Hearing Rosinante's words, Sengoku sharply turned his gaze toward the other military armories within Marineford. His face immediately darkened with a stormy expression.
"Watch out for the A2 and A4 armories!" With his Observation Haki, he had already sensed it—the reinforcements sent to A2 and A4 had been defeated. Members of the Grey Kingdo, were retreating, preparing to detonate those armories as well.
But it was too late. The moment the words left his mouth, a deafening explosion rang out.
One after another, thunderous blasts erupted across the base. The entire Marineford trembled violently. The shockwaves spread to surrounding sectors, and fires quickly broke out and began to rage.
"That direction—it's the A2 armory! And A4 too! They've both been blown up!"
"This is bad! If we don't contain it, all of Marineford will go up in flames!"
"The explosions are still going! We can't even attempt to put out the fires right now!"
"Don't tell me… is all of Marineford going to burn? There are still families living here!"
"We're doomed! What about the families?!"
"That damned Grey Kingdom!!"
Soldiers and officers alike stared at the smoke and fire with panic in their eyes.
Many officers and soldiers had brought their families to live in Marineford. Their lives were now in jeopardy—and everyone was gripped with fear.
Fortunately, when the armories were originally constructed, they had been built at a distance from the residential areas, precisely to prevent incidents from causing mass civilian casualties. But with the scale of these fires and the continuing explosions, it wouldn't be long before the flames reached the families' quarters.
"Garp! Go organize immediate evacuation for the military families!" Kong shouted.
His booming command echoed across the entire plaza, reaching every soldier's ears.
Garp, the legendary Marine Hero, was now tasked with the most vital mission: protecting the families. His presence would not only comfort the civilians but also stabilize the morale of the panicked troops.
After all, it was Garp who captured Gol D. Roger. Many Marines idolized him, believing that there was no problem Garp couldn't solve.
And indeed, having Garp step in now was more reassuring than even the Fleet Admiral himself acting.
As expected, after hearing Kong's command, the Marines began to calm down.
"Understood," Garp replied coldly, shooting a glare at Rosinante. Without another word, he quickly assembled a team to begin the evacuation effort.
"Kuzan should be nearby—bring him with you and have him put out the fires on the way. We cannot let those flames spread!" Kong added.
"And whatever happens, the A1 armory must not explode. Even if we can't take out those bastards, we cannot let them blow up another armory!" Kong's voice thundered.
He knew Kuzan was currently engaged elsewhere, but there was no one more suited to suppressing the fire than an ice-ice fruit user. And with Garp's strength, it would be easy enough to break through the enemy's blockade.
"Got it!" Garp responded, rushing off with his team.
"...Huh? Looks like the A1 armory hasn't exploded yet. That idiot Jack must've gotten too caught up in fighting and forgot all about it," Rosinante muttered with a grin.
"Rosinante!!" Sengoku glared at him furiously.
"Admiral Sengoku, how were my gifts? Do they express my goodwill clearly enough?" Rosinante smiled.
"Rosinante… today, no matter what, you will not leave here alive. Even if all the armories explode, even if everyone else escapes, you alone—I swear by my title as Admiral—you will not leave this place. Even with your spatial abilities, I'll tear reality itself apart before I let you vanish from under my nose!" Sengoku declared, his voice hard as iron, his tone immovable—he spoke as though his will alone could shape destiny.
Even as he spoke, he raised his palm and launched another mighty shockwave at Rosinante.
The earth roared as the powerful impact distorted the very air. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, entire sections collapsing inward.
At the center of the blast, Rosinante's body twisted unnaturally. He crossed his arms in a hardened guard, covered in Armament Haki and shrouded in his silent power—but...
Even with all that, Rosinante vomited two mouthfuls of blood the moment the attack dissipated.
Though he had used everything at his disposal—Armament Haki, his silent field, even his upgraded Admiral-level resilience—the sheer force of Sengoku's assault still made his insides churn.
"Heh... As expected of the Navy's ultimate force... What terrifying power," Rosinante chuckled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and rising again.
Then he raised his fist—and swung it.
"Release—LIMIT BREAK!"
As Rosinante's fist flew forward, Sengoku mirrored the motion with another palm strike. The shockwave that followed was even more monstrous than before.
Fist and force collided. The ground cracked and shattered. Chunks of stone launched into the air like cannonballs.
"Guah! This one's even stronger than before!" Rosinante coughed up more blood.
This shockwave was on a different level. Even after neutralizing much of it with his Limit Break, the remainder was enough to wound him again. Sengoku's golden body, glowing with holy light, stood like an unbreakable wall.
"Your powers are troublesome—I'll admit that," Sengoku said, voice cold and analytical. "You've got almost no openings... but I noticed something."
"When you launch your counterattacks, you can't simultaneously maintain your silence effect!"
Even as he spoke, Sengoku unleashed another palm strike.
The surging wave slammed into Rosinante, forcing him back again.
"And your silent buildup—if it gets too powerful, your body starts breaking down under the pressure. So you have to hold it to a certain threshold before releasing it!"
Another blast surged forth. Rosinante met it with a punch, compressing all his recently stored energy into a focused burst. The two forces collided mid-air.
The resulting explosion sent Rosinante flying.
"Furthermore, whether it's suppressing attacks or healing injuries, you're constantly draining your stamina. Once your energy runs out—no matter how tricky your ability is—it's just smoke and mirrors!" Sengoku declared.
"Damn... Just moments ago, he was dominating Vice Admiral Sakazuki... and now Rosinante can't even lift a finger against an Admiral!" On the sidelines, Onigumo looked up and sneered.
"As expected of the man who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Whitebeard—Admiral Sengoku!" Doberman nodded in admiration.
"Captain...!" Raelmann's face twisted in worry as he stared toward the heart of the battlefield...