"OHHHH—!!!"
"Bring Captain Ace home!"
"If you're part of this family, no one gets left behind…"
At Whitebeard's words, the pirates roared, a wall of sound that shook the air.
[No killing your crewmates!]
That was the Whitebeard Pirates' rule—an iron law. Ace had upheld it with all his heart. If they failed to save him, they would disgrace the name "Whitebeard."
At that moment, Marco walked up with a just–disconnected Den-Den Mushi and said gravely,
"Pops, we came up at the wrong place. Reports say Ace is surrounded in Area 30. This is Area 13—where Teach got thrashed by those two little girls and that barkeep."
Whitebeard's brows drew together. His clouded eyes peered into the distance.
"Too late. A troublesome old man is coming—we won't be allowed to turn back. Dock!"
The instant they surfaced, his Observation Haki had already sensed Garp leading a force straight toward them.
Dozens of pirate ships formed a line and eased to the quay. Hundreds, then thousands of pirates vaulted down like dumplings into a boiling pot. They were just about to sprint for Area 30—
"Wahahahaha!"
A booming laugh rolled down from the sky. The pirates looked up, curiosity flipping to shock.
The Navy's irreplaceable totem.
The hero of legend.
Roger's rival from the old era—Garp the Fist!
He hung in midair, a robust figure wreathed in crackling red–black lightning. The pressure of his presence alone cowed countless pirates.
"Whitebeard! I absolutely will not let you take even a single step past here!"
His voice hammered at their hearts. His fist, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, crashed down.
"Fist Bone: Collision!"
A shockfront of Conqueror's force exploded outward—no one below could dodge.
"Gurararara…"
"Garp, you're as annoying as ever."
Leaping from his prow, Whitebeard met the strike head–on. Murakumogiri hummed in his hands, edged in Conqueror's Haki, and he hewed upward.
KRA-KA-BOOOOM!
The blast thundered across the sky, ripples of violence washing over the whole district.
Oddly, one tavern on the harbor stood untouched. A pair of twin maids sat in its doorway with a black cat in their arms, watching the show.
All around, pirates gasped as Garp landed.
"He's too strong—so this is the Navy's hero…"
"He can match Pops blow for blow. This is bad."
"Don't panic! He's just one old man—we've got numbers!"
The bravado didn't last. Navy troops, led by Chahh (Tea Dolphin) and several vice admirals, were already charging in.
"You're old, Whitebeard. This war isn't yours to fight," Garp said, picking his nose with a grin.
"I'm only here to take my son home," Whitebeard replied. "And you know this—if I aim for Area 30, you alone can't stop me."
He dropped to the quay, white captain's cloak snapping in the wind, ignoring the onrushing marines entirely. It was the absolute confidence of the world's strongest man.
With that, the pirates raised their weapons and crashed into the Navy line. The two titans of the old era moved as well.
Just as they were about to collide, a turquoise shape flashed in—wings blazing with phoenix fire, dazzling light bursting forth.
Marco, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Garp, displeased by the interference, simply punched him in the head.
THUD!
One heavy blow sent Marco from phoenix back to human, the world spinning around him.
Whitebeard slid past the opening, his left fist winding with quake-force—then slammed it into Garp's torso.
BOOM!
The air fractured, spiderweb cracks racing outward. Garp flew backward, buildings and marines alike suffering in the shock.
"Old man, I'll play with you after I get Ace," Whitebeard chuckled, shouldering his blade and driving for Area 30.
Moments later, Garp rose, shook out the stars from his head, and gave chase despite his wounds. The division commanders swarmed in to block him, buying Whitebeard time. But Garp was a tiger off the mountain—punching through them one by one; even the Sixth Division commander's meteor hammer was crushed bare-handed.
Meanwhile, at the amusement park's center.
Rayleigh massaged his stiff cheek, a little horrified.
"Too fast… Another trip like that and I'll die in your hands."
Seconds ago, he and Ronn had been at the edge of the park; in a blink, they'd crossed several kilometers. The sonic snap still rang in Rayleigh's ears. The air itself had felt like knives against his skin. When his feet finally touched ground, he felt a happiness no bed could match.
"Your hairline looks a few centimeters higher," Ronn teased.
"My hair is the one thing I still have going for me!" Rayleigh's heart lurched; he tugged at it—strands came loose. His face fell, but Ronn only smiled:
"Looks like no one up there dares to make the first move."
Rayleigh looked up. In midair, Akainu, Doflamingo, Shendu, and Young Master Demon Dragon hovered in a tense square-off—no one advancing.
Hold on—
What was Doflamingo doing? Why was his hand on Ace's throat?
A prickle of dread ran through Rayleigh. Without hesitation—shing!—he drew and sent a Conqueror-laced slash screaming for Doflamingo's head.
He was about to join the fray when he saw Kizaru and Sengoku closing from afar. Rayleigh's brows knit as he calculated.
If Young Master Demon Dragon weren't in the way, even adding Kizaru and Sengoku wouldn't trouble Shendu much. But now… If Kizaru, Akainu, and Sengoku all piled on, Ace was doomed.
So he couldn't clash head-on. He had to harry and delay—buy Shendu time to shake off the dragon and rescue Ace.
Decision made, Rayleigh stepped into their path, sword raised:
"Road closed ahead!"
At the same moment, his slash shattered the standoff above.
Doflamingo moved first—slipping the cut and, borrowing from Liang Bing's gifted flame genes, cast a flaming wall in midair.
A heartbeat later, Shendu was already upon him.
"Father, stop bullying the humans. Let's keep fighting," Young Master Demon Dragon sneered. He reached out—gravity roared, yanking Shendu into him for a bone-rattling collision.
Akainu's soles spat magma as he rocketed to Doflamingo.
"Hand Ace over!"
"Do you think that's likely?" Doflamingo smiled, ready to engage—when Liang Bing's voice whispered in his head:
"Your time's almost up. That 'Whitebeard' will arrive in five minutes. If you're going to do something, do it now."
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