The Marines Rekindle Their Resolve

"That man is a threat to the future. He may not have an impressive background, but he has already set himself against the World Government. His very existence is evil. And the person beside him is the Revolutionary Dragon's own son."

"A man connected to both the Pirate King's son and the Revolutionary's son, who also carries the will of D—if we let him leave, what will become of the world?"

Seeing the Marines' resolve falter, Sengoku invoked Luffy's background and Jiang Lin's ties to Ace and Luffy to reignite the soldiers' fighting spirit.

"We cannot let them live! Do everything you can to kill them!"

Marine Soldiers surged out of the bay against the flow, charging toward Jiang Lin and the others. More and more joined them until the mass of Marines surrounded Jiang Lin, Luffy, and the Whitebeard Pirates like a vast sea.

"Trap them there. Don't waste any more time on a mere rookie."

Sengoku issued the order through his Den Den Mushi. He had no intention of wasting more time. He would concentrate his forces and overwhelm Jiang Lin's group in one strike.

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

Both sides roared, then collided in a massive head-on clash across the ice.

The Marines were led by Vice Admirals, while Jiang Lin led the Whitebeard Pirates.

"You handle the others. Leave Jiang Lin to us."

More than a dozen Marine Vice Admirals, cloaks of Justice billowing, charged at Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin had already begun to reach an Admiral's level of strength. Even attacking him together, the Vice Admirals had no confidence they could win.

But when Justice had to be upheld, none of them hesitated.

"Move! You're no match for me!"

Jiang Lin roared. White light pulsed from his hands, shattering a wide stretch of ice around him. Marines and pirates alike plunged into the sea.

"Whoa... My body's gone all weak!"

Luffy had rushed too far ahead. When Jiang Lin shattered the ice, he lost his footing and fell straight into the water.

"So that's what you were planning!"

Jiang Lin flashed forward and hauled Luffy and the other fallen pirates out of the water, then immediately switched Devil Fruit Cards.

Sand-Sand Fruit (Hormone-Hormone Fruit enhancement) loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds.

After unloading the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Jiang Lin loaded the Sand-Sand Fruit.

"Sables of Okama Country!"

A sandstorm laced with Female Hormones appeared on the battlefield, frightening the Marine Soldiers into retreating several steps.

Plenty of them had seen Jiang Lin use it before. Nearly every Marine Soldier caught in that sandstorm had turned into a woman.

"Yee-haw! Jiang Lin, you came up with such a brilliant way to use that power! I'm so jealous... as if! Hahaha!"

Watching Jiang Lin from afar, Ivankov turned purple with envy. But after turning away, he put on an expression of utter indifference.

"Fall back! Don't let that sandstorm catch you!"

Vice Admiral Momonga waved an arm, ordering the soldiers beside him to get farther away from Jiang Lin.

But Jiang Lin's sandstorm was fast. It soon caught up with dozens of unlucky soldiers who had been too slow to retreat.

"Oh! War is just the worst!"

As a gentle female voice rang out, the Marines lost dozens of fighters and gained dozens of graceful young women.

"If you don't move, I'll turn you into women too!"

Jiang Lin held a small swirl of sand in one hand and glared at the Vice Admirals before him.

"Urgh..."

The Vice Admirals bore a heavy responsibility. Duty forbade them from retreating, but none of them wanted to become women, either.

As chaos engulfed the battlefield, Ace watched from the Execution Platform while Jiang Lin, the Whitebeard Pirates, and Luffy fought desperately for him. Guilt and self-reproach filled his face.

"Luffy, why did you come? Why did any of you come? This is my failure! You don't have to get hurt because of me! Stop it! Why would everyone do this for someone like me... You idiots. Jiang Lin, Luffy, Pops... all of you..."

Ace buried his face between his knees. His expression had twisted beyond any emotion he could put into words.

"What's wrong?"

After Ace's brief collapse, Garp looked at him in surprise as he suddenly raised his head.

"I... can accept whatever future comes. If someone reaches out a hand to me, I'll take it. If a blade comes to punish me, I'll accept that too. I won't lose myself again! I'm sorry I dragged everyone into this!"

Ace stared ahead, his voice firm. The confusion and self-reproach had vanished from his eyes, replaced by the calm of someone who had made peace with life and death.

"All units, fight independently and fall back slowly!"

On the battlefield outside the bay, more and more pirates arrived to reinforce their side. Under mounting pressure from Jiang Lin, the Marine Soldiers began a slow retreat.

As the pirates pushed the battle forward, every member of the Shichibukai entered the fight.

"Kuma! What happened to you all these years?"

In one corner of the battlefield, Ivankov stood before Bartholomew Kuma and demanded an answer. Kuma gave him none. Instead, he launched a cold, unfeeling attack.

"Kuma, Doflamingo. Are you going to stand in my way too?"

Red sand filled the air around Jiang Lin. Pink Female Hormones swirled through it, circling his body with a captivating glow.

"Heh, heh... I'd love to fight you. But first... you'll have to survive this monster. Hahaha!"

Doflamingo laughed arrogantly, as though he had never considered Jiang Lin worth his attention.

"Kuma?"

Jiang Lin turned toward Bartholomew Kuma's expressionless face. He knew Kuma's consciousness was completely gone. All that remained was a killing tool that obeyed orders.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!... Whoosh!"

Dazzling yellow light gathered in Bartholomew Kuma's mouth. Once it reached its peak, he fired it straight at Jiang Lin.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Lin turned into a streak of Yellow Lightning and vanished. A violent explosion erupted where he had stood. A dazzling red dome rose from that spot, radiating tremendous force.

"Heh! Interesting! Luffy, you all go ahead. I'll deal with him!"

Jiang Lin emerged from the light with a cold smile. He wanted to send Kuma straight back to Revolutionary Army Headquarters.

But Jiang Lin did not know where it was. For now, all he could do was defeat Kuma and find another chance to send him away.

Paw-Paw Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds.

As the system's voice sounded, Jiang Lin stepped past the others and approached Bartholomew Kuma alone.