Although Marco and the others were eager to save Ace on their own, they were clearly being held back by the full force of the Marines. The arrival of the Straw Hat Pirates presented a golden opportunity.
They could rush directly to the execution platform, rescuing Ace and allowing everyone to retreat with fewer casualties. To them, being upstaged by the Straw Hat Pirates was a minor issue compared to the lives of their brothers.
"Garp! It's your family again!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku roared, his frustration evident.
Garp simply clutched his head, his eyes wide. "Luffy?!"
Everyone knew the Straw Hats were coming, but no one expected them to arrive so quickly, appearing from the sky and heading straight for the execution platform.
They were a serious problem, and their sudden arrival had already thrown the Marine's plan into chaos. If they succeeded in rescuing Ace, the Marines would face unimaginable humiliation. The Warlords and Admirals watched the descending ship with different expressions.
Donquixote Doflamingo's face was dark, his hatred for the Straw Hats surging as he remembered how they had defeated his top executives. Gecko Moria, on the other hand, just grinned. He hadn't experienced the Straw Hats' power firsthand and dismissed the rumors of a new "Five Emperors" as exaggerated. "How strong can a bunch of brats be?" he scoffed to himself.
"You're here, too? This is getting interesting," Dracule Mihawk said, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He had been disappointed when Ikki had refused his challenge in the East Blue and was now eager to seize this opportunity to fight.
"Are those the pirates everyone keeps talking about? Are they really that powerful?" Boa Hancock wondered, her expression one of confusion.
Meanwhile, Bartholomew Kuma remained silent, his current state was clearly not his own.
The three Admirals—Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji—all looked grim. They had all been defeated by the Straw Hats before, and now they were facing another surprise attack. Unfortunately, each of them was currently locked in a fight with their own enemies, making it impossible to intercept the crew.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's expression was conflicted. He gritted his teeth and said to Vice Admiral Tsuru, "Tsuru, get the army involved! We're fighting a losing battle with another of the Five Emperors on the field."
"Alright," Tsuru agreed. "They should contribute, too. What's the point of just hiding in the back and watching? I'll also send Gion and Tokikake. The Straw Hats are a lot to deal with, so it's best to be careful." She then pulled out a Den Den Mushi to make the arrangements.
In the sky, the Going Merry descended quickly, giving the crew a clear view of the battlefield below. The ship had been flying at a higher altitude to avoid detection, but now landing was becoming an issue.
"Nami!" Ikki called out.
"Got it!" Nami responded with a grin. She stood on the ship's bow, aiming her Clima-Tact at the execution platform. In the next moment, a wide path of clouds shot out, creating a bridge that stretched across the bay. Ikki sheathed his black-bladed sword, and the Going Merry landed on the cloud road, rushing toward the platform.
"What?! They made a cloud path?!" Not only Sengoku but the entire Marine army was in shock. They had expected the ship to move slowly, but creating a cloud road allowed the Merry to advance at an incredible speed using gravity and wind. At this rate, they would reach the execution platform in no time.
"Go, Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Go! Ace's brother!"
Marco and the other Whitebeard Pirates were elated. Even Whitebeard himself smiled. All that mattered was saving Ace, regardless of who did it. The Straw Hats' daring and strength impressed him, proving they were a crew worthy of facing the Marines' top fighters. The title of "Five Emperors" was well-deserved. Whitebeard felt a thrill of anticipation, eager to meet this young crew.
"Oh, you've really stirred things up, Straw Hat Pirates," Kizaru's voice drawled as a golden light shot toward the Merry. "Now, you'll be kicked by the speed of light—"
"Kizaru, have you ever been kicked by lightning?" a voice interrupted.
Sanji, now a blur of electricity, appeared next to Kizaru in an instant. Kizaru froze for a moment before Sanji's electrified kick slammed into the back of his waist, sending him flying into the plaza as a streak of yellow light.
"Admiral Kizaru?!"
"What's going on?! That's Black Leg Sanji?! Why is he so fast?!" The Marines were dumbfounded. Not only was he incredibly fast, but his attack was coated with Armament Haki, which could now hurt a Logia user.
Vice Admiral Onigumo, watching from the ice, felt a complicated mix of emotions. He had easily defeated both Sanji and Zoro on a previous encounter, and now Sanji was fighting an Admiral. It was unbelievable.
Kizaru reappeared as a collection of light particles, but he wasn't unscathed. He wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and flicked the faint footprints from his waist, his expression a little grim. "Oh, my. I didn't expect the long-lost Rumble-Rumble Fruit to show up again. The Straw Hats are a real problem, they've gotten their hands on such a dangerous fruit."
"What?! The Rumble-Rumble Fruit?!" Both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates were shocked.
Sanji had revealed his Devil Fruit ability during the chaos at Water 7, but the news of Ace's imminent execution had overshadowed the event. As a result, few people knew about Sanji's power. Now, with a single move, he had shaken the entire sea.
Sengoku was equally stunned. He immediately shouted, "Stop the Straw Hats with everything you've got! Don't let them reach the execution platform!"
At the same time, Whitebeard roared, "Cover the Straw Hats! Don't let the Marines stop them!"
The two sides immediately erupted in a renewed, desperate struggle. The Marines tried to fall back to the square, while the Whitebeard Pirates worked to keep them occupied.
Akainu was about to use Geppo to rush forward when a figure slammed into him, knocking the Admiral backward.
"Jozu the Diamond!" Akainu snarled, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Aokiji also tried to retreat but was intercepted by Marco.
As the Merry drew closer to the execution platform, the Marines grew desperate. Just then, a huge flying slash shot out from one of the buildings within Marineford, heading straight for the ship. Zoro moved to intercept it, but Ikki beat him to it.
"Zoro, you can't stop that one!"
Ikki drew Obsidian and slashed. His attack not only shattered the incoming slash but continued onward, tearing through the building it came from.
Two more slashes flew out, finally stopping Ikki's attack. Ikki used his Observation Haki and instantly knew who his opponent was. He stepped off the bow of the ship and flew toward the execution platform, getting there ahead of the Merry.
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