In the distance, the sea stretched as far as the eye could see.
A small boat stopped at the edge of the ice, and Luffy and the others jumped onto the frozen ground, rushing toward the battlefield.
"Gurararara! So, you're Ace's brother… You've got guts." Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) glanced at Luffy and laughed proudly.
On the opposite side, Akainu (Sakazuki) spoke indifferently:
"No matter how many come today… You will all die. How long do you think you can last?"
"Gurararara! You little brat, only good for lighting a candle, it's not your place to lecture me!" Whitebeard threw a punch in anger, but the moment he struck, he coughed up blood and fell to one knee.
It wasn't just his injuries.
His so-called "dutiful son," Squard, had stabbed him in the back earlier, yet Whitebeard had chosen to forgive him.
"Dark Hound!"
"Taking advantage of the wounded, huh?" Akainu seized the opportunity, transforming his magma into a fist and striking.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the battlefield froze.
Under the stunned gazes of Ace, Jozu, Vista, and the others, their father's abdomen was pierced directly by magma, thick black smoke rising from the wound.
"Boom!"
Whitebeard groaned, covered his fists with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit (Gura Gura no Mi), and sent Akainu flying with a powerful punch, causing him to spit blood once again.
"Looks like you're really getting old, Newgate," Sengoku muttered, raising his hand slightly.
In an instant—
Thousands of cannons fired.
A hail of bullets and various attacks rained down on Whitebeard. A cannonball struck his face, and countless bullets tore through his body. Even a Rear Admiral landed a shot.
"Gurararara! I am Whitebeard!"
Whitebeard stood up once again, unleashing the full power of his Quake-Quake Fruit (Gura Gura no Mi), shaking off all the attacks and slashing an impossibly wide path with his naginata.
"Don't worry about me—just rush forward!"
With those words, Whitebeard charged back into battle, and the war entered its second phase.
Meanwhile, aboard a distant ship, Bai Yu's gaze landed on Luffy and his group.
"So, even he came… It seems the Straw Hat was sent flying to the Revolutionary Army's headquarters, and he brought some helpers with him."
Among them was Sabo.
Two years later, he would be the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army and its second-in-command, with a bounty of 602 million berries.
But now, he was still somewhat inexperienced.
Sabo had found Luffy after the latter was sent flying to the Revolutionary Army's headquarters. The memories Luffy had lost surged back into his mind in an instant, and the two brothers reunited, joining forces to rescue Ace.
"How did the two of them escape?"
Bai Yu's eyes landed on Emporio Ivankov and Inazuma.
They should still be on Level 5.5 of Impel Down, yet here they were. Bai Yu, having no interest in encountering the Newkamas, had skipped past their section of the prison.
"Hahaha! Since he's Luffy-boy and Sabo-boy's elder brother, let's help rescue him as well!" Ivankov, the queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, shouted.
After Bai Yu had left Impel Down, Ivankov, Inazuma, and the others had sensed something was wrong and emerged from Level 5.5. They defeated Hannyabal, rushed to the main floor, but were soon confronted by Magellan.
Luffy, Sabo, and the giant Morley—who was well-acquainted with Impel Down—arrived shortly after Bai Yu.
After a fierce battle and realizing that Impel Down was no longer an option, the group rushed toward Marineford.
"Luffy, don't be reckless! Let me think of a plan!"
Though Sabo had recovered his memories upon seeing Luffy again, and was eager to save Ace, he remained calm.
The battlefield was complete chaos.
The rear was full of Vice Admirals, making it almost impossible for them to break through with brute force.
Sabo glanced at Inazuma and Morley. To ensure their plan remained secret, he made a specific hand gesture:
Gesture meaning: "We'll make a move up front, cut a path, and draw attention. Meanwhile, Morley, you take Inazuma underground, rescue Ace, and cut his Seastone handcuffs. Please."
Inazuma, with the power of the Snip-Snip Fruit (Choki Choki no Mi), could cut through anything.
Morley, a commander of the Revolutionary Army and the creator of Impel Down's Level 5.5, could manipulate the ground itself.
With a serious expression, Inazuma nodded.
"Fuhahaha! Sabo, don't look at me like that—I'll get shy!"
The giant Morley grinned playfully, his personality as lively as ever.
Sabo, accustomed to Morley's antics, grabbed Luffy firmly:
"If you really want to save Ace, you must not act on impulse. Understood?"
"Yeah, I get it!" Luffy grumbled. If not for Sabo, he would have broken free and charged ahead already.
"Snip!"
Inazuma slashed the ground, creating a bridge to the execution platform. Luffy and Sabo rushed forward.
Ivankov stayed behind, blocking the advancing Marines alone.
Meanwhile, Morley pushed through the ground, leading Inazuma toward the execution platform.
However, there was a miscalculation.
The direction Inazuma had cut through led directly toward the Shichibukai.
Most of them had already gone to battle, but two remained: Bartholomew Kuma and Boa Hancock.
"Who dares disturb my longing for my beloved?"
Noticing someone approaching, Boa Hancock's expression turned cold.
Kuma, on the other hand, remained silent. Before Hancock could react, he raised his hand and launched an air-pressure shockwave.
"Pressure Cannon!"
"What?!"
Sabo was shocked to see Kuma attacking them. His eyes filled with sadness as he realized what had happened.
"Luffy, go save Ace!"
Grabbing Luffy, Sabo threw him forward and used his Dragon Claw Fist technique to clash against the incoming attack.
"Dragon's Breath!"
The high-speed flurry of punches collided with the pressure blast, sending a massive shockwave across the battlefield.
Amid the dust and debris, Bonney—who was watching from Bai Yu's ship—suddenly stopped eating and stared at the indifferent, robot-like Kuma.
"What… happened to him? He was fine when we saw him before…"
Bai Yu, seeing her distress, spoke plainly:
"The Kuma you knew is 'dead.' He has been fully converted into a weapon. Except for specific commands, he has lost all memory of being human."
Bonney's eyes welled with tears.
Before she could speak, Bai Yu reassured her:
"Don't worry. He will return to normal. Trust me."
Wiping her tears, Bonney nodded.
"I believe you."
Bai Yu smirked.
"So, you really are his daughter, aren't you?"
Bonney flinched.
"What are you talking about?" she said, feigning ignorance.
Bai Yu flicked her forehead.
"Even if you don't say it, I already know."
At that moment, Hancock stepped forward, unleashing a freezing power that stunned the battlefield.
And with that, the war raged on.
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