Mozambia."
A mohawk-haired Rear Admiral stood tall, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral Onigumo."
"Rear Admiral Stellers of the Navy Headquarters!"
...
The navy's greatcoats fluttered in the wind as the officers adjusted their speed while using Moonwalk.
The onlooking citizens of Fish-Man Island couldn't see their faces. They could only see the backs of these navy officers, and on their capes—
The massive characters for "Justice."
"The navy! The reinforcements from Navy Headquarters have arrived!" The residents of Fish-Man Island cheered loudly.
Ghost Spider, who had been dashing around rescuing people, now slowly moved to the center of the formation of officers.
Whitebeard silently watched as the younger generation of the navy, arriving one after another using Moonwalk, lined up between him and the citizens of Fish-Man Island.
Immovable as a mountain.
He reached out and gently brushed against the scar on the right side of his chest—left by that little mad dog.
But that was all. These navy officers could never seriously wound him, let alone kill him. Whitebeard smirked with contempt, "How about all of you join forces and attack me together?"
"Arrogant!" Dalmatian roared in fury. Facing the enforcers of justice, this great pirate who had dominated the New World seemed to have no regard for them at all.
From the corner of his eye, Kuzan glanced at Sakazuki and saw him subtly shake his head.
The Vice Admiral of Navy Headquarters was the first to plant his ice spear into the ground and spoke in mediation, "Let's put an end to this, Whitebeard."
The old man seemed to have heard something amusing and laughed loudly, "Gurararara, Kuzan, you little brat. What right do you have to persuade me to back down? You think you and these little punk rear admirals behind you are enough?"
His gaze locked onto Sakazuki, and he enunciated every word:
"Do you believe that I alone can kill all of you?"
Kuzan frowned. He found it hard to believe—but at the same time, he couldn't dismiss the possibility. Sakazuki had been utterly defeated by this old monster in such a short amount of time. Even if the two of them joined forces now, the best they could achieve was a stalemate.
And as for these rear admirals who hadn't even mastered Haki yet, they were even more powerless against Whitebeard. Right now, posturing was fine, but if a real battle broke out, they would only become a burden to him and Sakazuki.
Sakazuki was somewhat resigned. If it were twenty years later, with this lineup, he would have the confidence to keep Whitebeard here. But right now, his condition wasn't ideal, and Kuzan's aura was oddly unstable.
And behind him—this batch of rear admirals was still unqualified to participate in a top-level battle like this.
He slowly exhaled, and Kuzan, standing beside him, clearly smelled a heavy stench of blood.
"What, are you planning to trade the lives of the sons you left behind in the New World for ours?"
"!?" Whitebeard's expression darkened instantly. His treasure was his family—anyone who dared to touch his reverse scale would face certain death!
Even this somewhat interesting navy officer would be no exception!
"As they say, 'A courtesy must be repaid in kind!'" Sakazuki pointed at a pirate rushing toward Whitebeard from behind.
"Why don't you ask him and see for yourself?"
"Old man!" A loud cry came from the distance behind Whitebeard. Fourth Division Commander Thatch wore a tense expression as he quickly approached.
"Old man! That lunatic Kaido has suddenly gone crazy for some reason—he's stirring up trouble in our territory! Marco and the others are holding him off, hoping you'll hurry back!"
Whitebeard suddenly understood.
Although he didn't know what trick this navy officer had used to make Kaido take action while he was away, there was no doubt that his move had worked.
If Navy Headquarters hadn't sent reinforcements, he could have just knocked Sakazuki unconscious and rushed back immediately, dealing with both issues without delay.
But now, with Kuzan leading a group of navy officers, if Whitebeard went all out against them, it would inevitably turn into a prolonged battle.
In a clash of this intensity, no one could predict the extent of the destruction Fish-Man Island would suffer.
And there was no way he could leave Marco and the others to fight Kaido alone.
"The navy has the strength to protect Fish-Man Island, and we are prepared to make sacrifices for it. Go back, Whitebeard!" Kuzan didn't respond to Whitebeard's threat but instead stated their purpose directly.
"Gurararara, listen up, brats!" Whitebeard's voice was full of authority. "Only those who are evenly matched have the right to sit at the negotiation table!"
This little brat's last move did have a bit of his superior's style.
Although Whitebeard had already decided to entrust Fish-Man Island's safety to this group of not-so-bad navy officers, a proper warning and verbal intimidation were still necessary.
"If anything happens to Fish-Man Island under your watch—don't blame me for not warning you in advance!"
He turned and walked away. After taking just two steps, he looked back at Sakazuki and warned him with deep meaning:
"Tricks won't work every time, little mad dog. In this world, without strength, you have no right to speak!"
The navy had handed in a report card that wasn't particularly satisfactory—but it wasn't completely terrible either.
"Tell my friend Neptune, next time, let's drink together again!"
"Let's go, Thatch! Time to help Marco and the others settle the score!"
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