"Sensei, what do we do now? And just now..." Jack's eyes swept across the battlefield. The captains of the Whitebeard Pirates were throwing everything they had into shielding Luffy, who was charging straight for the execution platform. Jack turned toward Garp, unsure.
"We focus on the task in front of us." Garp exhaled heavily, his face clouded with conflict. "Mariejoa won't fall so easily. Our duty is to uphold justice—as marines."
Jack lifted his gaze to the platform where Sengoku stood, watching the tide of battle like a hawk. With a quiet sigh, Jack turned back... and made his move.
"Whitebeard! Your life is mine!"
He launched himself from the execution platform and sprinted straight toward the towering pirate, momentarily drawing the attention of the captains who had been focused on covering Luffy.
"Ignore him! I'll handle this." Whitebeard cracked a bloodied grin, gripping his weapon tighter. "Your job is to get Straw Hat to his brother!"
Just then, Inazuma—leapt from Ivankov's wild hair. With a burst of energy from his Devil Fruit, he carved open a clear path through the marines, clearing the way for Luffy.
"You won't get through that easily~" Kizaru's lazy drawl echoed through the battlefield as he turned to intercept Luffy—but before he could act, Whitebeard's naginata came down, forcing him to stay put.
The battle raged on, but so did the determination of those who carried the weight of an era on their shoulders.
"Whitebeard, do you really have a death wish?" Kizaru muttered darkly, eyes narrowing as Jack approached the battlefield.
"Gurarara! You think you two can take me down?" Whitebeard laughed, the sound deep and defiant. "Don't be so naive, Kizaru." He didn't even spare a glance at Jack, as if the young marine's arrival wasn't worth noting.
"Stop the Straw Hat—now!" A marine bellowed, while the Whitebeard Pirates shouted in response:
"Ace's brother—go! We'll handle the rest!"
The clash reignited with fury as both marines and pirates turned their weapons toward Luffy.
Just then, Jack reached Whitebeard but didn't attack. Instead, he spoke calmly, eyes locked on Kizaru.
"Admiral Kizaru, I'll handle this one. You should help intercept the Straw Hat. It's hardly honorable for so many to gang up on a wounded man, after all."
Kizaru paused for a moment, then gave a subtle nod. Without another word, he turned into a beam of light and vanished across the battlefield.
Whitebeard finally looked at Jack, his expression unamused.
"You've got guts, kid. Or maybe just a death wish. Are you underestimating me?"
"Why don't we find out?" Jack replied, exhaling slowly. He wasn't here to hold back—not today.
But before attacking, he leaned in just a bit and spoke in a low voice, only for Whitebeard to hear:
"The Revolutionary Army has already launched an assault on Mariejoa. Consider that a free tip. What you do with it is your call. From this moment on, I'm Rear Admiral Jack of Navy Headquarters."
Then—Boom!
Their weapons clashed in a flash, the sound reverberating like thunder. Jack was knocked back several meters, skidding across the ground. But when the dust settled, he stood tall, uninjured. The blow had been a feint—just for show, meant to deceive the watching eyes.
Whitebeard narrowed his gaze, now seeing Jack not as a boy—but as a soldier playing his own game in the chaos of war.
"Kid, I admire your spirit—but since you've made your choice, don't blame me for what comes next."
Whitebeard grinned fiercely and swung his massive blade toward Jack with earth-shattering force.
"Sage Art Galaxy Fist!"
Jack didn't flinch. Instead of dodging, he countered head-on. Hi punch laced with Armament Haki and senjutsu chakra—his body surged with force and resolve.
One blow after another collided with Whitebeard's attacks. The air around them cracked with pressure, the ground beneath their feet trembling.
Though Jack fought with everything he had, the sheer might of Whitebeard was overwhelming. Blood sprayed from both of them. Whitebeard coughed violently, more blood dripping from his lips as his wounds worsened. Jack, too, was battered—his clothes torn, his mouth red with blood—but he stood tall, refusing to back down.
"Dad!"
The Whitebeard Pirates cried out in alarm, seeing their captain injured. But they couldn't break formation—Luffy was still making his desperate push toward the execution platform, and they were his shield.
From afar, Akainu narrowed his eyes.
"Has that brat really grown strong enough to challenge Whitebeard?"
Sengoku shook his head with grim clarity.
"No… He's still being overpowered. If Whitebeard were at full strength, that boy would've been crushed already."
Boom!
The shockwave of their latest clash echoed across the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention. And in that fleeting moment of distraction…
Luffy had already dashed across the bridge that had been forged for him by Inazuma. He was just moments away from reaching Ace—hope was within reach.
But then—Bang!
A shadow burst through the air and landed directly in front of him.
A figure stood there, blocking Luffy's path.
"Grandpa, move out of the way!"
Luffy's voice rang out, filled with desperation as he charged forward. In his current state, nothing—no one—could be allowed to stand in his path.
"You brat... What do you think you're saying?"
Garp's tone was gruff, but his eyes held a deep conflict.
"I'm a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters! I've been fighting pirates since before you were even born. If you want to pass—then you'll have to go through me. This is the path you chose, Straw Hat Luffy."
"I can't... I can't fight you, Grandpa! Please, move! The bridge is collapsing!"
Luffy's voice cracked with urgency and pain.
"If you can't do it... then Ace will die."
Garp smiled faintly, his expression filled with sorrow and resignation.
"AAAHHH!"
Luffy let out a cry and threw a punch straight at Garp.
The old Marine legend raised his own fist—but not with his usual speed or power. His arm moved slowly, deliberately... as if weighed down by something far heavier than gravity.
BOOM!
The sound of the impact echoed across the battlefield. Garp was sent flying, crashing to the side.
"Vice Admiral Garp—taken out by Luffy?!"
The navy stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You can't run from love forever, Garp..."
Sengoku sighed heavily, standing beside Ace. He understood the weight of that punch more than anyone else.
"Ace!"
Luffy burst forward and finally reached the execution platform.
"Luffy..."
Ace looked at his little brother with wide eyes. A smile formed on his lips, but words failed him. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop.
But not for Sengoku.
"Looks like I'll have to step in myself."
Until now, Sengoku had stood still, but the moment Luffy reached Ace, he sprang into action. He wasn't just a figurehead—he was the fleet admiral of the navy for a reason.
"Look! The Fleet Admiral—he's using his Devil Fruit!"
The nearby marines gasped as Sengoku's body began to glow and expand.
"It's the Great Buddha form!"
Meanwhile, Luffy fumbled for something in his pocket.
"It's okay, Ace—I have the key!"
He held it up triumphantly, just inches from unlocking the seastone cuffs.
But in the blink of an eye—ZAP!
A beam of light streaked across the platform and shattered the key into useless fragments.
"Ah? No way!"
Luffy stared in horror as the key shattered in his hands—blasted apart by a laser. Kizaru hovered nearby, still glowing faintly from his light-speed attack.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the chaos.
"Huh? Why did I pass out here...?"
Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief. One of the supposed executioners had just stood up, dazed—but that unmistakable hairstyle gave him away.
"Mr. 3!?"
It was Crocodile's former subordinate—the Candle Fruit user himself.
"Come on! Help me save Ace! I'll handle the attacks!"
Without hesitating, Luffy puffed himself up into a human balloon, shielding both Mr. 3 and Ace with his body.
"Got it!"
Mr. 3 suddenly remembered Mr. 2 Bon Clay's tearful plea through the Den Den Mushi: "Save Luffy!"
Clenching his fists, he activated his ability, forming a makeshift wax key to replace the one Kizaru had destroyed.
POW!
BOOM!
Sengoku's massive fist came crashing down. Even though Luffy was in balloon form, the force sent him flying, blood spurting from his mouth. But the blow had another consequence—it shattered the execution platform entirely.
"He's still human—kill him with artillery!"
Akainu barked the order.
"Fire! Don't let Fire Fist escape!"
Explosions lit up the sky.
"Straw Hat! Can you still move? I made a key!"
Mr. 3 tossed the wax key toward Luffy as the three of them plummeted from the broken platform.
"I'm okay!"
Luffy coughed, still reeling from the blow, but managed to catch the key. Had Sengoku used his full strength, Luffy would have been a lifeless smear on the ground. Garp's silent influence had held Sengoku's hand back.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
The cannons roared.
The remnants of the execution platform were engulfed in fire. A wall of flame and smoke rose into the sky.
"Ace!"
Everyone froze. All eyes turned to the blaze.
The pirates' hearts sank as hope seemed to burn away with the wreckage. Their spirits dropped like frostbitten leaves.
"So... was this your plan all along?"
Whitebeard's voice was low as he glanced at Jack, who stood beside him, eyes locked on the inferno.
"No," Jack replied softly.
"This is fate. What happens next decides everything. Ace is still in danger. Whitebeard… I know what's on your mind. But I ask you—hold off Akainu. If we lose focus now, we may both regret it."
Whitebeard studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"Oh? And where do you think you're going?"
Jack offered a half-smile, his gaze shifting.
"Didn't you notice? My sensei's wounded. I should probably check in."
"Gurararara... you're a cheeky brat," Whitebeard laughed, shaking his head as Jack turned and vanished into the battlefield mist.
And this time, he let him go.
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