Chapter 11: Rescuing Ace

History repeating itself.

Buggy was thus used as a decoy weapon, tossed in front of Hawkeye and sliced into ribbons, interrupting Hawkeye's actions.

"Hm?"

A strange Devil Fruit ability.

From the side came a sharp sword aura, different from the small fry earlier.

"Captain of the Fifth Division, Flower Sword."

Interrupted in his rhythm by two outside troublemakers, Hawkeye could only deal with the person in front of him first.

"Go save your brother, Straw Hat." Flower Sword stood in front of Hawkeye and said.

"Thanks, big help."

Hawkeye, whose interest had already faded, could only turn his gaze to Flower Sword—at least he's a decent swordsman, that'll do.

Scissorhands also appeared beside Luffy at this moment:

"Let me help you build a road to the execution platform."

The Scissor-Scissor Fruit's ability activated; the giant pair of scissors cut the hard ground into long strips and tossed them toward the execution platform, forming a road.

"Luffy~." Boa Hancock blocked in front of Luffy.

Of course, not to stop him.

"Hancock! I was just looking for you." Luffy happily ran over: "Give me the key."

Hearing these words, Hancock's heart instantly blossomed, sinking into a symphony of love.

'So this is the telepathy between husband and wife!? Ah~ Luffy.'

Her palm slowly opened, taking out a key and handing it to Luffy.

"Thanks, Hancock!" Luffy jumped onto Hancock and gave her a hug.

One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Boa Hancock, defeated.

"Garp, this is all the trouble your loose discipline has caused!"

Sengoku, dark-faced, looked at the beaming Garp: "Are you even listening to me, you bastard!"

"Hahaha, this old man's grandson is really something!"

#

"Garp!"

"I understand." Garp's smile faded, his expression turning solemn: "Then let this old man shoulder the responsibility himself."

"Grandpa..." Ace looked at Garp guiltily.

"Those two brothers are both hopeless idiots."

Garp stood up, looking at the running Luffy.

"I am a qualified Marine."

"But as a grandfather, I failed."

Garp recalled the past in East Blue, about a dozen years ago.

Back then, the two little brats were still clamoring about becoming pirates.

After being disciplined, they tugged his beard in defiance.

"This old man's education."

"Where exactly did it go wrong?"

Thinking carefully, wasn't Luffy the first to say he wanted to become a Marine just like his grandpa?

Damn Red-Hair!

If it weren't for that bastard, forget it—thinking about this now is pointless.

"Luffy!"

Watching Luffy approach, Garp roared: "Why can't you two brothers listen to this old man for once!"

If you'd obediently become Marines for this old man.

"Get out of my way, Grandpa!!!"

"This old man is a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters!"

During their exchange, the distance between them kept shrinking, until they were close.

"This is the path you two chose yourselves!"

Don't resent this old man!

But at the moment of clashing, Garp recalled those past times, and his invincible iron fist ultimately still could not fall.

"Garp."

Sengoku's pupils contracted, his heart tightening.

'You bastard, you wouldn't...'

Sure enough, Garp landed on the ground, smashing out a crater.

Although the surrounding Marines were shocked, they generally understood that the relationship between Straw Hat and Garp was no secret among those in the know.

Putting themselves in his shoes, if they stood in Vice Admiral Garp's position, they probably would also find it hard to choose.

"Grandpa!" Ace lowered his head, tears falling.

It was his own recklessness that put family in a difficult position; he did not regret becoming a pirate, he only hated his own helplessness.

Sengoku was so angry his beard was standing on end.

As an old comrade, Sengoku couldn't possibly not know—Garp was throwing the fight!

"Ace—!" Luffy cried out excitedly.

He ran to Ace's side and used the key to unlock the shackles.

Sengoku's brow was tightly furrowed, his heart filled with helplessness.

Then, his Devil Fruit ability activated.

Behind him, Sengoku, who had transformed into the form of a great Buddha, wore a furious expression:

"Do you think you can escape from my grasp?"

"It's Sengoku—Fleet Admiral Sengoku has made his move!"

Sabaody Archipelago

The melon-eating reporters once again erupted in cheers.

Meanwhile, the pirates feasting and drinking on Sabaody Archipelago watched the live broadcast and began to tense up.

That is a being from the same era as Garp!

Fleet Admiral of the Marines—Sengoku.

And Luffy, nervous again, couldn't line the key up properly for a long time.

"I didn't expect there'd actually be something like a key. Straw Hat." Kizaru, who had just come online, felt he ought to do some proper work.

Light flickered at his fingertips.

A laser beam, just like in the last war at the top, shot toward the key in Luffy's hand.

Only this time.

"Hm?"

Another beam of light coming from afar interrupted Kizaru's attack.

"Su Lin!" Luffy shouted joyfully.

Before their eyes, countless points of light appeared and coalesced into a human figure.

It was Su Lin.

"Third Bro, wake up." Su Lin nudged with his foot the Mr. 3 beneath him, who was dressed in a Marine execution squad soldier's uniform.

"Ah, right—Mr. 3, you're here too!" Luffy suddenly remembered that in that previous rescue operation, it was Mr. 3 who, at the critical moment, made a key and saved Ace.

Sengoku watched this scene, and at last brought his fist crashing down.

"Leave the unlocking to you, Mr. 3!" Luffy tossed the key to Mr. 3.

Mr. 3, who had just woken up and still hadn't grasped the situation, was suddenly assigned an important task.

"Gear Fourth!"

Luffy now transformed into a small giant, his entire body cloaked in Haki, his massive fist wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, looking just like a giant iron fist.

"Gomu no"

"Kong Organ!"

The golden fist collided with the fist of black iron.

Waves of air and shockwaves surged forth; the two fists never actually touched.

As a Fleet Admiral.

Naturally, he too could cloak himself in Haki.

The power brought by Haki and by his ability clashed and intertwined.

The resulting shockwave even flipped nearby soldiers and gun batteries.

The execution platform crumbled along with it.

Kizaru stared at Su Lin, firing several more beams from his fingertips—similarly blocked by the same technique.

"That guy's ability is the same as... as Admiral Kizaru's?!" the surrounding Marines cried out in shock.

"Ohhh~." Kizaru transformed into light and appeared in midair, kicking toward Su Lin.

And Su Lin transformed into a beam of light to counterattack; the two streaks of light tangled as they left the execution platform, which was on the verge of collapse.

"Is that all you've got!" Sengoku roared.

"Straw Hat!"

"It's not over yet!" Luffy bellowed, determined to catch the attack of this Marine legend.

Below the platform, the Marine artillery squad had already assembled.

"Aim at the execution platform. Fire."

"Fire Fist Ace is just an ordinary person right now. Attack!"

The seastone shackles had not been removed—this was the Marines' chance.

Swoosh—!

Amid the roar of the cannons firing, the execution platform shattered and broke apart.

After the shells screamed past, came rumbling, thunderous booms.

In an instant.

A tornado of flames rose into the sky, under the gaze of everyone present!

"Ace!"

Accompanying Luffy's cry, Ace, holding Mr. 3 by the collar, used a barrier of flame to isolate the explosive impact of the shells.

"You really are a brother who won't listen, Luffy!" Ace said with a smile.

"Ace—!"

Aside from the Marines, the entire venue erupted in cheers; Whitebeard's dark-gold eyes gleamed, and a happy smile spread across his face.