Ace was utterly stunned by the sudden arrival of his younger brother Luffy, who had seemingly dropped from the sky, and Sabo, who had been missing for years and presumed dead.
At the same time, everyone else was equally dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events. After all, it wasn't just Luffy and Sabo who had appeared out of nowhere—it was an entire ship, packed with a whole crew of people!
"Straw Hat Luffy, Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff Sabo, Revolutionary cadre Ivankov, Buggy the Clown…"
Smoker, alerted by Tashigi, noticed the uninvited group descending from the sky, his face betraying a mix of shock and confusion. "What kind of crew is this?"
Hawkeye, who had just failed in his challenge against Whitebeard, caught sight of Luffy plummeting toward the center of the battlefield. A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he muttered, "Always stealing the spotlight, that Straw Hat kid."
On the execution platform, Sengoku, after a moment of stunned silence, turned to Garp in a rage, roaring, "Garp, it's your damn family again!"
"Luffy!" Garp scratched his head in frustration. "That little brat!"
The scene was broadcast live to the world, leaving audiences everywhere in a state of shock.
The only person who remained calm was Lin Xuan, who had long anticipated this moment. He watched the group descend from the sky, shaking his head in amusement. "I changed so much, and yet, they still show up in the same dramatic way."
Even Roger and Rayleigh were visibly stunned, and Lin Xuan couldn't help but shake his head again. Deep down, he wasn't entirely unaffected. In his mind, system notifications were rolling in one after another:
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, Reputation Points +99,999!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, Reputation Points +99,999!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, Reputation Points +99,999!"
Why was he earning so many reputation points? Because Minato Namikaze and Rin Nohara, disguised using transformation techniques, were on that very ship with Luffy and the others. In other words, the system credited Lin Xuan for orchestrating this entire spectacle, allowing him to rake in the rewards.
As everyone stood frozen in shock, Luffy and his crew finally landed. The surrounding navy and pirates were so stunned that, for a moment, they forgot to fight.
"Now's my chance!"
Crocodile, who had been biding his time, seized the opportunity. Transforming into a swirling storm of sand, he charged straight at Whitebeard, his venom-laced hook swinging viciously toward the legendary pirate. His only thought was to take down Whitebeard—not only to fulfill his lifelong ambition but also to restore his tarnished reputation in the New World.
"No!"
Several members of the Whitebeard Pirates cried out in alarm, rushing to intervene but too late to stop him. Whitebeard, however, stood unmoved, as if Crocodile's sneak attack was beneath his notice.
Before Whitebeard could even act, two figures appeared behind him in a flash. One from the left, one from the right, they sent Crocodile flying with a coordinated strike. Those two figures were none other than Luffy and Sabo, the brothers reunited.
The crowd was stunned once more.
Lin Xuan, watching the scene unfold, was mildly surprised—not because Crocodile wasn't imprisoned in Impel Down as he had been in the original story, but because Luffy's fist, when striking Crocodile, was coated in Armament Haki.
Clearly, this was another butterfly effect caused by Lin Xuan's actions. This time, Luffy had entered Impel Down alongside Sabo. Though his strength wasn't as formidable as in the original timeline, he had Sabo by his side to protect him. With the protagonist's aura shielding him, Luffy had faced danger after danger in Impel Down, emerging not only alive but stronger than ever. Sabo had even taught him how to use Armament Haki, leading to the scene now unfolding.
After repelling Crocodile, Sabo politely addressed Whitebeard. "Hello, sir. I'm Ace's brother, Sabo. This is my younger brother, Luffy. Nice to meet you!"
"Ace's brothers, huh? That's quite an entrance you two made," Whitebeard said, eyeing them with interest.
Suddenly, Luffy shouted, "Hey, old man! You're Whitebeard, right?"
"That's me. What's it to you?" Whitebeard replied, turning to him.
Luffy's expression grew serious. "I know you want to be the Pirate King too, right? Listen up—Ace might like you a lot, but I'm not handing over the Pirate King's throne to you!"
The declaration left Whitebeard stunned. Sabo froze. Everyone within earshot was floored. The words carried through the broadcast to Lin Xuan and the others on the warship, leaving them momentarily speechless.
Lin Xuan shook his head with a wry smile. "Some things just can't be changed." No matter what, he couldn't alter Luffy's dream of becoming the Pirate King.
Roger, the former Pirate King, heard Luffy's bold proclamation and his eyes lit up. "This kid's got spirit! Reminds me of myself back in the day."
When he noticed the straw hat on Luffy's back, he chuckled. "Shanks gave my hat to this kid? Good eye! Haha, this boy's got what it takes to be the Pirate King!"
Rayleigh, standing nearby, twitched at the corner of his mouth. This kid? He wasn't sure about Luffy's other qualities yet, but in terms of personality, he was certain Luffy was cut from the same cloth as Roger—a total goofball.
Memories of his first meeting with Roger flashed through Rayleigh's mind, and a sudden thought struck him: Could it be… only a fool can become the Pirate King? Is that what Roger meant by 'potential'?
At that moment, Whitebeard snapped out of his daze. While everyone expected him to erupt in anger, he instead let out a booming laugh. "Gurararara! What a bold kid!"
To everyone's astonishment, Whitebeard wasn't the least bit angry.
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T/N:
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