When the Communications Division heard Sengoku's order, they froze for a moment.
"What? Did you not hear my command?"
"N-No, we heard you!"
The Communications Division immediately snapped back to attention.
"Yes, sir!"
As Sengoku's order was issued, it was quickly relayed to the Marines stationed at the Gates of Justice.
They immediately began closing the massive gate.
The Gates of Justice, dozens of meters thick and thousands of meters tall, slowly began shutting over the sea.
Naturally, neither the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet nor the Impel Down prisoners noticed what was happening.
They were still immersed in the joy of destroying Marine Headquarters and escaping successfully.
The Marines' pursuit was fierce.
However, with the combined efforts of Whitebeard's division commanders, allied pirate captains, powerful fighters from various territories and nations, and the escaped Impel Down prisoners, the Marines were completely unable to stop their retreat.
"Hellhound!"
"Ice Spear!"
"Piercing Light!"
"Black Water!"
As Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Marshall D. Teach unleashed their attacks, countless waves of Devil Fruit energy erupted from every direction around Renji.
[You picked up one Devil Fruit Growth Experience!]
[You picked up one Armament Haki Comprehension Experience!]
[You picked up one Observation Haki Comprehension Experience!]
[You picked up one Strength!]
[You picked up…]
Attributes were continuously absorbed by Renji at an unprecedented speed.
However.
Renji no longer dared to continue fighting them for too long.
After the battle at Impel Down and the extended war at Marineford, his stamina was nearly exhausted.
If this continued, then forget about growing stronger through desperate combat against these four opponents.
He might actually die here.
Kizaru had been toyed with by him for an entire day and night.
Akainu had been beaten into serious condition by him.
Blackbeard absolutely would not allow Whitebeard to truly gain an heir.
Those three definitely would not try to capture him alive.
They would go straight for the kill.
As for Aokiji, although he had no major personal grudge against Renji, the power Renji had displayed was enough to make even him wary.
When Akainu, Kizaru, and Blackbeard decided to kill him, Aokiji would never stop them.
"Tremor-Tremor…"
Renji glanced toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
At this point, the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet and the Impel Down prisoners had already finished preparing for retreat.
Although a few people still had not boarded the ships yet, it would also take him some time to get there.
By the time he arrived, everyone would probably already be aboard.
Now that he understood the situation clearly, Renji no longer had any hesitation.
He directly gathered every last bit of stamina remaining in his body.
He planned to use this single attack to force all four of them back.
"Tremor… Burst!"
The moment Renji unleashed the technique, endless Tremor-Tremor Fruit energy exploded wildly across the skies above Marineford like a raging catastrophe.
In an instant, the entire Marineford battlefield was swallowed whole.
"Not good!"
"Retreat!"
The moment Akainu and the others saw this attack, they immediately made the most rational decision possible.
Avoid it.
"BOOOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion erupted.
An enormous cloud of smoke and dust instantly spread across the skies above Marineford.
For a moment, everyone's vision was completely blocked.
"Cough… cough…"
Renji coughed lightly as he scanned his surroundings.
His body swayed unsteadily.
That attack had consumed every last bit of stamina he possessed.
At this point, he was struggling even to maintain Moonwalk.
Because of the smoke covering everything, visibility had dropped to zero.
Renji immediately activated his Observation Haki.
After sensing that Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Blackbeard had all been temporarily forced back by his attack, he instantly rushed toward the Moby Dick.
"Renji…"
On the Moby Dick, the moment Renji boarded the ship, Marco immediately rushed over to support him.
After quickly checking Renji's injuries, Marco spoke with visible concern.
"You worked hard."
"Now isn't the time to get emotional."
Whitebeard looked toward Renji, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
If Renji had not been here this time, then not only would they have failed to save Ace.
Even Whitebeard himself would have been left behind at Marineford.
"Move!"
"We escape Marineford first!"
Following Whitebeard's command, more than a dozen ships immediately began moving.
The Moby Dick took the lead while the other ships followed behind.
They immediately sailed toward the Gates of Justice.
"What's the situation now?!"
Roughly five minutes later, the smoke and dust finally began to clear.
Sengoku looked over Marineford, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The current Marineford could no longer even be recognized as the former Marine Headquarters.
The entire island had been flattened by Renji's last attack.
The ground at the center of Marineford had completely caved in.
Fortunately, most of the Marines had already moved toward the coastline while pursuing the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet and the Impel Down prisoners.
That was the only reason the Marines had not suffered catastrophic casualties.
Otherwise, Renji's attack alone would have been enough to wipe out the entirety of the Marine elite forces.
"Immediately gather every warship still capable of sailing!"
"And order every nearby Marine base to mobilize all forces at once!"
"No matter what, the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet and the Impel Down prisoners must be stopped here!"
"I already ordered the Gates of Justice to be shut. There's no way they can escape!"
"Kill them!"
"Everyone is authorized to eliminate the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet and the Impel Down prisoners by any means necessary!"
Sengoku had lost it.
Completely.
This operation could only be described as a disastrous defeat.
The greatest defeat of his entire career in the Marines.
Meanwhile, the ships of the Whitebeard Alliance Fleet and the Impel Down escapees had already reached the vicinity of the Gates of Justice thanks to the time they had bought themselves.
"How is this possible?!"
Before them stood the gigantic Gates of Justice that stretched across the entire sea and towered into the clouds.
They were completely shut.
At the sight of the closed gates, despair appeared on the faces of both the Whitebeard Alliance members and the Impel Down prisoners.
Even top-tier fighters like Crocodile and Jinbe looked momentarily lost.
"Don't panic."
At that moment, a deep and reassuring voice rang out.
Whitebeard slowly walked to the front of the Moby Dick.
His eyes locked onto the massive Gates of Justice.
"When I ruled these seas in my prime…"
"There was never a gate in this world capable of stopping me!"
As he spoke, Whitebeard lowered his stance slightly.
Endless Tremor-Tremor Fruit energy instantly gathered around his right fist.
"What is he trying to do?"
"Wait… no way…"
Everyone watching Whitebeard's actions froze in shock.
Their voices trembled as they spoke the thought forming in their minds.
"He's not planning to smash the Gates of Justice apart… is he?!"
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