In Sengoku's mind, as a symbol of ending an era, Whitebeard must die.
And Ace, who possesses the Pirate King's Bloodline, must also die.
If these two goals were not achieved, Sengoku would definitely not let the matter rest.
New combat orders were quickly transmitted to various units, and the Marines began making corresponding preparations according to the plan.
Having read the combat plan, Taro knew that the next step was to release news of Ace's early execution, lure the Whitebeard Pirates into the encirclement, implement the Encircling Wall Operation, and finally wipe out the pirates.
Just then, a black dot suddenly appeared in the sky, attracting everyone's attention.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
"I told you that you were overdoing it..."
"It's useless to say that now; we'll die if we fall like this, it's all ice down there..."
"I really shouldn't have listened to your suggestion, Straw Hat!"
"..."
Amidst bursts of exclamations and arguments, the black dot gradually became clear—a Marine warship was falling from the sky.
Falling along with it were hundreds of figures.
Everyone on the battlefield was stunned by this scene, but Taro felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.
Straw Hat Luffy, falling from the sky, looked at Ace on the Execution Platform with a face full of joy and shouted,
"A... ce...!"
That face overflowing with a brilliant smile left Ace and Garp dumbfounded. Taro smiled slightly, and a phrase couldn't help but pop into his mind: Justice from the heavens!
However, he soon realized this didn't fit his position, so he quickly tucked away his smile and put on a solemn expression.
"Why is a warship falling from the sky?"
"Is it a surprise attack by the Marines?"
The pirates were stunned and began to talk amongst themselves,
"It seems this wasn't in our combat plan, was it?"
The Marine Soldiers also looked around, faces full of confusion.
There were too many sudden situations in this war, and the battle was interrupted once again.
"Rumble"
The battleship and Luffy's group fell, the warship heavily smashing through the ice, with half of the hull sinking into the sea.
After a moment of astonishment, both sides of the war confirmed the identities of the intruders. Seeing they weren't Marines, the pirates felt greatly relieved, and their morale soared.
Then, the battle broke out again.
"A... ce..."
Luffy leaped onto the bow of the warship, took a deep breath, raised his arms high, and shouted loudly,
"Ace... I've come to save you! Wait for me!"
On the Execution Platform, Sengoku's face darkened, his brow twitching violently, as he gritted his teeth in hatred, "Garp, it's your family again!"
Garp held his head in his hands, shouting Luffy's name in shock and anger, his face full of disbelief.
"I clearly heard he was captured and sent to Impel Down, so why is he appearing here?"
Seeing Garp ignoring him, Sengoku turned to bark at Taro.
Taro shrugged and said innocently, "Fleet Admiral, you can't blame this on me. By the time I arrived, this group had already escaped. As for how they escaped, I have no idea."
"Besides, I'm currently seriously injured from trying to stop the Blackbeard Pirates. This should count as a work-related injury, right? You should..."
The more Sengoku heard, the more his head throbbed. Finally, veins popped on his forehead, and he roared, "Shut up!"
Taro curled his lip, knowing the old man was in a fit of rage. Fearing that if he continued, he might cause the nearly eighty-year-old man to have a medical episode, he quieted down.
"Is this your answer? Jinbe!" Sengoku, nearly driven mad by Taro, looked at Jinbe on the battlefield and shouted, "Acting together with the Straw Hat! Is that it?"
"That's right, this old man is no longer a Warlord of the Sea!" Jinbe replied proudly.
"No matter how you look at it, that combination is just too strange," Garp suddenly spoke in a low voice, causing both Taro and Sengoku to turn their heads to look at him,
"Prisoners, Revolutionary Army Executives, and Crocodile—I don't think they share the same goal. At least, not one that should bring them here."
Sengoku's gaze darkened as he began to ponder with a frown.
Taro, the ultimate cheater, knew the reason, but he couldn't say it. He pretended to be deep in thought, lowering his head to hide his twitching eyes.
However, it wasn't long before everyone knew Crocodile's goal.
Crocodile's lower half turned into yellow sand as he charged straight for Whitebeard. At the same time, Luffy also entered Second Gear and chased after Crocodile, blocking his attack for Whitebeard.
Roger's Straw Hat, Shanks's severed arm, and the determination to save Ace.
All of these made Whitebeard develop a strong interest in Luffy, and the two began to converse.
"The one who will become the Pirate King is me!"
Finally, Luffy stood with hands on his hips, looking up at Whitebeard, and shouted his famous catchphrase.
Luffy had stood up to Whitebeard, shocking the entire battlefield once again.
However, Luffy and Whitebeard soon reached a temporary cooperation because of their shared goal of rescuing Ace.
Facing this situation, Kizaru asked Sengoku:
"It's alright to execute all of them, isn't it, Sengoku-san?"
"Of course!" Sengoku replied firmly.
Kizaru's statement made the corner of Taro's mouth twitch as he secretly praised him,
Holy crap, now this is a Best Actor!
Saying the harshest words while holding back the most!
As expected of you!
I've learned something!
As the fresh reinforcements of the Straw Hat joined the battlefield, Kizaru, as an Admiral, also charged straight for Luffy. A laser beam caused a powerful explosion, creating a shockwave that cleared away the meddlesome pirate grunts nearby.
Then, he unleashed a charged Flash Kick, sending Luffy flying sideways.
And then... nothing. Kizaru's two attacks had exhausted his salary, and he entered standby mode, allowing Luffy to pass him and continue running forward.
In Gear Third, a massive fist directly sent the Giant Squad flying. Luffy, having broken into the Marine formation, was invincible!
[Flash Kick successfully learned]
[Gear Third successfully learned]
[Gomu Gomu no Gigant Rifle successfully learned]
While Luffy fought his way through, Taro was learning skills from the best vantage point on the Execution Platform.
"What are you all doing? Letting a mere rookie disrupt the battlefield," Sengoku said sternly into the den den mushi. "Straw Hat, his Bloodline is... he is the son of Dragon of the Revolutionary Army!"
Sengoku dropped another bombshell, which once again shocked the uninformed onlookers.
Taro stole a glance at Garp, only to see him with his head bowed, saying softly, "It doesn't matter anymore. There's no need to keep it hidden. Both brothers are idiots!"
"Say whatever you want, I'm definitely going to save Ace!" Luffy shouted at the Execution Platform after knocking away another group of Marines.
"Eliminate them on the spot!" Sengoku's face darkened as he ordered loudly.
Countless Marines swarmed forward and began to besiege the Straw Hat Pirates.
Even with the cover of Jinbe and the others, Luffy was overwhelmed. He was hit by swords from time to time, and the wounds on his body gradually increased.
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