Chapter 209: Luffy's Charge
Seeing Luffy's reaction, Whitebeard smiled with interest.
"Pretty arrogant, aren't you, brat? If you dare hold me back, I won't let you off easily."
"I'll do what I want!" Luffy declared, placing his hands on his knees, his eyes fixed intently on Ace atop the execution platform, ready to begin his desperate charge.
"As energetic as ever," Rhodes smiled.
Luffy's strength was naturally insignificant in this world-class war—countless beings present could defeat him easily.
Yet he, with his innate qualities, influenced the entire battlefield from an entirely different angle.
"Right, old man Rayleigh?"
As he spoke, he turned toward a figure wearing a cloak and hood, stealthily approaching nearby.
"Hahaha! Your senses are as sharp as ever."
The newcomer was none other than the Dark King himself, Silvers Rayleigh.
With his strength, as long as he remained cautious, he shouldn't attract too much attention on this battlefield. After all, he was a pure swordsman without particularly distinctive abilities.
"How was Impel Down?"
Rhodes casually tossed a bottle of wine to Rayleigh, who caught it, took a large gulp, and immediately laughed heartily.
"Magellan is still quite formidable—nearly got taken down there."
Rhodes nodded slightly. In the almost completely enclosed environment of Impel Down, the power of Magellan's Doku Doku no Mi nearly doubled in effectiveness. In the original timeline, he'd almost single-handedly annihilated the Blackbeard Pirates.
"By the way, be careful. The Blackbeard Pirates are likely to cause significant trouble during this war," Rayleigh cautioned.
"I know," Rhodes nodded noncommittally, while Rayleigh—having obtained his wine—immediately slipped away.
"Afraid of being noticed by Sengoku?"
Rhodes smiled knowingly. After all, he was one of the prominent figures on this battlefield, with many eyes tracking his movements.
If Rayleigh lingered beside him, there was high probability he'd be recognized—this battlefield was filled with powerful figures from the previous era who knew him well.
Meanwhile, Luffy had finished informing Whitebeard about the Navy's plan to execute Ace ahead of schedule. With a battle cry, he leaped from the Moby Dick and launched what appeared to be a suicidal charge toward the execution platform.
Indeed, in Rhodes's assessment, this was essentially a death charge.
Without the cover provided by Jinbe and Ivankov, Luffy would have been stopped and captured by Smoker and other Marines immediately.
However, it was precisely Luffy's reckless assault that revived the somewhat flagging morale of the Whitebeard Pirates, reinvigorating their spirits. In such large-scale warfare, morale proved absolutely crucial.
Standing atop the execution platform, the strategist Fleet Admiral Sengoku keenly sensed the shift in battlefield momentum and began speaking through his Den Den Mushi.
"What are you all doing?! Don't let such a small-time rookie disrupt our battle lines! That man is also a criminal—his father is Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army!"
Hearing this revelation, the Marines' expressions immediately changed, becoming dangerous and predatory. The Revolutionary Army was the World Government's number one enemy.
Capturing the Revolutionary Army leader's son would constitute an immense achievement—sufficient to elevate an ordinary Marine to a high-ranking position.
Despite this intensified pressure, Luffy pressed forward relentlessly, quickly reaching Rhodes's position.
"Ah! Brother Rhodes!"
Luffy grinned upon spotting Rhodes, displaying his genuinely innocent smile.
In his perception, Rhodes—who'd once saved their Straw Hat Pirates—was undoubtedly a very kind person.
However, Jinbe and Crocodile, following beside him, suddenly grew serious. Crocodile felt wary having been defeated by Rhodes previously, while Jinbe had heard of Rhodes's exploits and recognized they now stood as enemies.
"Luffy, do you honestly think you can get through? There are many, many stronger beings standing between you and Ace," Rhodes suddenly asked, observing Luffy carefully.
Luffy's expression remained unchanged, his determination absolute.
"I'll definitely rescue Ace!"
With that declaration, he stopped conversing with Rhodes and continued charging forward.
Crocodile gave Rhodes a deep, measuring look but didn't seek revenge—partly because he couldn't defeat Rhodes, and partly because his mindset had shifted during his journey with Luffy.
"Thank you very much
Jinbe, a pure warrior at heart, thanked Rhodes for not interfering before rushing forward with Luffy.
Garp, watching from the elevated platform, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Ace felt the same gratitude.
Sengoku appeared somewhat dissatisfied but ultimately helpless.
Rhodes wasn't a Marine—his willingness to fight Vista and Jozu, even injuring them both, already exceeded expectations.
Oh well, Luffy couldn't possibly break through anyway, Sengoku thought.
The Fleet Admiral's strategic insight was incredibly sharp—he could assess Luffy's strength accurately and didn't believe the rookie could breach their defenses to reach the execution platform.
But he didn't understand that in this world, certain individuals possessed protagonist's fortune.
Meanwhile, after watching Luffy depart, Rhodes slowly stood, his strength nearly fully restored.
It was time to find more opponents.
He surveyed the battlefield but hadn't located anyone particularly interesting when he spotted a tall, slender woman struggling in the crowd.
It was none other than Captain Tina, who'd served as his guide just days earlier.
However, she was in poor condition—severely exhausted and surrounded by three pirates after charging too far ahead. She was currently employing her Ori Ori no Mi powers defensively, and the situation looked far from optimistic.
He recalled that Tina hadn't perished during the Marineford War in the original timeline, but with Rhodes's involvement this time, while the overall course of events hadn't changed dramatically, minor alterations were possible—she might genuinely die here.
Considering this, Rhodes stretched leisurely, and with a flash of silver light, he vanished from his position.
"Marine Captain, prepare to die!"
On this battlefield, the pirates showed no mercy, their swords and spears relentlessly striking toward Tina.
Tina could only rely on the iron bars she'd created to block enemy attacks, utterly powerless to retaliate effectively.
"Damn it! Tina overextended..."
She gritted her teeth, annoyed with herself.
Earlier, back within the battle lines, seeing Rhodes's rampage had inspired her to act impulsively and charge forward. By the time awareness returned, she'd already ventured dangerously far from the naval defenses.
"Tina's so stupid..."
Just then, a mocking voice suddenly emerged beside her.
Tina subconsciously nodded in agreement. "That's right, Tina really is so stupid..."
Before finishing her sentence, Tina suddenly realized what she'd done, whipping her head around in surprise to find Rhodes standing three meters away, regarding her with a half-amused expression.
" Dragon Slayer !"
Upon recognizing Rhodes, the pirates' expressions immediately transformed, and they unconsciously retreated several steps, hearts filled with fear.
Almost instantaneously, the pirates suddenly felt their bodies lighten, then glimpsed familiar torsos. They quickly realized these were their own bodies—severed cleanly.
Such a fast blade...
This thought flashed through each mind before they fell into eternal silence.
"Go back now. What are you standing there for?"
Rhodes's calm voice rang out, and Tina jumped in fright before quickly retreating.
Intimidated by Rhodes's overwhelming presence, few pirates dared intercept her. Tina rapidly returned to the front lines, releasing a relieved sigh. But when she turned around, Rhodes had already vanished.
"That guy..."
Tina's eyes held a complex mixture of emotions.
(End of Chapter)
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