[One Piece World]
Sure enough.
What came next was exactly what the audience had been guessing.
On-screen, Luffy's figure came down steadily and landed—directly on the execution platform, close enough to Ace that the Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs restraining him were practically within arm's reach.
And just a short distance away—only a few steps—stood Sengoku.
Beneath his seagull-patterned military cap, his expression was severe. The hostility in his eyes was unmistakable.
By this point, any viewer with functioning eyesight could tell at a glance: in that future moment, Sengoku's hostility toward Luffy was real.
It was the kind of look that said he wanted to cut someone down.
A two-for-one.
Execute Luffy and Ace together.
And precisely because of that—because the footage showed this so clearly—people became even more confused.
"What's going on?"
"The Fleet Admiral's acting is that good?"
"If the subtitles aren't wrong, doesn't that mean he's putting on a show?"
"Old-generation powerhouses really do have insane artistic cultivation. Showing emotion and hiding emotion—both to absolute perfection!"
"If not for Garp as the example earlier, and the ranking subtitles warning us, everyone would've been fooled!"
For a while, the pirate world erupted into nonstop debate.
Everyone was talking about that famous scene—Luffy and Sengoku facing off on the execution platform.
And among those watching…
Was the condemned prisoner caught between them.
Ace.
Yes.
At that moment, on some island along the Grand Line, Ace—still busy tracking down Blackbeard, and already aware of his future fate through the ranking video—had the same translucent screen appear before him.
It was broadcasting the Marineford battlefield in real time.
"…"
"Luffy… you really went through hell for me. To save me, you went through so much—and you shouldered all the danger alone."
On the young man's freckled face, a relieved smile surfaced as Ace spoke, moved from the heart.
As the older brother—
As the brother who'd grown up alongside him—
Ace naturally acknowledged Luffy, his little brother.
Back then, in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, Ace had stepped forward to block Smoker's pursuit—protecting the Straw Hat Pirates, who at the time still had little fame and were just a small-time crew.
That experience…
Even after many years…
Only deepened the bond between Ace and Luffy.
And he had even deliberately given Luffy a Vivre Card—one of his own.
"Wait…!"
Thinking of that, Ace's eyes lit up in sudden realization.
"So that's it… It was because of the Vivre Card I left him! That's how Luffy found out I was in danger!"
"And even after losing his companions… he still refused to stop—still insisted on saving the future me?"
His words carried a heavy sense of emotion.
To Ace, it felt like…
Everything had been worth it.
But the moment Marineford came to mind, his gaze dimmed.
The light and confidence vanished from his eyes, replaced by an instinctive shame—an overwhelming feeling that he had let everyone down.
Luffy.
And Pops.
And the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates—his family.
If it hadn't been for him…
If he hadn't been so stubborn—so arrogantly obsessed with hunting Blackbeard…
Then in the future…
This unprecedented, massive war would never have happened.
And Luffy, his younger brother,
Wouldn't have had to repeatedly teeter on the edge of death—
Flinging himself back and forth across the boundary of life and death—
Fighting nonstop with everything he had.
—
And just as Ace was caught in that spiral of self-reproach—
The translucent screen continued, playing the next segment.
"I finally made it…! The top of the execution platform!!"
After landing, beneath his straw hat, Luffy's face looked dirty and scuffed—
But a faint smile still bloomed there.
Under the sunlight overhead, and with the camera pushed in tight on his face, what showed through was genuine emotion—
And absolute confidence.
In a way, it infected the audience all over again.
From Luffy—the protagonist—people felt that pull again:
That charm.
That grit that refused to break.
Then Luffy turned his head.
While reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the handcuff key he'd snatched in the chaos back in Impel Down.
He looked at Ace, urgency on his face as he spoke at once.
"Ace… hang on a little longer. I'm going to free you right now!!!"
He stepped forward, closing the distance.
And just as Luffy got close enough—just as he was about to crouch down—
Boom!!!
A terrifying pressure exploded outward.
Sengoku stood nearby, and beneath his uniform, an overwhelming force poured off him like a physical weight.
Then, as his eyes sharpened—
His Devil Fruit power erupted in an instant!
Brilliant, blinding golden light burst from Sengoku's body, streaming out in endless waves.
Because this was the first time Sengoku had ever displayed his strongest power on camera—
Once the ranking video exposed it,
The internet's excitement surged again, and discussions exploded.
"Tch…"
"Another kind of brand-new Devil Fruit power?"
"So the Fleet Admiral really has been hiding his strength. Maybe his ability is far beyond what people assumed…"
[Bleach World]
Inside Seireitei, within the First Division barracks—
Kenpachi Zaraki grinned, his rough face splitting into an excited smile.
As a battle maniac—
A man who spent his life chasing strength and slaughter—
Kenpachi was interested in any kind of power or ability.
Especially when Sengoku's status was this special—clearly one of the strongest figures in the Navy faction.
That curiosity naturally intensified.
It only made Kenpachi want to "watch the show" even more.
"Yeah…"
"Golden light… and his body keeps getting bigger."
"If you say you're not curious, you're lying."
Behind Kenpachi, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa nodded in agreement.
They were just as curious.
Once the outward release of power ended—
What would Sengoku's final form look like?
What shape would he take?
And…
How strong would he be then?
Strong enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a captain?
In any case, what was happening on-screen was a perfect attention-grabber.
It seized everyone's eyes and refused to let go.
Within the First Division, the captains present collectively waited in anticipation.
Because the ranking video had already "hinted" at what was coming—
It would be Luffy's fifth time using the power of the Lightning-Lightning Fruit.
So next—
What kind of attack would he unleash?
When he went all-out…
How completely would he be able to release that power?
That question had them all intensely curious.
(End of Chapter)
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