Episode 329: Shocking! It's Him Again, Crocodile!
『 "My, my, this has dragged on for far too long. It's time to bring this to an end. Ace is still waiting for his execution~"
"To deal with Oars in his current state, a single strike to his head will do~"
He raised a single finger, and a dazzling light emanated from his fingertip.
That light was so bright that even the pirates in the distance could see it clearly. They all understood that Kizaru was about to make his move, and their faces instantly turned pale with fright!
Kizaru was starting to move!
Could Oars still be saved? 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Gabriel (Gabriel DropOut): "It's coming, it's coming, it's coming right now." ]
[ Ryuga Banjou (Kamen Rider): "It's over, it's over. If no one comes to save him, he's a goner right now." ]
[ Oars Jr. (One Piece): "…" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I can barely watch this. That y-yellow guy is so fast, there's no way to dodge him." ]
[ .....]
『 Oars was panting heavily.
Facing Kizaru's fatal blow, he didn't care. Having already experienced life and death once, he feared nothing now!
His only regret was failing to protect Ace!
Thus, his eyes held nothing but remorse!
Just a split second before that guy launched his attack.
Jinbe's voice suddenly rang out!
"Fish-Man Karate: Vagabond Drill—!"
Immediately following, a massive wave surged toward the shore, passing over Oars's body and rushing straight toward the plaza.
This wave wasn't as fierce as the tsunami caused by Whitebeard—it was merely a few columns of water—but this sudden assault still startled Kizaru, forcing him to interrupt his attack. Oars managed to survive because of it!
Everyone looked at the water columns in surprise. After this seawater splashed onto the ground, it didn't cause much of an impact, and no one was injured. People didn't take it seriously at first, until the water dispersed, revealing Luffy holding a thick wooden log in his hands!
Luffy was panting heavily.
He lifted his head, his eyes gazing resolutely at the three men before him.
The three Admirals of the Navy all had grim faces.
"So you've finally made it here!" Aokiji's voice carried a hint of sarcasm, as if saying Luffy didn't know his own limits, daring to challenge them with such meager strength!
Akainu still wore a stern expression. He said, "As expected of Dragon's son. To be so bold under these circumstances, actually daring to openly defy us!"
Kizaru, on the other hand, remarked, "How incredibly brave~ Ready to sacrifice yourself at such a young age..."
The Navy soldiers were utterly astonished. They had originally thought they were facing some terrifying assault, but it turned out to be just a single youth breaking in, and one who looked so young at that!
A kid facing the three Navy Admirals all by himself!
"Is that…"
"Ace's brother?"
"He came in all alone?"
"What do we do? Pops ordered us to protect him, but we can't keep up with his pace at all!"
"What's there to protect? Does a powerhouse like him even need our protection?"
"We'll be lucky if he makes it back safely!"』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "That was close. Glad I made it in time." ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Exactly, exactly." ]
[ Whitebeard (One Piece): "Gurararara, excellent. Ace is truly fortunate to have you." ]
[ Portgas D. Ace (One Piece): "Pops, that's the future me, not the current me." ]
[ Whitebeard (One Piece): "It's the same, it's all the same." ]
[ Ronoroa Zoro (One Piece): "This guy." ]
[ .....]
『 On the other side.
An excited smile actually surfaced on Whitebeard's face as he muttered to himself, "This kid really has courage. This is our little brother Luffy!"
Whitebeard couldn't help but laugh out loud. He hadn't expected Luffy to act so suddenly, throwing even those Navy Admirals into a flurry.
"These two brothers are truly cut from the same cloth!"
Marco was also amused, and his lips curled into a grin!
After all, the opponents were the three Navy Admirals; such an attack was practically trivial in their eyes.
Aokiji merely extended a finger, tapping lightly on the log. In an instant, the trunk transformed into icicles suspended in mid-air, which then shot toward Luffy.
However, Luffy had no intention of giving up. He quickly leaped up, swinging his fists like rain to smash against the ice, causing it to shatter into fragments that scattered in all directions.
This kid is truly too bold!
The three of them remained completely still, for this level of attack was nothing more than an itch to them.
Watching the battle from not far away, Koby's face turned pale at the sight.
Even though they stood on opposing sides now, as a friend, he really couldn't bear to watch Luffy throw his life away like this!
Koby lamented, "Luffy actually dares to attack the three Admirals directly. He's so hot-headed, he's bound to suffer for this!"
"Gear Second—!" Luffy once again used his signature move to enhance himself.
At this moment, Akainu also began to move.
Kizaru muttered in a low voice, "This Straw Hat Luffy is far too naive."
In truth, Luffy's target wasn't these Admirals; he wanted to save Ace from right over their heads.
Despite the boost from 'Gear Second,' attempting a rescue in front of three such formidable opponents was exceptionally difficult.
It could even be said to be an almost impossible task!
Every spectator present felt that there was a massive gap between Luffy's current strength and this goal.
"No time to hesitate!" Luffy muttered to himself.
He had already sensed a flash of light behind him. Without even looking back, he knew Kizaru was rushing over.
However, Kizaru was too fast. By the time the light flashed, he was already up close, giving Luffy absolutely no time to react.
Kizaru's leg radiated a blinding light as he kicked Luffy squarely. Instantly, the latter was sent flying, crashing heavily into the wall.
Koby clenched his fists tightly, his heart aching. "Luffy…"
Kizaru stood where he was, looking into the dust where Luffy had crashed, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Oh, he can still stand up!"
Sengoku looked at the chaos below, his gaze turning cold as he immediately ordered, "Do it!"
"Yes!"
The two executioners beside Ace slowly raised their long blades, their eyes locked onto Ace's neck. Once these blades came down, Ace would surely die!
"Execute!"
The long blades swung down toward Ace!
In this brief window of time, absolutely no one could make it in time to stop them!
Whitebeard roared, "Ace!"
Marco also cried out urgently, "Ace!"
They were burning with anxiety, yet they were powerless to help!』
『 .....』
〜One Piece World〜
The Whitebeard Pirates—
Even though everyone knew this hadn't actually happened yet and was merely a prediction of the future—meaning everything could still be changed—watching Ace die with their own eyes still left everyone with an indescribable feeling!
Squard's hands were trembling, his eyes filled with rage. He wanted nothing more than to charge into the Navy headquarters right now and slaughter them all!
Whitebeard, still hooked up to his IV drips, was one of the calmer ones among the pirates, but he was inevitably affected by his emotions. After all, he was watching the impending fate of his own son!
The Going Merry—
Luffy sat blankly on the deck, staring dazed at the screen.
"I tried so hard to save him, and yet I still fail? I can't take this! I really can't accept this! What is going on? I've clearly become stronger, so why is it still not enough?"
Luffy's mind was in utter chaos, his eyes blank with confusion, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Everyone watched Luffy in silence, not knowing how to comfort him.
Nami tried her best to lighten the atmosphere, saying with a smile,
"It's alright, Luffy. This is just a future scenario. We can change all of this! As long as we find Ace as quickly as possible and don't give the Navy a chance to capture him! Besides, even if we don't act, there's still Whitebeard. With his strength, now that he knows this future, he will definitely do everything in his power to prevent it from happening!"
—
『 As the long blades on either side of Ace fell, countless people were shocked!
Anyone watching this scene had a face full of astonishment.
No one knew what kind of consequences Ace's death would bring!
Whitebeard hadn't been this furious in a very long time.
"Ace!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs.
Even Garp felt despair. He clenched his teeth, trying his best to maintain his composure!
Time seemed to stretch out at this very moment.
A movement of a mere instant appeared exceptionally drawn out in everyone's eyes.
People could clearly see the long blades slowly descending, cutting toward Ace's neck.
At the very last moment, everyone even saw the blade edges pressing against Ace's neck.
The faint-hearted quickly closed their eyes.
Nearby adults hurriedly covered their children's eyes. Although there had been plenty of fighting scenes before, this kind of bloody execution was definitely not suitable for children.
Whether inside or outside the screen, Luffy's expression was identical—his eyes were hollow and lifeless, as if his entire world had crumbled at this very moment.
The rest of the crew didn't know what to do. Having spent so much time with Luffy, this was the first time they had ever seen him make such an expression.
Then, Ace appeared on the screen again. He was unharmed. Instead, the two soldiers on either side of him had been thrown backward, and two blade marks had appeared on the edge of the execution platform!
"This…"
Ace lifted his head in surprise. He had clearly felt the blades about to cut down, yet in such a short span of time, someone had actually made a swift move, saving both him and the two executioners beside him at the same time!
Sengoku was also dumbfounded.
The plan was right on the verge of success, just a hair's breadth away from taking Ace's life, and now this unexpected turn of events had occurred?
He gnashed his teeth in fury, his heart burning with rage!
"Who is it?"
"Just who is it?"
At this moment, he didn't have the mind to think too deeply, merely venting the fury in his heart!
Just then, a figure clad in black appeared within the Navy forces below.
The Marines immediately dispersed, surrounding him.
Who was this person?
Had another mysterious powerhouse arrived?
Sengoku looked at this person, and the moment he saw his appearance, he was completely stunned!
"Crocodile!"
A member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
The ability user who could control sand!
Sengoku had never imagined that he would be the one to save Ace!
Sengoku's plan had been disrupted, infuriating him to the point of nearly exploding.
"I thought you and Whitebeard were mortal enemies, and that we were on the same side, Crocodile!"
At this moment.
Marco also appeared on the wall.
As a mythical zoan user who could fly, he had thought he wouldn't make it in time, only to find someone blocking the way ahead, and that person was Crocodile!
Jinbe also let out a sigh of relief.
Although the two of them had come from the same ship and were both former Warlords, they couldn't fathom what this man was planning at all!
"This guy has always wanted to kill Pops, so why did he suddenly make a move to save Ace now?"
Luffy looked at Crocodile with gratitude, saying, "This guy…"
Whitebeard gazed at the scene before him, his expression remaining cold.
The cape on Crocodile's body fluttered continuously. Even surrounded by tens of thousands of Marines, he still maintained a calm and composed demeanor!
He spoke slowly, "That old man who's got one foot in the grave—I'll settle my score with him later. But before that, what I hate even more is seeing you guys looking so pleased with yourselves. Just thinking about that disgusting sight makes me want to destroy everything!"
My word!
What a direct personality!
No one knew what past grudge existed between Crocodile and Whitebeard, but compared to when he had initially betrayed Luffy to attack Whitebeard, his current self was much more likable.
However, in the blink of an eye, Crocodile's next action shocked everyone!
A sharp blade appeared at Crocodile's neck, but the blade was so transparent it was invisible.
People could only guess its existence from the cut marks on his neck! 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "…Is this an invisible sword?" ]
[ Artoria Pendragon⦍Saber⦎ (Type-Moon): "The Holy Sword?" ]
[ Artoria Pendragon⦍Saber⦎ (Type-Moon): "No, it should be different." ]
[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "SO COOL!!!" ]
[ .....]
『 However, no blood splattered from Crocodile's neck; instead, grains of sand drifted into the air.
His head wobbled and fell off, immediately bursting into countless grains of sand!?
The surrounding Marine soldiers were all dumbfounded.
"What on earth is this?"
"Is he still alive?"
Despite losing his head, Crocodile was actually still able to stand there!
"Hey, bastard!" Doflamingo stepped forward and said.
"I see. The reason you refused to cooperate with me was that you had already allied with Whitebeard's side!"
"How envious!"
"It seems I was indeed making a fool of myself!"
What was happening before them left all the nearby Marines dumbfounded—Doflamingo was actually speaking to a 'corpse.'
And at this moment, some fine grains of sand slowly gathered back to where Crocodile's head should have been, gradually reconstructing the outline of his head.
Crocodile heard Doflamingo's words and replied flatly, "I don't ally with anyone."
Doflamingo said angrily, "Whether you do or don't, you shouldn't have ignored my proposal like that!"
Doflamingo's smile slowly turned cold, a fierce light gleaming in his eyes!
Crocodile remained completely fearless, saying calmly, "Indeed."
Following that, the two began a fierce battle!
"The Warlords are fighting amongst themselves?"
"Doflamingo and Crocodile are going at it!"
"What is going on?"
The Marine soldiers watched the spectacle, unable to make sense of the situation, but they knew in their hearts that when these two clashed, they had to leave enough space to avoid being caught in the crossfire of their immense combat power!
Luffy walked out from the edge of the wall, muttering to himself, "Though I don't quite get the details, it seems he's been saved!"
The injuries Luffy had sustained were not light. After all, that had been a kick from Navy Admiral Kizaru, an attack that had easily brought down even the giant Oars!
At this moment, the Marines near him noticed him. Brandishing their swords, they charged at Luffy, shouting, "Straw Hat, you're dead! Let me send you to the afterlife!"
With this Marine leading the charge, the others around him also immediately launched an attack on Luffy.
Luffy instantly leaped up, stamping his feet down to kick his attackers.
Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. As long as he utilized a bit of his Gomu Gomu no Fruit power, these ordinary Marines posed no threat to him!
However, while a small number of enemies was easy to handle, if there were too many, even Luffy would find it troublesome!
He flipped in the air, his eyes locked onto Ace on the execution platform, deciding to head in that direction.
To those blocking his path, Luffy shouted, "Get out of my way!"
Each of his punches sent a crowd flying.
Although Luffy wasn't large in stature, the power of his punches was incredibly fierce!
A single strike could level a group!
The powerful impact blasted away all the Marines attempting to stop him, leaving them with absolutely no room to fight back!
"Stop right there, Straw Hat! You can't go any further!"
Luffy looked at this person, thinking he was just an ordinary Marine, and threw a punch. Unexpectedly, this punch missed its target. The opponent's figure suddenly vanished, reappearing in the air in the blink of an eye.
"Moonwalk—!"
"Iron Body: Smash—!"
The opponent's arm seemed to be filled with astonishing power.
Sensing the danger behind him, Luffy hurriedly jumped away. The man's fist slammed heavily into the ground, instantly creating a semi-circular crater about five meters in diameter!
Incredible!
Whether it was the highly agile Moonwalk or this powerful attack, both were shocking!
He was at least far stronger than most Marines!
After evading, Luffy immediately realized his opponent was highly capable and swiftly launched a counterattack. 』
『 .....』