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Ace heard Luffy's voice, and a gentle smile tugged at his lips. "Don't worry, Luffy," he said softly. "I will never let you die."
He steadied himself, accepting the fate he'd chosen. Raising the dagger to his throat, he closed his eyes, letting his life play out in his mind: Being handed over to Dadan by Garp when he was still a kid, growing up among the mountain bandits, then meeting Sabo and Luffy. Those days… that was probably the happiest time he'd ever had.
After setting out to sea, he'd founded the Spade Pirates, burning with the reckless desire to challenge Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world.
He'd lost that fight—but in losing, he'd been blessed. He joined the Whitebeard Pirates and was surrounded by their love. His life had been saved by his old man and by everyone who had fought desperately for him in the war at Marineford.
Later, his father died. Marco took over as Captain, and the Whitebeard Pirates stepped into their new era as the Phoenix Pirates. Under Marco's lead, they weathered the chaos that followed Whitebeard's death and made it through that dangerous time. Eventually, Marco challenged Big Mom and Kaido, then chose to ally with them, turning the Phoenix Pirates into the single greatest force in the New World.
Ace had even married Yamato—a wife whose personality mirrored his own.
Looking back, it all felt far too short. He'd once sworn he would cherish this life, but now, for Luffy's sake, even death felt like a small price to pay. His only regret was for the people he'd be leaving behind in the Phoenix Pirates.
'Sorry, Marco… Grandpa… Yamato… everyone. Your kindness… I'm afraid I can only repay it in my next life.'
With that thought, Ace steeled himself. He fixed Saint Garling with a fierce glare and said coldly, "I hope you keep your promise. Otherwise, even as a ghost, I will not let you go."
"Hmph. Why so much nonsense?" Saint Garling shot back without a hint of sympathy. "If you're going to commit suicide, then do it quickly."
Ace drew in a breath and began to drag the blade across his throat—
But at that very moment, Luffy's heart suddenly pounded to life, each beat echoing louder and louder. There was no mistaking it: the Drums of Liberation.
Held fast in Saint Garling's grip, Luffy's lifeless body slowly began to turn white. Luffy, who should have already spent the last of his life, broke past his limits once more—awakening again into the form of the Sun God.
Saint Garling's pupils shrank at the sight before him. Impossible. Without hesitation, he swung his sword straight at Nika Luffy's neck.
But Luffy, already in his Sun God state, simply grinned. The blade pressed against his throat warped in an instant, twisting and shrinking until it became a ridiculous toy sword. Saint Garling's killing strike slid off harmlessly.
Luffy sprang back, putting distance between them as he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! I won't let you kill Ace!"
Saint Garling's expression turned pitch-black as he stared at the toy in his hand, his face dark as the abyss.
"This truly is a ridiculous ability..."
Clicking his tongue, he forced Haki into the toy sword. Dark energy surged along its surface; under the pressure of his will, the flimsy toy reshaped itself, regaining the weight and edge of his beloved blade.
Ace, who had been a breath away from killing himself, stared wide-eyed. Seeing Luffy's completely changed appearance and how he'd slipped from Saint Garling's grasp, he shouted, voice trembling with excitement,
"Luffy, what kind of ability is this?!"
"Hahahaha, this is my free form!" Luffy grinned, baring his teeth.
But in the very next second, Nika Luffy's eyes shrank. The white coating his body drained away like receding tide. His legs buckled and he collapsed, his body withering in an instant, shrinking into the frail, wrinkled frame of an eighty- or ninety-year-old man. That explosive power had been nothing more than a final flash.
"Luffy…" Ace's heart lurched. He rushed forward and gathered Luffy into his arms, staring in shock at the shriveled body that was now less than a meter tall.
Just then, Saint Garling kicked off the ground, rocketing toward the Straw Hat.
"Get out of my way, Fire Fist Ace!" he roared. "This boy does not deserve to live in this world!"
"I will never let you harm my brother..."
In that moment, something erupted inside Ace, like a universe igniting. All the humiliation, all the frustration he'd swallowed until now—when he saw Luffy saved only for Saint Garling to still try and kill him—burst free at once.
"Fire Fist...!"
A colossal fist of flames exploded from his arm, swelling to a diameter of a hundred meters in an instant. As if under a protagonist's halo, its power was overwhelming. Even Saint Garling's slash couldn't carve all the way through it. The blazing inferno swallowed him whole.
Ace's blow had taken almost everything out of him. His breathing turned ragged as he cradled the fallen Luffy, feeling the weight of his brother's limp body. One look was enough—Luffy was in critical condition. If he didn't get treatment right away, he might not make it.
Ace's first instinct was to call out to Marco, but Marco was already locked in battle with four of the Gorosei. Even if Marco wanted to rush over and save Luffy, there was no way he could break away right now.
High above, the remaining four Gorosei wore equally dark expressions. A moment ago, they'd been certain: killing Straw Hat was guaranteed. If they could take out Fire Fist Ace along the way, all the better. But none of them had expected Straw Hat Luffy to erupt with the power of the Sun God at the last second. It had only flared for an instant, yet it was enough to shatter Saint Garling's restraint.
Marco, too, was taken aback. As the situation flipped in an instant, a faint smile tugged at his lips. It really had to be said—Straw Hat Luffy was a true protagonist. At the most desperate moment, that "protagonist's halo" of his had burst out again.
Even so, judging by Luffy's condition, he didn't look like he could hold on much longer.
Of course, that only applied to normal people. Straw Hat was a protagonist; who knew what kind of ridiculous protagonist's halo he might pull out next?
Marco smiled and said, "I don't know how long he can last, but for now, it looks like he's been saved—at least temporarily."
Saturn and the others were seething with rage, yet none of them dared to withdraw. Marco's strength was simply too overwhelming. Even when they had the God's blood, a one-on-one fight against him wasn't guaranteed. And this time, they hadn't brought the drug at all.
They had come only to deal with Straw Hat. Who could have imagined that Straw Hat—the reincarnation of Joy Boy—would be this troublesome after awakening the Sun God's power, surviving just long enough for Marco to arrive?
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