The surrounding naval soldiers also witnessed this scene.
A Marine Vice Admiral pointed at Moria and Jinbe, his voice trembling.
" Moria! Jinbe! Hancock! You—you are the Shichibukai! How can you help pirates!"
Moria glanced back at the Vice Admiral.
Hehehehe.
His laughter echoed across the ice. "What betrayal? We're pirates, after all."
Jinbe stood in front of Luffy, his fists clenched, maintaining the starting stance of Fish-Man Karate.
His gaze swept over the naval soldiers who had surrounded him, his voice low and firm.
"Whom I side with is none of the navy's business."
Hancock landed from mid-air and stood on Luffy's other side.
She reached into her waistband and pulled out a key, tossing it casually toward Ace.
"Then."
The key traced an arc in the air and landed with a clink in front of Ace.
Ace was stunned.
Luffy grabbed the keys and turned to unlock Ace's handcuffs.
The keyhole of the Seastone Handcuffs made a crisp click as the key was inserted, and the handcuffs loosened.
Ace's wrists were freed from the Seastone restraints, and the long-lost power flowed through his body once more.
Orange flames ignited from his fingertips, starting as a small cluster, then quickly spreading to his entire palm and finally enveloping his whole body.
The flames reignited.
"Oh dear~ Three Shichibukai have betrayed us at the same time~"
Kizaru stood in mid-air, stroking his chin with his fingers, his tone surprisingly relaxed.
"That's really scary~"
He said it was scary, but his face showed no fear whatsoever.
But those who know him know that Kizaru is serious.
He had lowered his hand from his chin, and golden light began to gather on his feet, as the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit was being pushed to a higher level.
Just as Kizaru was about to make another move, a roar came from the direction of the Execution Platform ruins.
" Kizaru --!!!"
"Now is not the time for you to slack off, get serious!"
Standing on the edge of the ruins, Sengoku clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging.
He had just witnessed everything— Moria's shadow blocked Kizaru's light blast, Hancock's Perfume Femur struck Kizaru, Jinbe's Ocean Current Shoulder Throw sent Kizaru flying, and Hancock tossed the key to Ace.
Three Shichibukai simultaneously.
No, it's not just a simple case of betrayal.
Sengoku's gaze swept over the three figures.
Sengoku already knew that Moria was a key figure on Hachinosu.
When news of Moria and Crocodile's defection from Hachinosu first broke, Sengoku sensed something was amiss, but he lacked evidence.
Now that Moria is standing openly in front of Luffy, it's as if he's completely torn off all his pretenses.
Jinbe is the captain of the Sun Pirates, a subordinate force of Sun Pirates Hachinosu.
Although he had always served as Shichibukai in his own name, his position was never a secret from the beginning.
Hancock – this woman never obeys the Navy's orders, but she also never openly opposes the Navy.
She's standing next to Luffy now, the key in her hand still dangling from Ace's handcuffs.
All three people have intricate connections to Hachinosu.
Three people rebelled against the World Government at the same time.
At Marine Headquarters.
In Marineford.
In a war that would determine the course of the world.
"You--"
The voice of the Sengoku was forced out from deep within his throat, each word carrying barely suppressed rage.
" Kizaru--!"
"Hey hey--! Understood, Fleet Admiral!"
Kizaru shrugged, and the golden light on his feet shone even brighter.
The Sengoku did not repeat it a second time.
His gaze passed over Moria, Jinbe, Hancock, looking behind them—
Luffy is helping Ace unlock his handcuffs, and orange flames have already started to burn on Ace's body.
Then he saw further into the distance—
Whitebeard remained standing despite Akainu's attacks; the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power continued to wreak havoc, and the cracks in Marineford's buildings continued to widen.
The Whitebeard Pirates ' commanders are charging towards Ace.
The prisoners of Impel Down wreaked havoc on the battlefield.
Now, three of the Shichibukai have betrayed us.
A thought flashed through Sengoku's mind.
Why did these people dare to rebel simultaneously at this time and in this place?
Aren't they afraid of being investigated by the navy?
Aren't they afraid of sanctions from World Government?
Or is it that they have the confidence?
What gives them that confidence?
What gives them confidence in a place like Marine Headquarters--
The pupils of the Sengoku suddenly contracted.
"Could it be... that Hachinosu has also arrived?"
Once the thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it anymore.
Moria, Jinbe, Hancock —three people with intricate connections to Hachinosu —rebelled simultaneously. In Sengoku's understanding, there was only one explanation for this:
Hachinosu is pulling the strings behind the scenes. And if Hachinosu is the mastermind, then where is Roy... that man now?
Sengoku suddenly looked up at the sky.
There was nothing in the sky. Only clouds, only smoke, and the occasional News Coo flying by.
But his intuition told him that Roy was watching from somewhere.
That man loved standing on high ground overlooking the battlefield; he must be there.
The Sengoku's fingers clenched so tightly in his palms that they cracked.
But he didn't have time to go find Roy.
The current battle situation is in complete chaos, and he must deal with the immediate problems first.
"All Marines, listen to my command—kill Fire Fist Ace and Straw Hat Boy at all costs!"
Sengoku's orders were transmitted across the entire battlefield via Amplifying Den Den Mushi).
"We must never let Roger's bloodline escape Marineford!"
As soon as Sengoku gave the order, the atmosphere in the entire Marineford Square changed abruptly.
The Marine Vice Admiral who were originally besieging the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates all turned around and surrounded Luffy and Ace.
The footsteps were so dense they sounded like drums, and the bayonets rippled in the sunlight, creating waves of silvery white.
Luffy had just unlocked Ace's handcuffs and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when he saw white Navy uniforms surging towards him from all directions.
" Luffy!"
Ace's flames were rekindled.
Orange-red flames erupted from his body, illuminating a large area of ice around him.
Having been imprisoned for so many days and suppressed by the Seastone chains for so long, his flames not only did not weaken, but instead burned even more fiercely because of the long suppression.
" Fire Fist!"
Ace's right fist transformed into flames, slamming into the charging naval formation ahead.
The fiery fist expanded into a wall of fire in mid-air, engulfing the dozens of naval soldiers at the forefront.
But there were too many people in the navy; as soon as one group fell, another group would immediately come in.
Several Marine Vice Admiral attacked simultaneously, their swords crackling with Armament Haki, cleaving through the flames and pressing forward.