A rousing roar swept across the battlefield as the Whitebeard Pirates witnessed the familiar brilliance of Marco's ultimate technique. Blue flames burst from his spread wings, and in their glow, Jinbe and the newly freed Ace appeared.
"Ace!"
The Whitebeard Pirates erupted in cheers.
"It worked, Captain Marco rescued him!"
"As expected of Captain Marco, incredible!"
"And Jinbe—and Ace's little brother—well done!"
Their long-awaited joy shook the plaza.
In sharp contrast, the Marines' expressions darkened. The encirclement wall had failed, and now the criminal set for execution had been snatched from under their noses. For them, it was humiliation.
"Ace!" Luffy shouted with overwhelming relief.
"How dare you hit this old man… Luffy!"
Before he could even react, Luffy felt a heavy kick send him flying. Garp had launched him straight toward Ace.
"Luffy!" Jinbe caught him immediately.
But Luffy didn't care about being kicked in the slightest. His eyes sparkled as he yelled, "Ace, this is great! Ace!"
Seeing his younger brother safe, Ace smiled faintly.
"Yeah… thank you, Luffy."
As the brothers reunited, Marines from every direction began surrounding them. Marco's expression sharpened as he spoke, "Save the talk for later. We're still in the middle of the Marines' net. Can't you see them closing in?"
The other three quickly refocused. Ace nodded, grinning.
"You're right. Let's move. We need to get back to Pops!"
Vice Admiral Momonga's cold voice rang out, "Do not let them escape. Attack at once. Execute Portgas D. Ace on the spot!"
"Yes, sir!"
Marine officers charged forward.
Whitebeard's thunderous voice boomed across the plaza, "My sons, cover Ace!"
Marines and pirates clashed violently, but the Marines greatly outnumbered them. Still, Marco and his three companions were anything but weak. Even Luffy, the least experienced of the four, carried a bounty of 300 million.
They tore their way through the Marine ranks. Marco didn't waste a single opportunity, cutting down enemies with his saber while fighting hand-to-hand, gathering every advantage he could.
"Vice Admiral Garp, are you alright?" Marines nearby asked nervously as Garp stood up.
Garp's eyes were strangely gentle. As a Marine, he couldn't stop Sengoku's decision to execute Ace, but he could let Luffy knock him down. Watching the brothers escape, he prayed silently: You must survive… Ace, Luffy…
"Damn it…" Sengoku smashed his fist into the ground, icy fury twisting his features as he watched Ace's group draw farther away.
His plan had been simple: use Ace's execution to crush the Whitebeard Pirates once and for all. After that, he could retire with honor.
But now?
The encirclement wall had failed.
Ace had been rescued.
If the Whitebeard Pirates truly escaped with Ace, then not only would retirement be questionable—he might be removed as Fleet Admiral entirely, perhaps even expelled.
Fortunately, the visual transponder snail had been cut off. The world hadn't seen the full disaster yet. There was still a chance to salvage this war. If Ace was executed and Whitebeard defeated, the Marines could still claim victory.
Gritting his teeth, Sengoku pulled out a transponder snail he had prepared long before the war.
"This is Sengoku. Zephyr, the encirclement wall has failed. Ace has been rescued. Deploy rapid support to Marineford immediately. Cut off the Whitebeard Pirates' retreat."
---
Meanwhile, Marco and Ace reunited with the Whitebeard Captains. Along the way, they had encountered Admiral Aokiji. Ace stood forward to block him, and by relying on fire's natural advantage over ice, he matched Aokiji's Pheasant Beak with a blazing Mirror Flame, boosting the morale of every Whitebeard pirate who saw it.
"Pops…"
After ensuring Ace's safety, Marco flew to Whitebeard's side. Seeing him unharmed, Marco felt relief. Without Squard's betrayal from the original events, Whitebeard's condition was far better, and the disastrous chain of injuries that once followed never occurred.
"Marco, you did well." Whitebeard nodded proudly, then shouted, "My sons! We came here to save Ace. Now that he's free, there's no reason to remain. Prepare to retreat!"
A thunderous cheer rose.
"But Pops… our ship…" Marco looked toward Crescent Bay. The Moby Dick had been reduced to charred remains. Akainu's Meteor Volcano had melted the ice and turned the bay into boiling seawater, destroying their flagship.
Whitebeard gazed at his fallen ship. For a moment, a shadow of sadness crossed his eyes. But unlike his weakened self from the original events, the current Whitebeard stood strong.
"Gurarara… it's fine. We'll build a new one when we return. What matters now is getting everyone out safely."
Fossa quickly turned to Ace. "Ace, hurry and thaw Little Oars. He's been frozen by Aokiji for a long time."
"I got it." Ace looked up at the towering ice sculpture. "Thank you, Little Oars. I'll free you now."
Flames flickered in his hand as he prepared to melt the ice without harming the giant.
But suddenly, a chilling voice tore through the air—
"Great Eruption…"
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