Chapter 212: Betrayal
This was the second time Buggy had heard someone call him Red Nose on this battlefield. Because of his previous painful experience, Buggy didn't curse aloud this time, but instead quietly turned his head to look.
Hiss...
When he laid eyes on Rhodes, he immediately gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Of all the combatants in the Marineford War thus far, this guy was undoubtedly the most outrageous—even overshadowing the Marine Admirals.
Defeating Vista, defeating Diamond Jozu, and even taking on two division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates simultaneously...
Buggy's inflated ego instantly deflated. Although he wasn't afraid of simple slashes, this guy's lightning power was absolutely monstrous.
But under the watchful eyes of his numerous subordinates, he could only grit his teeth and step forward.
"Give it to me."
Rhodes smiled as he glanced at the formation opposite him, gesturing for Buggy to hand over the Den Den Mushi.
He was busy preparing for his upcoming live challenge and had no interest in idle conversation with Buggy.
"Here you go."
Buggy tossed the Den Den Mushi to Rhodes without hesitation.
Rhodes nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Buggy breathed a sigh of relief, expecting his underlings to be disappointed in him.
But to his utter surprise—
"Captain Buggy, did you surrender the Den Den Mushi to the Dragon Slayer out of concern for our safety?"
"Captain Buggy, you're truly magnificent!"
"Captain Buggy, we'll follow you forever!"
Witnessing these guys' confident expressions, Buggy's jaw involuntarily dropped, almost believing them himself.
But Rhodes had no time to pay attention to their antics—his gaze was drawn to a scene unfolding aboard the Moby Dick.
Squard, the Great Whirlpool Spider who had once fought Rhodes and forced him to flee, was now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Whitebeard.
"Squard, are you alright?" Whitebeard turned around and asked with genuine concern.
"Ah, at least I'm still alive," Squard's tone was indifferent.
Whitebeard, oblivious to the underlying tension, simply continued: "Really? I haven't been able to contact you since earlier. What's the situation at the bay?"
"It seems casualties are quite high. I took a shortcut here, so I don't know much," Squard replied.
"Sengoku won't hold back—he'll use everything in his arsenal against us." Whitebeard's tone turned grave as he surveyed the battlefield.
The pirates were now blocked by Marine forces below the plaza. Their initial desperate surge of momentum had gradually weakened, putting them at a disadvantage. Therefore, Whitebeard decided to intervene personally.
"Pops, have you figured out the Navy's tactics?" Squard asked, conflicted, hoping for a satisfactory answer from his father figure.
"Sengoku and I have known each other for decades."
Hearing this, Squard seemed to reach a firm decision, his expression gradually settling into cold resolve.
"Being surrounded by the Navy from behind suits me perfectly. I'm going to join the attack as well, and we'll storm the battlefield in one decisive push."
With that declaration, Whitebeard prepared to descend toward the battlefield.
At this moment, Squard slowly walked to Whitebeard's side.
"Our forty-three pirate crews are all deeply indebted to you. We'd go through fire and water for the Whitebeard Pirates."
With that statement, he drew his longsword.
Just then, a cannonball flew in.
In the smoke and dust of the explosion, Squard thrust his blade toward the unsuspecting Whitebeard.
But just as the weapon pierced toward Whitebeard's chest, a figure suddenly materialized, punching Squard to the deck and preventing him from harming Whitebeard further.
"Sabo's strength has improved considerably, hasn't it?"
Rhodes smiled, accurately transmitting the scene through his commandeered Den Den Mushi.
The one who'd stopped Squard was none other than Sabo, who'd been concealing himself aboard all along.
Rhodes wanted to challenge Whitebeard to ascend to the world's peak, but he didn't want to challenge a Whitebeard with a pierced heart. That would constitute an insult not only to Whitebeard but also to himself.
And at this moment, with this dramatic scene unfolding, everyone stood stunned.
Diamond Jozu, Vista, and the other division commanders all wore expressions of shock, fury, and fear—uncertain of their father's condition.
"Hmph!"
Akainu snorted coldly, somewhat irritated. If not for that brat's interference, this plan would have secured certain victory.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
Akainu hadn't actually believed Squard could truly harm Whitebeard—he'd merely wanted to demoralize the Whitebeard Pirates.
At this moment, Whitebeard's brow furrowed slightly. Although uninjured, the emotional blow felt like a stab to his heart, causing excruciating pain.
He was completely blindsided and couldn't comprehend why his son would ambush him.
If Ace's brother Sabo hadn't intervened, the latent injuries within him would have erupted, significantly weakening his combat ability and directly impacting the subsequent battle.
Whoosh!
Marco flew over, his phoenix flames flickering, and glared at the now-restrained Squard before looking at Whitebeard with tense worry.
As First Division Commander and the ship's doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates, he understood his father's physical condition better than anyone.
After a careful examination, he breathed a sigh of relief and glanced gratefully at Sabo beside him.
"I'll head down first," Sabo waved his hand, inwardly admiring Rhodes's brilliant foresight, but knowing he shouldn't remain here—this was Whitebeard's family matter.
So he leaped from the deck, intending to reunite with Luffy and help rescue Ace together.
"Squard... why did you do this?!"
Marco roared in fury as Sabo departed, utterly shocked that Squard would betray them.
"You couldn't possibly not know, Captain Marco! The old man had already planned to sacrifice the lives of our allied pirate crews to save the Pirate King's son!
So far, the Whitebeard Pirates haven't suffered any significant losses—it's us who've been decimated! On both sides, there are ice walls you and the Marine Admirals built together, and behind us are those mechanical monsters. We're being slaughtered every single moment!"
What he said wasn't entirely inaccurate—thus far, the Whitebeard Pirates proper hadn't suffered catastrophic losses. The ones enduring devastating casualties were the allied pirate crews being besieged by the Pacifistas.
"And Ace is the son of the Pirate King Roger! Why didn't anyone tell me that?! Do you know why I joined the Whitebeard Pirates alone? It's because my crewmates were all slaughtered by Roger!"
Squard's voice grew increasingly loud and raw, pointing at Whitebeard with an expression of utter betrayal and abandonment.
"Come on, I'm prepared to die after this attempt."
With that declaration, he spread his arms, assuming a posture offering his neck for execution.
Hearing Squard's words, the allied pirates began wavering, some starting to question Whitebeard.
"Pops, is what he said true?"
"Pops, tell me this isn't true!"
Witnessing this, Sengoku's eyes flashed with keen strategic insight, immediately seizing the opportunity. He no longer cared about the Den Den Mushi in Rhodes's possession and immediately issued the order to activate the encirclement barrier.
(End of Chapter)
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