Sengoku took Gojo's threat entirely seriously.
Almost immediately, he leaped downward from the execution platform, throwing a punch mid-descent. His fist was already coated in dense Armament Haki, the sheer force of the motion distorting the air itself.
"As if you are going to escape from here!" he bellowed.
Gojo looked upward, his expression unchanged. He simply replied, his voice easily cutting through the chaos to reach Sengoku's ears, "I will."
And then—he vanished.
Sengoku's punch struck empty air. Before anyone could react, Gojo materialized directly beside Ace.
Ace's eyes widened. Gojo casually placed a hand on his shoulder, turned slightly toward Garp, and offered a cheerful smile. "Hello."
For a fraction of a second, the entire battlefield fell silent. Then, both Gojo and Ace vanished from the platform.
The executioners froze. Garp remained rooted to the spot. Sengoku's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The prisoner protected by the absolute highest level of Marine security had been snatched away in an instant. Marineford erupted into utter chaos.
The next moment, Gojo and Ace appeared directly in front of Whitebeard.
Whitebeard's massive figure cast a towering shadow over them as shattered ice floated across the ruined battlefield. Gojo released his grip on Ace and gestured lightly. "Well then, here is your son. Quite safe."
He spoke casually, completely detached from the fact that they were standing at the epicenter of a war. "And I'll be taking him away to a safer place so that he lives on."
Gojo studied Whitebeard for a moment, his smile fading slightly. "Though, I do have some advice for you."
The surrounding commanders immediately grew alert.
"I can feel it—you won't live for long," Gojo said, his voice entirely steady. "You were already on your last legs. And on top of that, it seems you've been betrayed by one of your own."
Nearby pirates stiffened.
"But anyway, who am I to complain about how you do things?" Gojo shrugged, his eyes locking onto Whitebeard's. "At the very least... wreak your destruction and die a death worthy of the World's Strongest Man. Don't go down to some random, bullshit bullets."
Standing beside him with Seastone shackles still binding his wrists, Ace sharply whipped his head around. His expression darkened. "Watch your words, Gojo," he hissed. "You are talking to my father."
The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates grew angry, but Whitebeard himself remained silent. Then, the giant moved, slamming the butt of his bisento onto the icy ground.
Boom.
The ice fractured, and an invisible pressure radiated outward. He looked down at Gojo. "Do you know the consequences of talking to an Emperor like that, brat?"
Gojo stepped forward. Simultaneously, he flared his Conqueror's Haki in a concentrated burst. The localized pressure collided directly with Whitebeard's overwhelming presence, turning the air thick and heavy.
"I know them well," Gojo replied, his sky-blue eyes unwavering. "But do you really think I'd be afraid of an Emperor of the Sea? If you are the strongest man today—" Gojo pointed a thumb at his own chest, "—then I will be the strongest man alive tomorrow."
His words weren't loud, yet they carried clearly across the ice.
"For the next few years, I will be cutting myself off from the world," Gojo continued, a faint smile returning to his face. "And when I emerge again... that will be the day no one in this world stands above me."
There was no arrogance in his tone. Only absolute certainty.
Whitebeard felt it clearly—the Conqueror's Haki, this kingly arrogance, and the unshakeable conviction. Most of all, he recognized the look in Gojo's eyes. Whitebeard had met countless men who chased power, fame, or the throne. But Gojo was different. Those eyes didn't ask the world for permission; they simply stated a fact.
Whitebeard stared at him for a beat, and then burst into his signature laugh.
"Gurararara!"
The laughter boomed across the battlefield. He glared down at Gojo. "You're an interesting brat. Just take Ace and go. I'll show this world exactly what I can do when I hold nothing back."
Gojo nodded. Just then, a blinding flash of light materialized behind him. Kizaru had already closed the distance, golden particles coalescing into a deadly attack targeted right at Gojo's blind spot.
But before Kizaru could strike, Whitebeard moved. Without even fully turning, he threw a devastating punch in the Admiral's direction.
Crack.
The air fractured like glass. A massive shockwave exploded just behind Gojo, warping the battlefield and forcing Kizaru to intercept the blow.
Gojo glanced over his shoulder, entirely relaxed. "Kizaru," he smiled. "I'm not fighting you today. You remember my promise, right?" His smile widened. "Next time we clash, I assure you—I won't lose. As for today? I'm not entirely confident I'd win against you. So..." Gojo grabbed Ace again. "Let's postpone our battle for another day."
Before the words could even register, Gojo and Ace vanished.
The battlefield briefly froze. Akainu, who had been charging toward their location, skidded to a halt, his face twisting with fury. He already knew from Kizaru that Gojo's abilities involved space manipulation, and now the brat had slipped away again.
Akainu clenched his magma-dripping fists. The execution had utterly failed. Ace was gone. A man who had publicly defied the World Government, brought ruin to Marineford, and insulted the Celestial Dragons had just walked away unscathed.
Venting his rage, Akainu lunged at the nearest pirates, magma erupting violently from his fists.
But Whitebeard wasn't about to let his crew be slaughtered. Stepping forward, the oldest Emperor intercepted Akainu. His fist swung, cracking the air and unleashing a shockwave that violently repelled the Admiral, shattering the surrounding ice.
Standing like an immovable wall between the Marines and his sons, Whitebeard bellowed, "Our objective here is complete! Whitebeard Pirates—retreat!"
The battlefield erupted into cheers. The grim atmosphere transformed instantly. Ace was safe. That fact alone made the grueling battle worth it.
Whitebeard pulled out a Den Den Mushi, giving orders. "Get everyone out of here. That kid already carved out two massive openings for us to escape. Move!"
Marco rushed toward him, his face pale. "Father... what about you?"
Whitebeard remained silent for a moment, then offered a soft smile. "This is no world for the old generation." His gaze drifted across the battlefield, lingering briefly on Luffy, who was still fiercely holding off a squad of Marines. "The future belongs to the new era."
Marco froze, and a heavy realization washed over the surrounding commanders. But no one spoke.
Far above, Gojo was tearing through the sky, carrying Ace as Marineford shrunk into a distant speck below them. The biting wind whipped past them.
Ace remained silent for a long time, staring down at the Seastone shackles binding his wrists. Finally, he looked up at Gojo. "Why did you come to save me? We only had that one sparring match a few years ago. That doesn't make us friends close enough to risk your life for."
Gojo didn't look back; his eyes remained fixed on the horizon ahead.
"Don't misunderstand," Gojo said smoothly. "I meant exactly what I said back there. I didn't come here specifically to save you."
Ace listened quietly.
"I came because I wanted to stop the World Government from fixing their public image," Gojo explained, shrugging lightly. "They needed a massive win to cover up the fact that I killed a Celestial Dragon. If they executed the son of the Pirate King, their authority would be completely restored. I don't want that. So, I took you."
There was no hesitation or hidden malice in his words—just standard, clinical logic.
Ace stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a helpless, weary laugh. "You really are a strange guy. I can't comprehend the way your mind works at all."
Gojo simply offered a faint smile and kept flying.
A few moments passed in silence, save for the whistling wind. Then, Ace's eyes suddenly narrowed. He peered intently into the distance where a massive silhouette was cutting through the waves, its sails billowing proudly in the wind.
As the jolly roger painted on the sails came into view, Ace gasped.
"The Red Hair Pirates..."
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