The figure descending from the sky completely disrupted everyone's plans, whether Navy or pirate.
Whitebeard and Garp had unknowingly stopped their clash. The former frowned, looking at Rayleigh and the Golden Lion with puzzlement:
"Rayleigh, weren't you in the New World, playing house with that kid of Roger's?"
"And you, Golden Lion… since the last time after you escaped from Impel Down, this is the first time you've shown your face."
He was confused, for in his eyes this affair had nothing to do with them.
Rayleigh sighed helplessly.
"No helping it. I ran into the captain's son. No matter what, I can't just stand by and watch him die."
Ace's face darkened.
To Whitebeard and Rayleigh, he seemed to be nothing more than a child.
Floating in the air, Shiki the Golden Lion burst out laughing:
"Hahahaha! Of course I came to see you in this sorry state! Beaten down by the Navy like this… you call yourself the strongest man!?"
Ace took a deep breath and looked at Whitebeard.
"Whitebeard, I came here to save Luffy. Where is he!?"
Whitebeard blinked, then turned his head toward the execution platform — now empty. His expression grew strange.
Everyone else also turned toward the platform… only to be dumbfounded.
Clearly no pirate had approached, yet one of the condemned had vanished.
"Where is he!?"
That was the question in every heart.
The Navy top brass wore ashen faces but said nothing.
"…," Ace muttered, stunned.
He blinked, glanced at Garp — who avoided his gaze — then turned back to the Golden Lion and, very politely, said:
"Mr. Shiki, the one I wanted to save has already left. Could you please send me back as well?"
Golden Lion roared with laughter, hovering high above, his right hand pointing at Marineford below:
"Roger's brat, I came to lend a hand for Roger's sake, but I never said I'd help you escape."
"If you don't have the strength to leave on your own, then die here! Better that than shaming Roger's name!"
"Shishi: Odokuro!" (Lion's Might: Earth Scroll)
With the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit), the ground of Marineford rose up, twisting into enormous lion heads of earth.
These massive lions, like Sea Kings, lunged at Sengoku.
Sengoku, still in his Buddha form, grimly swung his hand, unleashing a powerful shockwave that shattered them one by one.
Seeing this, Ace realized there was no hope of riding an island away. Unless they destroyed Navy Headquarters itself, he would remain here with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Rayleigh-san…" Ace glanced at him.
He knew his own limits. Though trained under Rayleigh, he was far from ready for a war of this scale.
Rayleigh sighed, drawing the blade from his waist.
"Since we're already here, might as well lend a hand."
He raised his sword and slashed at the sky. A fierce, dazzling beam of sword light tore upward.
"Eh?"
Kizaru feigned surprise, raising his golden Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi to meet it.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion rang out.
The entire Marineford — no, all of Marineford — was dragged deeper into the mire of war, with bloodshed raging in every corner.
Golden Lion vs. Sengoku.
Whitebeard vs. Garp.
Rayleigh vs. Kizaru.
Marco vs. Akainu.
Aokiji vs. Ace.
And all around, Navy and pirates clashed savagely, with lives lost every moment, blood nearly dyeing the ice red.
Worse still were the beasts, rampaging through every corner of Marineford.
They attacked not only marines and pirates, but also the civilians living here. Brutal war erupted everywhere.
"Tsuru!" Sengoku barked, his face dark.
Vice Admiral Tsuru stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the Golden Lion.
"Shiki, I'll be your opponent."
Golden Lion's eyes narrowed.
Though only a vice admiral, in the Navy's view, Tsuru's power was no weaker than that of the three Admirals.
Several beasts lunged at her — only to be waved aside, their bodies transformed into paper-thin husks with blissful smiles, left dangling in the ruins like laundry in the wind.
"The Woshu Woshu no Mi (Wash-Wash Fruit) user…"
As Tsuru engaged the Golden Lion, Sengoku felt no relief. His face only darkened further as his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) laid bare the chaos across Marineford.
He knew without doubt: the situation had spiraled completely out of control. Once this ended, he as Fleet Admiral would have no choice but to resign in disgrace.
But for now, he had no time for such thoughts. His voice thundered:
"Aokiji! You can't even handle a brat!? Finish him now, or the Navy's reputation will be in ruins!"
"Kizaru, keep Rayleigh occupied!"
"Akainu, crush that phoenix quickly, or Marineford will be destroyed!"
"Mihawk! Aren't you the world's greatest swordsman? Why can't you deal with one pirate!?"
"Doflamingo…"
On and on, Sengoku called out names in his Buddha form, invoking nearly every Navy powerhouse.
If it were only the Whitebeard Pirates, he would not be so anxious. But now the situation had deteriorated beyond imagining.
The invading pirates were nearly equal in strength to the Navy.
If this continued, unless he called upon the World Government, Marineford itself would be utterly destroyed.
At that moment, a marine rushed up to him with even worse news:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Bad news! Uzumaki Naruto has come from Impel Down! They smashed the Gates of Justice and are about to arrive here!"
"According to our intel and footage, Uzumaki Naruto has brought many powerful criminals with him — including Barrett, Crocodile, the World Destroyer, and the Red Count…"
"But later reports did not show the World Destroyer or the Red Count…"
Even in his Buddha form, Sengoku's fury was plain for all to see. His face contorted with rage.
"Damn it all… is everyone coming here!?"
(End of Chapter)
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