A wild conjecture flashed through Crocodile's mind.
Whitebeard's terrifying power likely came from Ron's hand!
If this were true, then this seemingly young man possessed power far beyond anyone's imagination.
In the distance, Whitebeard seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to look in their direction.
His gaze briefly met Ron's, an unspoken understanding flowing between them.
This subtle interaction further confirmed Crocodile's suspicions, sending a chill down his spine as cold sweat instantly drenched his back!
"So? Have you made up your mind?" Ron's voice suddenly sounded by his ear, startling Crocodile so much he nearly jumped.
Only then did he realize Ron had somehow appeared right beside him, close enough to feel the other's breath.
Crocodile's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced out words from his parched throat.
"The price... what is it?"
Ron's smile deepened. He gently patted Crocodile's shoulder, a gesture that made the latter stiffen completely.
"Smart... I always enjoy dealing with smart people."
"But first, let's handle the matter at hand."
As he spoke, Ron's gaze shifted toward the center of the battlefield.
...
Garp stood silently at the edge of the battlefield, his weathered eyes flickering with complex emotions.
He looked down at the unconscious Luffy in his arms, the young face still bearing the marks of battle.
His fists clenched and unclenched, before he finally let out a long sigh and carefully lifted Luffy.
"Let Sengoku scold me if he wants..." Garp muttered to himself, his voice carrying unprecedented weariness.
"What's the point of being a Marine if I cant even save my grandson?" His eyes swept across the devastated battlefield, then fell upon Akainu who was being drained of blood, his lips twisting into a bitter smile.
"Justice? Hah..."
With heavy footsteps, Garp turned away carrying Luffy, his broad back appearing particularly lonely at this moment.
The Marine coat flapped loudly in the wind, as if seeing him off.
Seeing this, Zoro and Sanji bid a quiet farewell to Ron before following after them.
Robin hesitated but remained where she was.
Given her special status and Garp's unclear stance, she didn't know what consequences might follow if she rashly went along.
...
Akainu watched helplessly as Garp left, the fury in his eyes almost materializing into substance.
But the weakness from excessive blood loss left him without even the strength to lift a finger, forced to let this "traitor" take away an important prisoner.
He had compromised!
The preparations this time were insufficient, but he'd gained some understanding of Whitebeard's strength.
As long as they didn't kill him, next time it would be him killing Whitebeard!
He swore inwardly: 'After recovering, i would definitely make all these people pay!'
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard's laughter interrupted Akainu's thoughts.
Noting the killing intent in Akainu's eyes, he said slowly, "You candle-lighting brat, you think you can kill me?"
He shook the wooden barrel now filled with blood, speaking contemptuously.
"Go train for another ten years!"
As the last drop of blood fell into the barrel, finally filling it, Akainu could no longer hold on.
Darkness clouded his vision as he fell unconscious.
Whitebeard released his grip as if discarding trash, letting the Admiral collapse limply on the ground like a ragdoll.
"Hmph! Can't even handle this much."
Whitebeard scanned his surroundings, his Murakumogiri thudding heavily against the ground.
"Anyone else want to fight? I wouldn't mind turning this prison into history!"
His voice exploded like thunder in everyone's ears, the lightning swirling around him growing even more dazzling.
The Marine officers present unanimously took a step back.
If anyone else had said such things, they would have scoffed.
But standing before them was Whitebeard - a monster who could easily destroy an island!
Not to mention he now commanded lightning abilities.
In the dead silence, Whitebeard strode toward Ron, his steps slow yet causing the ground to tremble faintly with each footfall.
The Marine soldiers blocking the path hastily cleared a way, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Let's go, kid," Whitebeard said to Ron, his voice now devoid of the earlier killing intent.
"You've finished what needed to be done, right?"
Ron gave a slight nod, his gaze sharp as a blade sweeping over everyone present, a meaningful curve lifting the corner of his mouth as if silently declaring some sort of victory.
Although this trip to the Impel down had been fraught with twists and turns, the final outcome was even more perfect than he had anticipated.
He just hadn't expected that, the captain to step in himself...
"Nami," he called softly, a hint of laziness in his voice.
"Hmm," Nami responded with an understanding nod.
The next moment, something astonishing happened.
Nami's body began to glow with a pink aura, and delicate scales emerged from beneath her skin like flower petals.
Her form elongated and expanded under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, ultimately transforming into a pink Dragon!
The elegant dragon body shimmered with a dreamlike luster in the sunlight, its whiskers swaying gently with an air of majesty.
"Let's go."
Ron stood atop the dragon's head, inviting everyone aboard.
Whitebeard was the first to leap onto the dragon's back, his hearty laughter echoing between the sky.
"Gurararara! This little girl's form is quite adorable!"
Bullett and the others quickly followed, each of their face filled with shock.
Were they joking? Was Kaido fruit really that common now?
With a dragon's roar, the pink Dragon soared into the sky, its slender form flickering in and out of view among the clouds.
On the ground, countless Marines looked up, dumbfounded as they witnessed this unbelievable scene.
Some soldiers even unconsciously rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were hallucinating.
It wasn't until the group's figures completely vanished into the blue sky that the entire Underwater Great Prison seemed to "come alive" again, as if released from a petrification curse.
Gasps and exclamations spread through the crowd like waves.
"That dragon... was transformed from that orange-haired girl just now?" a Marine Lieutenant stammered.
"I must not have slept well last night..." his companion muttered dazedly, pinching his own cheek.
"None of those guys are ordinary! Even the seemingly weakest little girl is a Yonko-level fruit user!"
Magellan stood in place with a gloomy expression, purple Venom dripping uncontrollably from his body.
He stared blankly at the sky while murmuring to himself, "The times... are truly about to change."
Then, looking at the chaotic battlefield and the unconscious Akainu, he shook his head bitterly.
"How... are we going to explain this to the World Government..."
In the distance, Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses and muttered quietly.
"How terrifying~"
His gaze then fell upon the distant dog-head warship, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he were quite satisfied with this outcome.