The Ice Bird's impact speed was extremely fast, and wherever it passed, everything froze into ice.
However, before the Ice Bird could reach Whitebeard, it was intercepted by Marco, whose body was engulfed in blue flames.
"Aokiji, your opponent is me. Don't even think about interfering with Pops."
Seeing his attack blocked, Aokiji showed no sign of concern.
Unlike Akainu, who fully embraced absolute justice and was now fighting with his full strength, Aokiji seemed to be holding back.
"Ah la la la, well, it can't be helped."
With that, Aokiji engaged in battle with Marco, while the four Reincarnator captains from the pirate faction charged toward the remaining four Reincarnator captains of the navy faction.
Despite their severe injuries, the temptation of 40,000 Reincarnation Points right before them was irresistible.
Even if they had to push their exhausted bodies to the limit, as long as they could kill one Reincarnator captain, not only would they earn 10,000 Reincarnation Points, but they would also increase the pirates' chances of victory.
Not far from the plaza, Luffy and his crew were struggling to fend off a massive horde of zombies—Moria, their old adversary, had made his move against them.
Since Luffy had not gone to Impel Down, he did not have the assistance of Jinbe or the Ivankov.
Getting past Moria's obstruction was no easy task for them.
At that moment, however, the 3rd division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, "Diamond" Jozu, arrived to support Luffy and his crew.
Because Luffy was Ace's younger brother, Whitebeard had specifically instructed his sons before the battle to do their best to protect Luffy's life.
Originally, "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, who had been entangled with Jozu, was now intercepted by the 5th division commander, "Flower Sword" Vista.
As for the remaining Warlord of the Sea—the mastermind behind this entire Marineford War, Blackbeard—he remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal strike to Whitebeard.
Meanwhile, the battle between Rayleigh and Kizaru had reached its climax, with neither side finding an opportunity to break through.
With Jozu's assistance, the zombie army summoned by Moria was swiftly wiped out. Then, with most of his body transformed into diamond, Jozu suddenly launched a powerful charge at Moria.
In the original storyline, even Aokiji had been sent flying and coughing up blood after taking Jozu's Brilliant Punk head-on. There was no way Moria could withstand such an attack.
As expected, Moria was severely injured by Jozu's charge, rendering him completely incapable of fighting.
"Ace, I'm coming to save you!"
After dealing with Moria, Jozu leaped past Luffy and the others, charging straight toward the plaza. Along the way, every marine in his path was sent flying by his unstoppable collisions, making him seem like an unstoppable force.
Before long, Jozu reached the edge of the bay. With a powerful crouching jump, he landed on the plaza.
His towering five-meter figure crashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater upon impact. Some unfortunate marines were even crushed beneath his massive feet, losing their lives in an instant.
Before he could take his next action, a massive fist suddenly appeared in his vision and, in the blink of an eye, struck his head.
Jozu was sent flying by the punch, once again propelled far from the plaza. The one who had thrown this punch was none other than Garp.
"Jozu!" Ace, kneeling on the execution platform, shouted anxiously as he watched Jozu get blasted away by Garp's punch.
At the same time, thanks to Jozu clearing out all the marines blocking the way, Luffy was able to extend his arms and climb up to the plaza below the execution platform, coming face-to-face with Garp.
"Grandpa, move aside! I'm going to save Ace!"
"There's no way I'm moving!" Garp shouted, veins bulging on his face as he endured his inner turmoil. "I am a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters! If you want to pass through here, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
What followed was a heartfelt standoff between grandfather and grandson—neither Luffy nor Garp took a step back.
But in the end, just like in the original story, family bonds triumphed over duty. Garp deliberately left an opening and allowed his own grandson to punch him away.
As a seasoned actor, even though he wasn't seriously injured, Garp closed his eyes and lay motionless on the ground.
The sight of Garp being sent flying left the surrounding marines utterly shocked. Even Sengoku's expression darkened as he looked at Garp lying there.
He knew full well that Garp had intentionally let Luffy strike him down.
At this point, Sengoku no longer wished to drag things out. He immediately ordered the executioners on both sides to proceed with Ace's execution without delay.
But by now, it was already too late.
"Ace!"
Luffy shouted as he reached out and grabbed onto the execution scaffold. Utilizing the elasticity of his rubber body, he propelled himself directly onto the execution platform.
Without any hesitation, he stretched both arms forward and sent the two executioners flying.
"Ace, I'm here!" Luffy said excitedly, paying no attention to Sengoku, who was standing right beside them.
"Luffy..." A bright smile appeared on Ace's face. If, at the start, he had felt deeply guilty about his crewmates risking their lives to save him, seeing their unwavering determination and his younger brother's relentless efforts had rekindled his desire to live.
At that moment, Sengoku finally decided he would no longer stand idly by.
"Hmph, do you really think that just because you made it here, you can take Ace from me?"
"Sengoku..." Hearing Sengoku's voice, Ace's expression changed drastically, and he quickly shouted, "Luffy, get out of here now!"
"No! Ace, we'll leave together! I'm taking you away right now!" Luffy declared firmly and immediately attempted to carry Ace—whose hands were bound by Seastone handcuffs—off the execution platform.
However, Ace's handcuffs were connected by long Seastone chains, which extended into the two holes behind him.
This meant that in order to free Ace, they would either have to unlock the Seastone handcuffs or destroy the execution platform itself.
As Luffy and Ace continued their conversation, Sengoku finally revealed his Devil Fruit ability, transforming into a towering golden Buddha radiating a dazzling light.
The sudden appearance of this golden figure caused both marines and pirates engaged in battle to instinctively halt their attacks, shifting their focus toward the execution platform.
Not only did the ordinary marines and pirates stop fighting, but even Whitebeard, Akainu, and other key figures momentarily ceased their clashes.
"Sengoku, so you've finally decided to step in," Whitebeard remarked, his expression grim as he gazed at the golden, glowing Sengoku. "Ace, Straw Hat boy…"
Meanwhile, the three remaining Reincarnator captains from the pirate faction stared at the execution platform in sheer horror. If Sengoku killed Ace, all their efforts would have been for nothing, and their very existence might be erased.
They had successfully eliminated all four Reincarnator captains from the navy faction, but at the cost of one of their own.
Yet, at this moment, all they could do was worry helplessly. After all, the rules of the Reincarnation Space prohibited direct interference with Ace. If they violated this rule, even if Sengoku failed to kill Ace, they would still face the risk of being erased.
In the bay, Zoro, Sanji, Franky, and Brook—engaged in fierce combat against the marines—could only watch Luffy anxiously from afar. If possible, they would have rushed to their captain's side without hesitation.
However, they were surrounded by marines blocking their path. Even if there were no obstacles, they simply wouldn't make it in time with their current speed.
Inside the ice wall, Eriri and the other viewers in the live broadcast room were watching the scene with great enthusiasm. Some were even on the edge of their seats, as if watching a thrilling movie.
[Azusa Aizawa (Level 4, Stage 7): The tension on the battlefield is getting heavier… I wonder if Luffy will be able to rescue his brother.]
During the course of this battle, Eriri and Arifureta had taken the time to explain its background to the viewers, often pointing out and providing commentary on the key combatants.
As a result, the audience—including Miss Sayuri and other group members—was no longer completely unfamiliar with Luffy and his allies.
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 6, Stage 6): I think it's going to be really tough. That glowing golden Buddha looks ridiculously strong.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 6, Stage 6): Of course it is. After all, Sengoku is the Fleet Admiral of the Marines and a powerhouse from Whitebeard's era. He's definitely not weaker than the three Admirals—he might even be on par with Whitebeard.]
[Adele (Level 4, Stage 6): Hmm~ hmm~ that makes a lot of sense.]
[Yuuki Asuna (Level 6, Stage 6): This battle has been going on for nearly an hour now… Looks like it's about to end.]
[Arifureta (Level 6, Stage 8 / Group Leader): That was fast. If the Reincarnators hadn't interfered, this battle should have lasted two to three hours. Their presence has basically cut the duration in half.]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 4, Stage 4): By the way, Eriri, I know it doesn't really matter now, but I still want to ask—if those Reincarnators hadn't intervened, would Luffy have managed to rescue Ace?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): No, in the original timeline, Ace was killed by Akainu while trying to save Luffy, and Whitebeard also died.]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 4, Stage 4): Ah… that's so sad.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): There's nothing sad about it—it's just a matter of different standpoints.]
Eriri truly didn't see anything pitiful about Luffy, Ace, or Whitebeard's fate, nor did she think Akainu was particularly detestable. After all, he was simply fulfilling his duty as a marine.
Whether or not the marines represented "true justice" was debatable, but to put it bluntly, more than 99% of pirates in this world deserved their fates.
Eriri maintained a neutral stance on the matter.
Even regarding the bounty the marines had placed on her, she merely found it amusing. After all, at this point, the navy was still under the command of the World Government.
So as long as they didn't actively seek trouble with her, Eriri had no intention of making a move against them.
However, if the marines provoked her first, she certainly wouldn't be as lenient as she had been with Kizaru—there would be no second chances.
Of course, if Hancock succeeded in destroying the World Government and the navy became independent but still refused to revoke her bounty, then Eriri wouldn't mind erasing them from existence.
[Honjou Kaede (Level 4, Stage 4): I see…]
[Arifureta (Level 6, Stage 8 / Group Leader): But this time, Ace might not die. Look—someone is already taking action.]
On a battlefield near the plaza, Rayleigh's expression was exceptionally serious. He infused his sword with powerful Conqueror's Haki and swung it fiercely at Kizaru.
In an instant, a crimson-black slash cut through space and struck Kizaru, sending him flying.
Rayleigh didn't even spare a glance at the aftermath of his attack. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the execution platform at full speed.
Meanwhile, on the execution platform, Sengoku, in his massive golden Buddha form, raised his colossal fist. His face was grave as he looked down at Luffy and Ace.
"It's too late to escape now. Straw Hat Luffy, you, too, are an unforgivable criminal. I will personally execute you and your brother right here!"
With that, he swung his massive golden fist down toward Luffy and Ace.
Perhaps due to the sheer size of his transformed body, Sengoku's punch wasn't as fast as one might expect, giving Luffy just enough time to react.
Without hesitation, Luffy stood firmly in front of Ace and put his right thumb into his mouth.
"Gomu Gomu no Giant Balloon!"
Luffy took a deep breath and blew into his thumb. His body expanded at an incredible rate, swelling up like a massive rubber balloon.
He was planning to use his own body to absorb the impact of Sengoku's attack.
However, in his current weakened state due to the Seastone handcuffs, Ace might also get crushed by Luffy's expanding body, potentially suffering serious injuries.
But Luffy had no time to worry about that now. A serious injury was still far better than death.
The next moment, Sengoku's massive fist slammed directly into Luffy's body, causing the enormous rubber balloon to cave inward upon impact.
Under the immense pressure of Sengoku's attack, Luffy's body involuntarily collapsed toward Ace.
However, just as Ace was about to be crushed, Rayleigh arrived at the execution platform in time. He swiftly coated his arms with powerful Armament Haki and positioned himself in front of Ace.
Luffy's massive, balloon-like rubber body pressed against Rayleigh's arms, but it didn't affect him in the slightest.
Ace, rather than immediately expressing gratitude for being saved, looked at Luffy with a panicked expression, deeply concerned about his condition after taking Sengoku's punch head-on.
"Luffy, are you okay?!"
Luffy was clearly in bad shape. Sengoku's punch had inflicted serious damage, causing him to cough up several mouthfuls of blood on the spot.
His inflated rubber body barely lasted a few seconds before rapidly deflating—taking a direct hit from Sengoku was still too much for him to endure.
However, the impact of Sengoku's punch also caused the execution platform to collapse, breaking the chains that had bound Ace.
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