Chapter 116: No Openings

The Sabaody Archipelago, currently broadcasting the war at Marineford, was in an uproar.

“It’s supposed to be a war between the Navy and Whitebeard, isn’t it!?”

“Kaido, Big Mom... and even the Golden Lion joined the war!?”

“At this rate, the Navy’s gonna lose, aren’t they!?”

“What’s gonna happen to the world!?”

Marines, civilians, journalists, pirates—every last one of them stared at the scene of war that looked more like hell than reality, pale with fear, filled with dread over what tomorrow might bring.

Originally, the plan had been to prevent the war from being shown at all by faking a malfunction in the visual transponder snails.

But the “Chimera Nue” hijacked one and tampered with it, broadcasting every intense moment of the war directly into the eyes of the people.

Naturally, the next generation—the Supernovas—weren’t about to miss this spectacle either.

“…Is this the end of the Navy…?”

“They’re putting on a show—for the public, and for all the pirates out there… the moment the world falls into pirate hands…!!”

“Whitebeard’s a living legend, yeah… but he’s not just up against the Navy. With that kind of difference in firepower, there’s no way he wins…”

“Chances of Marine Headquarters surviving—”

“Amen.”

“If this keeps up… he’s…!!”

“…We’re setting sail, Bepo!!”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

They too could sense the coming heartbeat of the pirate era, holding their breath as they watched the end of an age unfold.

The footage showed the Navy initiating a plan to surround the Whitebeard Pirates.

---

Having charged into the war to rescue his brother Ace, the boy in the straw hat, Monkey D. Luffy, was racing straight through the chaos toward the execution platform.

“Haah… The strong-looking ones went Ace’s way… Is he gonna be okay over there!?”

“That’s the Golden Lion, Luffy-kun!! The legendary pirate who made the first successful escape from Impel Down 20 years ago!!”

“The Navy’s already decided to execute Ace-boy—there’s no way they’re gonna let some pirate do it!! We have to get to the plaza, fast!!”

“Yeah… With the Navy’s forces spread thin, this is our best chance to save Ace!!”

“Alright!! No one’s in our way right now!! We can get up there!!”

Hearing the voices of Jinbei, Ivankov, and Musashi running beside him, Luffy stretched his arms out and grabbed the edge of the plaza, attempting to climb up. But—

“Wha—!? What the—!?”

“A wall!!?”

Suddenly, from beneath the ice, a massive iron wall shot up to block the way to the plaza, swatting Luffy’s arm away and cutting off the Whitebeard Pirates’ path forward.

“We’re surrounded!!!”

“What the hell is this!?”

Walls emerged, encircling the entire bay. No matter how hard the pirates attacked them, the steel barricades didn’t so much as tremble.

“So that’s the ‘encirclement walls’ they kept talking about!!!”

“You trying to avoid fighting us, Navy!?”

“All the cannons are pointed this way!!”

The Whitebeard Pirates came to a halt in front of the wall. With it blocking the way, they couldn’t reach the plaza, and though they tried to break it, the wall didn’t even crack.

The Navy’s plan had been to use these walls to trap the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay and wipe them out in one go.

By activating the system, they thought they could at least temporarily stall the threats posed by the Whitebeard and Golden Lion Pirates—but the plan was flawed, and it couldn’t be executed immediately.

“What the hell is going on!!! Get those walls fully operational!!!”

“…One of the walls couldn’t lift Oars’s massive body…!! It seems his blood got into the system and caused a power drop…!!!”

Sengoku shouted for the walls to be activated at once. One of the barriers meant to complete the enclosure had failed to rise properly, blocked by the sheer mass of Oars’s corpse.

Even if the walls had gone up fully, the rest of the plan couldn’t proceed. After all—

“Fighting the Navy brings back memories…!! Of that day—when we decided to break away!!!”

“…!! You should’ve died back then…!! You just had to get in the way…!!”

“Worororo!! If you’ve got a complaint, take it up with Garp over there!!! —Hey Garp!! I’ll make you regret not killing us back then!!!”

“…You think I don’t already…!!?”

One of the plan’s key players—Akainu—was now completely tied up with Kaido.

With the giant dragon tearing across the sky, there was no way to use Akainu to destroy the Whitebeard Pirates’ footing. But they couldn’t just sit on their hands, either.

“…!! Maintain minimum vigilance on Whitebeard in the bay! All other Marines in the plaza, focus your forces on repelling the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates!!”

“Yes sir!!”

Sengoku left Whitebeard to the encirclement walls and artillery, redirecting his troops to counter the two pirate crews closing in from the flanks.

He decided there was no need to rush taking Whitebeard down. The Golden Lion Pirates from behind, the plaza’s “Chimera,” and Big Mom would handle him sooner or later. If anything went wrong, there were still other options.

Thus, Sengoku shifted strategy, prioritizing the three pirate crews that had nothing to do with Ace, all of whom sought to bring down the Navy. He needed Whitebeard to stall for time—but nothing ever went according to plan in a battlefield this chaotic.

---

“──Queen-sama!! We’re all set!!”

“Alriiiight!! Then aim at the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay—FIRE!!!”

“!!?”

“Gyaaah!!”

“Gah, I got hit!!”

The Whitebeard Pirates had judged that heading toward the opening Oars made was their best bet. But from atop the left-side wall, a rain of gunfire poured down on them, injuring many. It wasn’t laser fire—it was all physical ammunition… but not ordinary bullets either.

“So cold…!! What the hell is this…!?”

“Gyaah!! What the hell’s your problem!?”

“An infection…!? Damn it…!! It’s Plague…!!!”

“──Muhahaha!!! That’s right!! Third Division Commander—Diamond Jozu!!!”

“…!! Queen the Plague…!!!”

The Whitebeard Pirates who were hit suddenly began suffering from extreme cold, lost control of their minds, and turned violently on those around them. Anyone they touched caught the same illness.

There was only one person on this battlefield who could unleash such a bizarre viral weapon. Jozu looked up toward the source of the gunfire, and sure enough, there stood Queen, one of the Lead Performers of the Beasts Pirates, flanked by countless gun-wielding subordinates.

“These are Excite Plague Rounds!! No matter how tough you are—nobody beats illness!! You of all people should know that… seeing as your captain’s sick, isn’t he!? Mwahahahaha!!”

"Gyahahahaha!!"

"—Kh…!! Don’t you dare make fun of Pops…!! Come down here, Queen!!!"

"Muhaha, idiot. You’re all gonna die down there, spreading that infection amongst yourselves. I don’t even need to come down!! You’re family, right? Then stay together till the end!! Catch it and die together!! Mwahahaha!!!"

"That bastard…!!!"

"Commander Jozu… run…! We’re done for…!! If we touch each other, we’ll just spread it…!!"

A portion of the Whitebeard Pirates trapped in the bay had succumbed to a mysterious disease—an engineered virus that gave the “Pandemic” his moniker. The infected unknowingly passed it on to others. If nothing was done, a pandemic would erupt inside the bay.

But their escape routes were limited. Behind them was the Golden Lion Pirates. The bay was surrounded by barricades, and enemy forces made every direction dangerous. Even UFOs hovered in the sky.

To make matters worse, while Jozu was grinding his teeth on the left flank, on the right, Marco was locked in battle with yet another “calamity.”

"Gyahhhhhh!!"

"It’s burning!!"

"Shit, back up!! The fire’s spreading—our footing’s disappearing!!"

"Damn it!! That bastard King…!!"

Flames had spread across the frozen sea, melting away their footing one patch at a time.

The one responsible was one of the two airborne combatants wreathed in fire. The man engulfed in red flames rained destruction from above, while the one cloaked in blue fire watched the chaos in the bay, his mouth twisting with disgust.

"Tch!! That damn 'Plague'… If we don’t push through to the plaza now, it’ll be too late…!!"

"You’ve got my sympathy. Falling victim to that dumbass’s weapon…!! Aren’t you going to stop him?"

"I want to, but leaving you alone is way more dangerous, yoi!!"

"A wise choice…!!"

Even as they traded words, the battle never paused. The Phoenix versus the Pteranodon—two mythical and ancient Zoan users clashed in a battle of airborne supremacy. With flight capabilities and tremendous combat prowess, it was a high-level sky duel no one else could interfere in.

"Flames don’t work on me, yoi!!!"

"The flames are just to clear out the trash below. You, I’ll carve apart thoroughly… until you can’t regenerate anymore…!!!"

"…! Humanoid form…!!"

King spread his flames wide, but they were useless against Marco, the Phoenix who was already wreathed in fire. The flames were meant for Whitebeard’s men—and in truth, small-scale blazes were already breaking out across the frozen surface.

Marco took flight to stop it, surging toward King at high speed. But King shifted from his beast form back to humanoid, drawing a blade proportional to his massive frame. Marco narrowed his eyes, reading the movement and readying himself. At that moment, King’s sword gleamed.

"!!"

"!? A flying slash…!!"

King swung his sword, releasing a massive slash toward Marco below. Marco, seeing it just in time, chose to dodge rather than take the hit.

"Uwaaahhh!!? What the hell!?"

"Captain Buggy!! That slash came down from above and cut through the ice!!"

"We’re gonna fall!! Watch your footing!!"

The flying slash reached the bay floor, slicing the entire right half of the frozen surface in two. But even after witnessing that, King clicked his tongue, unsatisfied. He stayed airborne with his black wings, blocking Marco’s incoming kick with his blade, then transformed back into a Pteranodon and flew higher.

"If he’d taken that head-on, I could’ve worn down his regeneration… but as expected, taking you down’s gonna take some time…!!"

"Then hurry up and drop already, yoi…!!"

"Hmph… At this rate, Nue might finish off your captain before we settle things."

"!!? No way…!!"

Marco’s expression tightened at King’s words—for good reason. At that very moment, Whitebeard was indeed locked in combat with Nue.

"You’ve really gotten slow… haven’t you, ‘Whitebeard’!!"

"Haa… Don’t spout bullshit, you damn brat!! What part of me’s gotten slow, huh!!?"

"Trying to deny it? Ahaha!! That’s a stretch, Whitebeard…!! Even if you ignore how much stronger I’ve gotten, the old you was way, way more of a monster… so much so that even someone like me back then couldn’t compare…!! Everybody knows that…!!!"

Whitebeard’s quake-powered, Haki-infused naginata clashed with Nue’s spear. At a glance, they looked evenly matched. But Whitebeard’s breath was ragged, sweat beading on his brow. Nue, on the other hand, showed no such signs. It was clear—Whitebeard was not at full strength. He knew it. His crewmates knew it. His aging, diseased body had been deteriorating for some time, kept functional only through daily medication and IVs. He’d managed to keep moving up to now through sheer force of will… but deep down, he could feel it. His end was near.

—And Nue, who had known the Whitebeard of the past and possessed powerful Observation Haki, sensed it too.

"Righteous Heart: Green UFO Barrage!!!"

"…!!"

As Nue thrust her left hand forward, green UFOs materialized in midair and bombarded Whitebeard.

He managed to fend them off, even shooting some down—but his movements lacked the sharpness of his prime. From Nue’s perspective, he was barely holding it together.

"The old you wouldn’t have even flinched at something like this."

Despite the smile on her face, her voice carried a trace of sorrow—as if, even in battle, her mind had wandered back to a time nearly forty years ago.

『Hey, look, Whitebeard!! Take this!! My new UFO technique!!』

『Like hell I’m takin’ it, dumbass!! No matter how many of those puny snot-nosed UFO shots you fire, they ain’t puttin’ a scratch on me!!』

『Don’t call a cute girl “snot-nosed,” you big jerk!! You dumbass Whitebeard!!』

Once upon a time, Whitebeard had been a member of the most powerful and feared pirate crew in the world.

Within that vicious crew, where betrayal and backstabbing ran rampant, Whitebeard had stood firm—never allowing comrades to kill one another or commit atrocities beyond necessity. His overwhelming strength kept the worst impulses of his crewmates in check. When Whitebeard was around, betrayal stopped.

"Dark Cloud of Peace!!!"

"Kh… black mist…!! But something like this—!!"

“Whitebeard” swept away Nue’s conjured black clouds and bullet storm with a single slash of his naginata, dispelling both the blinding cover and the barrage in one motion.

But within that haze, he caught sight of Nue charging toward him, spear raised.

Whitebeard turned his naginata to intercept, swinging wide with another heavy blow to repel her—but—

“!?”

“Purple Mirror.”

His attack struck Nue’s body—yet not a drop of blood flew. Her form simply vanished into the air.

The black clouds cleared. The real Nue had slipped into Whitebeard’s blind spot, right into striking range.

“If this were the old you... you never would’ve fallen for such a cheap trick.”

“...!! (Damn it...!!)”

There wasn’t enough time to bring the naginata back into position. He couldn’t block. Couldn’t dodge. A fatal opening—just one moment.

But for the Nue of today, that was more than enough.

As if lost in memory, Nue channeled a dense coating of Armament Haki into the trident in her right hand. She spun it at blinding speed, turning it like a wheel.

『I’ll hide myself like this... and now, Whitebeard! For Kaido! You’ve let your guard down~~~!!』

『I didn’t let nothing down! That crap’s just kid stuff!』

『Ow! You’re so mean!! Muu... someday I will land a clean hit on you!!』

『You cheeky brat... Go ahead and try it. You couldn’t do it in a hundred years, Nue. Gurararara...!!』

“You’ve grown weak—nothing like the monster you used to be. The Navy’s just going to run you into the ground and you’ll die a wreck. So if that’s your fate... I’ll be the one to finish you here and now.”

“Gh... Nue...!!”

“Checkmate, Whitebeard.”

With resolve flaring in her red beastlike eyes, Nue locked onto Whitebeard.

Her trident, surging with Armament Haki and crackling with the power of her ability, sparked violently like a thunderclap—then shot forward in a lightning-fast thrust.

“Raiju Hakkei!!!”

“!!!!”

──Nue’s spear pierced Whitebeard through the chest.

---

The "Beast" plunged its spear through Whitebeard’s chest, the impact tearing through the air, punching a hole in the sky.

And in that instant, the consciousness of every witness was seized by the moment.

The Whitebeard Pirates, the Marines, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the escapees from Impel Down, the civilians of the Sabaody Archipelago, the reporters, the pirates—many of them paled at the sight. The Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Golden Lion Pirates each reacted in their own way as they confirmed what had just happened.

"Oyaaajiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!"

"Whitebeard…!!"

"The old man's…!!"

The voices of the Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews echoed across the battlefield, and even those not aligned with them stood stunned by the sight of the legendary pirate being pierced through.

"Oyaji…!!"

"In battle, the one who shows an opening dies first. That's just how it is…!!"

"!? King…!! You bastard… Let me go!!"

Marco had been frozen for a split second by the sight of Whitebeard being impaled. He moved to rush to his side—but in that instant, King struck, seizing Marco in the massive jaws of his pteranodon form and diving at full speed toward the plaza. Marco struggled to break free, but he couldn’t escape the beast's brute strength.

"Don’t worry. I’ll take you to the same place as Whitebeard!!"

"Kh… damn it…!!"

"!!!"

"Captain Marco!!"

King crashed into the plaza without slowing, splitting the stone and sending dust erupting into the air. Some of the Whitebeard Pirates watching shouted in fear, worried for Marco’s safety.

But most couldn’t tear their eyes away from Whitebeard. Even Kaido, floating above, snorted as he watched the scene unfold.

"…He’ll be dead soon… Whitebeard. That’s the end of the Whitebeard Pirates. Once that old man dies, the rest are nothing. It’s only a matter of time before they all fall…"

"Kaido-sama!! Reporting in!!"

"!? Bao Huang."

As Kaido, in dragon form, battled the Marines in the plaza, Bao Huang approached aboard her rainbow-colored UFO to deliver her report—unrelated to Whitebeard’s injury.

"Currently on the west side!! Joker-sama and Jack-sama have routed the Marines and are advancing toward the plaza as planned!! On the east side, Katakuri-sama’s Big Mom Pirates are facing resistance from Admiral Aokiji and seem to be falling behind schedule!!"

"Because that hag Linlin won’t step in. Damned old crone… she underestimated Aokiji…!!"

"Big Mom-sama is currently engaged in battle with ‘Hawk Eyes’ in the bay!! Additionally, the Golden Lion Pirates are encircling the Whitebeard Pirates from the rear, just as planned!!"

"Got it. You stay ‘up top’ and keep monitoring and reporting from the battlefield, Bao Huang!!"

"Understood!!"

With Kaido’s command, Bao Huang vanished above the clouds on her rainbow UFO. Kaido, meanwhile, descended in human form into the plaza, now strewn with fallen Marines.

"Even if you all fall here, the world will praise you—for decades, centuries, you’ve protected peace on these seas… you’ve done your duty…!!"

"Kaido…!!"

"Damn it… Oyaji…!!"

There were still many Marines left in the plaza, but not one of them looked confident anymore.

On the execution platform, Sengoku’s expression was grim, while Ace had turned pale. In the square below, Akainu stood at the center of the formation, Marines surrounding him, all bracing against Kaido. But every one of them bore injuries from the earlier attacks—both from the UFO and from Kaido himself.

Kaido, on the other hand, remained completely unscathed.

"…It’s been twenty-two years since Roger died… now Whitebeard’s about to go too… and his son won’t be far behind…!!"

Amidst the corpses of countless pirates and Marines, in the heart of a battlefield soaked in death, Kaido wore a fearless smile as he addressed the Navy.

You made it this far. He was ready to honor both their way of living—and the way they were about to die.

He hefted his kanabo onto his shoulder.

"Now it’s your turn…!!!"

A final warning—are you ready to die? Kaido demanded of the Navy.

"I’ll put an end to this…!!!"

"……!!!"

The strongest creature unleashed his wrath.

---

The moment I stabbed Whitebeard, I felt a flood of fear surge through my body.

It wasn’t just fear—it came mingled with awe and fury. That’s what fuels me.

But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it as much. Surpassing Whitebeard isn’t something that can be reduced to a single emotion.

I’m not saying I’m not happy. But it’s definitely not just that.

What I feel most of all is—“So, this is the end.”

That’s the plain truth. A human being can’t survive a stab to the heart. No matter how monstrous they may be, that truth doesn’t change. It’s the natural end for a beast called man.

And yet—

"This is the end, Whitebeard...──"

"...Like hell it is..."

“!!?”

Pure, unfiltered shock.

Whitebeard, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, speaks—and channels the power of a quake into his left arm.

His voice hasn’t vanished. It wasn’t an instant death. I’m certain I pierced his heart.

And yet Whitebeard, that man, even as he hovers on the edge of death, is still burning with the fire of life—

"Don’t think you can kill me that easy, ya damn brat!!! Dumbass!!!"

“!!!”

The spear—stopped by the muscle of his chest!?

I tried to evade, but couldn’t. I yanked the spear out with brute force, pouring more strength into it—but in that very moment, I was hit. By Whitebeard’s fist, packed with the power of a quake, raw strength, and Haki.

It was both a nostalgic blow… and a sensation I was feeling for the first time.

"The shock’s comin’, brace yourselves!!!"

"Old man…!!"

"Hey, Nue just got sent flying!!?"

"No way!! How the hell is he still alive after getting stabbed in the chest!?"

As voices echoed from afar, I found myself remembering. Ah, that’s right...

Come to think of it, has Whitebeard ever actually hit me seriously before?

Of course not when we were allies, but even when we used to fight… now that I think about it, Whitebeard never went all out back then either.

It’s because we weren’t strong enough to draw that out of him.

But now—though he may have weakened, he did hit me with all he had.

That’s proof he now sees me as a true enemy.

"Oh my… Whitebeard’s still alive, huh!! Still the same tough old guy!!"

"I ain’t dyin’ just yet…!!"

Hearing Linlin and Whitebeard talk brings the memory back to me.

Right—Whitebeard isn’t the kind of man who dies from just this.

Even if his heart is destroyed, even if his brain’s half-gone, this man will keep that flame of life burning until he’s done what he came to do.

That’s what makes a great man. Even if the body dies, as long as the will lives on, a person doesn’t truly die.

Of course, there are limits… but if Whitebeard’s not dead, then that means this still isn’t his limit.

"...Good grief…!!"

"Nue-san!!"

I spat out a pool of blood, rose to my feet. My subordinates were worried—but please. Don’t underestimate me. I’m not so soft that I’d pass out or be out of the fight from just that.

"Weakened or not, that punch packed a hell of a punch…!! Ahaha… I’ll admit it, it hit me pretty good…!!"

"──Well that’s a relief, then～～"

"!"

Just as I debated whether to charge at the half-dead Whitebeard again, that dragging, lazy voice reached my ears from the side—one I knew too well. Instinctively, I raised my arm, already flowing with Haki, to guard.

A kick came flying at the speed of light from the side. Of course, it was Kizaru. I was knocked back again, crashing into the ice—but it didn’t hurt much. I’d defended in time. Standing again, I opened my mouth to tease the man standing before me—Borsalino.

"You want my attention that badly? Fufu, this time I won’t stop with just your left arm…!!"

"Well, I’d feel all gross if I didn’t get my payback～～. Though it seems you’ve got a whole lot of people who hold a grudge against you…"

"Haters come with the territory when you're popular—don’t you think!!?"

I agreed with Borsalino, then swept aside the incoming slash of sand with my spear, following the telltale signs picked up by my Observation Haki. I turned my voice toward the attacker as well.

"Bit of a rough greeting, don’t you think, Sandy Croc-kun♡?"

"Don’t go stealing other people’s prey… Youkai Beast…!!!"

"Ahahaha!! Looks like you finally found the guts to pick a fight with me again!! Yes yes, that’s what I like to see!! Makes it so much more worth killing you～～～♡"

One of the former Seven Warlords of the Sea—Sir Crocodile, who broke out of Impel Down with Luffy—is now giving me a thoroughly sour look. I get it, it’s a chaotic battlefield, and I am pretty popular, so it’s no surprise all these interruptions come flying my way. Being desirable really is a sin!!

Anyway, I figured—since I’ve got the chance—I might as well kill Borsalino and Crocodile first.

But just then, my Den-Den Mushi rang. Without dropping my guard, I used my serpent to answer while keeping my stance.

"What is it～～? I’m kinda in the middle of something right now!!"

『Lady Nue!! The encirclement is nearly complete!! Queen-sama’s Plague and King-sama’s Wildfire are spreading—please evacuate from that zone!!』

"Ohhh, it’s already that time. Okayyy♪ Then I guess we’ll continue this on the plaza!!"

"!"

Leaving Borsalino and Crocodile behind, I leapt into the air and headed toward the plaza. Honestly, I’d been so focused on the fight with Whitebeard that I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings. But it was true—the Navy’s encirclement was just about done, and the Whitebeard Pirates were still stuck inside the bay.

If I had the luxury, I could sense the flow of the whole battlefield like I just did—but even now, even weakened, I couldn’t afford to take my eyes off Whitebeard. ──Well, it’s fine. I do have a brilliant secretary, after all!!

"Now then… I wonder what that half-dead Whitebeard and those kiiiids of his will do next?"

Landing by Kaido’s side on the plaza, I looked forward to seeing how the ones still trapped in the bay would act from here on out.

---

“Whitebeard” had been dealt a fatal wound by the “Phantom Beast,” and as that beast moved into the plaza, the center of the battlefield shifted from the bay to the plaza.

"Hah—hahaha!! Sorry, but I’m pulling out too!! I’ve got to go help those adorable little kids!!"

"Jihaha... Looks like it’s about time... I’ll make my move too. —Now then, Ace!! I hope to hear a good answer from you...!"

"! Pops, Big Mom and the Golden Lion...!!"

"Pops!! The bay’s a disaster!! It’s all fire and viruses—we’ve got nowhere to run!!"

"I know...!! Everyone, we’re charging into the plaza!! Get ready, boys!!!"

"WOOOOAAAHHH!!!"

Left in the bay were only the Whitebeard Pirates and the Impel Down escapees. Everyone else had already moved up into the plaza.

Seeing this, the Whitebeard Pirates decided to storm the plaza as well—but amid the chaos, the escapees from Impel Down who aimed to rescue Ace began to move—

"Charging through that hole is suicide!! As much as I’d like to use it, we’ll be picked off one by one if we go in small numbers!!"

"Even if we reach the plaza, it’s way too dangerous-ble!! We’d be going up against the Navy, the Seven Warlords, Kaido, Big Mom, the Golden Lion... we’d have to fight them all!!!"

"Zeh... hah... But we have to do something...!! They all mean to kill Ace!!!"

Bleeding from the head, Luffy was being tended to by Jinbe and Ivankov. Time was slipping away, and staying in the bay would get them killed. The pressure was building.

But in that storm of panic, Musashi alone remained calm. With a stern expression, he spent a moment deep in thought. Then, once he’d made up his mind, he turned to Luffy and laid out a plan—with the same resolve, he tested Luffy’s.

"There is a way to get into the plaza...!!!"

"! For real!!? Then—"

"Yeah. But... you’d better be ready for this, Straw Hat Luffy. Once we charge into the plaza... there’s no guarantee we’ll make it out alive!!"

"Hah... hah... I’ve been ready for that for a long time!! Just hurry up already!!!"

"! I see... then let’s go...!!!"

Musashi began her transformation, having resolved to carry Luffy and the others into the heart of the battle.

—And then, the giant body of Oars, the one hole in the siege wall, began to slowly rise. For a fleeting moment, both Marines and pirates alike looked up in awe.

"Oars is...!!"

"Ignore it!! We don’t have time to be distracted!! Take them down at all costs!!!"

"Seriously... this battlefield’s a damn nightmare~~...!!"

"! Kizaru!! That’s—!!"

But just then—riding the wind, figures soared over the siege wall.

They were beast-like in form, each carrying someone on its back.

"Ah...!!"

"That’s...!!"

The boy wearing the straw hat—some recognized him instantly. There was only one person on this battlefield who fit that description.

But the ground he was about to land on... was one so blood-soaked and cursed, even hell would seem merciful in comparison.

"! You made it all the way here...!! You're definitely your grandpa's kid...!!"

"Dragon’s son...!! I’ll make sure to kill you later...!!"

"I really don’t have time to deal with you~~~... but if you could just drop dead on your own, that’d be great..."

The Seven Warlords of the Sea scattered across the field—the three Marine Admirals, the Hero of the Navy, the Fleet Admiral forming a wall in front, and on either side, glaring down with overwhelming pressure, were the pirates who stood at the very peak of the world.

"Hmm~~~? Who the hell are you...!!"

"Jihaha... I hear you’re Fire Fist’s little brother, huh...?"

The Four Emperors—Charlotte Linlin, “Big Mom,” stood watching, and beside her floated the supreme boss of the Golden Lion Pirates, “Golden Lion” Shiki.

"! Musashi and... who the hell are you?"

"—Ahaha♡ Straw Hat Luffy~~♡ You’ve got guts, but... don’t you think it’s a little too early to be taking on something of this difficulty?"

The Yonko—Kaido of the Beasts, and beside him floated his elder sibling figure—the Phantom Beast Nue.

"Hah... hah... I’m not letting anyone kill Ace...!!!"

"Luffy...!!"

And so, into a battlefield overflowing with monsters of legend, without a second thought, dived the reckless pirate—Straw Hat Luffy.

Barely able to stand, he still glared straight at the peak of the world with unshakable resolve. On the execution platform, Ace’s expression twisted in shock as he cried out Luffy’s name—

—The swell of battle was now reaching its peak.