A fully healed World's Strongest Man was already giving the Marines a massive headache, and now the Strongest Creature in the world decides to drop in? What were these monsters trying to do? Were they actively planning to wipe out Marines while they had the chance? Even while silently cursing the beast as a catastrophic variable for showing up now of all times, Sengoku still lifted his chin. With fearless look he addressed the massive dragon in the sky.
"Leave this airspace immediately, Kaido, or I will take this as an open declaration of war."
"Worororo, a declaration of war? I'm not here to fight you fools. No need to worry." Unfazed by the threat of a hundred thousand cannons, Kaido continued circling overhead, looking down with a vicious grin. "You guys just keep doing whatever boring execution you were doing. Don't mind me. I have absolutely no interest in that crying fat man."
However, Sengoku was far from satisfied with that casual explanation. Don't mind him? Impossible. How could the entire marines ignore an Yonko circling over their heads? Especially right now. This beast came specifically for Mock. This whole elaborate setup was designed to lure the boy here in the first place. If Kaido actually swept down and took their primary target away, wouldn't all of this bloodshed amount to absolutely nothing? And the brave soldiers who sacrificed themselves on the ice would have died for a joke.
Sengoku shot Sakazuki a sharp look. The magma user understood the silent command instantly. He lifted his head, his arms bubbling with intense heat as he fired an icy shout at the sky.
"Leave here now. Kaido, you are not welcome in this war, and the target will absolutely not be handed over to you. Stay here one minute longer, and I will treat it as a direct attack on absolute justice."
"Worororo. Akainu..."
But facing down a direct threat from the Marines most lethal hound, an Yonko would never back down an inch. Kaido's massive serpentine body circled through the sky once more. Instantly, the sky over the bay darkened to pitch black. Heavy storm clouds gathered, crimson lightning flashed, and deafening thunder roared. The enormous dragon head slowly descended, stopping just a few meters from the glowing Admiral. He kept his reptilian expression flat as he stared through the smoke, speaking calmly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I am promising you a grave, Kaido."
Neither monster yielded, they glared right into each other's eyes. Then...
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Great Eruption!"
Whole Marineford started shaking.
Meanwhile.
When the dragon appeared, Whitebeard and the other two Admirals briefly stopped fighting, their eyes turning to the suddenly arrived beast. Just like the Marines, Newgate was equally wary of the chaotic variable. As a fellow Yonko, he certainly didn't think this violent drunk was here to help him rescue a son.
"Pops, what do we do now?" Marco landed lightly beside Whitebeard, his voice hardening with worry. "That lunatic came for Mock too."
"Gurararara, Roger's kid sure is popular."
A heavy silence fell over the pirates.
Hearing his captain's playful remark in the middle of a warzone, Marco looked incredibly helpless. "Pops."
Just as he was about to urge caution, Whitebeard waved a massive hand, cutting him off directly. "No need to pay attention to that scaly drunk. Our only goal right now is to rescue Teach."
"True, but about Mock..." Marco nodded, deep resignation crossing his scarred face. "Looks like it's actually better if he doesn't show up at all today."
"Gurararara, maybe." Whitebeard let out his signature laugh, then smiled warmly. "But I firmly believe that kid will show up. Just like Ace, that boy will never abandon his crew."
With that, before Marco could offer a rebuttal, Whitebeard looked across the ice at Ace, who was nearly at the base of the scaffold thanks to Jinbe's heavy cover fire. A proud smile spread across his aged face. He raised his massive hand and shouted over the deafening artillery, "My sons!"
"What are you standing around for? Come save our family."
The heavy words landed like a physical blow.
"Yes, Pops!"
The allied pirates snapped out of their shock and launched a fresh, suicidal offensive against the barricades. The forces of justice scrambled desperately to hold the line.
But that wasn't the end of the shifting tides.
Seeing Sakazuki temporarily drag Kaido into the sky, Sengoku breathed a harsh sigh of relief. Even though he still didn't know exactly when Mock would show up, or if he would at all, he knew he had to end this farce immediately.
"I can't let you keep running wild." Sengoku narrowed his eyes at the advancing Yonko. "Since you refuse to turn back, then stay here and rot."
He turned to the executioners behind him, his voice commanding the entire square. "Execute Teach immediately. No need to wait for the trap to spring anymore. Also..." He glanced at Garp, who stood rigidly beside the block. "You, stay in line. I'm leaving the final defense of this platform to you."
"Jeez, what a pain. Can't you spare an old man from such troublesome, heartbreaking work?"
"I told you to take this seriously. Do not let any pirate up these steps, or I'll ensure you never see a rice cracker again." Sengoku shouted, turning back to face the ice. His eyes narrowed. "It's time to settle things with the old era, Newgate. Your recklessness decision will bury your entire family."
Blinding golden light radiated from his expanding body as he charged off the platform toward the giant.
The second brutal phase of the war had begun.
Meanwhile.
Although Dante was initially surprised by the dragon's dramatic entrance, a moment later, he ignored it completely. The beast wasn't here for him, so why care? He turned his head to look at the towering scaffold.
It seemed the sudden aerial disruption had convinced the Fleet Admiral to wait no longer, Sengoku had directly ordered the immediate execution.
Teach looked around in anxiety.
Under the Yonko's heavy cover and with the desperate help of the fishman, Ace had reached the wooden steps, launching himself straight at the platform. Garp, stationed as the final wall, was forced to step forward.
However.
"This 'brother' of yours doesn't seem like an honest man." Garp stood tall with a grim grin, looking down at his fiercely determined grandson. "Are you really sure you want to throw your life away for him?"
Others might not know the dark truth, but as a seasoned hero, Garp knew every desperate word Teach had screamed in his cell was completely accurate.
"He's my brother." Ace met the old man's gaze without flinching, his fists igniting. "I will definitely save him. Old geezer, please step aside."
"Bwahaha! If that's how it is, then try and kill me. Otherwise, his head rolls."
Garp charged forward with a heavy fist. Ace met him with a blazing strike.
And the renowned, invincible Hero of the Marines was sent flying off the bridge by a single, straightforward punch.
Dante shook his head slowly at the theatrical sight. Didn't he see Sengoku's face redden with absolute fury from across the plaza?
The surrounding area fell dead silent, even Jinbe and the commanders, who had been sweating bullets facing the legend, went completely quiet. They all stared in shock at the empty stairs where the Marine Hero had just stood.
The old man's acting was just too terrible.
But the invaders knew this wasn't the time to dwell on a miracle. They hurriedly urged Ace to rush up and break the chains. Seeing the breach, Sengoku quickly shouted at Borsalino, ordering him to abandon the vanguard and intercept the boy. He simultaneously ordered the executioners on the block to swing their blades immediately. If a rookie actually rescued the target right under their noses, would the World Government have any dignity left?
The atmosphere reached a critical, suffocating breaking point.
"Ooh, so scary."
"Ace!"
"Don't harm a father's child right in front of him."
"Keep dreaming, Whitebeard. Your era ends today."
"Pops!"
The battlefield plunged into absolute, roaring chaos in an instant.
Snot and tears streaming down his face, Teach was pinned firmly onto the wooden block by the crossed polearms, sheer, paralyzing terror written all over his face. Had he failed? His grand dream. His era. It hadn't even truly begun yet.
In an agonizing instant, a series of memories flashed through his mind: his distant mother, begging Newgate to let him board the grand ship for the sake of survival, spending decades hiding his true darkness within the crew as an honest, ambitionless man, until... he made the worst mistake of his life meeting the two chaotic sons of the Pirate King.
At this thought, Teach snapped back to reality. Feeling the cold steel pressing hard against his thick neck, he screamed at the sky, "East Blue Overlord, Hargon D. Mock!"
Before the blades could drop.
"I'm here."
A cocky voice rang out from the very center of the execution platform, instantly drawing everyone's horrified attention. Millions of eyes looked up at the scaffold, a familiar, chaotic figure instantly popping into their minds.
'When did he get past the blockade?'
Sengoku tensed violently, his gaze snapping up to his own platform.
Sure enough.
The two executioners were sent flying off the wooden block in an instant, accompanied by a distinct, arrogant laugh.
"Wahaha, Teach, I've come to save you."
A commanding figure stood firmly atop the bloodstained execution block, arms confidently crossed, looking down at the legendary war raging below.
The East Blue Overlord... had finally arrived.
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