The Sea King seemed to understand Ronglin's words. Its massive body sank, kicking up enormous waves as it instantly dove into the sea. As long as they stayed near the surface, Sea Kings of this size had little to fear from creatures in the ocean.
Ronglin clasped his hands behind his back and leisurely used Moonwalk to fly toward a raised slope on the ice field. It appeared to be a rolling wave that Aokiji had frozen with his ability.
The closer he got to the high ground, the louder the clamor below became. Gunfire, cannon blasts, clashing steel, and battle cries blended into an indistinguishable din. Clearly, the two sides had been locked in chaotic combat for quite some time. Listening to the sounds, Ronglin soon reached the highest point.
"Ace!"
A heart-wrenching cry came from below. Immediately afterward, a deep-blue cloud of energy spread out, completely blanketing the circular plaza below. One person after another collapsed, pirates and Marines alike.
"Hm? Conqueror's Haki?" Ronglin had used this ability not long ago, so he immediately realized what was happening below.
As though stunned by the Conqueror's Haki, the entire Marine base plaza below suddenly fell deathly silent. Many who had not been knocked out turned their eyes toward the young man in the straw hat at the center of the plaza.
The young man was completely unaware of it. After knocking out a huge number of people, he continued charging toward the execution platform without regard for his life.
Ronglin quietly watched the situation unfold below and shook his head. He already knew how it would end. That young man had to be Straw Hat Luffy. But no matter how hard he tried, how much his grandfather held back, or how much everyone helped him, the ending would still