Rescuing Ace

History repeated itself.

Buggy was tossed before Hawkeye as a substitute weapon and sliced into strips, interrupting Hawkeye's attack.

"Hmm?"

What a strange Devil Fruit ability.

A sharp sword aura came from nearby, unlike the cannon fodder from before.

"Captain of the Fifth Division, Flower Sword."

With two outsiders disrupting his rhythm, Hawkeye could only deal with the person before him first.

"Go save your brother, Straw Hat Kid." Flower Sword stood before Hawkeye.

"Thanks, that really helped."

Having already lost interest, Hawkeye turned his gaze to Flower Sword. At least he was a decent swordsman. This would do.

Scissors Hands also appeared beside Luffy at this moment.

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

The Scissors Fruit ability activated. Massive scissors cut the hard ground into long strips and tossed them toward the execution platform, forming a road.

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

Of course, she was not there to stop him.

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

Hearing this, Hancock's heart blossomed as she fell into a symphony of love.

Is this the telepathy between husband and wife!? Ah~ Luffy.

She slowly opened her palm, took out a key, and handed it to Luffy.

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

Shichibukai Boa Hancock had been defeated.

"Garp, this is all because you failed to discipline him!"

Sengoku glared darkly at Garp, whose face was full of delight. "You bastard, are you even listening to me?!"

"Hahaha! My grandson is amazing!"

"Garp!"

"I understand." Garp put away his smile and turned serious. "Then let this old man bear the responsibility himself."

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

"You brothers are both complete idiots."

Garp stood and looked at the approaching Luffy.

"I am a qualified Marine."

"But as a grandfather, I have failed."

Garp recalled the past in the East Blue, more than a decade ago.

Back then, the two little brats had been shouting about becoming Pirates.

After being taught a lesson, they had stubbornly tugged on his beard.

"My teachings..."

"Where exactly did they go wrong?"

Come to think of it, Luffy had seemed to say at first that he wanted to become a Marine like his grandfather.

That damn Red-Hair!

If it weren't for that bastard... Forget it, there was no point thinking about it now.

"Luffy!"

Watching Luffy draw near, Garp roared, "Why can't you two brothers listen to this old man?!"

If you had obediently become Marines...

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

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

As they spoke, the distance between them rapidly closed until they were face-to-face.

"This is the path you two chose for yourselves!"

Don't blame this old man!

But at the moment they clashed, Garp recalled those days from the past. His invincible iron fist ultimately could not come down.

"Garp."

Sengoku's pupils shrank, and his heart grew tense.

You bastard, don't tell me...

Sure enough, Garp fell to the ground and smashed out a crater.

Though the surrounding Marines were shocked, they more or less understood. The relationship between Straw Hat Kid and Garp was no secret to those in the know.

Putting themselves in Garp's shoes, they feared they would have found it just as difficult to choose.

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

His recklessness had caused such hardship between his family. He did not regret becoming one of the Pirates; he only hated how powerless he was.

Sengoku was so angry that his beard stood on end.

As Garp's old comrade, Sengoku could not possibly fail to realize that Garp was throwing the match!

"Ace—!" Luffy shouted excitedly.

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

Sengoku frowned tightly, feeling utterly helpless.

Then, his Devil Fruit ability activated.

Transforming into a giant Buddha behind them, Sengoku roared in fury.

"You think you can escape from my grasp?!"

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

Sabaody Archipelago

The gossip-hungry reporters erupted into cheers again.

The Pirates eating meat and drinking on the Sabaody Archipelago also grew tense as they watched the broadcast.

That was someone from the same era as Garp!

The Fleet Admiral of the Marines—Sengoku.

And because he was nervous, Luffy could not line up the key with the lock.

"I didn't expect there to be something like a key, Straw Hat Kid." Kizaru, who had just entered the fray, felt that he should do some proper work.

Light flickered at his fingertip.

Just as in the previous Summit War, a laser shot toward the key in Luffy's hand.

But this time...

"Hmm?"

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

"Su Lin!" Luffy cried out in delight.

Countless points of light appeared before him, gathering into a figure.

It was Su Lin.

"Mr. 3, wake up." Su Lin kicked Mr. 3, who lay at his feet dressed in a Marine executioner's uniform.

"Ah, right, Mr. 3, you're here too!" Luffy finally remembered that during the previous rescue operation, it had been Mr. 3 who created a key at the crucial moment and saved Ace.

Watching this scene, Sengoku finally brought down his fist.

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

Mr. 3 had only just woken up and had not yet figured out what was going on before being given an important task.

"Gear Fourth!"

Luffy transformed into a small giant, his entire body coated in Haki. Conqueror's Haki wrapped around his enormous fist, making it look like a massive iron fist.

"Gum-Gum..."

"King Kong Rocket Punch!"

The golden fist collided with the black-iron fist.

Bursts of shockwaves and ripples erupted, though the two fists had not actually touched.

As the Fleet Admiral...

Sengoku naturally knew how to use Haki Infusion as well.

The power brought by Haki and Devil Fruit abilities collided and intertwined.

The resulting shockwaves even overturned nearby soldiers and artillery platforms.

The execution platform cracked apart as well.

Kizaru watched Su Lin and fired several more beams from his fingers. Once again, they were blocked by the same technique.

"That guy... has the same ability as Admiral Kizaru?!" the surrounding Marines cried out.

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

Su Lin turned into a beam of light and counterattacked. The two streaks of light tangled together as they moved away from the execution platform that was about to collapse.

"Is that all you've got?!" Sengoku shouted.

"Straw Hat Kid!"

"It isn't over yet!" Luffy roared, determined to withstand this Marine legend's attack.

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

"Aim at the execution platform. Fire."

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

With the Seastone handcuffs still on, this was the Marines' chance.

Whoosh—!

Amid the sound of cannons firing, the shattered execution platform broke apart further.

After the shells screamed through the air came booming explosions.

In an instant...

A tornado of flames soared into the sky before the eyes of everyone present!

"Ace!"

Along with Luffy's cry, Ace, holding Mr. 3 by the collar, used a wall of flames to block the explosive impact of the shells.

"You really are such a disobedient little brother, Luffy!" Ace said with a smile.

"Ace—!"

Everyone except the Marines began to cheer. Whitebeard's dark golden eyes gleamed as a delighted smile spread across his face.

(End of chapter)