Execution of Ace

"The Donquixote Family has only Doflamingo left. We can't let him die." Mo still wore sunglasses, his tone icy, as if Akainu owed him billions.

"That can be considered, for Fire Fist Ace's sake." Akainu nodded.

"And a bonus, Rono's request. Ten billion Belly." Mo held up one finger.

"..." Akainu pondered, "Can you ask for something else? We're a bit tight on funds recently."

"Heh, don't forget who gave you that extra funding." Mo sneered. Acting poor in front of his sponsor? Did he want him to withdraw his investment?

"It's really a bit too much. In the end, it's Rono's doing. He threw his bank card to the Science Department, and then the Science Department kept pestering the Marshal to defect to Rono, saying they wouldn't work with him anymore. It forced the Marshal to allocate a large sum of funds to them." Akainu's expression was complicated. This was clearly fleecing a sheep. Ace's bounty was already close to one hundred million.

"Rono said that if the money can't be paid, people can be used as compensation." Mo said, a sly smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"People as compensation? What do you mean?" Akainu asked.

"Rono and the others will go with you to execute Ace. You'll know then. Goodbye." Mo left.

"People? What person in the Marines is worth ten billion? It couldn't be an Admiral, could it? Impossible. Who could it be?" Akainu propped his chin with both hands, his Marine hat covering his sharp, gleaming eyes.

"Yo, Owl, why are you back so early this time? Come, come, I've gotten a bit stronger recently. Give me a kick to test my combat power." Rono was chatting with Owl in Spandam's office.

"No, people will die. Chababa." Owl unzipped his mouth and zipped it back up.

"Sigh, don't be such a spoilsport." Rono teased Gelu on his belly. Gelu was counting Rono's muscles. Every time he finished counting, Rono would secretly change one or two muscles with his Devil Fruit Ability and then say to Gelu, "Son, you counted wrong. Come, count again." Gelu was very unhappy. How could I, this baby, count wrong? I'm not a one or two-year-old child.

Counting again, "!" Gelu stared blankly at Rono's muscles. One was missing. No, I must have counted wrong. Let's go again, again.

Rono slumped onto the chair and beckoned to a water cup. The cup actually grew two short legs and waddled to Rono's hand. Owl stared at the water cup, dumbfounded. Was the Research Department this amazing? Artificial intelligence already? Then he beckoned to a fruit basket with his wings.

"..." Let's get a smaller one. This one should be unripe. He beckoned again... Owl's face turned brown. This was too ugly. Just then, the small fruit basket moved. It took small steps, as if afraid of something, and slowly approached Owl. Owl became excited. Damn it, it's too hard to command. I need to give feedback to the Research Department.

The fruit basket slowly approached. Owl's brows relaxed, and he extended his wings to pick an apple.

Suddenly, the fruit basket leaped up, scattering fruits all over the floor, and desperately ran towards Rono. Owl was petrified. He heard a scream, "Damn it, am I that ugly?"

"Hahahaha." Rono, retracting his Devil Fruit Ability, burst into laughter, shaking Little Gelu.

Gelu climbed down, kicked Rono's calf, and ran off to play with Uncle Sairona.

Rono looked at Owl's furious expression, his mouth watering. Slurp, I haven't eaten an owl yet. Owl looked at Rono's malicious gaze and ran out. This was no place for a person to stay.

Ace was to be transported to Rogue Town for execution. As Rono boarded the ship, a chill ran down his spine. He turned his head and saw an old man with white hair staring at him with piercing eyes. Garp.

Rono looked at Garp's cracking fists and felt the pressure Garp exerted on him. Damn it, this physique is at least 200. Rono panicked. He wasn't strong enough to be beaten. What? Super Regeneration? Are you tired of not being beaten enough?

Garp ultimately did not make a move. He was a Marine first, and Ace's grandfather second.

"Grandpa, I'm sorry!" Ace looked back at the scene and said in a low voice.

Sairona took in Garp's expression, secretly noting it down.

This voyage included one Admiral, three Vice Admirals, and one Shichibukai.

The Admiral was Aokiji. Akainu had been dispatched to the New World to stand by. Rumor had it the Whitebeard Pirates were forming an alliance with the Red Hair Pirates. Though not entirely believed, the Marines had still sent Akainu to deter the pirates.

On the warship, Aokiji lounged with his legs crossed, wearing an eye patch. Beside him were Rono, Sairona, and Gelu, their movements in sync.

Only these few could afford to be so relaxed. Before departure, the crew had been informed that Ace was Roger's son. If Aokiji hadn't stopped them, they would have already opened fire on Ace. Precisely because Ace was the Pirate King's son, even Vice Admirals couldn't act carelessly. However, they couldn't control Aokiji, and Rono's group wasn't under his command either. An interesting scene unfolded on the ship: a dozen Marine Headquarters soldiers and officers were on edge, scanning the seemingly calm sea. Meanwhile, Rono and his companions were as leisurely as if they were on vacation.

The Marine's special Seastone ship easily passed through the Calm Belt and arrived at Rogue Town.

Rogue Town's highest-ranking official, White Hunter Smoker, had been waiting for a long time. The docks were completely cleared, and a massive Image Den Den Mushi was set up beside the Execution Platform. A huge number of reporters adjusted their cameras, determined to capture the moment the Pirate King's son met his end.

Admiral Aokiji greeted Smoker with his hands in his pockets. Rono, meanwhile, admired the scenery, so different from the Grand Line. Sairona observed the surroundings, looking for suitable sniping locations. Gelu wasn't on Rono; he was asleep back on the warship.

Ace lowered his head. There was no fear, no nervousness. He had long been prepared for death.

While Marine Headquarters was paying attention to Ace, it wasn't as much as in his previous life. Ace wasn't anyone's son now; he was just a rookie pirate with no parents. The dispatch of an Admiral was solely due to his identity.

The Executioner led Ace away. He was to be executed in one hour. Smoker relaxed somewhat; with an Admiral present, he wasn't as flustered.

In Rogue Town, where the streets were empty, a somewhat secluded tavern housed several individuals with a rough aura, seated in various poses.

They weren't watching the execution of the legendary Pirate King's son. The leader was a young man with dead fish eyes and a striking pineapple-shaped hairstyle. Beside him was a fierce big man over three meters tall. Opposite them, a green-haired visual kei youth, baring his fangs, crouched fearfully.

These were Marco the Phoenix, the first Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, and Diamond Jozu, the second Division Captain. And among their Division Members was Blackbeard.