One Piece: King of the World

Even with the explosive power of his magma, Sakazuki's punch failed to gain the upper hand. His arm was directly shattered, and his body was sent skidding beneath Whitebeard's feet.

At this moment, Newgate was still in peak condition, he hadn't been wounded by any treacherous attacks yet. After landing that punch on Sakazuki, he immediately raised his arm and threw another horizontal strike.

Although the punch didn't land directly on Sakazuki, the immense vibration force bent his waist unnaturally, distorting his body.

"Die!!!" Newgate roared in fury.

He clenched his fist and struck again. However, Sakazuki was an admiral, it wasn't that easy to completely suppress him. Just as Newgate raised his fist, Sakazuki also punched out with his magma-covered fist.

The strike was avoidable, yet, for some reason, Newgate didn't bother dodging. His chest turned pitch black as Armament Haki covered it. In the next instant, Sakazuki's magma punch smashed into his chest.

Even with the protective layer of Armament Haki, Newgate's chest caved inward slightly, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

However, Sakazuki showed no sign of relief. Instead, his eyes widened in shock.

Sure enough, Newgate had deliberately taken the hit to finish Sakazuki quickly. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. The Marines were hell-bent on annihilating the Whitebeard Pirates, but Newgate's priority wasn't to fight to the death with the Marines, it was to save Thatch!

Having endured the blow, Newgate unleashed his accumulated strength and delivered another powerful punch.

Sakazuki had no time to defend himself. He could only watch as Newgate's fist hurtled toward him.

The punch never made direct contact, but the sheer force of the tremor infused with Haki slammed into Sakazuki's brain like a sledgehammer. His vision blurred, and he staggered, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground.

Newgate didn't give Sakazuki a moment to recover. He followed up with a straight punch to the ground, shattering the earth beneath them. The ground split apart, forming a massive crater, and Sakazuki was driven deep into it.

In just three punches, Newgate had crushed Sakazuki. He didn't even spare the admiral a glance as he stepped over the crater and led his sons toward the square by the harbor.

"The strongest man in the world... truly terrifying. Did he just take down a Marine Admiral with three punches?" Doflamingo exclaimed in surprise.

Claudius, however, wasn't particularly shocked. He responded, "He didn't kill him. Sakazuki underestimated Newgate's resolve. Give him a moment, he'll crawl out of that hole, pissed off and ready for more."

In a head-on clash, Sakazuki couldn't match Newgate's raw power. But Claudius had faith that Sakazuki wouldn't go down after just three punches.

Elsewhere, Kuzan was still fending off several division commanders. Marco and Borsalino were locked in a fierce battle. Golden flashes exploded across the battlefield as Marco relentlessly harassed Borsalino with his regenerative abilities, preventing the admiral from leaving.

Meanwhile, Sakazuki was momentarily out of action, buried in the ground. For the moment, all three Marine Admirals had been effectively stalled. The Marine officers at the frontlines were forced to push forward with all they had.

"Garp, you're just going to sit there?" Claudius asked with a chuckle.

Garp remained seated in Borsalino's usual spot, his expression grim. "Not yet... just a little longer."

"Waiting for Newgate to punch you next? Bold move," Claudius teased with a smirk.

Garp was about to respond when a Den Den Mushi rang behind Claudius. Lucci silently retrieved it and handed it over. "Your Highness, it's Chief Spandine."

Claudius froze for a moment. What could Spandine possibly need right now?

An ominous feeling settled in his gut.

"Please don't be bad news," Claudius muttered as he took the receiver. "Spandine? What happened?"

Spandine's voice came through, panicked and rushed: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened, there's been a major incident at Impel Down!"

Claudius's face darkened. He'd already thwarted Blackbeard, captured Ace before he could reach Impel Down, dismantled the Straw Hat Pirates, and ensured Luffy never even set sail. So how was there a problem at Impel Down now?

"Speak clearly. What happened?" Claudius demanded.

"We received a distress call from Impel Down, there's been a full-scale riot! Chief Warden Shiryu has betrayed us! He released all the prisoners from Eternal Hell… including Golden Lion Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Douglas Bullet, and others. The prisoners on the lower levels have all been freed!"

Claudius's expression turned ice-cold. "And?"

"Shiryu cut off all communications and stole the antidote for Warden Magellan's poison abilities. By the time we received the alert, it was already too late," Spandine explained nervously.

Claudius gripped the chair's armrest until it shattered beneath his fingers. "Go on," he said through clenched teeth.

"Magellan was severely injured, and most of the prison guards have been wiped out. Fortunately, CP-0 arrived with the authority you granted them, but even they were too late. The worst prisoners have already escaped!"

The next voice that came through was weaker, but resolute. "Saint Claudius... I'm sorry," said Magellan, coughing blood. "We failed. There's more… Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and Shiryu are heading toward Marineford. As for Redfield and Douglas Bullet, we can't confirm their intent, but they might also join the battle… along with many others."

Claudius inhaled sharply. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Fifteen minutes ago," Magellan answered.

Fifteen minutes. For someone like Shiki, with his Float-Float Fruit, it was more than enough time to reach Marineford.

Claudius raised his eyes toward the horizon. His pupils shrank as he spotted something in the distance.

"Your news is late," he said grimly. "But don't blame yourself. Focus on recovering. Spandine, you're in charge of securing Impel Down. I don't care who resists, execute any rebels without hesitation!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Spandine responded.

Claudius slammed the receiver down. "Garp, it seems our time as spectators has ended."

Garp's face was stony. He'd heard everything. "When it rains, it pours," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Sengoku, unaware of the conversation, spotted a disturbance in the sky. His face turned pale as realization hit.

"That can't be…" he whispered, gripping his Den Den Mushi and barking into it, "Cut off all live broadcasts! Immediately!"