The plaza shook violently as thick crimson lightning erupted from Luffy's chest, striking the stone ground in explosive bursts. Debris scattered in all directions as the air crackled with energy. More astonishing than the destruction was the transformation in Luffy himself—his heartbeat thundered like war drums, his once-faint life force surging into a blazing, magnificent crescendo.
A slow, confident smile spread across Luffy's face. A puff of white breath escaped his lips, drifting upward as if in slow motion. Streams of white air began to emanate from his body, his hair, eyebrows, and clothes shifting to a pure, radiant white. A sash materialized, wrapping around his arms like a ribbon of light.
An intangible power radiated from Luffy, blanketing Oris Plaza and Marineford in a strange, otherworldly aura. The atmosphere shifted, a palpable change that left everyone momentarily breathless. "Hee hee ha—!" Luffy laughed, his eyes snapping open as the drumbeat faded. "I feel alive again!"
The ground beneath him transformed into rubber, and Luffy began bouncing effortlessly, as if on a trampoline. His movements rippled through the environment, affecting everything and everyone nearby. "Luffy... You!?" Garp stared, utterly dumbfounded. His heart raced as if a herd of alpacas had stampeded through it.
Garp's emotions swung wildly—from crushing grief to overwhelming joy, then to seething anger. He clenched his fists, barely containing the urge to shout:
"You little brat! If you were fine, why the hell didn't you get up sooner? You nearly gave this old man a heart attack! Do you even realize what I've sacrificed for you? I abandoned my position, you ungrateful whelp!"
He wanted to punch Luffy square in the face, to vent the storm of emotions raging inside him. But then he paused. His grandson had just cheated death. Maybe the beating could wait—though it would be twice as hard when it finally came.
Sabo, watching Luffy's transformation with concern, called out, "Luffy, are you okay?"
Luffy bounced gleefully, his grin widening. "Hee hee ha—! I'm fine, better than fine! I feel unstoppable! Let's go rescue Ace!"
With that, Luffy launched himself into the air, his legs spinning like wheels. Sonic boom clouds exploded around him as he rocketed toward the execution platform. But before he could reach Ace...
In the distance, Sengoku's Observation Haki had already locked onto Luffy's rising aura. The moment he saw Luffy move, he barked at Kizaru, "Stop Straw Hat, now!"
In a flash of yellow light, Kizaru materialized beside Luffy, his right leg raised high. His voice, calm and almost bored, drifted back to Sengoku: "Received."
Without hesitation, Kizaru's shimmering leg swung down, striking Luffy's head with devastating force. The impact sent Luffy flying backward, crashing through Marineford's buildings in a series of thunderous explosions. Smoke and debris filled the air.
Kizaru landed gracefully on the execution platform, standing beside Ace. His expression was as indifferent as ever. "Damn it!" someone muttered in the distance, their voice lost in the chaos.
Kizaru's right leg, shimmering with yellow light, directly kicked Luffy hard in the head, sending him flying backwards. He crashed into Marineford town, knocking down a series of buildings, causing continuous "Rumble—!" sounds and raising clouds of smoke. On the other side, after kicking Luffy away, Kizaru landed directly on the execution platform, standing next to Ace. "Damn it!"
"I'll blast through anyone who tries to stop me from saving Ace!" Luffy roared, his voice echoing through the ruins. With a thunderous crash, he burst free from the rubble, his arms swelling monstrously, muscles rippling like steel cables. His legs spun wildly, churning the ground into waves of cracked earth. The air screamed as he launched forward in a blur of motion—WHOOSH!—the sonic boom trailing in his wake.
He charged toward the execution platform, determination blazing in his eyes. "Straw Hat, you won't succeed," Akainu growled, stepping into his path. The Admiral's gaze was icy, his right arm bubbling with molten magma. The killing intent radiating from him was palpable. "Great Eruption!" he bellowed, his fist expanding into a colossal lava fist, surging forward like an erupting volcano.
"Get out of my way!... Super Rubber Gatling!" Luffy countered, his arms now wrapped in dark red lightning. He unleashed a flurry of punches, each strike a blur of motion, creating a whirlwind of force. BOOM! The giant lava fist shattered into molten fragments, scattering like fiery rain. CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! The sound of breaking bones echoed as Akainu, caught completely off guard, was pummeled by Luffy's relentless assault. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled into the ruins of the Marine Headquarters, tumbling helplessly across the ground.
Dazed and unable to rise, Akainu lay sprawled in the rubble. Seeing this, Sengoku barked an order toward the execution platform: "Kizaru! Execute Ace now!"
Kizaru's mouth twitched slightly, but he obeyed, raising his right index finger. A yellow laser condensed at his fingertip, aimed directly at Ace's head. Yet, before he could act... he froze. The tip of a saber appeared inches from his throat, its edge gleaming with deadly precision.
"My apologies," came a calm, almost amused voice. "Would you mind stopping?" Red-Haired Shanks stood there, his black cape billowing slightly as he pressed his legendary saber, Griffin, closer to Kizaru's throat. The threat was unmistakable.
Below the platform, Sengoku, Kong, and the other Marine leaders stared in shock. None of them had sensed Shanks' arrival until he was already on the platform. "How terrifying," Kizaru murmured, his usual nonchalance replaced by genuine surprise. He dispersed the laser and slowly raised his hands in surrender. "Red... Hair!"
"Four Emperors—Red-Haired Shanks!" someone gasped. "How is he here?"
As the crowd below erupted into chaos, Rayleigh's ghostly figure materialized on the platform. "Phew," he muttered, wiping his brow. "I'm definitely getting old. Good thing you made it, Shanks." He turned to Ace, studying him intently. "He looks just like him! Really, if his nose hair were longer—say, as long as his beard—he'd be the spitting image!"
Ace blinked, unsure how to respond. "Ray... Rayleigh!?" someone shouted. "Pluton Rayleigh!?" another voice cried. "It's over... we're finished!"
Rayleigh's appearance sent waves of panic through the Marine ranks. Despair began to spread like wildfire. The Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and now the Red Hair Pirates—all Four Emperors were present. And to make matters worse, the legendary first mate of the Pirate King himself had joined the fray. What chance did they have?
Luffy, recovering from the shock, leaped onto the execution platform, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Hee hee ha—! Long time no see!"
"Shanks, you came too!" Luffy's voice rang out with surprised delight. "Red-Haired Shanks... Rayleigh...?" Both men froze when they saw Luffy's awakened form, shock flashing across their faces.
Luffy grinned wildly. "Hee hee ha—! I've gotten way stronger now! Oh right—" His expression turned serious. "We can catch up later. Right now I need to save Ace!"
He reached for Ace's handcuffs, fingers brushing the metal. The instant contact was made, his body convulsed with sudden weakness, nearly knocking him out of his awakened state. "Damn Sea Stone!" Luffy jerked his hand back, grimacing.
The Marine's highest-grade restraints always incorporated Sea Stone to neutralize devil fruit users. Even in his awakened form, the substance drained Luffy's strength.
"Let me handle this." Rayleigh chuckled as he knelt beside Ace. His hands glowed with concentrated Armament Haki as he gripped the shackles. With sharp cracking sounds, the restraints shattered into pieces.
"Thanks!" Ace sprang up, flexing his freed limbs with relief. "Red-Haired Shanks, Rayleigh, Luffy..." His smile faded as he turned toward the platform. "Shanks... why are you here?"
Sengoku's jaw clenched. With Kizaru held hostage—Shanks' saber pressed against the admiral's throat—he couldn't risk ordering an attack. Normally, Sengoku wouldn't worry about Kizaru in such a situation... but Shanks changed everything.
As one of the Four Emperors, Shanks stood equal to Whitebeard. If anyone could kill Kizaru instantly, it was him. The proof? Kizaru had already surrendered without resistance. This realization made Sengoku hesitate.
Shanks nudged the blade slightly closer to Kizaru's skin, his voice calm but carrying across the battlefield:
"Everyone, please grant me a favor... How about we end this war here?"