"You're seriously annoying."
Luffy leapt straight off the Moby Dick and slammed onto Brown Square.
Boom!
The instant his feet touched the ground, the entire plaza trembled violently. Cracks spread across the surface like a giant spiderweb, causing nearby Marines to lose their footing.
"Luffy!"
Ace's expression changed immediately.
"Oiii! Sabo, wait for me! I'm coming to save you!"
Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs as he charged toward the execution platform without hesitation.
The Marines instantly descended into chaos.
"Stop him!"
"Be careful! Straw Hat Luffy is Rolan's disciple!"
"Fire! Open fire!"
"Don't let him get close to the execution platform!"
"That's Sabo's brother!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire exploded from every direction.
Rows of bullets slammed directly into Luffy's body.
But none of them caused any damage.
The bullets bounced off him like rubber, sticking all over his body and making him look like a human porcupine.
Luffy ignored everything completely.
"Outta my way!"
Every punch and swing from him blasted Marines flying through the air.
"Sabo! I'm here!"
Luffy looked toward the execution platform, his eyes shining brightly.
"Luffy!"
Sabo knelt on the platform with a shaken expression.
"Don't come over here!"
Luffy paid no attention to the warning.
He continued charging forward like an unstoppable sea train.
Any Marine standing in his path was instantly blown away.
The new Marine recruits participating in war for the first time nearly lost their minds after witnessing the scene.
Fear spread uncontrollably across their faces.
They wanted to retreat.
Yet their legs refused to move.
"D-Don't come closer!"
"W-What are you trying to do?!"
"P-Pirate! We're righteous Marines!"
Marine soldiers who survived Marineford looked even worse.
The terror from that battlefield resurfaced once more.
Back then, they personally witnessed Straw Hat Luffy fighting Hero Garp head-on.
That monster-like strength had already become a nightmare in their hearts.
"Hahaha! Nicely done, Luffy!"
Shanks laughed loudly from afar.
Yasopp grinned while watching the battlefield.
"Luffy really hasn't changed at all."
Lucky Roux took a huge bite out of his meat and laughed.
"Back then he was just a loud little brat screaming about becoming Pirate King every day."
The Red Hair Pirates unconsciously recalled the old days at Foosha Village.
The little kid who followed them around had now become a pirate capable of shaking the world.
Benn Beckman flicked away his cigarette.
"Other than getting stronger, his personality hasn't changed much."
Seeing Luffy make his move, Ace no longer held back.
He turned toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Brothers, the battle starts now!"
Boom!
Ace jumped from the Moby Dick and landed heavily on the battlefield.
Golden light erupted from his body.
In moments, he transformed into a massive golden giant towering dozens of meters high.
"You dared to target Sabo."
"Then you'd better be ready to pay the price."
Ace swung his enormous fist forward.
Bang!
The terrifying shockwave blasted through the battlefield.
Large numbers of Marines and Cipher Pol agents were blown into the air like fallen leaves in a storm.
"Gold Emperor Ace has attacked!"
"Don't get close to him!"
"Use long-range attacks!"
A newly promoted female Vice Admiral stared at the battlefield in disbelief.
"Both Straw Hat Luffy and Ace are Rolan's disciples?"
"How are they this strong?"
Marco exchanged a glance with Orlando before nodding.
Blue flames burst into the sky.
Marco transformed into his phoenix form and shot directly toward Admiral Ryokugyu.
At that moment, Ryokugyu's gaze remained fixed on Luffy.
Killing intent surged deep within his eyes.
"Straw Hat... Nika."
"I really didn't want to obey those old bastards."
"But your existence will interfere with my plans."
"So you'll have to die."
A cruel smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward.
But before he could move toward Luffy, a giant blue phoenix blocked his path.
"Oi, Admiral."
"Where do you think you're going?"
Ryokugyu narrowed his eyes.
"Whitebeard Pirates' First Division Commander, Marco."
"You're planning to stop me?"
Marco answered him with a claw strike coated in Armament Haki.
Boom!
The enormous phoenix claw smashed downward violently.
Ryokugyu raised his wooden arm and blocked it head-on.
The collision created a powerful shockwave that swept across the surrounding battlefield.
Ryokugyu frowned slightly.
Marco was weaker than him, but the difference was not overwhelming.
Taking Marco down quickly would not be easy.
"Marco."
"Since you're looking for death, I'll kill you first, then I'll personally rip Straw Hat and Gold Emperor apart."
Marco smirked casually.
"Hahaha! Admiral-san, your brain seems pretty messed up."
"Lucky for you, I'm a doctor."
"Need me to check your condition?"
Ryokugyu's face darkened instantly.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
"Marco, you bastard!"
Armament Haki wrapped around his other arm as he swung forward violently.
Marco flapped his wings and twisted through the air before countering with another claw strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two exchanged blows continuously in midair.
Although they appeared evenly matched, anyone strong enough could tell Marco was gradually being suppressed.
Ryokugyu was already furious.
Everything had been proceeding according to plan until these monsters interfered.
He originally intended to eliminate Luffy immediately.
Instead, Marco forced him into a direct confrontation.
After blasting Marco backward with a kick, Ryokugyu suddenly glanced toward Luffy again.
A sinister smile slowly formed on his face.
Marco instantly noticed it.
"Hey, hey, Admiral."
"You're fighting me, yet you still have time to look elsewhere?"
His phoenix wings ignited with blue flames again as he charged back in.
Ryokugyu clicked his tongue and turned his attention back toward Marco.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Ace continued advancing side by side through the battlefield.
Behind them were the Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army.
Together, they tore through the Marines' defensive lines like a golden spear.
"Sabo!"
"I'll reach you soon!"
Luffy shouted excitedly while smashing another Vice Admiral away with a Haki-coated punch.
Dozens of Marines behind the Vice Admiral were sent crashing to the ground as well.
At that moment, hidden among the Marine forces, two pairs of dark green eyes stared directly at Luffy.
They slowly retreated with the crowd.
Like predators hiding in darkness while waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Luffy frowned slightly.
"Hm?"
"Why do I feel like something's watching me?"
He scratched his head before quickly ignoring it.
The execution platform was getting closer and closer.
Hope filled his face.
He coated his right fist with Armament Haki and stomped heavily onto the ground.
Boom!
Luffy shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Then suddenly...
Something black pierced through the air silently.
It struck directly into Luffy's chest.
No sound.
No explosion.
The dark object simply sank into his body.
Hidden within the crowd, a shadowy figure curled their lips upward before disappearing without a trace.
Luffy lowered his head and touched his chest.
"Huh?"
"What was that?"
He lifted his shirt and checked carefully.
There was nothing there.
"Guess I imagined it."
Not far away, Ace blasted open another path through the battlefield before looking back.
"What happened, Luffy?"
"Nothing!"
Luffy waved casually.
Ace looked him over briefly before nodding.
"Then let's save Sabo in one push!"
"Yeah!"
Luffy grinned and rushed forward again.
But just as he raised his fist...
His vision suddenly darkened.
The world spun violently around him.
Before anyone could react, Luffy collapsed face-first onto the battlefield.
Boom!
Dust scattered everywhere.
His consciousness rapidly faded into darkness.