Chapter 7: Chapter Seven: The Rescue Operation

“Don’t let this guy get near the Old Man!”

At this moment, members of the Whitebeard Pirates retreated to surround Crocodile the Sand Crocodile.

“So this is Ace’s younger brother? Not bad with his hands.” The ship’s doctor, the Phoenix Marco, chuckled.

“That hat.”

In Whitebeard’s mind, he recalled the words he’d exchanged with Red-Haired Shanks over drinks.

“I’ve bet this arm on the new era.”

New era?

“Hey, kid.” Whitebeard looked down at Luffy: “That hat looks a lot like the one Red-Haired Shanks used to wear.”

“Shanks entrusted it to me to keep.”

“Old Man, look, this is my brother.”

Whitebeard stared at Luffy’s back, recalling the scene where Ace had proudly waved a bounty poster in front of him.

A faint smile crept onto his lips.

So that’s it—the new era.

“You’re here to save your brother, aren’t you?”

“Do you even know who your enemy is? You’ll get yourself killed like this!”

Whitebeard’s words and demeanor carried a crushing pressure; his great sword thudded onto the ground, and a storm erupted from him.

Ivankov, Buggy, and others gaped in shock, unable to speak—Whitebeard’s Conqueror’s Haki still exerted overwhelming force even from this distance.

“This is so annoying, old man.” Luffy grabbed his straw hat and pulled it onto his head. “No matter how many times you say it, my answer won’t change.”

Boom—

“The one who will become Pirate King? It’s me!”

A crimson storm erupted from the Straw Hat Kid, Monkey D. Luffy, instantly engulfing all of Marineford. At the moment the two storms collided, countless marines and pirates collapsed, eyes rolling back.

“Conqueror’s Haki?!”

“Who is it?!”

“That Whitebeard and the straw-hatted one…”

The two astonishing auras clashed and ground against each other—the physical manifestation of sovereign will.

“Conqueror’s Haki?! You bastard, Karp!” Admiral Sengoku bit his teeth, grabbing Karp’s collar and shaking him violently: “When did your grandson learn Haki—and why is it Conqueror’s Haki?! Did you turn him into a pirate?!”

“You let a grandson with this potential become a pirate?! You bastard!”

Karp himself was stunned, unsure how to answer Sengoku—until the next moment:

“Hell yeah!!!”

“That’s my grandson, hahaha…”

Sengoku’s temple veins bulged, nearly driven mad with rage:

“Karp—!”

Sengoku shook Karp’s collar even harder, his head swaying into a blur: “If you weren’t the Marine’s hero, I’d make you bear the responsibility of your entire bloodline!”

This man is the Marine’s hero—but his parenting is a complete mess.

“Conqueror’s… Haki?”

“Ace’s brother!”

“That’s the mark of a monarch’s talent—one in a million…”

“Same Haki as the Old Man…”

“That straw-hatted kid?!”

Both Whitebeard Pirates and prisoners from Impel Down stared in shock at Luffy.

Due to the release of this Conqueror’s Haki, fighting and conflict across the battlefield paused briefly.

Even the Marines were stunned.

“Straw Hat kid…” Smoker, cigarette dangling from his mouth, casually knocked down a pirate attempting to ambush him, staring in disbelief: “I should’ve captured him back then… I left a dangerous seed.”

“Luffy, as expected—you’re my beloved one. You’ve already mastered Conqueror’s Haki.”

“Ah~ What an astonishing speed.”

Boa Hancock, cheeks flushed crimson, gazed at Luffy, her heart brimming with joy—her beloved man was this extraordinary.

“How terrifying~ Straw Hat kid.” Kizaru spoke in his usual lazy tone, his meaning unclear.

“Grandson of the hero Karp, son of the revolutionary Dragon.” Akainu resolved to erase the Straw Hat Kid as a threat right here in Marineford.

Aokiji remained silent, fighting quietly.

“The clash of Conqueror’s Haki!!!”

“It’s just like when Red-Haired Shanks came!”

Whitebeard Pirates recalled the commotion from Shanks’ last visit.

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow in surprise; his coat flapped with a rustling sound from the air currents Luffy had unleashed: “Interesting!”

The aura emanating from the Straw Hat Kid—

Was the scent of a monster.

Yet, after only a few brief seconds, both men retracted their Haki.

“Hmph, do as you please, kid.” Whitebeard grinned. “Just don’t die on this battlefield.”

“Heh, I’ll be the one to rescue Ace.”

Luffy pulled his hat low and charged toward the execution platform:

“Wait for me, Ace!”

Sengoku, this situation is no longer under your control.

Let me see this new era you speak of, Red-Haired Shanks.

Whitebeard found it intriguing.

“Everyone! Protect Ace’s brother!”

The pirates instantly rallied.

“Good job, Ace’s brother!”

“Underestimated you, Straw Hat kid!”

Their side now had a member wielding Conqueror’s Haki, and that clash of Haki had already felled many marines.

As for Whitebeard Pirates, even if they suffered losses, they were few and recovered quickly—they were all accustomed to being stunned by Conqueror’s Haki.

After all, sometimes when the Old Man got drunk at banquets, he’d unleash it without warning.

Among the escaped prisoners from Impel Down, many hadn’t fallen either—they were all of superior quality.

“Stop him!”

The Marines began regrouping and redeploying—the Straw Hat Kid was now the greater threat.

Meanwhile, Su Lin’s side:

“Mr. Su Lin, please stay near me.”

Su Lin heard someone calling him and turned to see Jinbe.

“Aren’t you going to help your captain?”

“Our captain is already strong enough. Even facing so many high-level Marines at once would strain a Four Emperor—but I trust him.” Jinbe shook his head. “Besides, I promised you—your safety is my top priority now.”

Noticing Su Lin’s tense expression, Jinbe urged:

“Why don’t you rest at the rear for now?”

Before arriving, Jinbe had already observed that Su Lin had no combat experience, no signs of physical training, and likely never done any labor—by pirate-world standards—his physique might not even match an ordinary person’s.

As a seasoned veteran, Jinbe sensed this man who suddenly appeared alongside Luffy had no ill intent—he was, at heart, a good person.

Remembering Su Lin’s Devil Fruit ability was replication, Jinbe guessed his main purpose in coming to Marineford was to collect abilities.

Yet even so, Jinbe deeply appreciated this man before him.

“No need.” Su Lin waved his hand. “Go help Luffy. I’m fine.”

“You’re fine?” Jinbe hesitated—he’d promised to protect Su Lin’s safety.

“It’s fine now.” Su Lin pointed ahead.

There, a figure glowed in midair—it was Kizaru.

Before Su Lin finished speaking, his body dissolved into particles of light and reappeared beside Jinbe.

“If that’s the case, I’m off, Mr. Su Lin—please be careful.”

This ability is insane.

Jinbe’s forehead dripped with cold sweat.