It was bad enough that the Revolutionary Army now possessed a combat suit capable of withstanding Akainu magma, the same magma that could melt solid steel like butter. The Marines knew that unless Vegapunk could recreate that same level of technology, they would be hopelessly outmatched in any future conflict.
Previously, the Marines held only two major advantages over the Revolutionary army first was money and second was devil fruit such as Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. That didn't mean the Revolutionary Army lacked Devil Fruit users altogether, they had a few, but none with abilities that rivaled the might of the three Admirals. Akainu could transform his entire body into magma, Kizaru could move at the speed of light and Aokiji could freeze even the raging sea in an instant.
Except for Dragon and Bartholomew Kuma, none of the other Revolutionary commanders could even hope to scratch a Marine Admiral. Yet now, Akainu had been defeated and captured. The Marines could only imagine how much ransom would be demanded for the return of their most destructive weapon.
Few months ago Bartolomew Kuma had accepted World Government invitation to become Sichibukai one of the seven warlords of the sea.
What they didn't know, however, was that Kuma had already reached an agreement with Jack to secretly abandon the World Government. During the battle, it was Jack himself who told Kuma to stay hidden and not interfere, allowing the entire fight to unfold without his involvement.
Meanwhile, Marineford remained in complete disarray. Dozens of soldiers were missing, Vice Admirals were injured or unaccounted for and communications across the Grand Line were unstable. Amidst the confusion, the rest of the world finally received word of the shocking battle and the man responsible for spreading it was Big News Morgans.
Morgans reported every detail of the war that took place on Whiskey Peak, ensuring that no one, not even the World Government, could suppress the truth. Money couldn't buy his silence and not even the Five Elders could stop him from sharing the biggest scoop in history. From the Calm Belts to the New World, and across all four seas, people whispered the same unbelievable story.
"A rookie pirate had defeated Admiral Akainu and even captured him alive."
Though the Revolutionary Army had assisted in the war, Morgans report emphasized that Monkey D. Luffy had fought Akainu on his own. According to the article, Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionaries and Luffy father, hadn't even participated in the fight. It was Luffy alone who overpowered the Admiral, while Jack captured him afterward.
The newspaper headlines screamed in bold, ink-stained letters across every page.
MARINES CRUSHED AT WHISKEY PEAK! ADMIRALS DEFEATED!
STRAW HATS AND REVOLUTIONARY ARMY VICTORIOUS!"
Each article described the chaos in detail, the Straw Hats being cornered, the appearance of the mysterious combat suit that neutralized magma and the massive aftermath of the battle. Over a thousand Marines and agents were reported missing and rumors spread that most had already perished.
The world had not seen such an event in decades. For the first time, even the Four Emperors turned their attention toward the headlines. The balance of power had shifted and the seas would never be the same again.
***
On Sphinx Island, the Whitebeard Pirates gathered around the old man whose name is Edward Newgate the captain of Whitebeard Pirates. He was known as the father of Pirates and everyone inside his crew are all his adopted son, their expressions filled with disbelief.
Only a few days ago, something happened to their pirates, one of their crew Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, had betrayed them, murdering a crewmate and fleeing with a devil fruit. Portgas D. Ace, commander of the Second Division, had gone to the Paradise seas to hunt the traitor. Whitebeard pirates had tried to stop him, but Ace pleading eyes and burning anger as a commander left him with no choice but to let him go.
Now, instead of reading about Blackbeard, the crew found themselves staring at something far more shocking.
Ace little brother, Straw Hat Luffy had defeated Akainu, the very man who killed countless pirates and even stood as one of the three Admirals. Even more astounding, he and his crew had captured Akainu alive, if the leader of the Revolutionary Army was joining the fight it was understandable but according to report, Luffy was alone when beating Akainu.
For a moment, silence consumed the deck. The only sound was the distant cry of seagulls and the rhythmic crash of waves.
Marco froze mid-motion as he lowered a crate to the ground. His eyes flicked toward Izo. "Say that again," he said in disbelief.
Izo handed him the newspaper, his fingers trembling between awe and confusion. "It's real," he said quietly. There is his picture after defeating Akainu and not just that, Akainu also had been kidnapped by them.
Whitebeard took the paper, his massive hands dwarfing the pages. His brows furrowed as he scanned the headline and the grainy photo beneath it, Luffy, standing beside the Revolutionary Army, while Akainu and several marines have been captured by them.
Even for a man who had seen countless wars, Whitebeard found himself impressed. Admirals were monsters, though not on his level. But for Luffy, who barely out of his rookie years, had managed to defeat one of them.
Marco exhaled slowly. "Ace's brother is a monster," he muttered, eyes still fixed on the image.
Whitebeard chuckled, his deep voice rumbling like thunder. "The tides are changing again," he said, recalling his final conversation with Roger about the one who would inherit the will of D.
'Perhaps this boy… is the one Roger was waiting for,' thought Whitebeard.
"Pops would've crushed Akainu in one swing!" one of the crewmen shouted proudly.
Even the stoic Jozu laughed, shaking his massive shoulders. "Akainu, huh? He is weak, I can beat him too."
Everyone laughed hearing Jozu comment but Marco didn't laugh, instead he looked toward the horizon. "This changes everything," he said softly. "The balance of power, the World Government's control, even the Yonko… everything's about to shift again."
***
Meanwhile, on a small ship drifting through the sea powered by logia fire near Drum Island, a single figure stood on deck, his orange hat tilted low against the falling snow. Portgas D. Ace, commander of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, had arrived after following the faint trail of Marshall D. Teach, the traitor who killed thatch.
But he was too late, the once-bustling island of Drum had been reduced to ashes and smoke, luckily not all building has been destroyed.
There is not even a single figure could be seen on the island because they all had hide from the pirates when Blackbeard come to this place.
Ace clenched his fist, heat flickering faintly from his palm. "Damn it… Teach. You always leave destruction wherever you go."
He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the anger boiling inside him. There was no point staying here. He'd have to move on to the next island and continue the chase.
Just as he was about to return to ship, a familiar fluttering sound filled the air.
Flap—flap—flap—
A flock of news birds swooped down from the cloudy skies, circling him. One of them perched neatly on the railing, holding out a fresh newspaper with a small pouch dangling from its neck.
Ace raised a brow. "Thanks. Even in the middle of nowhere, you guys still find me, huh?"
He tossed a few coins into the pouch, earning a cheerful squawk from the bird before it flew off again.
Unfolding the paper, Ace eyes scanned the bold black headline.
MARINES CRUSHED AT WHISKEY PEAK! ADMIRALS DEFEATED!
STRAW HATS AND REVOLUTIONARY ARMY VICTORIOUS!"
For a few seconds, he just stared. The wind howled around him, snowflakes melting as they touched his warm skin.
"…Luffy?" he whispered, disbelief creeping into his voice.
Then he began to laugh.... a deep, hearty laugh that echoed around him
"Luffy, what the heck have you done this time?" Ace said with a wide grin, shaking his head in awe. "You crazy little brother… you really picked a fight with the Marines and won?"
The warmth in his chest grew stronger, pride and joy mixing with shock. He read on, scanning the smaller text below the headline. The article described how Monkey D. Luffy, alongside the Revolutionary Army, had taken down an entire Marine fleet. The photos attached showed chaos, ships sinking, the island burning and there, standing tall amidst the smoke, was Luffy himself, grinning as always.
But then Ace gaze froze. His heartbeat skipped a beat.
There, in another photo, standing beside Luffy was a figure Ace hadn't seen since his childhood.
A blond young man wearing goggles and a top hat, smiling faintly as if nothing had ever happened.
Ace's lips parted. "No way…"
He held the newspaper closer, his hands trembling slightly. His eyes burned.
"Sabo," he whispered. "You're alive…"
The paper almost slipped from his fingers as tears welled in his eyes. Ace rubbed his face roughly, trying to hide the emotion, but it was useless. His voice cracked when he finally spoke again.
"Sabo… do you have any idea how worried we were? Luffy cried for days. I thought you were dead!"
He let out a shaky laugh, half joy, half pain. "And here you are, alive, fighting alongside him… You really never change."
For a long moment, Ace just stood there, staring out toward the endless white horizon. The cold air bit at his skin, but he didn't care. His heart was burning too brightly to feel the chill.
He could still remember that day long ago in the Gray Terminal, their laughter, their dreams of sailing together, the moment Sabo ship exploded under a Celestial Dragon cannon fire. The news about Sabo and letter that Sabo left for them.
Now, to see Sabo alive… and fighting for something greater. it filled Ace with a fierce, overwhelming pride.
"Looks like you both found your own paths," he murmured softly. "Luffy chasing freedom… and you chasing what sabo? Is it justice. I guess I can't fall behind, huh?"
He picked up the newspaper again, carefully folding it and tucking it into his jacket.
"Wait for me, Teach," Ace muttered, a dangerous grin spreading across his face. "Once I'm done with you, I'll go meet my brothers again. We've got a lot to catch up on."
The fire around his shoulders flared to life, lighting up the darkening sky. The snow melted instantly around his feet.
The sea roared beneath the ship as Ace turned the helm toward the next island, determination blazing in his eyes.
"Luffy… Sabo… just you wait. I'm proud of you both. But don't think you've left me behind yet!"
Ace who wanted to sail to another island, decided to stay on this island and if his guess is correct his brother might come to this island first. So he waited for them instead of hunting Blackbeard.
***
"Zehahahahaha! What's our latest bounty update?" Blackbeard asked, leaning back with that infamous crooked grin, a pie on his hand.
Lafitte adjusted his hat, his expression unusually tense. "No bounty update this time, Captain… it's about Monkey D. Luffy and his father again."
Blackbeard grin faded slightly. "Huh? What did those two do now?"
Lafitte cleared his throat. "Akainu… has been captured by them. Over ten Marine warships were completely destroyed in the same battle."
The entire crew fell silent. The sound of the waves against the hull was the only thing that could be heard.
"What…?" Burgess muttered, his voice low with disbelief.
"Are they really that strong?" questioned Van Augur, his cold eyes narrowing behind his scope.
For a long moment, Blackbeard didn't speak. Then, slowly, that familiar wicked smile crept across his face again. "Zehahahaha… so the Marines finally took a beating, huh? Serves them right."
He slammed the bottle on the table, cracking the wood. "What's their new bounty?"
Lafitte lips twitched. "It's… 3 billion beli, Captain. They are the highest number of bounty."
Hearing that, even Burgess shuddered. "3 billion…? That high?"
"Yes, Monkey D luffy bounty reach 3 billion," replied Lafitte.
Blackbeard eyes gleamed darkly. "No. Not yet. We wait. Let the boy grow even more stronger. He might become helper to help us defeat the World."
In the past eventhough the D fighting each other, but eventually they will help each other.
His target is a celestial dragon, 5 elder and that man who was called the World (Imu).
Author Notes - There is 10 advanced chapter on my patreon.
-patreon.com/zerelix