Chapter 117: Death Ground
The Oris Plaza of Marine HeadquartersâMarinefordâhad become a battlefield so brutal that even hell would seem lukewarm by comparison.
âHah⊠HahâŠ!!â
âWeâre done forâŠ!! Weâre all gonna be killed by the piratesâŠ!!â
âD-Donât give up!! If we surrender, then whoâs going to defeat evil?!â
Driven back into the plaza, the Marines fought with their backs to the wall. But still, the encroaching advance of the surrounding pirates gradually wore down their hearts and sapped their limited morale.
Yet those same fragile-hearted soldiers, aware that their own lives, and those of their comrades and innocent civilians, hung in the balance, moved their bodies with sheer will to live. Ironically, it was their fear and despair of the pirates that barely kept them alive.
But that alone wasnât enough to turn the tideâthe threat of the Four Emperors showed no signs of slowing.
âHey, look at that guy!! What the hellâs he thinking, barging into the middle of that?!â
âGya~hahaha!! That Straw Hat punkâs dead meat!!â
âForget himâLady Musashi is here!!â
And the one who charged recklessly into the very heart of this violent clash was none other than the 17-year-old rookie pirateâStraw Hat Luffy. Everyone watching thought the same thing: heâs insane.
But that was only natural. After all, he was standing face to face with the kings of the seaâthose closest to the title of Pirate King.
âHa-ha-ha, mamamamama!! So youâre Garpâs grandson, huh? Got that same reckless streak, daring to talk big to us!!â
âJihaha!! Damn right!! Breaking outta Impel Down and getting all the way here? Thatâs hilarious!! âŠAnd now weâve got Rogerâs brat and Garpâs grandson in one place⊠canât help but remember that day!!â
âHey, look, look!! Thatâs himâStraw Hat Luffy!! Kaido!!â
âI know. Heard the reports⊠that brat who took out Crocodile and brought down Enies LobbyâŠ!!!â
âYep, yep!! And with thatâattention camera!! Right here, weâve got one of the Supernovas causing all the buzz lately!! Itâs Straw Hat Luffy~~~!!! Yay~~!! Clap clap clap~~!!â
The YonkosâBig Mom and Kaido.
Then there was their former comrade, Golden Lion Shiki, and Kaidoâs senior, Nue the Phantom Beast.
The moment those monsters all turned their eyes on Luffy, a chill ran down his spine. But he forcefully suppressed the danger that his instincts screamed at him about with sheer willpower.
To save Ace, he had to break through this place. And that meantâ
âIâm saving Ace⊠no matter what!!! I donât have time to deal with you guys!!!â
âGiving up was never an option for him.
And so, he charged straight through the heart of the chaos.
âGear Second!!â
â!â
In the instant he took his first step, Luffy accelerated the flow of blood throughout his body, triggering the technique Gear Second to drastically boost his physical capabilities. His speed now rivaled the Soru of the Rokushiki techniqueâa blur of movement nearly superhuman.
But on this battlefieldâhis speed wasnât overwhelming.
âWell then, letâs go ahead with a quick interview!! So! Whatâs it like seeing the Four Emperors up close for the first time?â
â!? YouâŠ!!â
As Luffy tried to break through the swarm of enemies, Nue was suddenly stuck upside down directly in front of his face, holding a microphoneâwhere she'd pulled it from, no one knew.
Stunned, Luffy immediately tried to veer off and shake her, but Nue refused to budge from his path.
âDamn it, I canât shake her offâŠ!!â
âWell, duh~? I mean, youâre soooo slo~w, Iâve got plenty of time to squeeze in a nice, relaxed interview.â
ââŠ!! Youâre a pirate?!â
âYup!! The one and only adorable Nue-chan⥠As I said before, Iâm the worldâs cutest idol and⊠a pirate!! Ahaha, okay, maybe I forgot to mention the pirate part last time~~!!â
âGhâŠ!! Then that UFO back then wasâŠ!!â
Luffy recalled the moment heâd seen a UFO just before running into Nue the first time.
Now, the sky above the battlefield was filled with the exact same type of UFOs. He could now guess that Nue had created them with some kind of ability. What kind, he didnât knowâbut he understood enough.
Not that it mattered right now. Saving Ace took priority. He didnât have time to waste on her.
âSo, whatâs your impression of the Four Emperors? Feel like you can win? Or are you starting to despair~?â
ââŠ!! Shut up!! I told youâI donât have time to deal with you right now!!â
âAhahaha!! Right, you wanna save Ace, huh~? Then why donât you hurry up? Though honestly⊠I donât think youâve got what it takes to bust him out and escape aliveâĄâ
âDonât decide that for me!!â
âYeah, yeah, I wonât get in your way~⥠Go right ahead, knock yourself out. Canât speak for the others around you thoughâoh look, here comes someone from behind?â
â!!!â
The instant Nue pointed behind him, a long leg slammed into Luffyâs face with stunning speedâfar faster than Luffy, and in that moment, even faster than Nue.
And only one person on this battlefield could move like that.
As the kick flew past her, Nue effortlessly dodged not only that, but also the follow-up attacks from a group of Marines swarming in from behind, all while taunting them with a grin.
âOh my, oh my, all of you ganging up on a poor rookie and a beautiful maidenâŠ!! What is this, a photo shoot?!â
âForget Straw Hatâyouâre not even close to âhelplessââŠ!!â
âSeriously⊠canât even land a surprise attack on you. What a troublesome girl.â
Two Marines now stood in Nueâs way. One was Admiral Kizaru, real name Borsalino. The other was a thin old womanâone of the most well-known Marines in the world. Seeing not just an Admiral but a legendary female veteran, Nue laughed cheerfully.
âSo this is our first meeting, huh, Miss Tsuru the Grand Strategist? Trying to wash me clean on a first encounterâthatâs sooo cruel⥠But no need, my heartâs already pure, so no need to scrub it!!â
âYou donât have to worry. Your heartâs already past saving⊠itâs so filthy, no amount of washing can clean it nowâŠ!!!â
â! âŠHeh. Got some guts, donât you? If youâre gonna talk that big, I hope youâre ready to back it up.â
â!â
With a crescent-shaped grin on her lips, Nue conjured several new UFOs. Her beast-like eyes had already locked onto the next target.
âPurple Mirror.â
âThere are more of the monster beasts!?â
âWhat kind of bizarre technique is that this timeâŠ!?â
The Marines watched in shock as Nue conjured two massive, purple mirrorsâthen suddenly, her figure split in two⊠then four.
Now multiplied, the four identical Nues each floated in the air independently, holding spears at the ready, their mouths moving in eerie synchronicity.
âFufufu⥠Youâre nextâĄâ
âTry to put up some resistance, will you? Otherwise, it gets so boringâĄâ
âKaidoâs finally starting to warm up, so Iâd better start racking up some achievements myselfâĄâ
âYesâfor the sake of our ambition.â
The four Nues all twisted their lips into identical, wicked smirksâ
âJust like when we killed Zephyr⊠weâll slaughter all of you!!!â
â...!! Incoming!!â
With that chilling death sentence, Borsalino and Tsuruâs units moved to intercept the four Nues as they launched their assault.
Almost simultaneously, the battlefield shifted again.
As Luffy was sent flying by Kizaruâs kick, Jinbe, Ivankov, and Musashi moved to assist. The first two raced to Luffyâs side immediately.
But one remained where she stoodâfacing a long-awaited reunion with someone from her past.
âMusashiâŠ!! At long last, we meet againâŠâ
â...Tch. Iâll tell you nowâIâve got no intention of going backâŠ!!â
The one glaring down at her, his kanabĆ resting on his shoulder, was a hulking figure with a terrifying presenceâKaido of the Beasts. Musashi met his gaze squarely, blade drawn and body crouched lowâready to respond the instant he attacked.
But her stance wasnât just for defense. Musashi had made up her mind.
Because if there was anyone here who could even slightly slow Kaido downâit was her. And she knew it. Thatâs why she stood in his pathâto buy time, to help save Ace.
Whether Kaido saw through that or not, he stared at her silently for a few secondsâthen finally muttered:
ââŠBut I ainât got time to deal with a brat like you right now. Oi, you lot. Grab Musashi and toss her onto the ship or something.â
âYes, sir!!â
ââWaitâŠ!!â
But ignoring Musashiâs resolve, Kaido turned his back on her and strode back toward the Navy forces. Musashi tried to give chaseâbut members of the Beasts Pirates blocked her path. Following Kaidoâs orders, they confronted her with desperate expressions.
âLady Musashi!! Please, come back!! Lord Kaido and Lady Nue are rampaging across the battlefieldâitâs far too dangerous!!â
âYou guysâŠ!! Move!! Now!!!â
âW-We canât!! Those are Lord Kaidoâs orders!!â
Though they called her "Lady Musashi" and made no move to fight, choosing instead respectful language to plead with her, Musashi only scowled bitterlyâand began to transform.
âIf you donât move⊠donât say I didnât warn youâŠ!!!â
âUWAAAH!? P-Please wait, milady!! What are you doing, transforming all of a sudden!?â
âY-Yes!! We donât intend to hurt you, we swearâ!!â
âIf you get in my way, then youâre choosing to be my enemyâŠ!!! You all know thisâI wonât go down easily⊠and if you stand against me, Iâll show no mercyâŠ!!!â
Musashiâs human form began shiftingâinto that of a beast.
Her body transformed into a massive white tiger, nearly five meters tall. Anyone in the Beasts Pirates would recognize that form. It was the Mythical Zoan power of the Neko Neko no Mi, wielded by Musashi herself.
âGale of CalamityâŠ!!â
As she uttered those words, fierce winds began to howl around her.
Just as dragons create clouds to soar the skies, tigers can conjure storms. This was the same ominous wind that had caused countless disasters throughout Wano Countryâthe infamous phenomenon now turned against the Beasts Pirates.
âWinds of Woe!!!â
âGyaaaaahhh!!!â
âP-Please stop, Lady Musashi~~!!â
âThen move!!! If youâre in my way, I wonât hold back!!!â
A tornado sent the pirates flying as Musashi surged forward through the chaos.
Even among the Beasts Piratesâone of the Four Emperorsâ crewsâordinary grunts were no match for her.
âWhat do we doâŠ!?â
âââStep aside.â
â!â
A warrior stepped forward, unable to stand idly by. Clad in demonic armor and a fearsome helmet, they unsheathed their blade and in a single step, closed the distance with Musashi.
âKappa StyleâŠ!!â
â! KozukiâŠ!?â
Sensing the incoming attack with Observation Haki, Musashi recognized the warrior at once and transformed into her hybrid form, blade at the ready. The style they both wielded came from a samurai of ancient Wano. At nearly the same moment, both warriors imbued their strikes with powerful Ryuo and unleashed the same techniqueâ
âKinugawa of Kinu River!!!â
â!!!â
âLady Kozuki!!â
âShe used the exact same move!!â
As steel clashed and Haki erupted, a thunderous shockwave rang outâpart metal, part raw force. Enraged that her technique had been perfectly mirrored, the Beasts Piratesâ Flying Six member, Kozuki, muttered coldly from behind her mask.
âItâs been a long time, Lady Musashi. Still so good at monkey see, monkey do, I seeâŠâ
"KozukiâŠ!! Are you going to stand in my way too!!?"
"Of course. Your capture is a direct order I received from Lord Kaido himself."
"âŠ!! I see⊠but I donât have the luxury to hold back right nowâŠ!! Sorry, but I wonât be going easy on you like I did during our sparring sessionsâŠ!!!"
"Then I hope you wonât. Because you, too, are someone I must surpassâŠ!!!"
When Musashi swung her blade with a strong will, Kozuki responded by unleashing the passion she kept hidden within to meet the blow.
âHowever, even that fierce clash failed to stand out on this chaotic battlefield. In its heart, the warriors of the New World were locked in a savage, ruleless melee, where ambushes and underhanded tactics were part of the game, and killing was the only goal.
âCandy Maiden!!!â
â!! PerosperoâŠ!!â
âFufufu, Marco~~âŠ!! Even someone like you looks to be struggling with this many enemies. You have my sympathyâperorinâȘâ
Suddenly, Marco was struck by a candy torture device lunging at him from the side. He took the hit but instantly regenerated and barely managed to regain his footing. The Big Mom Pirates had broken through the eastern front. Among them, Perosperoâsecond only to the Sweet Commandersâlaunched his attack on Marco.
But what happened next took both Marco and Perospero by surprise. âA wildfire erupted across the plaza.
âScorching Emperor: Yakyudon!!!â
â!!?â
A wave of flames swallowed many Marines, and even the Big Mom Pirates flinched from the shockwave. Perospero saw it too. His candy could melt in the heat, but worse still was the presence of someone who was technically an ally for nowâa âCalamityâ not to be ignored. A towering man, at the top of that dreaded list.
There werenât many capable of producing such intense firepower. Feeling the heat, Perospero cast a scornful glance at the man who had intervenedâand then at his opponent: the Navyâs ultimate weapon, who until moments ago had been fighting Perosperoâs younger brother.
âHah⊠HahâŠâ
ââWho said I needed your help?â
âHmph⊠You seemed to be struggling, so I thought Iâd be nice.â
In a corner of the fire-consumed plaza, Admiral AokijiâKuzanâwas on one knee, panting heavily.
He had been desperately holding off the Big Mom Pirates' assault on the eastern front alongside his subordinates. But with Big Momâs return, the line had crumbled, and now he found himself overwhelmed by two pirates standing before him. Both were among the most feared subordinates of the Four EmperorsâKatakuri of the Big Mom Pirates and King of the Beasts Piratesâcasting death stares at him while snapping at each other with disdain.
ââŠFine. I donât like working with you anyway. Letâs finish this quicklyâŠ!!!â
âYouâre telling me. Iâll kill you someday, but for now, Iâve got easier prey to take out firstâŠ!!!â
ââŠ!! Damn it⊠Couldnât you hold back just a littleâŠ!!!â
Blood trickled from Kuzanâs forehead as he gasped for breath. He realized again just how overwhelmingly disadvantaged he and his allies were.
Flames engulfed the battlefieldâan element unfavorable to him, an ice man.
He could freeze the fire, but with enemies like these, that wouldnât turn the tide in his favor.
Worst of all⊠he was still probably the strongest asset on their side.
This battlefield was hell. Sensing the fierce clashes unfolding elsewhere, Kuzan wore a bitter, grimace-like expression.
âHeavenly Fire!!!â
â!!!â
âIn the heart of the battlefield, a sun was dropped from the sky.
The flame avatar Prometheus, unleashed upon the battlefield, engulfed countless Marines in fire. The one commanding this devastation was the Yonko Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin.
To the Marines, she appeared as the advance of death itselfâan old hag dubbed the strongest crone in the world. Soldiers trembled and were slaughtered without resistance, while Big Mom grinned down at them with bloodthirsty delight.
âMa~mamamama!!! Is this the best you can send against me!? Just a bunch of weaklings!!? Sengoku!! Garp!! You two better come down here!!! I owe you some payback, and I plan on killing you myself!!!â
ââŠ!! âGarp!!â
âYeah⊠I got it already!!!â
â!â
Seeing Big Momâs rampage, Sengoku called out to Garpâwho was already leaping toward her, fist cloaked in black. A Haki-infused punch. Thatâs all it was, in theory. But that fist had once cast countless pirates into hellâthe ultimate weapon of âFist of Garp.â
âBig MomâŠ!! Teaming up with Kaido and Shiki now, are youâŠ!? What the hell are you up to!!?â
âHahahaâŠ!! Weâve got our own âcircumstances,â GarpâŠ!! Not that you need to knowâsince youâre going to die right here anyway!!!â
âTch⊠What a painâŠ!!â
Big Mom and Garpâs Haki clashed.
In the past, Garp held the upper handâbut that balance had now shifted.
Even so, his fists hadn't dulled. Though age may have taken its toll, Garpâs will remained unshaken. He held off Linlinâs attack, standing his ground. The name of the "Hero of the Marines," who had once cornered the Pirate King many times and even brought down Rocks, was no empty title.
âYet still, what Garp had once managed alone, now pushed him to his limits.
âAdmiral Sakazuki~~~!!!â
ââŠ!!â
âYes. The one who had grown stronger and reversed the power dynamic⊠wasnât alone.
That man, rampaging harder than anyone else on the battlefield, was now the strongest pirate in the world. He was once just an apprenticeâa reckless, sturdy frontliner with more guts than sense. But those days were long gone.
âOooooohâŠâŠ!!!â
â!!!â
But his fighting style hadnât changed much.
âIt was pure violence in its most distilled form.
âFire!! Fire at will!! Keep shooting!!!â
âEveryone attack at once!! If we take his head, we can turn this around!!!â
Naturally, Marines swarmed the man fighting at the center, throwing everything they had at him in an attempt to bring him down.
âBut it was all meaningless.
âBlades donât pierce himâŠ!!â
âBullets eitherâŠ!!â
âE-even mortars arenât workingâŠ!!?â
He had no armor. No shield.
But his body wouldn't take damage. Forged in countless battles, torture, and brushes with death, his flesh had become so tough that lead bullets, steel blades, and even explosives couldnât break him.
Even Haki-infused attacks fared no better.
â...!!!â
âUgh...ah...!!â
He could still feel his bodyâhe could tell he had been hit.
But the attack was so feeble that it didnât even register as pain. At most, it probably felt like a bug had landed on him. Pathetically weakâbarely enough to be unpleasant.
As the man endured more of these attacks and became aware of his assailants, he turned with a terrifying, demonic expression. Just seconds earlier, he had bludgeoned another group to death with his massive, bloodstained kanabo.
â!!!â
His muscles bulged and pulsed with veins.
The next instant, severalâmaybe dozensâof Marines were flattened into the ground. Among them were vice admiral-level fighters who had mastered Haki and Rokushiki.
But their Haki couldnât even scratch the man, let alone stop his attacks.
He didnât bother defending. He just approached, punched, stomped, smashedâjust killed.
âKaidooooooo!!!â
â...Moria, huh...â
No one could stop this brutally simple onslaught.
âKishishishi...!! Iâve been gathering shadows... just to kill you...!!!â
â.........â
âIâll kill you, steal the shadows of your precious subordinates... and then Iâll become... the Pirate King!!!â
â...You...?â
Whether they were Marines or piratesâ
â!!!â
âAgh...!!â
âwhether they were seeking justice or revenge, it made no difference.
âA weakling like you... thinks he can be something...!!?â
This pirate, known even as the strongest creature in the worldââKaido of the Beastsââcould not be killed by anyone...!!!
âBut youâre a pitiful one... your crew was slaughtered, and you were the only one left alive. Thatâs what broke you, right? I heard you got into corpses after that...!!â
Kaido looked down at Gecko Moria, once a fierce rival, now unconscious with whites of his eyes showing. Without a shred of emotion, he raised his kanabo. As if looking at trashâ
âSorry about that... for not killing you back then...!!!â
He muttered an apology... and brought the kanabo downâ
âLet me make it up to you... by killing you now.â
â!!!â
âending Moriaâs life with shocking ease.
He crushed the head of the unconscious and already dying Moria with his kanabo.
âA... ah...!!â
âT-The Warlord...!!â
A second time, a third, a fourthâhe kept slamming the kanabo down, methodically turning Moriaâs barely-living body into a corpse.
Just to make sure the man wasnât âlucky enoughâ to survive, he ground him down, blow after blow.
Only when Moriaâs face had lost all trace of humanity did Kaido finally exhale, then turned to face a new enemy. The Marines screamed at the death of an ally.
âG-Gecko Moria is dead!!!â
âWe lost a vital asset...!!â
One of the Three Great Powersâthe Warlords of the Sea, sanctioned by the World Government.
Even if they werenât Marines, the death of one of their own sent waves of shock through the ranks. Morale plummetedâeven among Headquarters Marines.
âHellhound...!!!â
â!!?â
âF-Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!!â
But they hadnât given up yet.
Sakazuki, his face and mouth stained with blood, formed the snarling head of a dog out of magma and launched an attack at Kaido.
But Kaido blocked it with a Haki-coated arm. He batted away the magma with his kanabo and glared back.
âWorororo... so youâre still breathing after all...!!!â
âOf course...! Huff...! I wonât rest... huff... until you damn pirates... are all wiped out...!!!â
Sakazuki, who had taken a direct blow from Kaido earlier, returned to the battlefield. As the Navyâs top weapon, he was a foe even Kaido couldnât afford to underestimate.
But even then, Kaidoâs overwhelming advantage remained. And he was getting bored of it.
âLooks like I can have a bit more fun... but the outcomeâs already decided. In the end, admirals and Warlords are only this strong... youâll never beat us...!!!â
âYouâre calling it a win a bit too early... Kaido...!!!â
â!!â
A sudden impact slammed into Kaido from the sideâan unbelievable force.
Though heâd weakened with age, the raw power of the blow still matched Kaidoâs own. And its source was a man known to all...
âWhitebeard has entered the plaza!!!â
âSorry, Kaido-san!! He made it onto the plaza!!â
Edward âWhitebeardâ Newgate stepped down from his ship into the battlefield.
Earlier, the giant Oars had stood up and lifted Whitebeardâs ship through the battlefield, smashing through the line of Marines blocking the way.
Queen, who had planned to trap the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay along with the Marines, ran up to Kaido, apologizing loudly. Kaido said nothing. He simply turned to face Whitebeardâfor the first time in thirty years.
âBeen a long time, Whitebeard...!! You finally came up... but youâre half-dead thanks to Nue. You really think you can fight me like that?â
âDonât get cocky... this is just the right handicap...!!!â
Whitebeard, standing with his âfamilyâ on the plaza, snapped back at Kaido. Blood trickled from his mouth and chestâbut he was still alive, still capable of fighting.
Seeing this, Kaido fell silent for a momentâas if thinking. Then, with a wicked grin, he spoke.
â...Interesting. You ready for this, Whitebeard...? Youâve always been too soft... it pissed me off sometimes... but I never hated that about you...!!!â
Kaidoâs words carried a surprising honesty as he recalled the past.
To Kaido, Whitebeard had always been a thorn in his sideâstrong, yet annoyingly soft. In his youth, heâd picked fights with him countless times, and even in recent years, had considered when he might finally kill the man.
But at the same time, he respected that strengthâand that resolve.
âIâll give you this much... your death might be worth watching. Youâre a great manâbut that doesnât mean youâll die a great death. Can you save Rogerâs brat... or your family...? Letâs find out...!!!â
â...!! What are you planning, Kaido...!!?â
âIâve been saying it all along. Iâm just going to end it. This boring-ass world...!!! HeyâDoflamingo! Hancock!!â
â!?â
â...!!â
As murmurs stirred around Whitebeard and his crew, Kaido called out sharply to two of the WarlordsâDonquixote Doflamingo and Boa Hancock.
The two, who had been holding back and barely participating, froze at being named. Nervous, sweating, they braced for what was coming. Kaido barked his next order.
âNo more half-assing it!!! Get your asses over here, now!!!â
"...Huh...?"
"W-What did he just say...?"
"...!! No way...!!"
Both Marines and pirates alike were stunned by Kaidoâs words.
Some, those with sharp instincts, turned pale. Even those who didnât fully grasp the situation shifted their gazes toward the two Warlords.
Doflamingo, with his usual fearless grin, calmly responded:
"...You saying we donât need to keep up the charade anymore?"
"Yeah. Quit messing around and get started already!!"
"...You realize communications are going to be cut off, right?"
"YeahâYouâre fine with that, right, Nue?"
"All good, all goodâȘ We canât transmit from inside, but we can still record it from the outside!! So go ahead and start!!"
"Fu... Fufufufufufu...!!! Alright then...!!!"
Doflamingo burst into loud laughter and released thick threads from his hand up toward the sky.
"Huh!? What the hell is that...!?"
"Doflamingo...!! What are you planning to do...!?"
"Fufufu... The 'Birdcage'...!!"
"!!?"
He answered the Marinesâ questions with that single word.
Meanwhile, the threads spread evenly in all directions with Doflamingo at the center high above, gradually covering the entire Marineford battlefieldâjust like a giant birdcage.
And then, Nue directed her voice to another WarlordâHancock.
"Hancock-chaaaan⥠You get it, right~~?"
"...!! Nue...-san..."
"Ahaha!! No need to be so scared!! Iâm super nice to my allies!! I wonât lay a finger on you or your pre-ci-ous one either!!"
"...! ...I understand."
"!!?"
"What...!!?"
Then Hancock suddenly launched an attack on a nearby Marine.
It was only then that the truth dawned on many of themâand shock swept through the battlefield.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!! All external communications have been severed!!"
"...!! You bastards were in cahoots from the start...!!! Doflamingo!!! Hancock!!!"
"Fufufufufufu!!! Sorry, Sengoku!! Itâs plain as day now, isnât it? Thatâs whatâs going on!! You lot in the government were good business partners, but... Iâve got no intention of going down with you. Iâm siding with them...!!!"
"..."
"'Heavenly Yaksha' and the 'Pirate Empress' have betrayed us~~~~!!!?"
"No way...!! This has gotta be a joke...!!"
"This means... half the Warlords are on the enemyâs side now!!!"
Two of the Seven WarlordsâDoflamingo and Hancockâhad abandoned the World Government and joined the pirate alliance. More specifically, they had aligned themselves with the Beasts Pirates.
The shocking revelation spread not only across the battlefield, but even reached the watching citizens of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Not just the Marinesâcountless civilians fell into despair.
Already, one Warlord had died, another had gone missing, and one had withdrawn. There were only four left. Now, two more had turned traitor.
That left just Mihawk and Kuma as the World Governmentâs remaining Warlord forces.
The Navy and Whitebeard Pirates were now even more cornered.
"Now then, 'Whitebeard'... 'Navy'... Iâll bear witness to your final moments...!!! This is your graveyard...!!!"
"...!!!"
The âMarine Headquartersâ and the âWhitebeard Piratesââthose who had upheld order across the world from both sides of the law.
Kaido's death sentence rang heavy, not just for them, but for every single person who heard it.
At that momentââStraw Hat Luffyâ was equally shocked and gripped by urgency, rushing back toward the battlefield.
"Hancock...!! So sheâs joined them too...!?"
"This is way worse than we imagined-chable...!! At this rate, the entire world order might collapse...!!!"
"Aye...!! Things keep spiraling for the worse...!! The Marines might loseâbut now even Old Man Whitebeard could fall!!"
"Huff... Huff... Yeah...!! We have to save Ace fast and do somethingâanything...!!"
The situation had not improved in the slightest. The world itself now stood on the brink of crisis.
Sensing that danger, Luffy once again made his way toward the execution platformâto save Ace.
But before he could reach it, a golden-haired man stood in his path.
"Jihahahaha...!! Things are getting real interesting now!! Even if you save 'Fire Fist Ace,' itâll all be for nothing!!!"
"...!? Who the hell are you!? Get outta my way!!! I wonât let you have Ace!!!"
"Jihaha!! Hot-blooded brat!! But watch your mouth. Yoursâand that Roger bratâs lifeâare both in my hands now."
"What did you say!!?"
The man who appeared before LuffyâGolden Lion Shikiâspoke with a sinister grin.
And then, he revealed to Luffy what he had told Ace when trying to recruit himâand why.
"I told your brother... If you value your little broâs life, youâd better join my crew...!!! He was way too stubborn, so I figured Iâd give him a little motivationâby roughing you up a bit!! Jihahahaha...!! Be grateful, kid!! Iâm gracing you with my personal attention!!!"
"...!!!"
Hearing that, Luffy snapped in an instant.
Forcing his exhausted body to move, he surged his blood flow and stretched his arm.
"If you think you canâthen go ahead and try!!! I wonât die!! Ace wonât join you, and I wonât let him die!!! Iâll beat you down myself... and save Ace...!!!"
"Jihahahaha!!! Those words? Iâll throw 'em right back at yaâgo ahead and try!!!"
Luffyâs fist, burning with fury, slammed into Shikiâs arm with a thunderous impact.
On this battlefieldâwhere death came easyâthe tide was about to tip dramatically in one direction.
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