"Ace, you bastard, why didn't you live according to my wishes," Garp's voice trembled, his eyes glossy and red with unshed tears.
Ace turned his head to look at the white‑haired old man beside him, breathing heavily. "Old Man…"
"Damn it, you stubborn brat, why are you like this?" Garp clenched his fists and slammed them into the frozen execution platform beneath him, rage and grief intermingling in his voice.
In Garp's mind, memories of Ace flooded back in relentless waves. He saw Ace as a newborn, crying for milk in Rouge's arms, and himself stumbling awkwardly as he tried to comfort the tiny child. He remembered holding Ace close until the baby quieted. He entrusted Ace to Dadan's care, and later sent young Luffy to grow up alongside him.
Every time he returned to East Blue, regardless of the excuse, Garp would seek out Ace and Luffy. When Ace first went hunting in the jungle alone, Garp always followed, heart pounding with worry. When Ace succeeded on his first hunt, Garp celebrated in secret.
Ace had always spoken of becoming a pirate, of living freely on the seas. Though Garp teased him sternly, deep down he only wanted Ace and Luffy to grow up safe and healthy, whether they chose to be Marines or pirates.
He watched every development: Ace's first bounty, his challenge to Whitebeard, his eventual joining of the Whitebeard Pirates. Garp thought Ace would thrive under Whitebeard's care. But Ace being defeated by Teach and now sentenced to execution was something Garp had never foreseen. Neither had he expected the World Government to uncover Ace's true lineage.
The decision to publicly execute Ace, at Marineford of all places, angered Garp beyond measure. As a Marine Vice Admiral, he had no power to change the World Government's decision.
"Ace… Ojisan…"
That was the first time Ace ever called Garp "Grandpa." For much of his life, he called him "Old Man." But in his heart, Garp stood even above Whitebeard. After all, Garp had saved his life, had shaped it, and had loved him steadfastly.
Garp's breath shook, tears escaping despite his attempts to hold them back. The wooden boards beneath him dampened as his grief poured out. His entire body trembled with pain.
Boom
Boom
Boom
Heavy footsteps thundered across the vast frozen plain of Crescent Moon Bay. The ground quaked beneath them as the sound drew every eye toward the bay's entrance.
Emerging into view was a gargantuan figure, dwarfing every Giant Vice Admiral and Marine present. He was covered in pale green skin, long red hair flowing behind him, two curved horns on his head, and standing at an intimidating sixty meters tall.
"So… so huge!"
"That's… that's an Ancient Giant!"
"It's far larger than ordinary giants!"
Marine soldiers stared in disbelief and dread, unsure how to confront such a colossal foe. In the world of One Piece, size often signified power, and this figure's presence alone was a horrifying reality.
"Is that… Oars?!" Ace exclaimed, unable to speak further as his eyes widened.
It was Little Oars Jr., a pirate captain allied with the Whitebeard Pirates and a beloved friend of Ace. He had arrived to fight alongside his comrades no matter the cost. In fact, he stood at roughly sixty meters tall, making him three times the size of typical giants.
"Oars, wait for me, I'll be right there!" Little Oars Jr. bellowed as he strode into the bay.
"Move aside, make way for Oars!" The Whitebeard fleet jumped into action, clearing a path even as Marines fired cannons in desperate defense.
"Fire!"
"Fire at will!"
Bang
Bang
Bang
Countless cannonballs blasted into Little Oars Jr.'s massive body, explosions rippling off him in clouds of smoke.
"Oars! Don't come this way!" Ace cried, worry blazing in his voice. A Giant of that size was a prime target, a walking battlefield in the eyes of the Marines.
Whitebeard's gaze turned toward the massive figure and he spoke slowly, "Oars…"
A thunderous roar followed, and from the smoke Little Oars Jr.'s immense form emerged unscathed.
"How is that possible?"
"Nani?!"
"Guns and cannons have no effect!"
Every Marine stared in astonishment. They never expected such resilience; not even the Giant Vice Admirals could absorb attacks like that.
Regardless, Oars did not hesitate. Sword in hand, he moved across the ice step by step toward the plaza.
"Stop him! Do not let this giant reach the central field!" A Marine officer shouted.
Marines surged forward to intercept him, but Little Oars Jr. merely lifted his massive sword and brought it down in a devastating slash.
Bang!
The ice shattered beneath its force in a massive crack that split through the frozen battlefield, gusts of wind and shards of ice flying outward. Marines were flung into the air, their cries echoing as they tumbled wildly.
"Help! Help!"
"I'm dying!"
"Mama, I'm so scared!"
Panic spread among them like wildfire.
From the chaos, a powerful female voice rang out.
"You think a mere pirate can win here?"
A female Giant Vice Admiral landed with grace on the ice, long golden hair flowing and a red suit marking her rank. Her spear was raised as she launched herself at Oars.
His colossal hand shot out and caught the spear mid‑air, her body dangling helplessly. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile. Even as a Giant Vice Admiral, she was dwarfed by Little Oars Jr.'s strength.
With a cold motion, he punched her away with a single strike, sending her crashing into the Marine battle line.
"Nani?! A Giant Vice Admiral knocked back like that?!" Marines gasped, their morale shaken further.
Nearby, Gekko Moriah watched with fanatic delight, eyes locked on the towering Oars. "Hehehe, if we turned a giant this massive into a zombie, it would be an incredible weapon on my path to becoming Pirate King," he said with twisted enthusiasm.
Moriah once tried to turn Luffy's shadow into a zombie and infuse it into an Ancient Giant's form at Thriller Bark, but Luffy's Observation Haki had prevented the plan from succeeding, and Moriah had been beaten badly as a result.
As the battle raged on, Little Oars Jr.'s gargantuan figure stormed ever closer to the execution platform.