"Garp, what are you doing? You are a Marine now!" Sengoku shouted, unable to hide his concern as Garp suddenly stood up.
The situation had already gone far beyond what anyone expected.
No one imagined that Sabo, the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, would appear on the battlefield. Despite his young age, Sabo possessed terrifying strength, easily comparable to that of the three Marine Admirals.
Even so, Sengoku believed that Garp would never truly betray the Marines to help Luffy rescue Ace.
After all, the Marines still had hidden forces waiting to act.
He did not want his old friend to make a decision he could never take back.
Garp gave no reply.
In the next instant, he vanished and appeared directly in front of Luffy using Soru.
"Hey, Grandpa, move aside! I'm here to save Ace!" Luffy shouted as he rushed forward.
Garp's face darkened slightly.
"How could I move aside? I am a Vice Admiral stationed at Marineford. Before you were even born, I fought pirates across countless battlefields."
His gaze hardened.
"If you want to pass through here, then kill me first!"
"Old Man!"
Ace, kneeling on the execution platform, immediately understood what Garp was trying to do.
"This is the path you chose," Garp continued heavily. "Right now, you are a pirate, and I am a Marine. I can only treat you as an enemy."
After speaking, struggle flashed across his face.
Then his resolve hardened.
Armament Haki gathered around his right fist. A terrifying pressure spread across the battlefield, causing even seasoned fighters to feel its weight.
As Garp stared at Luffy, memories surfaced in his mind.
Since childhood, Luffy had loudly declared he would become the Pirate King. Back then, those words sounded like childish dreams.
Yet Garp had watched him grow.
Even when work kept him away, Luffy remained one of the grandchildren closest to his heart.
That reckless personality, stubborn and fearless, had clearly skipped generations and landed perfectly on Luffy.
For a brief moment, the child from his memories overlapped with the young pirate standing before him.
The overwhelming aura around Garp's fist weakened slightly.
Then he punched forward.
Luffy never expected his grandfather to truly attack him.
Instinctively, he crossed his arms to block.
Boom!
The Armament Haki coated fist slammed into Luffy's guard. Black lightning burst outward upon impact, shaking the surrounding air.
The force sent Luffy flying backward across the battlefield.
He crashed violently into the frozen ground, sinking deep into the ice as cracks spread outward.
For a moment, no one could tell whether he was alive or dead.
Seeing this, Sengoku quietly exhaled.
"No one forced you to do this, Garp."
"Luffy!" Ace shouted in shock.
He had not expected Garp to actually strike him either.
But deep down, Ace understood.
Under these circumstances, Garp had no other choice.
Sending Luffy away with a punch might have been the only protection he could offer.
Sabo watched the scene with disbelief.
In his memories, Garp was strict, but never heartless enough to attack Luffy like this.
Now worry filled his mind.
Most of the forces trying to rescue Ace were already locked in fierce battles. Their remaining hope rested on Luffy.
He had hoped Garp might secretly help them.
That hope now seemed impossible.
Responsibility had won over family.
Garp slowly descended and sat heavily in front of the execution platform.
"You brats," he said coldly, "if you want to pass me, kill me first."
The Marines immediately erupted with excitement.
"Vice Admiral Garp has taken action!"
"The strongest shield of the Marines!"
"With Hero Garp here, Ace will never be rescued!"
Across the battlefield, pirates felt chills run down their spines.
Fear of this man was carved deep into history itself.
"Hero Garp!"
"The Marine legend who fought the Pirate King Gol D. Roger countless times!"
"He even battled Golden Lion Shiki alongside Sengoku and sent him to Impel Down!"
Facing such a monster, how could they advance?
Even Luffy, their greatest hope, had been blown away with a single punch.
The pirates' morale dropped instantly.
Seeing this, Whitebeard roared across the battlefield.
"Don't let a name scare you, you brats! He's just an old soldier from the previous era!"
Kizaru casually added, "Scary indeed, Whitebeard. Since you still possess such strength, there's no reason Garp would be any weaker."
...
Just as everyone believed Luffy had been defeated, Sengoku frowned.
"Garp..."
He knew Garp better than anyone.
That punch had not even used a third of his real strength.
Garp had clearly held back.
Then a voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Grandpa, are you really going to stop me from saving Ace?"
Everyone turned.
A figure shot forward at incredible speed toward the execution platform.
It was Luffy.
"That's great!"
"Luffy is still standing!"
Hope reignited among the pirates.
Many had already realized the truth. Garp had gone easy on him.
Garp watched Luffy charge again and muttered quietly,
"You almost escaped… why come back? I couldn't protect Ace, and I don't want to lose another grandson."
Nearby, Renn frowned deeply as he observed the situation.
"Just as I expected."
No one could completely abandon family ties.
Absolute justice was never truly absolute.
...
"The time has come," Sengoku announced loudly. "Proceed with Ace's execution immediately!"
The executioners beside Ace raised their blades high.
Under the sunlight, the weapons reflected a cold and merciless gleam. Dark stains near the hilts revealed how much blood they had tasted over the years.
Ace slowly closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
Then a furious voice thundered across Marineford.
"I'd like to see who dares touch even a single hair on Ace's head!"