One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 345: Strike!

On the other side of the chaotic battlefield, Shiryu of the Rain had already found Teach and was now locked in combat with him.

"Zehahaha... Shiryu of the Rain, are you here to cause me trouble?" Teach asked with a grin as he raised his three-pronged claw to block Shiryu's sword, Thunderstorm.

This claw was Teach's weapon of choice, the same one he had used to leave a scar on Shanks' face.

What puzzled Teach, however, was the lack of force behind Shiryu's strikes.

"Marshall D. Teach..." Shiryu said softly, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "The stench of ambition on you is overwhelming. How did Whitebeard ever trust you?"

Teach's disguise was never flawless. Aside from Whitebeard's crew, even Claudius had noticed Teach's ambition the moment they met. Shanks, too, had been wary of him for years. And now, Shiryu could feel it as well.

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What the hell was that old man Newgate thinking?

Teach didn't bother denying it. "Zehahahaha! I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're right. I came here specifically for you... but not to cause trouble," Shiryu said in a low voice.

Teach's eyes narrowed slightly. He swung his claw at Shiryu, who raised his sword to block but again, the force was minimal.

"So we're here to talk, huh?" Teach said with a wicked grin.

"That's the idea," Shiryu replied.

From the outside, the two appeared to be fighting intensely, but in truth, they were simply testing each other while quietly conversing just going through the motions.

Teach didn't know how these Impel Down escapees had gotten out in the first place, but for now, they were on the same side. After all, they were both here to fight the Marines.

With the arrival of these unexpected allies, the Whitebeard Pirates, who had initially been at a disadvantage, began to stabilize the situation.

At the same time, Garp who had been guarding the square was preoccupied with Shiki and the others, giving Whitebeard a chance to push forward.

Newgate seized this moment, raising his bisento and charging toward the execution platform.

But high above, Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood atop the execution platform, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand.

"Tsuru, proceed with the plan," Sengoku ordered.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had remained largely inactive until now, was positioned toward the back of the Marine forces. Upon receiving the command, her sharp eyes shifted toward the massive glacier near the harbor cracked and weakened from Oars's earlier assault.

"Sakazuki hasn't broken through yet. The ice hasn't melted completely, but there's a gap," Tsuru reported.

"That gap is exactly what we need," Sengoku replied. "Direct our forces to flank the pirates through that opening. Newgate has already advanced into the square, we need to cut off his reinforcements."

The original plan had been to let the Whitebeard Pirates advance into the harbor and trap them there like sitting ducks. But the chaotic arrival of these rogue pirates had disrupted that strategy.

Still, Sengoku adapted quickly. If he could isolate Newgate from his crew, they could focus all their firepower on taking him down.

"Understood," Tsuru acknowledged.

Moments later, Den Den Mushi calls rang out across the harbor. Marines who had been fighting in the glacier zone abruptly began retreating toward the opening Tsuru had identified.

Seeing this, one of Whitebeard's commanders shouted, "They're pulling back! The Marines are retreating! Let's go, we can push through!"

Whitebeard, standing in the square after cutting down a Marine rear admiral, turned to look at the chaotic harbor.

"Something's wrong..." he thought, frowning. Sengoku wouldn't give up a defensive position this easily. What's his plan?

Sengoku was watching him closely. Noticing Whitebeard's hesitation, Sengoku picked up the broadcast Den Den Mushi.

"Commence the execution!"

His voice echoed throughout Marineford, cutting through the chaos. The announcement interrupted Whitebeard's thoughts, and his eyes shot toward the execution platform.

It was only now that he realized the full extent of Sengoku's plan.

So that's why they cut the live broadcast... It wasn't just to hide Impel Down's breach, they wanted to execute Thatch ahead of schedule!

Whitebeard clenched his fists, his heart heavy.

That bastard Sengoku! If Thatch dies here, there's no reason to continue this fight. We could retreat and regroup... But Sengoku knows that, and he's still moving forward. Why?

There was no time left to figure it out.

Whitebeard roared in frustration, swinging his bisento and cutting down a vice admiral before charging toward the execution platform.

On the platform, Sengoku remained calm as he addressed the executioners. "Begin the execution. Start with Buckin."

They were baiting Whitebeard forcing him to plunge deeper into enemy territory.

Buckin, bound and gagged on the platform, struggled and sobbed. Tears streamed down her face, but her muffled cries were ignored.

Whitebeard saw the executioner raise his blade.

Damn it...

His grip tightened around his weapon.

Buckin was an old acquaintance from his past, but she wasn't the one he cared about most. His focus was on Thatch.

He knew what came next: if Buckin died, Thatch would be next.

"GRRAAAHHH!!!"

With a furious roar, Whitebeard hurled his bisento toward the execution platform, aiming directly at Sengoku.

"Too naive!" Sengoku bellowed.

His form grew larger as his golden Buddha transformation activated. Stepping forward, he swiped his massive hand through the air, unleashing a shockwave that shattered the airborne weapon.

Whitebeard's heart dropped.

Suddenly, the ice beneath his feet cracked and began to heat up.

"Magma...?!"

"Hellhound!!!"

Sakazuki, who had vanished earlier, erupted from beneath the ice. His molten fist, wreathed in magma, shot toward Whitebeard's head.

Whitebeard barely reacted in time, twisting his neck to avoid the blow. But the intense heat scorched the left side of his signature mustache.

And then came the final attack.

From the execution platform, Claudius who had remained seated throughout the battle finally made his move.

He rose to his feet, unsheathing his sword.

"Shoot to kill... Shinsō!"

The blade elongated in an instant, striking toward Whitebeard's heart with lethal precision.