At the End of the Road, the Prince Offers His Head

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Everyone, get on the boat!"

"Don't worry about us, you guys go first!"

As the last small ship, the 'Moby Dick,' turned its paddlewheels, wounded members of the Whitebeard Pirates were carried into the cabins. Meanwhile, the captains of the other Whitebeard Pirates began to direct their men to retreat.

"Waaah, Daddy..."

"If you're going to be sad, go be sad on a ship! Gather all the ships that can be started!"

Meanwhile, the rearguard captains were being relentlessly pursued and forced into retreat by the navy.

"Hmph, as soon as they rescued someone, they ran away with their tails between their legs like wild dogs. What a bunch of cowards, the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"But having an incompetent captain is something that can't be helped... Whitebeard was just a loser—"

?!

"That bastard!!"

Seeing Akainu dominating Marco while still having time to talk Akainu, Ace was furious! (Physics)

"Calm down, isn't all this bloodshed enough to make you mature?"

A white pigeon next to him poured a basin of cold water on him.

"Do you want to kill a few more of your comrades? Or even—"

"Luffy?"

·······

"What... what should I do now?"

"Ice cubes with 'Ice Block: Pheasant Beak'!"

A lifelike ice crystal 'phoenix' spread its wings and swooped down, freezing everything in its path! It created a path of ice out of thin air and rushed towards Ace, forcing Ace to stop and push his hand forward sharply.

"Mirror Flame!"

With a sudden burst of flames from his single arm, he created a massive wall of fire that blocked the Ice Crystal Phoenix. For a moment, its power was comparable to that of Aokiji's 'Ice Block: Violent Pheasant Beak'.

In terms of Devil Fruit development, Ace had actually reached the edge of top-tier combat power. Furthermore, with fire having a certain degree of advantage over ice, Ace was able to hold his own against Aokiji for a few rounds.

If it were Akainu instead, and he were suppressed by a higher-ranking Devil Fruit...

He was knocked down with just one punch!

Tsk, the Blackbeard Pirates have arrived, but:

Faced with the Whitebeard Pirates, who were still fighting and retreating, and Whitebeard himself, who was injured but still holding off a large number of Marines, the entire Blackbeard Pirates hid behind the Marine Headquarters fortress to watch the show. Roman, who saw them through the flock of white doves, sighed.

It seems the Whitebeard Pirates won't show themselves until the enemy 'collapses'.

As for Shanks... who knows where they are now! Anyway, the scout birds Roman released still haven't found them, it seems we'll have to get the Blackbeard Pirates to make a move.

"How about this, Ace ~~"

For the Blackbeard Pirates to intervene, Teach would have to be Teach that the situation is 'settled'. Therefore:

"—I'll borrow your head for a bit."

???

"Fire Fist!"

"Take back... what you just said!"

A burst of flame tore through the battlefield, attacking Akainu, who was suppressing Marco and forcing him into a retreat.

"How dare you insult my father!"

Faced with Ace's sudden, impulsive, and reckless outburst, the captains were all taken aback. —Although this was the Ace they knew, his recent series of commands had made them think Ace had matured...

"Am I wrong? You were defeated by your own father, Roger, and stopped before the throne."

With a stern face, Akainu stated the 'facts'.

"The henchmen, one after another, fawned over their 'father,' calling him 'Dad' and playing house on the high seas..."

"Shut up!!"

This time, Ace was truly enraged! He spread his fingers, and flames exploded from his palm, shooting straight into the sky. Then, under the restraint of his Haki, they forcibly condensed, condensed, and condensed again—

It coalesced into a nearly straight stream of flames that seemed to melt even the void, then Ace grabbed it and hurled it, sending it hurtling straight toward the opposing Marine Admiral Akainu.

At the very top of the fiery torrent, the fiery energy had suddenly condensed to a highly concrete level, forming a sharp, sword-shaped, fiery red crystal.

"Divine Fire - Great Flame Sword!"

This sword strike is Ace's strongest single-target skill! Along with the wide-range 'Great Flame Ring: Flame Emperor', it serves as Ace's trump card, a technique even Admiral wouldn't dare to directly confront—

"Hellhound's Crimson Lotus!"

Click!?

With a crisp snap, the Great Flame Sword, which had already materialized with energy, was actually bitten into a mouth! On Akainu's right arm, which was constantly churning with magma, a ferocious red dog head emerged, baring sharp, scythe-like fangs and covered in boiling magma.

The dog's head was enormous, but where the eyes should have been, two blazing flames were burning, making it eerily terrifying!

The name Akainu is not without reason.

"You are nothing but 'fire,' while I am 'magma' capable of burning away all flames!"

Akainu was only going to talk a big game, but unexpectedly, Ace, the 'center' of the whole affair, actually rushed over! This caught him off guard, but—that's more like it! Young, impulsive, reckless, and foolish—that's how Whitebeard's Second Division Captain should be. His calm and collected command just now must have had another reason...

It must be said that Akainu's conjecture is quite realistic, however:

Now that you've turned back, don't even think about leaving!

Akainu lunged forward, transforming into a torrent of raging magma, determined to burn away all evil! Ace, too, reverted to his 'reckless' nature, unhesitatingly throwing punches amidst his flames.

As the Whitebeard's Second Division Captain, Ace should theoretically be the third-ranking member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Even if he wasn't a match for Admiral, he should at least be able to withstand a few blows for a short period. However:

Ace's true strength might not actually surpass Vista of Flower Sword, the captain of the 5th Division. The reason he was appointed as the captain of the 2nd Division was partly because the position of Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates had been vacant, and partly because of Whitebeard's training and trust.

Furthermore, the Magma-Magma Fruit is a superior form of the Mera Mera no Mi, and this naturally occurring power...

The moment the two clashed, Akainu unleashed his ultimate attack! The magma erupting backward granted his arm a cataclysmic recoil force. In an instant, his arm stretched out, concentrating a power capable of overturning mountains and blotting out the sky between his five fingers.

"Hell Hound!!!"

Faced with this incredibly fast claw strike, Ace instinctively enveloped himself in Armament Haki and activated his Elementalization. However:

Five claws were engulfed in the flames of a violent explosion, but then Ace heard a dull thud of flesh tearing apart. Looking down, he saw an arm of rolling lava piercing through his chest!

???

I was just... instantly defeated... like that?

As he pulled his arm out, Akainu, his body engulfed in magma like burning hellfire, had a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"With subordinates like these, how could Whitebeard not be defeated?"

"I······"

With his chest pierced, Ace barely Guotou. What came into view was a white dove perched on the shoulder of the White Knight beside him, and the knight flapping its wings with an expression that said, "You can rest in peace."

—Although they hadn't spent much time together, Ace actually managed to understand what the other person was trying to say from that 'paper' face...

Okay, although Ace was extremely indignant when faced with White Dove's words, "You just need to play the role of an impulsive and brainless person" and "You'll be killed in no time anyway," now all that's left is:

Indeed, your vision is superior to mine.

Snap,

The corpse, its chest pierced through, lay sprawled on the ground. Even with the inhuman physique of this world, it would truly be a miracle to survive such a grievous wound, with the chest pierced through the back and the heart and lungs gone.

"Ace??!!!"

Luffy was also fighting nearby, was stunned. Just as he ignored his opponent and lunged toward Ace's corpse, a pure white armored hand struck him on the back of the head first.

Thump!

As a tingling sensation ran through the back of his head, an arrogant and domineering aura mixed with gentle yet unyielding force surged into Luffy's brain, bringing his last thought to his dazed state:

This is not Roman's dominance—

Smack

The White Knight caught the unconscious Luffy in his arms and leaped backward, escaping the battlefield. Only then did the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates realize what was happening.

"Ace!!"

"Ace brothers??"

"This... this is impossible—"

A chorus of incredulous wails echoed across the battlefield! The truth was undeniable: Ace had been instantly killed by Akainu with a single blow to the chest! His body was cold... well, well, cooked.

"Crane Claw!"

"The Weeping Rose!"

Marco's flying kick and Vista's rapier simultaneously struck Akainu's body! However:

"Not bad, that's quite Haki."

Despite a palm-width Akainu wound slashing his neck, Akainu coldly spoke, addressing the two Whitebeard Pirates captains before him:

That's not enough!

On the other side:

Ace?!

The Whitebeard, alone at the rear, his body riddled with weapons and wounds, Guotou around, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret...

"Hahahaha!!!"

Before Whitebeard's sorrow could even surface, a group of people jumped out from the shadows amidst his signature laughter and began striking poses on the Execution Platform! And undoubtedly, the one in the center was:

"Long time no see!... It's so good to see you one last time before I die, Dad!"

Faced with this 'honorific title,' the Whitebeard, covered in wounds, spat out a name through gritted teeth:

"Teach!!"

Whew~~

Finally out! Carrying the unconscious Luffy, the White Knight Luffy to the Whitebeard Pirates, looking at the arrogant and sinister-looking burly man on the high platform! He wouldn't act until he saw the benefit; he wouldn't come out until Ace was dead and Whitebeard's morale was dampened...

Very good, now it's your job to 'taunt' the Navy.