"How terrifying. Are young people these days all this ferocious? Looks like I really can't ignore him."
Admiral Kizaru avoided another crushing strike from Whitebeard, then casually turned his body midair. Raising his right index finger, dazzling light began to gather at the tip as he aimed directly at Luffy rushing toward the execution platform.
Before the attack could fire, a massive naginata descended.
Slash.
Whitebeard's weapon cleaved straight through Kizaru from head to toe.
The light attack instantly dispersed.
The blade slammed into the frozen battlefield, Tremor-Tremor Fruit power coating its edge. The impact split the ice apart, carving a gigantic crack that reached deep enough to expose the seawater below.
At the same moment, violent vibrations surged outward from the strike.
Boom!
The shockwave detonated among the Marines, instantly creating a vast empty zone as soldiers were blown away in every direction.
Seeing the scene, several pirates burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! He got hit with Haki, he's definitely finished!"
Meanwhile, the Marines panicked.
"Admiral Kizaru!"
"Admiral Kizaru!"
Under countless shocked gazes, Kizaru's divided body transformed into countless particles of light before fading away. A moment later, he reappeared safely to the side, completely unharmed.
"Gurararara... you should just stay here quietly, Flash Boy," Whitebeard said as he slowly stepped forward.
Relief spread among the Marines.
"That's great, Admiral Kizaru is fine!"
"Did he turn into light beforehand?"
Kizaru scratched his forehead, his expression carrying mild annoyance.
"This really is troublesome, Whitebeard. Looks like I won't be getting past you easily."
Inside, however, he calmly justified the situation to himself. Everyone could clearly see it was Whitebeard holding him back, not that he was neglecting Luffy.
Whitebeard barely paid attention to him.
His eyes remained locked on Luffy.
Expectation filled his heart.
As long as Luffy reached the execution platform, Ace's chances of survival would rise dramatically. If anyone else attempted the rescue, success would be uncertain, but Luffy was different.
Luffy was Garp's grandson.
Because of that connection alone, the Marines could not completely abandon restraint. Combined with Luffy's current strength, even if he could not defeat Sengoku, he could still hold him off long enough.
Right now, aside from Whitebeard himself, Luffy was the most suitable person to save Ace.
Whitebeard had considered charging the platform personally, but Kizaru clung to him like an endless nuisance.
Defeating Kizaru was possible, yet the Admiral refused to engage seriously, constantly stalling him.
Breaking away quickly was impossible.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, magma and flames collided violently.
Boom!
Akainu, now known as Admiral Renn, exchanged a powerful punch with Sabo. Both men slid backward across the ground, retreating more than ten steps.
Renn glanced toward the sky where Luffy continued advancing, shock and concern flashing through his eyes.
In his opinion, none of the Marines present were reliable.
Even Sengoku could not fully reassure him, let alone Garp, the old man obsessed with challenges and rice crackers.
"Hey, Marshal," Sabo's voice suddenly came from behind him, calm but sharp. "You should focus. Your opponent is right here."
Renn stopped moving immediately.
Even if he wanted to intercept Luffy, Sabo would never allow it.
And the young Revolutionary standing before him was no minor threat. His abilities made this fight extremely troublesome.
Renn turned fully toward Sabo.
"Fine. I'll deal with you first, then capture Straw Hat. Either way, all three brothers will die today."
However, Sabo's Flame-Flame Fruit power directly countered Renn's fighting style. Combined with strong Haki control, defeating him quickly was unrealistic.
If Renn made even a small mistake, the outcome could turn against him.
Sabo kept part of his attention on Luffy soaring through the battlefield.
Go, Luffy.
The pirates watching the sky erupted with excitement.
"That's Ace's brother!"
"He's almost at the execution platform!"
"Go, Luffy!"
"Save Ace!"
"As expected of the grandson of Hero Garp!"
Morale among the pirates surged instantly.
Many of them had already begun imagining Ace's rescue and their eventual escape from Marineford. Their fighting spirit exploded, pushing back Marine forces across several fronts.
Marine formations began to collapse under the sudden pressure.
Meanwhile, soldiers desperately continued firing at Luffy.
"Guns don't work on him!"
"Cannons are useless too!"
"Are we really going to let him reach the platform like this?"
Inside the Marineford headquarters building, a quiet conference room overlooked the chaos.
"Straw Hat is getting close to the execution platform," a woman said calmly.
Despite her words, there was no concern in her tone.
"If the Marines cannot even protect Ace, then they truly disappoint," an elderly voice replied.
"Yes. Executing Ace is their responsibility. We have no obligation to interfere."
Another voice spoke thoughtfully.
"Still, if Ace escapes, he could become troublesome in the future."
Laughter followed.
"In this world, the only real threat is Rolan. Ace means nothing."
Another elder nodded.
"Correct. Even Whitebeard and Roger were merely stronger insects in our eyes. Once the Mother Flame tied to Uranus is completed, even Rolan will no longer matter."
The man seated at the head of the table finally spoke. A long sword rested at his waist while his legs remained casually crossed.
"That's enough. Let's enjoy the Marines' performance. If they request assistance later, I may consider helping."
The moment he finished speaking, the others fell silent.
The room returned to complete stillness.
Back at the execution platform, Garp kept his eyes tightly shut.
Through Observation Haki, he clearly sensed Luffy drawing closer with every passing second.
His fists clenched.
His body trembled slightly, caught between duty and family.
Beside him, Sengoku stared forward calmly. His cloak fluttered as he waved a hand toward the battlefield.
"It's fine. Continue attacking."
At that instant, an overwhelming aura burst from Sengoku's body.
The Marines immediately felt their confidence return.
"Hahaha! There's nothing to fear!"
"The Fleet Admiral is finally making his move!"
"With Fleet Admiral Sengoku here, Straw Hat won't succeed!"
Garp slowly opened his eyes.
He could clearly feel the killing intent radiating from Sengoku.
After a long moment, he stood up.
===
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