Chapter 63: Conspiracy Succeeds — The Moment of Doom?!
"Exactly as planned!"
"Do it, Sakazuki!"
"At this point, the Marines have no other choice!"
From the top of the execution platform,
Fleet Admiral Sengoku watched Rok fall straight into Akainu's trap. His face was grim as he openly endorsed Akainu.
His feelings toward Rok were complicated.
As Fleet Admiral, he had once dreamed of grooming Rok into the next superstar of the Marines.
He genuinely pitied the boy's fate and despised the Celestial Dragons for what they did.
But that was the past.
Now Rok was far too dangerous.
A teenager with this much power?
If allowed to grow, he would become the Marines' greatest nightmare.
So even if Akainu's methods were dirty,
Sengoku had to back him.
Some things couldn't be done cleanly.
With Rok's new speed and Kizaru still missing in action,
the only way to force a decisive fight was exactly this — using a hostage.
Whitebeard wasn't going to wait politely while they chased a lightning bolt around the bay.
"Sengoku… are you really going to let Sakazuki murder our own people in public just to win?!"
Momousagi, burning with rage, stormed to the base of the platform and shouted up at him.
"Gion, stop acting on emotion! You are a Marine!"
"We have no other option right now!"
Sengoku answered stiffly.
He knew this would breed resentment, but it was unavoidable.
As for Gion — her actions today had already crossed the line.
If the World Government decided to punish her later, even he might not be able to protect an Admiral Candidate.
"Hahaha… fine. I understand perfectly."
Momousagi laughed — cold and bitter.
She finally saw the Marines for what they had become.
Then, in front of the entire battlefield,
she drew her blade and slashed the word "Justice" off her marine coat.
Without another word,
she turned and sprinted toward Marco and the dying Alice.
Behind her,
the entire G-9 branch — over a thousand elite troops — followed their Vice Admiral and began abandoning the Marine lines.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Meanwhile,
the deathmatch between Rok and Admiral Akainu ignited.
Rok had been blinded by rage at first,
but he quickly regained clarity.
He knew exactly why Akainu targeted Alice — to force him into a corner.
Among the three Admirals,
Akainu had the highest destructive power but the lowest speed.
If Rok wanted, he could kite him forever.
But Alice was being healed just meters behind him.
One step back and she was dead.
Furthermore,
pinning Akainu here bought Whitebeard precious breathing room.
Kizaru was still MIA.
Aokiji alone might not stop the "World's Strongest Man."
And Luffy was already charging the execution platform — Garp was about to get yeeted any second now.
The Marines looked like they were turning things around,
but a far bigger storm was brewing.
Holding Akainu in place was the single most critical piece on the board.
Besides…
Rok himself had no idea just how strong he had become.
Perfect time to test his limits on the magma monster.
BOOM!
With a wave of his hand,
Akainu raised a towering ring of molten rock around them — a blazing coliseum that sealed every escape route.
Marines across the bay cheered wildly.
"As expected of Admiral Akainu!"
"He'll end that criminal in no time! Everyone hold the Whitebeard Pirates back!"
"Victory belongs to justice!"
Most Marines believed Akainu had this in the bag.
Rok was just a teenager.
Trapped, no retreat, facing the strongest offensive Admiral?
No chance.
While the Marines celebrated,
another piece of fantastic news arrived:
Whitebeard had just been stabbed through the chest by his own subordinate, Squard the Great Vortex Spider!
The entire battlefield fell silent for a heartbeat — then erupted into Marine cheers and pirate confusion.
Even Marco, who had been pouring everything into keeping Alice alive, abandoned the healing the moment he saw his father impaled and flew straight to the Moby Dick.
Rok could only sigh helplessly.
He had warned Whitebeard.
He had literally told him Squard was compromised.
Yet the old man still took the blade.
Everyone has their own pride and beliefs.
Whitebeard, the man at the top of the pirate world, had his own unbreakable code.
Akainu, watching both his schemes succeed perfectly, allowed himself a rare relaxed smirk.
The Marine momentum was restored.
Now it was only a matter of time before Rok and Whitebeard both fell.
Under Absolute Justice, no criminal escapes execution.
"Rok — prepare to die!"
"Ryūsei Kazan!!" (Meteor Volcano!)
As Akainu unleashed a storm of magma fists inside the enclosed arena,
yet another earth-shaking event exploded across the battlefield!
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