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The war had reached a fever pitch.
Whitebeard and Garp were locked in a stalemate, though for now, Whitebeard still held the upper hand, managing to keep Garp on the defensive.
Even so, he couldn't land a decisive blow.
Ace knelt on the execution platform, his heart torn. The two most important men in his life were locked in a desperate battle, and he was completely helpless.
Whitebeard was the father he had chosen, the man he wanted to make the Pirate King.
And Garp was his grandfather, the man who had raised him. That was a debt he could never forget.
"ACE, I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU!"
A familiar voice rang out. Ace's head shot up, and he saw his brother—Luffy.
Garp, in the middle of trading blows with Whitebeard, froze at the sound. That split-second hesitation was all Whitebeard needed, and a powerful punch sent him staggering back. If Garp hadn't reinforced his body with Armament Haki, that single blow might have been the end of him.
"How did that kid get here?" Garp said in shock.
Luffy wasn't alone. He had brought a small army of prisoners with him, all broken out of the great underwater prison, Impel Down.
Among them was the Queen of the Okama Kingdom, Emporio Ivankov, a being who was neither man nor woman, with a bizarre and unforgettable appearance. The world of One Piece was home to countless strange and wonderful races—Giants, Fish-men, Merfolk, and even the unique Okama.
"..." Garp's heart sank even further.
First Ace, now Luffy—both his grandsons were giving him nothing but trouble. He had been racking his brain for a way to save Ace, and now Luffy had just walked right into the lion's den.
With Luffy's current strength, just surviving this war would be a miracle. A single Admiral could take him out in an instant, and even a Vice Admiral could defeat him with ease.
———————
"Luffy's here, just as expected."
Aboard the distant Pluton, Shin watched Luffy's arrival with keen interest.
If Luffy was here, then Blackbeard couldn't be far behind. He was probably already lurking somewhere, waiting for his moment.
"You seem quite interested in that Luffy," Olvia remarked.
"No, not at all."
Shin shook his head. Even though Luffy was the protagonist of this world, Shin had no personal interest in him. He was just surprised. Despite all the changes he had made to the timeline, Luffy had still arrived, and he'd even brought the prisoners from Impel Down. It seemed that, just like in the original story, Luffy had also made a trip to the great prison.
"Let's go. We're going to find Blackbeard," Shin said to Olvia and the others.
The moment the Kuja Pirates' ship moved, the Marines assigned to watch them went on high alert.
'The Kuja Pirates are on the move! What are they doing?'
They were terrified.
If the Kuja Pirates joined this war, Marine Headquarters would be utterly overwhelmed. Whitebeard alone was causing this much chaos. If Shin Uzumaki joined in, they would become history.
"Quick, go inform Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Tsuru ordered a nearby Marine soldier.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldier saluted and immediately ran to find Sengoku, ready to report the Kuja Pirates' movements.
"Wait, you don't need to inform the Fleet Admiral just yet."
Just as he was about to leave, Tsuru stopped him. She had noticed that Shin's ship wasn't heading toward them.
In other words, the Kuja Pirates weren't planning on joining the fight. Perhaps she had been overreacting.
'I hope they just leave.'
Tsuru was one of the Marines' top combatants, but she couldn't leave her post. Her job was to keep an eye on the Kuja Pirates. Any movement, no matter how small, had to be reported to Sengoku for his decision.
Seeing the Kuja Pirates' ship suddenly sail away, Tsuru finally relaxed.
"You all stay here and keep watch. I'm leaving. Remember, if there's any sign of trouble, report it immediately."
Tsuru ordered the remaining soldiers before leaving. She had to go help Garp and the others deal with the Whitebeard Pirates, so she had to leave her post.
The watch would have to be handled by other Marine soldiers.
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After leaving, Tsuru first found Sengoku, who was standing on the execution platform.
"Sengoku, the Kuja Pirates have just left," Tsuru reported.
"Hmm, Shin Uzumaki left?" Sengoku's brow furrowed.
What was Shin Uzumaki up to?
Sengoku had suspected Shin was plotting something. He had been waiting for him to make a move, but instead, he received news that Shin was leaving.
"Yes. I saw the Kuja Pirates' ship leave with my own eyes," Tsuru confirmed with a nod.
Sengoku believed her, of course. Shin had left. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Shin was up to something.
"Should we keep watching them?"
"Yes. I haven't let my guard down. I've left other Marine soldiers to monitor the Kuja Pirates' movements. Now, I have to go help the others." Tsuru prepared to join the battle.
"Alright." Sengoku thought for a moment, then nodded.
If the Kuja Pirates made another move, they would know immediately. And with Tsuru joining the fight, the Marines' combat strength would increase significantly.
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Meanwhile, Shin wasn't plotting anything. He was simply going to find Blackbeard. With his Observation Haki covering the entire area, he had already pinpointed Blackbeard's location.
Blackbeard was still far from Marineford, currently making his way there.
"Shin, why do you want to see Blackbeard?" Hancock asked.
"To see for myself." Shin said with a light chuckle.
Blackbeard might be a despicable, treacherous, and cunning man, but he was also intelligent and a true player.
In the original story, he was the biggest winner of the Summit War. He used the chaos to find his new crewmates in Impel Down, then came to Marineford to steal Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, becoming one of the Four Emperors and taking Whitebeard's place.
Of course, Blackbeard had his moments of arrogance. His overconfidence had almost gotten his entire crew wiped out by Magellan, the warden of Impel Down.
But regardless, Blackbeard was someone worth meeting.
Shin had met him before, but at that time, Blackbeard was still hiding his ambition within the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Blackbeard of then and the Blackbeard of now were two completely different people.
Shin wanted to see the current Blackbeard for himself. He just wondered if Blackbeard would welcome his visit.
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