章節 121: Two Paths
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But as Luffy reached the platform, a towering figure stepped into his path—Monkey D. Garp.
This was the man who had stood alongside Whitebeard's era, a legendary marine whose feats were etched into history. He had crushed the Rocks Pirates, captured the Pirate King Roger, and defeated countless infamous pirates. Among the pirate community, his name was even more feared than the Admirals.
"Grandpa! Get out of the way!" Luffy shouted, desperation evident in his voice.
"How could I possibly do that, Luffy?!" Garp bellowed back, his expression as firm as iron. "I'm a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters!"
Before you were even born, I've been fighting pirates! If you want to pass, you'll have to kill me first, Straw Hat Luffy! That's the path you've chosen!"
"Grandpa!" Ace called out, visibly shaken. Garp's words hit deep—choosing the life of a pirate meant standing in direct opposition to him.
"I can't do it! Grandpa, just move aside!" Luffy pleaded.
"If you can't do it, Ace will have no other path but death!"
"I won't let that happen!"
"Then you're in for disappointment. I won't hold back, Luffy. Right now, you're my enemy!"
Garp clenched his fist, ready to strike. Tension rippled through the watching pirates. This was Garp—the legendary Vice Admiral. Those who knew of his reputation understood the stakes. Against him, the current Luffy didn't stand a chance; he'd be crushed in a single blow.
Luffy gritted his teeth and activated Second Gear. Even if it meant going against his grandfather, he had to save Ace.
But just as Garp's fist was about to connect, he hesitated.
"Garp!!"
BAM!
Luffy's punch landed squarely on Garp's face, sending him hurtling downward.
BOOM!
Garp crashed into the rubble below, unmoving.
"Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Sengoku's face darkened with anger. "You couldn't resist sentimentality, could you, Garp?"
With Garp out of the way, Luffy reached the execution platform at last.
"I've got the key! Hang on, Ace!" Luffy said as he rushed to unlock the cuffs.
But before he could, a laser beam shattered the key in his hand.
Kizaru's voice rang out lazily. "We can't let you set the convict free, now can we?"
One of the executioners groaned, regaining consciousness. "Huh? Why'd I black out all of a sudden?"
"Eh? Mr. 3?! What are you doing here?!" Luffy exclaimed in confusion.
Sengoku, however, was already making his move. His body grew massive, transforming into a giant golden Buddha—the ultimate form of his Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Buddha.
As Sengoku prepared to strike, Luffy called out, "Mr. 3! Make a wall to protect Ace!"
Luffy then inflated his body, using it as a shield.
CRACK!
The execution platform couldn't handle the combined force of Sengoku's punch and Luffy's defense. The entire structure collapsed, sending Luffy and Ace plummeting downward.
"Fire the cannons! Don't let Straw Hat Luffy escape with Ace!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions filled the air as cannonballs rained down upon the pair.
"With those Sea Prism Stone cuffs on, Fire Fist Ace is just another mortal man. He's as good as dead!"
Suddenly, a towering column of fire erupted into the sky.
"What's that?!"
The pirates gasped, their faces lighting up with hope, while the marines paled in dread.
"Tch. You're as reckless as ever," came Ace's voice from within the flames.
In mid-fall, Mr. 3 had managed to craft a makeshift key to unlock Ace's cuffs.
"Wooooahhhh!!"
"Ace!!!"
The pirates roared in jubilation.
Sengoku's face twisted with rage. "Unforgivable! This is an utter disgrace! Listen up, everyone! Portgas D. Ace is the son of the Pirate King! He must not be allowed to escape!"
"Yes, sir!!"
The marines surged forward, aiming to capture Ace and Luffy.
"Fire Fist!"
A massive flaming punch from Ace carved a path through the advancing marines.
"Ah, how troublesome," Aokiji's calm voice broke through the chaos. "We can't let you escape so easily. That would be an embarrassment for the entire Navy."
"Admiral Aokiji!"
Luffy's expression darkened at the sight of the admiral. Memories of their last encounter flashed in his mind, his body involuntarily shivering at the thought of that bone-chilling cold.
"Luffy, let me handle this!" Ace stepped forward.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!" Aokiji unleashed a massive ice bird.
"Fire Wall!" Ace countered with a blazing inferno, creating a wall of fire to block the attack.
BOOM!
Ice and fire clashed, generating a cloud of steam that enveloped the battlefield.
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Meanwhile, Whitebeard, observing the chaos from a distance, spoke up.
"Well done, Straw Hat boy. Now listen, my sons, to my final command as captain!"
His voice silenced the battlefield, filling the pirates with dread.
"Old man, don't say things like that! It's bad luck!"
"We don't want to hear it!"
"We promised to return to the New World together!"
Whitebeard smiled faintly. "This is where we part ways. All of you, live on! Return safely to the New World!"
The pirates' faces crumbled with emotion, realizing the gravity of his words.
"I'm a relic of the old era… There's no ship in this new age that can carry me any longer."
With a roar, Whitebeard unleashed a devastating quake, shattering the Marineford headquarters and leaving destruction in his wake.
"Father!!!"
"This is the captain's order! Now go!"
BOOM!
The ground trembled as Whitebeard's final attack tore through the battlefield, creating a path for his sons to escape.
Sengoku seethed with fury, his teeth clenched. "Whitebeard!!"
Whitebeard, battered and smiling, muttered to himself, "I've sailed for so long… It's time to bring it to an end… Navy!"
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Boom—!!
The battlefield shook violently as explosions erupted across Marineford, tearing through its structures.
"Ahhh! Is he really planning to destroy the entire island?!"
Buildings collapsed into rubble as Whitebeard unleashed his full power. With no more concern for his crew's safety, his unrestrained strength was a force to behold.
"Father!"
"We can't leave you behind! Let's go back together!"
Whitebeard glared fiercely at his sons. "Are you defying your captain's orders? Get moving, you fools! My time is up!"
"Fire the cannons at Whitebeard!"
"He's on his last legs!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannons roared, their shells screaming toward Whitebeard.
With a mighty swing of his bisento, Murakumogiri, Whitebeard struck the ground.
BOOM—!!!
"Arrghhhh!" The impact, amplified by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, obliterated the approaching forces in a single devastating shockwave.
"Captain Marco..."
Fighting back his grief, Marco ordered, "Go! This is Father's command!"
Sengoku, his face grave, muttered, "He's really going to sink Marineford and take himself down with it…"
"Go! Go! Get to the shore!"
The pirates scrambled to retreat, knowing that despite freeing Ace, there was no longer any hope of victory. The overwhelming strength of the Marine Admirals had left them battered and broken.
"Don't let them escape!"
"Kill as many pirates as you can!"
The Marines pursued relentlessly.
"Your opponent… is me alone!"
Whitebeard swung his weapon, creating a massive tremor.
BOOM—!!!
The force sent countless Marines flying.
"Let's go, Ace! This is his decision!" Luffy urged Ace, his voice desperate.
Ace, finally composed, nodded. "I understand. I won't let Father's sacrifice be in vain!"
Ace unleashed a torrent of flames, clearing a path between the Marines and Whitebeard. He then knelt at a distance and bowed deeply to his father.
"Say no more, Ace…" Whitebeard began, his voice soft yet commanding. "Tell me one thing: Have I been a good father?"
"Of course!" Ace's voice cracked with emotion.
"Gurararara! Then go! I don't want my sons to see me fall like a defeated old man!"
"Yes, Father!"
Ace turned and joined the retreating pirates.
At that moment, Akainu appeared. "They really think they can escape? Fools. They're just a pack of weaklings sheltered by Whitebeard!"
"Great Eruption!"
A massive magma fist hurtled toward the fleeing pirates.
BOOM—!!
"Arrghhhh!" Dozens of pirates were incinerated by Akainu's attack.
Sneering, the Admiral taunted, "Look at them, tails between their legs the moment Ace is freed. Such cowardice. The Whitebeard Pirates are pathetic!"
"How dare you!" Ace's steps halted, his body trembling with anger.
"Ace, don't listen to him! Keep going!" his crewmates begged desperately.
But Ace turned to face Akainu, his eyes blazing with fury. "You insult my father…"
"Ace!" Luffy shouted, trying to stop him.
Akainu smirked, continuing, "Whitebeard? A relic of the past. He lost to your real father, Roger. A loser of the old era, dragging his sick, broken body here to die. What a joke!"
"Shut up!" Ace roared as flames engulfed his body.
"Don't take the bait, Ace! Come back!" Izo, captain of the 16th Division, called out in desperation.
But Ace couldn't hear him. "You don't understand Father's greatness! He gave us a place to belong!"
"Belong? For scum like you? Pirates don't deserve a home. Whitebeard's failure is fitting. His death will mark the end of an era!"
"Whitebeard is no failure! This is his era! This era belongs to Whitebeard!" Ace's fists burned as he launched himself at Akainu.
The two clashed.
BOOM—!!!
A fiery explosion lit the battlefield.
"Ahhhh!" Ace screamed, clutching his arm as he fell to the ground. Flames licked at his body, unable to shield him from Akainu's devastating attack.
"Hmph. Did you think your flames could stand up to magma?" Akainu sneered. "Fire burns bright but is easily extinguished by magma. My power completely overwhelms yours."
"Ace!" Luffy screamed, but his body refused to move. Exhausted, he collapsed, unable to help his brother.
Akainu approached menacingly. "Pirate King Roger's son and Revolutionary Dragon's son—brothers, united by their cursed bloodlines. The world will never know peace as long as you two live."
Akainu raised his magma-covered fist, aiming for the defenseless Luffy.
Suddenly, a figure leaped in front of him.
Squelch—!!!
Akainu's molten fist pierced through Ace's chest.
Blood sprayed across Luffy's face as he stared in shock.
"Ace…?"
Ace collapsed, his body trembling. Luffy caught him instinctively, frantically trying to stem the blood gushing from the fatal wound.
But no matter how hard he tried, the life was draining out of Ace.
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