Episode 304: Fire Fist Ace Is Actually the Son of the Pirate King Who Once Ruled the Entire Ocean??
『 The Marines, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the three Admirals, and everyone watching the events unfold on Sabaody Archipelago all seemed to have had their pressure points struck, frozen completely in place.
A villager whispered, "Fire Fist Ace is actually Gold Roger's son!"
The crowd gasped and cried out in disbelief.
On the other side, the journalists doing the live broadcast immediately became frantic.
"Quick, go write the report! This is massive, explosive news!"
"What are you standing there for? Get back to headquarters and prepare a special edition!"
"We have to move fast, too. We must scoop them!"
"Once this news gets out, newspapers are going to sell like crazy!"
These journalists seemed more anxious and frantic than anyone.
One of them, his eyes trembling, murmured, "He still has blood alive?"
"To think the Pirate King actually had a descendant!"
At this moment, the crowd on Sabaody Archipelago was abuzz with discussion:
"That notorious bastard actually had a child."
"Is the legend of Gold Roger, the Great Pirate, about to play out again?"
"That is the most prestigious bloodline. He's young and a pirate—if he hadn't been caught…"
"Thank goodness they captured him!"
"The Pirate King's child must be incredibly vicious!"
"If they sold him at an auction, he'd definitely fetch a massive price!"
"This execution is simply the ultimate performance. Who would have thought the Marines were executing Roger's son!"
"Could Fire Fist's strength be inherited from Roger? Looking at it this way, he actually had a chance of becoming the Pirate King in the future!"
"Don't worry too much, everyone. No matter how formidable he is, he's just Roger's son. Now that he's been captured, he's about to be executed. He won't be around to harm us anymore!"
The Seven Warlords and the others looked up at Ace, their gazes gradually turning peculiar.
The Pirate Empress whispered, "So he isn't Luffy's biological brother!"
A playful smile played at the corner of Doflamingo's mouth.
A person beside him spoke directly, "Anyone related to Roger should have been wiped out back then."
"I always thought he was Luffy's biological brother, and that his father was Dragon too!"
"I thought so too. What on earth is going on? Are they not real brothers?"
"Two years ago, when you used your mother's name as the captain of the Spade Pirates, rampaging across the seas and displaying astonishing strength and speed, we finally realized that Roger's descendant still existed!"
Sengoku's expression was extremely solemn, his tone even carrying a hint of anger.
It was as if he was telling Ace: You brought this on yourself!
"Besides that, we also discovered another thing. Whitebeard has been grooming you, wanting to pull you into his camp with the goal of making you the next Pirate King."
"He deliberately let his rival's son onto his ship, placing all his ambitions upon you!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Ace could no longer hold it in.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "That's not true! I joined that ship to make Pops the Pirate King!"
In the broadcast, Sengoku's voice continued. Ace refuted his words, but Sengoku only sneered disdainfully, "Regrettably, you are the only one who hasn't realized it!"
"In truth, ever since we located your whereabouts, we had long planned to take action against you. The only reason we didn't succeed was that Whitebeard protected you too well!"
"If we chose to turn a blind eye, you would have eventually realized your potential as the next generation's Pirate King. For that very reason, executing you here is a measure taken for the sake of the future."
"Even if…"
Suddenly, Sengoku raised his volume, his tone exceptionally resolute: "Even if it means going to total war with Whitebeard!"
Just as he spoke, a deafening roar echoed from Marineford.
As the crowd clamored, a panicked soldier at the foot of the execution platform reported loudly, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have an emergency to report!"
Sengoku lowered the communicator in his hand, looked down at him, and asked, "What is it?"
"The Gates of Justice opened for no apparent reason! We checked, but no one gave such an order—it opened on its own!"
"Furthermore, we can't get through to the power room!"
Hearing this, shock was written all over Sengoku's face. He demanded loudly, "What did you say?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "The gate opened? Meaning?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "So, the person called Whitebeard has already arrived?" ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "This battle is about to begin." ]
[ .....]
『 On the other side. In front of the colossal gate.
The pirate ship commanded by Jinbe still stood firmly at the front.
At this point, Luffy waved his arms from the back and asked loudly, "If I go up and punch it a few times, will it open?"
Everyone: "…"
Setting aside how sturdy the gate was and whether fists could even budge it, even if the Marines heard him, would they politely make way for Luffy? Impossible! 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "Oh, it's us." ]
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "Hahaha, the first to arrive here is indeed our Straw Hat Pirates!" ]
[ Portgas D. Ace (One Piece): "Everyone…" ]
[ .....]
『 Just when everyone felt completely helpless, the massive gate suddenly began to open slowly on its own.
Everyone was stunned.
"What's going on?"
"Am I seeing things?"
"The Gates of Justice opened on its own!"
Everyone on the ship was shocked.
"When we spoke to the Marines not long ago, didn't they clearly state they wouldn't open this gate?"
"This is too bizarre!"
"The power room that operates the Gates of Justice is inside Marineford. Who on earth…" Jinbe was also filled with astonishment.
To think that at this critical juncture, when all the Marines were gathered at Marineford, someone actually dared to infiltrate. Wasn't this person afraid of being torn to shreds if they were exposed?
That place was absolutely the most dangerous area on the sea!
Everyone on the ship found it hard to believe. To be able to pull off something like this under such strict surveillance—this person had truly risked everything!
"I get it!"
Buggy, standing at the highest point of the ship, spread his arms and shouted, "The reason this gate opened isn't as complicated as you think!"
The men below looked at each other, reading everything from each other's eyes!
"Could all of this have been done by Captain Buggy?"
"Who else but Captain Buggy could pull off such a feat?"
"Wah! It is truly an honor to be Captain Buggy's subordinate!"
All the male convicts knelt before Buggy, crying out, "Captain Buggy, you are simply a godsend!"
Another highly intelligent prisoner looked at Buggy and said in surprise, "No way, you did all of this? You're too amazing!"
Aside from these fanatical followers, Luffy was the only other person who believed Buggy's words without a doubt.
"Stop talking nonsense! You guys actually believe his crap!"
On the surface, Buggy was celebrating his victory, but the next moment, a question popped into his mind: Wait, who actually opened this gate?
"Whatever, the heavens must want me to become the Pirate King!"
The gate was so colossal that its opening generated turbulent waves on the sea, rising dozens of meters high. The ship rocked violently as it sailed forward toward Marineford.
A sudden silence fell over the surroundings.
And the screen fell quiet at this moment.
The three Marine Admirals had not spoken a word since they appeared.
Sengoku stood on the execution platform, his gaze directed toward the distant horizon of the sea.
This tense situation caused sweat to bead on his forehead, even as the Fleet Admiral.
After learning that the Gates of Justice had been opened, everyone prepared themselves, waiting for the enemy's arrival in their peak state.
However, the scene remained dead silent, with only the sunlight reflecting off the shimmering water.
The seagulls, completely unaware of the surrounding danger, flew freely in the sky.
The Pirate Empress murmured, "It's so quiet here."
Doflamingo chimed in, "An extraordinary tranquility, isn't it?"
Ace stared at the sea, his brow furrowed.
On the watchtowers monitoring the coast, every soldier held binoculars, carefully scanning every corner of the sea's surface. Not a single anomaly could be missed!
Although these men were not the main fighting force, they could still feel the immense, invisible pressure—as if Whitebeard's ship would suddenly burst into view at any second. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "Hmph, the initiative at this moment has already shifted to Whitebeard." ]
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "The battle starts whenever he wants it to start." ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "Oh? It seems you are quite familiar with this sort of thing?" ]
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "Ahem, whether I'm familiar with it or not, how could you not know?" ]
[ .....]
〜Mob Psycho 100 World〜
"This isn't a ghost ship, is it?"
Dimple hovered in the air, muttering to himself,
"I've heard people say before that after some ships sink, the people on board turn into ghosts, preying on passing sailors and fishermen!"
Shigeo Kageyama shivered upon hearing this.
His younger brother patted his shoulder, comforting him,
"Brother, Dimple is just trying to scare you!"
"Really?"
Shigeo Kageyama looked at Dimple with a face full of confusion. The pure innocence in his eyes made Dimple feel a bit helpless. This kid was too naive; if one wasn't thick-skinned enough, it was truly hard to fool him!
It turned its head toward Reigen, as if to say, this guy's skin is definitely thick enough.
Sure enough.
Reigen put on a profound look and said,
"This isn't made up. I've seen it with my own eyes before. You usually can't see those ghost ships, but once they target you, they become your nightmare. All of a sudden, you'll see these ships appear right before your eyes, with absolutely no idea how they popped up!"
At this moment, the silhouettes of massive ships began to emerge on the screen.
Reigen nodded and said,
"Yes, yes, that's exactly how it is."
—
『 The Marines on the watchtower saw the massive ships that had suddenly appeared, their faces instantly filling with shock.
How did they just pop up?
How could they be so close?
These men hastily sounded the alarm, letting it echo across the entire island.
"They're here!"
"All hands, prepare for battle!"
Even Sengoku was stunned.
He cried out, "How did they appear so suddenly? Where on earth did they come from?"
On the sea, various pirate ships with different markings continued to advance.
The ships were equipped with all kinds of cannons, and the symbols on their sails varied.
The Whitebeard Pirates were a massive pirate organization with Whitebeard at its core; it wasn't just a single ship.
The ships that first appeared before the crowd were relatively small, but the ships behind the thick fog were each grander than the last!
"Heavens!"
"So many pirate ships have breached our perimeter without any warning!"
"Where is Whitebeard? Confirm his position immediately!"
Through the binoculars, the Marine soldier read out every name in shock.
It wasn't because he was highly knowledgeable, but because these people were all top-class powerhouses, famous throughout the New World!
"A total of forty-three ships, but we don't see Whitebeard or the division commanders!"
"Though we don't see him, there is no doubt that these are all pirates under Whitebeard's banner!"
The pressure!
This unparalleled pressure!
Even though the number of pirates on these ships was far fewer than the Marines, the sheer size of the vessels and their menacing momentum were incredibly shocking. Were these really pirates? This looked more like the naval force of another nation!
"That is Whitebeard's influence. He hasn't even shown himself, yet he's already thrown the Marines into a panic!"
"Truly terrifying!"
"A pity they are pirates!"
"They've already grown strong to this extent. No wonder the Marines had to tolerate the existence of these pirates!"
"Where is Whitebeard! I can't wait to see him!"
On the pirate ships:
"Do you see little Ace?"
"I see him, I see him! We've come for you, Ace!"
Seeing Ace kneeling on the execution platform, these men all grew excited. Some were angry, some were thrilled, and some were simply overjoyed to see Ace!
Judging from their reactions, Ace already held immense influence within the Whitebeard Pirates. No wonder Sengoku had said what he did, believing Ace would become Whitebeard's successor!
Standing beside Garp was a white-haired woman. She was stopping the frantic Marines below, saying with dissatisfaction, "What are you panicking for? These youngsters are really…"
Garp smiled bitterly.
Ace raised his head, staring at those massive ships, his vacant eyes slowly regaining their light.
His body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with gratitude as he whispered, "So you all came…"
At the Marine headquarters:
"Should we attack?"
"Wait, Whitebeard must be nearby. Let's not rush to act; he must have his own plans. Let's observe the situation on the sea first."
From this Marine commander's words, one could hear the tension and fear in his heart.
Doflamingo threw his head back and laughed wildly, "Hahahahaha!"
"This is getting more and more interesting!"
"It really gets the blood pumping. Show yourself quickly, Whitebeard!"
At this very moment.
The expressions of the three Marine Admirals grew solemn.
They cast aside their previous dismissive attitudes, adopting a posture of waiting in full battle array.
Sengoku was the same. His ears twitched, as if he had detected some movement.
However, the sea remained calm and tranquil. Those pirates stopped outside the bay, and the two sides stood in a deadlock!
Their positioning was highly advantageous, ready to attack or defend at any moment, as if waiting for an order!
At the very beginning, their leader, Whitebeard, hadn't shown his face at all. How could he control the battle like this?
Did he really not want to come in person, only sending his subordinates to test the waters?
Everyone was highly perplexed by this, but whatever decision Whitebeard made would not be surprising. After all, Ace was not his biological son.
But at this moment, Whitebeard was like a beast quietly locking onto its prey, ready to pounce at any second.
Sengoku's brow twitched slightly as he muttered, "No way!"
Before he could finish his sentence, massive bubbles began to rise from beneath the surface of the water inside the bay, making a loud bubbling sound that echoed throughout the entire area.
Sengoku and the others, standing on high ground, could naturally see it clearly. But most of the Marines inside the fortress walls could only hear the deafening, strange noise.
Staring at the pirate fleet in the distance that brought intense pressure, they couldn't see the subtle changes beneath the water's surface at all.
"What's going on?"
"Where is that sound coming from?"
"How strange, what a bizarre sound!"
"Is there something acting up at the bottom of the sea?"
"Has Whitebeard already appeared? But I don't see his ship. What on earth is happening!"
Garp seemed to have seen through everything, whispering to the old woman beside him, "I'm afraid this fellow is going to pop up from an unexpected place!"
The old woman shook her head and sighed, "It seems we made a wrong move. Our formation was a miscalculation."
At this moment, a Marine standing on the watchtower shouted from afar, "A strange dark shadow has been spotted inside the bay! They've entered!"
On the sea, layer upon layer of massive waves gradually spread outward.
Then, a powerful column of water erupted from beneath the surface, shooting dozens of meters into the sky like a giant whale spouting water.
Everyone felt the damp air, their gazes becoming even more alert!
They knew in their hearts that Whitebeard was about to make his grand entrance.
At this moment, Sengoku caught sight of the colossal figure beneath the water, finally confirming his suspicion. He muttered, "As expected, they coated their ship and chose to advance by submerging underwater." 』
『 .....』