Chapter 117: Death Ground

The Oris Plaza of Marine Headquarters—Marineford—had become a battlefield so brutal that even hell would seem lukewarm by comparison.

“Hah… Hah…!!”

“We’re done for…!! We’re all gonna be killed by the pirates…!!”

“D-Don’t give up!! If we surrender, then who’s going to defeat evil?!”

Driven back into the plaza, the Marines fought with their backs to the wall. But still, the encroaching advance of the surrounding pirates gradually wore down their hearts and sapped their limited morale.

Yet those same fragile-hearted soldiers, aware that their own lives, and those of their comrades and innocent civilians, hung in the balance, moved their bodies with sheer will to live. Ironically, it was their fear and despair of the pirates that barely kept them alive.

But that alone wasn’t enough to turn the tide—the threat of the Four Emperors showed no signs of slowing.

“Hey, look at that guy!! What the hell’s he thinking, barging into the middle of that?!”

“Gya~hahaha!! That Straw Hat punk’s dead meat!!”

“Forget him—Lady Musashi is here!!”

And the one who charged recklessly into the very heart of this violent clash was none other than the 17-year-old rookie pirate—Straw Hat Luffy. Everyone watching thought the same thing: he’s insane.

But that was only natural. After all, he was standing face to face with the kings of the sea—those closest to the title of Pirate King.

“Ha-ha-ha, mamamamama!! So you’re Garp’s grandson, huh? Got that same reckless streak, daring to talk big to us!!”

“Jihaha!! Damn right!! Breaking outta Impel Down and getting all the way here? That’s hilarious!! …And now we’ve got Roger’s brat and Garp’s grandson in one place… can’t help but remember that day!!”

“Hey, look, look!! That’s him—Straw Hat Luffy!! Kaido!!”

“I know. Heard the reports… that brat who took out Crocodile and brought down Enies Lobby…!!!”

“Yep, yep!! And with that—attention camera!! Right here, we’ve got one of the Supernovas causing all the buzz lately!! It’s Straw Hat Luffy~~~!!! Yay~~!! Clap clap clap~~!!”

The Yonkos—Big Mom and Kaido.

Then there was their former comrade, Golden Lion Shiki, and Kaido’s senior, Nue the Phantom Beast.

The moment those monsters all turned their eyes on Luffy, a chill ran down his spine. But he forcefully suppressed the danger that his instincts screamed at him about with sheer willpower.

To save Ace, he had to break through this place. And that meant—

“I’m saving Ace… no matter what!!! I don’t have time to deal with you guys!!!”

—Giving up was never an option for him.

And so, he charged straight through the heart of the chaos.

“Gear Second!!”

“!”

In the instant he took his first step, Luffy accelerated the flow of blood throughout his body, triggering the technique Gear Second to drastically boost his physical capabilities. His speed now rivaled the Soru of the Rokushiki technique—a blur of movement nearly superhuman.

But on this battlefield—his speed wasn’t overwhelming.

“Well then, let’s go ahead with a quick interview!! So! What’s it like seeing the Four Emperors up close for the first time?”

“!? You…!!”

As Luffy tried to break through the swarm of enemies, Nue was suddenly stuck upside down directly in front of his face, holding a microphone—where she'd pulled it from, no one knew.

Stunned, Luffy immediately tried to veer off and shake her, but Nue refused to budge from his path.

“Damn it, I can’t shake her off…!!”

“Well, duh~? I mean, you’re soooo slo~w, I’ve got plenty of time to squeeze in a nice, relaxed interview.”

“…!! You’re a pirate?!”

“Yup!! The one and only adorable Nue-chan♡ As I said before, I’m the world’s cutest idol and… a pirate!! Ahaha, okay, maybe I forgot to mention the pirate part last time~~!!”

“Gh…!! Then that UFO back then was…!!”

Luffy recalled the moment he’d seen a UFO just before running into Nue the first time.

Now, the sky above the battlefield was filled with the exact same type of UFOs. He could now guess that Nue had created them with some kind of ability. What kind, he didn’t know—but he understood enough.

Not that it mattered right now. Saving Ace took priority. He didn’t have time to waste on her.

“So, what’s your impression of the Four Emperors? Feel like you can win? Or are you starting to despair~?”

“…!! Shut up!! I told you—I don’t have time to deal with you right now!!”

“Ahahaha!! Right, you wanna save Ace, huh~? Then why don’t you hurry up? Though honestly… I don’t think you’ve got what it takes to bust him out and escape alive♡”

“Don’t decide that for me!!”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t get in your way~♡ Go right ahead, knock yourself out. Can’t speak for the others around you though—oh look, here comes someone from behind?”

“!!!”

The instant Nue pointed behind him, a long leg slammed into Luffy’s face with stunning speed—far faster than Luffy, and in that moment, even faster than Nue.

And only one person on this battlefield could move like that.

As the kick flew past her, Nue effortlessly dodged not only that, but also the follow-up attacks from a group of Marines swarming in from behind, all while taunting them with a grin.

“Oh my, oh my, all of you ganging up on a poor rookie and a beautiful maiden…!! What is this, a photo shoot?!”

“Forget Straw Hat—you’re not even close to ‘helpless’…!!”

“Seriously… can’t even land a surprise attack on you. What a troublesome girl.”

Two Marines now stood in Nue’s way. One was Admiral Kizaru, real name Borsalino. The other was a thin old woman—one of the most well-known Marines in the world. Seeing not just an Admiral but a legendary female veteran, Nue laughed cheerfully.

“So this is our first meeting, huh, Miss Tsuru the Grand Strategist? Trying to wash me clean on a first encounter—that’s sooo cruel♡ But no need, my heart’s already pure, so no need to scrub it!!”

“You don’t have to worry. Your heart’s already past saving… it’s so filthy, no amount of washing can clean it now…!!!”

“! …Heh. Got some guts, don’t you? If you’re gonna talk that big, I hope you’re ready to back it up.”

“!”

With a crescent-shaped grin on her lips, Nue conjured several new UFOs. Her beast-like eyes had already locked onto the next target.

“Purple Mirror.”

“There are more of the monster beasts!?”

“What kind of bizarre technique is that this time…!?”

The Marines watched in shock as Nue conjured two massive, purple mirrors—then suddenly, her figure split in two… then four.

Now multiplied, the four identical Nues each floated in the air independently, holding spears at the ready, their mouths moving in eerie synchronicity.

“Fufufu♡ You’re next♡”

“Try to put up some resistance, will you? Otherwise, it gets so boring♡”

“Kaido’s finally starting to warm up, so I’d better start racking up some achievements myself♡”

“Yes—for the sake of our ambition.”

The four Nues all twisted their lips into identical, wicked smirks—

“Just like when we killed Zephyr… we’ll slaughter all of you!!!”

“...!! Incoming!!”

With that chilling death sentence, Borsalino and Tsuru’s units moved to intercept the four Nues as they launched their assault.

Almost simultaneously, the battlefield shifted again.

As Luffy was sent flying by Kizaru’s kick, Jinbe, Ivankov, and Musashi moved to assist. The first two raced to Luffy’s side immediately.

But one remained where she stood—facing a long-awaited reunion with someone from her past.

“Musashi…!! At long last, we meet again…”

“...Tch. I’ll tell you now—I’ve got no intention of going back…!!”

The one glaring down at her, his kanabō resting on his shoulder, was a hulking figure with a terrifying presence—Kaido of the Beasts. Musashi met his gaze squarely, blade drawn and body crouched low—ready to respond the instant he attacked.

But her stance wasn’t just for defense. Musashi had made up her mind.

Because if there was anyone here who could even slightly slow Kaido down—it was her. And she knew it. That’s why she stood in his path—to buy time, to help save Ace.

Whether Kaido saw through that or not, he stared at her silently for a few seconds—then finally muttered:

“…But I ain’t got time to deal with a brat like you right now. Oi, you lot. Grab Musashi and toss her onto the ship or something.”

“Yes, sir!!”

“—Wait…!!”

But ignoring Musashi’s resolve, Kaido turned his back on her and strode back toward the Navy forces. Musashi tried to give chase—but members of the Beasts Pirates blocked her path. Following Kaido’s orders, they confronted her with desperate expressions.

“Lady Musashi!! Please, come back!! Lord Kaido and Lady Nue are rampaging across the battlefield—it’s far too dangerous!!”

“You guys…!! Move!! Now!!!”

“W-We can’t!! Those are Lord Kaido’s orders!!”

Though they called her "Lady Musashi" and made no move to fight, choosing instead respectful language to plead with her, Musashi only scowled bitterly—and began to transform.

“If you don’t move… don’t say I didn’t warn you…!!!”

“UWAAAH!? P-Please wait, milady!! What are you doing, transforming all of a sudden!?”

“Y-Yes!! We don’t intend to hurt you, we swear—!!”

“If you get in my way, then you’re choosing to be my enemy…!!! You all know this—I won’t go down easily… and if you stand against me, I’ll show no mercy…!!!”

Musashi’s human form began shifting—into that of a beast.

Her body transformed into a massive white tiger, nearly five meters tall. Anyone in the Beasts Pirates would recognize that form. It was the Mythical Zoan power of the Neko Neko no Mi, wielded by Musashi herself.

“Gale of Calamity…!!”

As she uttered those words, fierce winds began to howl around her.

Just as dragons create clouds to soar the skies, tigers can conjure storms. This was the same ominous wind that had caused countless disasters throughout Wano Country—the infamous phenomenon now turned against the Beasts Pirates.

“Winds of Woe!!!”

“Gyaaaaahhh!!!”

“P-Please stop, Lady Musashi~~!!”

“Then move!!! If you’re in my way, I won’t hold back!!!”

A tornado sent the pirates flying as Musashi surged forward through the chaos.

Even among the Beasts Pirates—one of the Four Emperors’ crews—ordinary grunts were no match for her.

“What do we do…!?”

“──Step aside.”

“!”

A warrior stepped forward, unable to stand idly by. Clad in demonic armor and a fearsome helmet, they unsheathed their blade and in a single step, closed the distance with Musashi.

“Kappa Style…!!”

“! Kozuki…!?”

Sensing the incoming attack with Observation Haki, Musashi recognized the warrior at once and transformed into her hybrid form, blade at the ready. The style they both wielded came from a samurai of ancient Wano. At nearly the same moment, both warriors imbued their strikes with powerful Ryuo and unleashed the same technique—

“Kinugawa of Kinu River!!!”

“!!!”

“Lady Kozuki!!”

“She used the exact same move!!”

As steel clashed and Haki erupted, a thunderous shockwave rang out—part metal, part raw force. Enraged that her technique had been perfectly mirrored, the Beasts Pirates’ Flying Six member, Kozuki, muttered coldly from behind her mask.

“It’s been a long time, Lady Musashi. Still so good at monkey see, monkey do, I see…”

"Kozuki…!! Are you going to stand in my way too!!?"

"Of course. Your capture is a direct order I received from Lord Kaido himself."

"…!! I see… but I don’t have the luxury to hold back right now…!! Sorry, but I won’t be going easy on you like I did during our sparring sessions…!!!"

"Then I hope you won’t. Because you, too, are someone I must surpass…!!!"

When Musashi swung her blade with a strong will, Kozuki responded by unleashing the passion she kept hidden within to meet the blow.

—However, even that fierce clash failed to stand out on this chaotic battlefield. In its heart, the warriors of the New World were locked in a savage, ruleless melee, where ambushes and underhanded tactics were part of the game, and killing was the only goal.

“Candy Maiden!!!”

“!! Perospero…!!”

“Fufufu, Marco~~…!! Even someone like you looks to be struggling with this many enemies. You have my sympathy—perorin♪”

Suddenly, Marco was struck by a candy torture device lunging at him from the side. He took the hit but instantly regenerated and barely managed to regain his footing. The Big Mom Pirates had broken through the eastern front. Among them, Perospero—second only to the Sweet Commanders—launched his attack on Marco.

But what happened next took both Marco and Perospero by surprise. —A wildfire erupted across the plaza.

“Scorching Emperor: Yakyudon!!!”

“!!?”

A wave of flames swallowed many Marines, and even the Big Mom Pirates flinched from the shockwave. Perospero saw it too. His candy could melt in the heat, but worse still was the presence of someone who was technically an ally for now—a “Calamity” not to be ignored. A towering man, at the top of that dreaded list.

There weren’t many capable of producing such intense firepower. Feeling the heat, Perospero cast a scornful glance at the man who had intervened—and then at his opponent: the Navy’s ultimate weapon, who until moments ago had been fighting Perospero’s younger brother.

“Hah… Hah…”

“—Who said I needed your help?”

“Hmph… You seemed to be struggling, so I thought I’d be nice.”

In a corner of the fire-consumed plaza, Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan—was on one knee, panting heavily.

He had been desperately holding off the Big Mom Pirates' assault on the eastern front alongside his subordinates. But with Big Mom’s return, the line had crumbled, and now he found himself overwhelmed by two pirates standing before him. Both were among the most feared subordinates of the Four Emperors—Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates and King of the Beasts Pirates—casting death stares at him while snapping at each other with disdain.

“…Fine. I don’t like working with you anyway. Let’s finish this quickly…!!!”

“You’re telling me. I’ll kill you someday, but for now, I’ve got easier prey to take out first…!!!”

“…!! Damn it… Couldn’t you hold back just a little…!!!”

Blood trickled from Kuzan’s forehead as he gasped for breath. He realized again just how overwhelmingly disadvantaged he and his allies were.

Flames engulfed the battlefield—an element unfavorable to him, an ice man.

He could freeze the fire, but with enemies like these, that wouldn’t turn the tide in his favor.

Worst of all… he was still probably the strongest asset on their side.

This battlefield was hell. Sensing the fierce clashes unfolding elsewhere, Kuzan wore a bitter, grimace-like expression.

“Heavenly Fire!!!”

“!!!”

—In the heart of the battlefield, a sun was dropped from the sky.

The flame avatar Prometheus, unleashed upon the battlefield, engulfed countless Marines in fire. The one commanding this devastation was the Yonko Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin.

To the Marines, she appeared as the advance of death itself—an old hag dubbed the strongest crone in the world. Soldiers trembled and were slaughtered without resistance, while Big Mom grinned down at them with bloodthirsty delight.

“Ma~mamamama!!! Is this the best you can send against me!? Just a bunch of weaklings!!? Sengoku!! Garp!! You two better come down here!!! I owe you some payback, and I plan on killing you myself!!!”

“…!! —Garp!!”

“Yeah… I got it already!!!”

“!”

Seeing Big Mom’s rampage, Sengoku called out to Garp—who was already leaping toward her, fist cloaked in black. A Haki-infused punch. That’s all it was, in theory. But that fist had once cast countless pirates into hell—the ultimate weapon of “Fist of Garp.”

“Big Mom…!! Teaming up with Kaido and Shiki now, are you…!? What the hell are you up to!!?”

“Hahaha…!! We’ve got our own ‘circumstances,’ Garp…!! Not that you need to know—since you’re going to die right here anyway!!!”

“Tch… What a pain…!!”

Big Mom and Garp’s Haki clashed.

In the past, Garp held the upper hand—but that balance had now shifted.

Even so, his fists hadn't dulled. Though age may have taken its toll, Garp’s will remained unshaken. He held off Linlin’s attack, standing his ground. The name of the "Hero of the Marines," who had once cornered the Pirate King many times and even brought down Rocks, was no empty title.

—Yet still, what Garp had once managed alone, now pushed him to his limits.

“Admiral Sakazuki~~~!!!”

“…!!”

—Yes. The one who had grown stronger and reversed the power dynamic… wasn’t alone.

That man, rampaging harder than anyone else on the battlefield, was now the strongest pirate in the world. He was once just an apprentice—a reckless, sturdy frontliner with more guts than sense. But those days were long gone.

“Ooooooh……!!!”

“!!!”

But his fighting style hadn’t changed much.

—It was pure violence in its most distilled form.

“Fire!! Fire at will!! Keep shooting!!!”

“Everyone attack at once!! If we take his head, we can turn this around!!!”

Naturally, Marines swarmed the man fighting at the center, throwing everything they had at him in an attempt to bring him down.

—But it was all meaningless.

“Blades don’t pierce him…!!”

“Bullets either…!!”

“E-even mortars aren’t working…!!?”

He had no armor. No shield.

But his body wouldn't take damage. Forged in countless battles, torture, and brushes with death, his flesh had become so tough that lead bullets, steel blades, and even explosives couldn’t break him.

Even Haki-infused attacks fared no better.

“...!!!”

“Ugh...ah...!!”

He could still feel his body—he could tell he had been hit.

But the attack was so feeble that it didn’t even register as pain. At most, it probably felt like a bug had landed on him. Pathetically weak—barely enough to be unpleasant.

As the man endured more of these attacks and became aware of his assailants, he turned with a terrifying, demonic expression. Just seconds earlier, he had bludgeoned another group to death with his massive, bloodstained kanabo.

“!!!”

His muscles bulged and pulsed with veins.

The next instant, several—maybe dozens—of Marines were flattened into the ground. Among them were vice admiral-level fighters who had mastered Haki and Rokushiki.

But their Haki couldn’t even scratch the man, let alone stop his attacks.

He didn’t bother defending. He just approached, punched, stomped, smashed—just killed.

“Kaidooooooo!!!”

“...Moria, huh...”

No one could stop this brutally simple onslaught.

“Kishishishi...!! I’ve been gathering shadows... just to kill you...!!!”

“.........”

“I’ll kill you, steal the shadows of your precious subordinates... and then I’ll become... the Pirate King!!!”

“...You...?”

Whether they were Marines or pirates—

“!!!”

“Agh...!!”

—whether they were seeking justice or revenge, it made no difference.

“A weakling like you... thinks he can be something...!!?”

This pirate, known even as the strongest creature in the world—“Kaido of the Beasts”—could not be killed by anyone...!!!

“But you’re a pitiful one... your crew was slaughtered, and you were the only one left alive. That’s what broke you, right? I heard you got into corpses after that...!!”

Kaido looked down at Gecko Moria, once a fierce rival, now unconscious with whites of his eyes showing. Without a shred of emotion, he raised his kanabo. As if looking at trash—

“Sorry about that... for not killing you back then...!!!”

He muttered an apology... and brought the kanabo down—

“Let me make it up to you... by killing you now.”

“!!!”

—ending Moria’s life with shocking ease.

He crushed the head of the unconscious and already dying Moria with his kanabo.

“A... ah...!!”

“T-The Warlord...!!”

A second time, a third, a fourth—he kept slamming the kanabo down, methodically turning Moria’s barely-living body into a corpse.

Just to make sure the man wasn’t “lucky enough” to survive, he ground him down, blow after blow.

Only when Moria’s face had lost all trace of humanity did Kaido finally exhale, then turned to face a new enemy. The Marines screamed at the death of an ally.

“G-Gecko Moria is dead!!!”

“We lost a vital asset...!!”

One of the Three Great Powers—the Warlords of the Sea, sanctioned by the World Government.

Even if they weren’t Marines, the death of one of their own sent waves of shock through the ranks. Morale plummeted—even among Headquarters Marines.

“Hellhound...!!!”

“!!?”

“F-Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!!”

But they hadn’t given up yet.

Sakazuki, his face and mouth stained with blood, formed the snarling head of a dog out of magma and launched an attack at Kaido.

But Kaido blocked it with a Haki-coated arm. He batted away the magma with his kanabo and glared back.

“Worororo... so you’re still breathing after all...!!!”

“Of course...! Huff...! I won’t rest... huff... until you damn pirates... are all wiped out...!!!”

Sakazuki, who had taken a direct blow from Kaido earlier, returned to the battlefield. As the Navy’s top weapon, he was a foe even Kaido couldn’t afford to underestimate.

But even then, Kaido’s overwhelming advantage remained. And he was getting bored of it.

“Looks like I can have a bit more fun... but the outcome’s already decided. In the end, admirals and Warlords are only this strong... you’ll never beat us...!!!”

“You’re calling it a win a bit too early... Kaido...!!!”

“!!”

A sudden impact slammed into Kaido from the side—an unbelievable force.

Though he’d weakened with age, the raw power of the blow still matched Kaido’s own. And its source was a man known to all...

“Whitebeard has entered the plaza!!!”

“Sorry, Kaido-san!! He made it onto the plaza!!”

Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate stepped down from his ship into the battlefield.

Earlier, the giant Oars had stood up and lifted Whitebeard’s ship through the battlefield, smashing through the line of Marines blocking the way.

Queen, who had planned to trap the Whitebeard Pirates in the bay along with the Marines, ran up to Kaido, apologizing loudly. Kaido said nothing. He simply turned to face Whitebeard—for the first time in thirty years.

“Been a long time, Whitebeard...!! You finally came up... but you’re half-dead thanks to Nue. You really think you can fight me like that?”

“Don’t get cocky... this is just the right handicap...!!!”

Whitebeard, standing with his “family” on the plaza, snapped back at Kaido. Blood trickled from his mouth and chest—but he was still alive, still capable of fighting.

Seeing this, Kaido fell silent for a moment—as if thinking. Then, with a wicked grin, he spoke.

“...Interesting. You ready for this, Whitebeard...? You’ve always been too soft... it pissed me off sometimes... but I never hated that about you...!!!”

Kaido’s words carried a surprising honesty as he recalled the past.

To Kaido, Whitebeard had always been a thorn in his side—strong, yet annoyingly soft. In his youth, he’d picked fights with him countless times, and even in recent years, had considered when he might finally kill the man.

But at the same time, he respected that strength—and that resolve.

“I’ll give you this much... your death might be worth watching. You’re a great man—but that doesn’t mean you’ll die a great death. Can you save Roger’s brat... or your family...? Let’s find out...!!!”

“...!! What are you planning, Kaido...!!?”

“I’ve been saying it all along. I’m just going to end it. This boring-ass world...!!! Hey—Doflamingo! Hancock!!”

“!?”

“...!!”

As murmurs stirred around Whitebeard and his crew, Kaido called out sharply to two of the Warlords—Donquixote Doflamingo and Boa Hancock.

The two, who had been holding back and barely participating, froze at being named. Nervous, sweating, they braced for what was coming. Kaido barked his next order.

“No more half-assing it!!! Get your asses over here, now!!!”

"...Huh...?"

"W-What did he just say...?"

"...!! No way...!!"

Both Marines and pirates alike were stunned by Kaido’s words.

Some, those with sharp instincts, turned pale. Even those who didn’t fully grasp the situation shifted their gazes toward the two Warlords.

Doflamingo, with his usual fearless grin, calmly responded:

"...You saying we don’t need to keep up the charade anymore?"

"Yeah. Quit messing around and get started already!!"

"...You realize communications are going to be cut off, right?"

"Yeah—You’re fine with that, right, Nue?"

"All good, all good♪ We can’t transmit from inside, but we can still record it from the outside!! So go ahead and start!!"

"Fu... Fufufufufufu...!!! Alright then...!!!"

Doflamingo burst into loud laughter and released thick threads from his hand up toward the sky.

"Huh!? What the hell is that...!?"

"Doflamingo...!! What are you planning to do...!?"

"Fufufu... The 'Birdcage'...!!"

"!!?"

He answered the Marines’ questions with that single word.

Meanwhile, the threads spread evenly in all directions with Doflamingo at the center high above, gradually covering the entire Marineford battlefield—just like a giant birdcage.

And then, Nue directed her voice to another Warlord—Hancock.

"Hancock-chaaaan♡ You get it, right~~?"

"...!! Nue...-san..."

"Ahaha!! No need to be so scared!! I’m super nice to my allies!! I won’t lay a finger on you or your pre-ci-ous one either!!"

"...! ...I understand."

"!!?"

"What...!!?"

Then Hancock suddenly launched an attack on a nearby Marine.

It was only then that the truth dawned on many of them—and shock swept through the battlefield.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!! All external communications have been severed!!"

"...!! You bastards were in cahoots from the start...!!! Doflamingo!!! Hancock!!!"

"Fufufufufufu!!! Sorry, Sengoku!! It’s plain as day now, isn’t it? That’s what’s going on!! You lot in the government were good business partners, but... I’ve got no intention of going down with you. I’m siding with them...!!!"

"..."

"'Heavenly Yaksha' and the 'Pirate Empress' have betrayed us~~~~!!!?"

"No way...!! This has gotta be a joke...!!"

"This means... half the Warlords are on the enemy’s side now!!!"

Two of the Seven Warlords—Doflamingo and Hancock—had abandoned the World Government and joined the pirate alliance. More specifically, they had aligned themselves with the Beasts Pirates.

The shocking revelation spread not only across the battlefield, but even reached the watching citizens of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Not just the Marines—countless civilians fell into despair.

Already, one Warlord had died, another had gone missing, and one had withdrawn. There were only four left. Now, two more had turned traitor.

That left just Mihawk and Kuma as the World Government’s remaining Warlord forces.

The Navy and Whitebeard Pirates were now even more cornered.

"Now then, 'Whitebeard'... 'Navy'... I’ll bear witness to your final moments...!!! This is your graveyard...!!!"

"...!!!"

The “Marine Headquarters” and the “Whitebeard Pirates”—those who had upheld order across the world from both sides of the law.

Kaido's death sentence rang heavy, not just for them, but for every single person who heard it.

At that moment—“Straw Hat Luffy” was equally shocked and gripped by urgency, rushing back toward the battlefield.

"Hancock...!! So she’s joined them too...!?"

"This is way worse than we imagined-chable...!! At this rate, the entire world order might collapse...!!!"

"Aye...!! Things keep spiraling for the worse...!! The Marines might lose—but now even Old Man Whitebeard could fall!!"

"Huff... Huff... Yeah...!! We have to save Ace fast and do something—anything...!!"

The situation had not improved in the slightest. The world itself now stood on the brink of crisis.

Sensing that danger, Luffy once again made his way toward the execution platform—to save Ace.

But before he could reach it, a golden-haired man stood in his path.

"Jihahahaha...!! Things are getting real interesting now!! Even if you save 'Fire Fist Ace,' it’ll all be for nothing!!!"

"...!? Who the hell are you!? Get outta my way!!! I won’t let you have Ace!!!"

"Jihaha!! Hot-blooded brat!! But watch your mouth. Yours—and that Roger brat’s life—are both in my hands now."

"What did you say!!?"

The man who appeared before Luffy—Golden Lion Shiki—spoke with a sinister grin.

And then, he revealed to Luffy what he had told Ace when trying to recruit him—and why.

"I told your brother... If you value your little bro’s life, you’d better join my crew...!!! He was way too stubborn, so I figured I’d give him a little motivation—by roughing you up a bit!! Jihahahaha...!! Be grateful, kid!! I’m gracing you with my personal attention!!!"

"...!!!"

Hearing that, Luffy snapped in an instant.

Forcing his exhausted body to move, he surged his blood flow and stretched his arm.

"If you think you can—then go ahead and try!!! I won’t die!! Ace won’t join you, and I won’t let him die!!! I’ll beat you down myself... and save Ace...!!!"

"Jihahahaha!!! Those words? I’ll throw 'em right back at ya—go ahead and try!!!"

Luffy’s fist, burning with fury, slammed into Shiki’s arm with a thunderous impact.

On this battlefield—where death came easy—the tide was about to tip dramatically in one direction.