"Fire! Artillery units, cripple that monster's legs at once!"
Little Oars Jr.'s massive body was impossible to ignore. His towering figure drew every eye on the battlefield, and Marineford's long‑range artillery quickly adjusted their aim. The cannons that had once targeted pirate ships now shifted as one, concentrating their fire on the giant who had emerged from the mist, a being powerful enough to swat Marine officers aside with a single casual swing.
Boom!
Boom!
Shells detonated relentlessly against Little Oars Jr.'s joints. Even with his terrifying durability, the continuous bombardment began to take its toll. Pain surged through his limbs as the explosions stacked one after another.
Roaring in fury, Little Oars Jr. slapped aside incoming cannonballs and bent down, gripping a nearby Marine battleship with both hands. With a guttural snarl, he hoisted the vessel overhead.
"You bad guys, don't get in my way! I'm going to save Ace!"
The next instant, he hurled the ship forward with overwhelming force, sending it screaming through the air toward the flame‑spitting cannon lines in the distance.
"What?!"
The Marines stationed at the artillery emplacements froze, staring in disbelief at the massive warship flying straight toward them. They had expected devastation on this battlefield, but none of them imagined a Marine ship being used as a projectile.
"Move! Get out of the way!"
One Marine officer reacted instantly, flashing away from the cannon just in time. Others were not so fortunate.
Rumble!
The ship crashed into the emplacement and erupted in a violent explosion. Towering flames engulfed the area, obliterating the cannons completely. A second, even more violent blast followed as the ship's gunpowder and ammunition ignited, triggering the explosives stored within the emplacement.
Boom!!
The shockwaves rippled across Marineford, shaking the island again and again.
"Oars! You idiot, don't come any closer!"
From the execution platform, Ace stared in horror at the blazing ruins, then at Little Oars Jr., who now drew even heavier fire. His voice cracked as he shouted with all his strength.
"You'll die! Get out of here!"
"Ace…"
Little Oars Jr. heard him. Instead of stopping, he smiled, a simple and earnest grin spreading across his face as he looked up at Ace.
"Ace, I'll reach you soon."
"No!"
Ace's heart twisted painfully as he screamed.
"Don't come! I'm not worth it!"
"You are."
Little Oars Jr.'s voice was firm despite the pain tearing through his body.
"You're worth saving. Don't be afraid. I'm coming."
He pushed forward step by step, ignoring the artillery slamming into him. Marines rushed at his feet, hacking desperately at his legs. He crushed them without hesitation.
Boom!
With a single step, bodies were reduced to pulp beneath his heel.
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku watched with a grim expression.
"We can't let him advance any further," Sengoku said coldly. "Order the Shichibukai to intercept him outside the plaza. If he enters, his body will become a ladder for the enemy."
"Yes, sir!"
"No! Don't touch them!"
Ace looked up at Sengoku, grief and fury twisting his face as he roared hoarsely.
"Kill me instead! Hurry and kill me!"
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed across the battlefield.
"Oars!"
Ace's eyes widened in terror. In the distance, Little Oars Jr. collapsed, one leg shattered beneath him.
"Enough, Ace, son of the Pirate King," Sengoku said without sparing him a glance, his gaze fixed on the fallen giant. "From the moment the Whitebeard Pirates appeared, their fate was sealed. Every last one of you will be buried here."
His voice was devoid of emotion, like that of a machine executing an order.
"This is the highest command issued by the World Government."
"Oars… you…"
Ace trembled as he watched Marines swarm Little Oars Jr.'s wounded body.
"You Marines… you bastards!"
He twisted against the thick iron chains binding his wrists, glaring at Sengoku with feral hatred.
"Sengoku, kill me! Pops, Oars, none of them are criminals who prey on civilians!"
Ace's voice rang across the plaza.
"The Whitebeard Pirates never attack ordinary people! We hunt pirates who spread destruction and turn them in for bounties to you Marines! Pops' very presence brought peace to regions you couldn't protect! If you call yourselves justice, then Pops is justice too!"
Sengoku replied flatly, "Justice? You dare call pirates just? You truly insult the meaning of that word."
"Justice?" came a lazy, mocking voice. "Pirates are evil, Marines are righteous? That's a fairy tale meant for children."
Doflamingo lounged atop Little Oars Jr.'s shoulder, grinning as he gazed down at the battlefield, now nothing more than a blood‑soaked grinder. His fingers twitched excitedly.
"If pirates grow strong enough, the Marines tolerate them. If the Marines grow strong enough, they shape the world to their liking. In the end, strength decides everything, even who entrusts their own bloodline to whom."
With a furious roar, Little Oars Jr. swung his sword at the pink‑feathered figure on his shoulder. Doflamingo effortlessly leapt into the air, evading the strike.
The blade did not stop.
It carved into Little Oars Jr.'s own shoulder.
Pfft!
Blood erupted like rain, drenching Marines and pirates alike. The stench of iron filled the air, so thick it made some retch.
"Fufufufu… this world has always been about survival of the strongest," Doflamingo laughed. "Those who stand at the top decide what justice is."
A thin, razor‑sharp string lashed out from his hand, slicing cleanly toward Little Oars Jr.'s neck.
"Oars!"
The Whitebeard Pirates cried out in horror.
Pfft!
The giant's neck split open, muscle and tendon exposed, blood pouring freely. His massive body swayed, leaning against the plaza wall as he struggled to remain standing.
"I…"
Little Oars Jr. stared blankly at his ruined shoulder. His head tilted unnaturally, hanging by what little remained of his neck.
"Strange… why doesn't it hurt anymore?"
His murmured words sent a chill through everyone who heard them.
"That's right… it doesn't hurt?"
Across the battlefield, Marines and pirates alike suddenly realized something was wrong. Wounded fighters touched their injuries in disbelief.
"There's no pain…"
Some laughed madly and charged back into the fray, abandoning all caution. Without pain to restrain them, they traded wounds for kills, cutting down enemies with reckless abandon.
But those who understood medicine felt dread settle in their chests.
Pain was the body's warning, its final safeguard. Without it, fighters would push themselves past the brink.
And there was only one end to that path.
Sudden death from massive blood loss.
____
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