Global Grave Digging: My Reward Increased Ten Thousand Times

176: The trial beginsFinally, the day of judgment arrived.

Dawn broke, but Marineford, the massive fortress that drew the world’s gaze, was shrouded in a silence more profound than the deepest night.

One hundred thousand of the most elite Navy soldiers stood like one hundred thousand silent statues, arrayed throughout the huge crescent-shaped harbor.

The cold blades of their swords, spears, and halberds reflected the morning light, forming a chilling, vast sea of glinting steel. Countless muzzles, like the eyes of giant beasts peering into the abyss, were uniformly aimed at the calm, unruffled sea.

And atop the towering execution platform, the three highest combat powers of Navy Headquarters—the Admirals—had already taken their seats.

Aokiji Kuzan still looked so lazy he seemed ready to fall asleep at any moment, but deep within his half-closed eyes, there was a chill capable of freezing the entire sea.

Kizaru Borsalino sat with his legs crossed, a characteristic, lewd, yet inscrutable smile on his face.

Akainu Sakazuki, meanwhile, stood with his arms crossed, his face as still as water, his entire being like an active volcano on the verge of eruption, emitting a scorching and tyrannical Aura.

On the execution platform, Navy Marshal Sengoku the Buddha and Navy Hero Garp stood solemnly on either side, behind Fire Fist Ace.

The man who once shook the seas, whose fiery fists struck fear into countless powerful enemies, was now mercilessly bound by Sea Prism Stone shackles, kneeling, awaiting the end of his life.

Lin Fei and the three others stood at their designated position, Defense Post Number Three, located to the left-rear of the execution platform.

They seemed out of place among the surrounding Navy soldiers, whose palms were sweating from tension.

Xu Zhengyang was trying to suppress his inner excitement and nervousness, while Lu Zhifei and Lin Mengzi observed everything around them with calm expressions, like two detached spectators.

Lin Fei, on the other hand, merely narrowed his eyes and yawned, as if this epic war, which was about to determine the world’s direction, was nothing more than a dull stage play.

Time, in its minute-by-minute passage, became incredibly long.

The moment the execution time was about to arrive—

A sudden change occurred!

Beneath the calm surface of the harbor, several enormous shadows suddenly emerged!

Immediately following that, accompanied by a violent tremor that shook all of Marineford!

CRASH—!!!!

A flagship as massive as a moving island—the Moby Dick—and dozens of pirate ships of various designs behind it, burst through the restraints of the seawater like legendary sea monsters, suddenly surfacing with a roar from the center of the bay!

“Gurararararara…”

A world-shaking, infinitely bold and domineering laugh came from the bow of the Moby Dick.

That man, whose mere name was enough to make the world tremble, hailed as the “Strongest Man in the World”—Whitebeard Edward Newgate—stood proudly at the ship’s bow, one hand holding a massive naginata, the other with an IV drip attached!

Behind him were Marco, Jozu, Vista, and sixteen other renowned Division Commanders, along with tens of thousands of Whitebeard Pirates elites, their Aura soaring and Battle Intent high!

At this moment, the war officially began!

“My beloved son, I’ve come to pick you up!”

Whitebeard’s voice, like rolling thunder, echoed across the sky. Then, he clenched his fist tightly and delivered a powerful punch to the empty air!

CRACK—!!!

A crisp, thunderous sound, as if glass was shattering!

The space in front of his fist, astonishingly, showed terrifying, spiderweb-like cracks, just like a mirror!

The next second, an invisible, terrifying vibration force, capable of shattering all things in the world, surged towards Marineford in an incomprehensible manner!

Whitebeard showed no mercy; his first move was the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, capable of causing cataclysms!

Facing this world-destroying attack, Sengoku had not yet given the order.

Aokiji, sitting in his Admiral’s seat, finally moved.

He slowly stood up, letting out a soft puff of white cold air from his mouth.

“Ice Age…”

Two long spears made of ice were casually shot into the sea by him.

Immediately after, the towering giant waves, stirred up by Whitebeard’s tremor power and capable of engulfing the entire island, began to freeze rapidly from the bottom up the instant they reached the harbor, at a speed visible to the naked eye!

In just a few seconds, two terrifying hundred-meter-high tsunamis transformed into two crystal-clear, yet deathly cold, giant ice sculptures!

However, Whitebeard’s offensive was not yet over.

Diamond Jozu roared, forcibly prying a block of ice larger than a warship from the frozen sea and hurling it violently towards the execution platform!

“Too arrogant…”

Akainu’s voice, hot as magma, rang out.

He slowly raised his right arm, and his entire arm instantly transformed into surging, terrifying magma emitting extreme heat!

BOOM!

The giant magma fist collided violently with the roaring iceberg!

There was no violent explosion, only a hair-raising “hissing” sound!

The ultimate clash of ice and fire instantly created a thick, sky-obscuring steam, temporarily shrouding everyone’s vision.

“All forces! Charge! Rescue Ace!”

Taking advantage of this momentary chaos, Marco the Phoenix let out a high-pitched shriek, his body igniting with the inextinguishable blue flames of regeneration, transforming into a magnificent blue firebird, and was the first to soar into the sky, heading straight for the execution platform!

And just as Marco launched his assault!

A team of seven or eight blonde, blue-eyed Contractors, whose equipment style was out of place in this world, also launched their attack simultaneously, like sharks smelling blood!

On their chests, they wore an emblem composed of a Holy Sword and a shield—they were core members of the Lighthouse Country’s most famous player guild, “Pantheon”!

“Now! Our target is the Navy’s weak defense zone! Coordinate with Captain Marco’s surprise attack and break through their lines!” shouted a white man at the forefront, holding a giant shield and clad in Holy Light armor.

Their target was precisely Lin Fei’s location, Defense Post Number Three, which appeared to have only a few people and seemed to be of ordinary strength!

Dazzling magical radiance and dense energy projectiles, mixed with Marco’s unstoppable blue flames, rained down from the sky, covering Lin Fei and the three others!

Facing this truly magnificent, thunderous strike, launched jointly by the world’s top powerhouses and veteran Contractors,

Lin Fei finally, slowly, raised his eyelids.

There was no tension in his eyes, not even a hint of solemnity.

“It has finally begun.”