"Damn it! The prisoners who escaped from Impel Down actually descended at such a critical moment. More variables have been added!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha turned around in fury, his sharp gaze locking onto Shirogai Yamikuro, who was still leisurely tossing red and green fruits in the distant stands, as if the battlefield below had nothing to do with him.
"That laser earlier must have shattered the ice, causing them to fall!"
Sengoku finally understood why Shirogai's earlier attack had inexplicably struck the massive ice wave. This man, who always hid his true intentions, had likely already known about the Marine warship positioned atop the frozen sea.
Just as the Marines were about to activate their carefully prepared plan, Shirogai had casually tossed a handful of chess pieces onto a Go board that had been completely under Marine control. In an instant, the Marines' meticulous trap was ruined, and what had once been a clear and favorable situation descended into total chaos.
Both Marines and pirates stared in shock as the unexpected forces fell from the sky, voices rising in disbelief.
"Oh my god! That's Jinbe of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"No, there are two Shichibukai. And that's the former warlord, Crocodile!"
"Wait, that giant head is…"
"It's Ivankov, the Revolutionary Army's Human Demon King!"
"What kind of terrifying group is this supposed to be?!"
And that was not all.
As the battlefield reeled from shock, two towering figures slowly emerged from the ship's cabin, stepping into full view of everyone present.
"What a long-lost scent of war."
One of them twisted his neck and thick wrists, his gaze greedily sweeping across the blood-soaked battlefield before he sneered down at everyone. He was Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir. He was not looking down on any single person in particular, he was looking down on everyone equally. Pirates or Marines, in his eyes, they were nothing more than prey meant to be crushed.
The other man casually tossed aside the corpse of a Marine he had been holding and laughed loudly as he faced the crowd.
"What is this? You prepared such a grand welcoming ceremony to greet our return. It almost makes me feel embarrassed."
"What?! How did those two monsters escape together?!"
Seasoned Marine officers and vice admirals went pale the moment they recognized the figures.
"Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir…"
"Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer!"
"Garp, this is bad. Very bad."
"Sengoku, the worst possible variable has appeared in this war."
On the execution platform, Sengoku and Garp exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity of the situation reflected in the other's eyes.
Bullet and World were not like Jinbe or Crocodile. Even if the latter escaped, they would not immediately overturn the balance of the war. These two, however, were walking disasters. If they chose to act against the Marines now, the entire war against the Whitebeard Pirates would tilt beyond recovery.
The Marines would lose every advantage they had painstakingly built and be dragged into a losing position.
Releasing even one of them would have been catastrophic. Now both had escaped, and worse, they clearly seemed to have reached an understanding and formed a temporary alliance.
"If those two pirates with large-scale destructive Devil Fruit abilities make a move, our entire plan will collapse," Sengoku said grimly.
"We will have to deploy the backup forces that were originally prepared for Shirogai Yamikuro."
"That is also this old man's conclusion," Garp replied after a brief pause.
His eyes drifted toward Ace, kneeling on the execution platform. His voice came out heavy and strained.
"Under these circumstances… do you still intend to proceed?"
"Garp, we have already been pushed to the edge of a cliff," Sengoku said coldly.
"There is no retreat left."
His face darkened as he continued, "If Ace is not executed now, the Marines will lose all deterrence over pirates worldwide. Think about it. How much blood will be spilled across the seas? How many innocent nations will be ravaged by pirates?"
Silence followed.
Garp's white beard trembled slightly as his lips twitched.
"…Very well. Proceed according to the plan you devised."
He slowly sat down on the execution platform beside Ace, his expression heavy with sorrow.
"The execution platform will be guarded by this old man."
Sengoku nodded, looking at his longtime friend's grim profile.
"Garp, remember this. Right now, you are not a grandfather. You are a Marine."
He then turned his gaze toward Shirogai, who was smiling faintly from the distant stands.
"Our Marine is standing at the brink of life and death. If that man also makes a move now, everything will collapse. At that point, we will have no choice but to activate the final backup plan."
Garp sat silently, glancing toward the empty seats beside the two Celestial Dragons who were still waving excitedly in the stands. He knew Shirogai had used a Devil Fruit ability on him. At this moment, it seemed that only Sengoku could still see Shirogai clearly.
…
"Damn it! Who attacked Impel Down?! How did these prisoners pass through the Gates of Justice?!"
"The enemies keep increasing!"
"Was Impel Down completely breached?!"
The Marine ranks fell into disorder, morale plummeting rapidly.
"Do not panic!"
Sengoku's voice thundered across the battlefield from the execution platform.
"They are merely escapees from Impel Down. The prison itself is still under Marine control. Even if a few powerful individuals got out, we are not without countermeasures."
He raised his voice, filled with authority.
"Marines of Justice, eliminate the pirates before you. Do not let them enter the plaza. Justice will prevail!"
His words acted like a powerful stimulant, reigniting courage in the hearts of the Marines.
"For Justice!"
"Justice will prevail!"
"Kill the pirates. Justice must never be defiled!"
The Marines roared in unison, surging forward once more to clash violently with the advancing pirates.
…
Beep. Beep.
Hidden among the Marine ranks, CP agents disguised as Marine officers felt the faint vibration of Den Den Mushi concealed on their bodies. Without changing their expressions, they deciphered the coded signal as they continued fighting.
"Change targets. Intercept Impel Down escapees. Priority targets: Douglas Bullet, Byrnndi World."
The CP agents who had originally been assigned to Shirogai showed no hesitation. In an instant, their combat power erupted, and the pirates in front of them were eliminated with terrifying efficiency.
"You… you…"
A pirate clutched his slit throat, gurgling as blood poured out. He collapsed to the ground, eyes wide with disbelief. Until his final breath, he could not understand how the Marine who had been evenly matched with him moments ago had suddenly become an overwhelming monster.
The CP agents moved on without a word, silently advancing toward the Marine warship that had descended from the sky.
…
"Ace!"
A heartfelt cry rang out across the battlefield, filled with joy, worry, and deep grievance all at once.
"I've come to save you!"