" Luffy! We meet again!"
Vic appeared in front of Luffy in a flash. Ivankov's expression changed drastically when he saw Vic's speed, and he stepped in front of Luffy.
However, he came and went quickly, kicked away by Vic. Jinbe also tried to stop Vic from Luffy, but it was also a matter of one kick. The two of them couldn't react at all. Vic's speed was too fast and terrifying. The two flew away, leaving Luffy face the Shichibukai the highest bounty!
"Uncle Vic! Ace is about to be killed! Why don't you do something to save him? Grandpa is a Marine and can't help, but you're a pirate too! Why aren't you doing anything?"
Luffy had already spotted Vic on the platform, but the two had always been too far apart to speak. Now that Vic was in front of him, Luffy naturally had to complain and criticize Vic.
He and Ace had both trained under Vic, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had a master-disciple relationship. But now Vic was actually watching Ace being executed, which Luffy couldn't accept. And now Vic was trying to stop him from saving Ace, which was even more unacceptable!
"Because I want you to understand what kind of situation you'll find yourself in when you're powerless—you can't protect the people you want to protect, and you can't save the people you want to save. You've just experienced that kind of despair, haven't you?
You must have felt the same way back in the Sabaody Archipelago. I was watching you from not far away. If I hadn't arranged for Kuma to intervene, your pirate crew would have been wiped out last time!
So remember that feeling of despair and train hard! Protecting those you want to protect requires strength, so become stronger, Luffy!
Vic used Secret Sound Transmission to tell Luffy what he wanted to say, as this was a crucial moment to save Ace, and he didn't want the Three Admirals and Sengoku to be watching him.
Luffy, the younger brother, handle the rescue of Ace. He just needs to provide support and ensure Ace's safety in the end.
Ace will also be a powerful force after regaining his freedom, making it even easier to take advantage of the chaos. Vic still wants to inspire Luffy's desire to become stronger, rather than having to run away whenever he encounters a stronger enemy.
"You sent that big guy with the fleshy lump in his hand? Where did everyone else go? Are they all alright?"
Luffy knew very well that Kuma's appearance on Sabaody Archipelago was very abrupt; without saying a word, he made all of his crew disappear. After waking up on Amazon Lily, he realized that his crew had probably suffered a similar fate. He didn't know where they had gone, but they should be safe, which is why he felt at ease going to Impel Down to rescue Ace.
Now that Luffy knows Kuma was sent by Vic, Luffy's slightly surprised but accepts it, since Vic had sent Rebecca to help them several times before, and he didn't know Rebecca's identity.
But Robin, Nami, Sanji, Franky, Usopp knew that the Straw Hat Pirates wasn't lacking in smart people, and that someone was still gathering intelligence. Rebecca was a complete stranger to them, so why would she help them?
The only reason lies with Vic. Vic has various relationships with several people on their ship. Once this is explained to Luffy, he will find out. Vic has been secretly protecting them. Now that he knows Kuma is Vic's man, Luffy is relieved. Now he just wants to know where his crewmates are.
" Mr. Vic! Luffy!..." Ace, standing on the Execution Platform, looked at the two below with complex and incomprehensible emotions!
"You don't need to worry about their safety. They've gone to strengthen themselves. Now that they know their own weakness, they won't be complacent. When you meet again, they'll give you a surprise."
However, you can't neglect your training. After rescuing Ace, you need to calm down and train properly. There are so many people stronger than you now, and you don't want to face difficulties and despair again!
"Uncle! So you're going to help me save Ace? Ah!..."
Vic gave Luffy a brief explanation, and just as Luffy asked again, Jinbe ran back and attacked Vic without saying a word.
Vic didn't say anything more to Luffy. Taking advantage of Jinbe and Luffy's positions, he Luffy them Jinbe away. Coincidentally, Luffy flew right into Ace's arms on the Execution Platform.
" Vic! What are you trying to do?"
Sengoku watched the Straw Hat Boy Ace and fell into deep thought. He didn't attack Luffy immediately. Ace was Seastone Handcuffs, and he didn't think Luffy could open them. Besides, Luffy was his old friend Garp's grandson, and he had to give Garp face.
"Pirates are really unreliable!" Akainu glanced at Vic with a disdainful look, but with Sengoku on the Execution Platform, he wasn't too worried. He was just afraid that Whitebeard would go crazy, so he kept blocking Whitebeard's way.
"Couldn't resist after all! Now I'm a real pirate!" Aokiji muttered to himself, no longer in the mood to fight. He even spared Jozu, whose arm was frozen.
"How terrifying! I was so lucky I didn't make a move in Sabaody Archipelago last time!"
Kizaru recalled his encounter with Vic on Sabaody Archipelago, and also thought about the relationship between Vic and Vice Admiral Garp, as well as the relationship between Vice Admiral Garp and Straw Hat Boy. He was truly grateful to Kuma now, otherwise it might not have been Dark King Rayleigh attacked him, but Vic, Vic practically his natural counter.
"So you've finally made your move, Ace! Live on!"
Whitebeard looked at the Execution Platform with hope on his face. His body had been pierced by several holes by Kizaru's Laser Beam, and his chest had been burned through by Akainu's magma, damaging his internal organs. He was already at his limit, and now he only hoped that Ace could be rescued and live a good life!
"Um?..."
Sengoku hadn't paid much attention at first, but his expression changed when he saw Luffy take out a key to unlock Fire Fist Ace's Seastone Handcuffs. This kid had come prepared, but where did he get the key from?
There was no time for Sengoku to think about it anymore; if he did, the handcuffs would be removed, and the opponent would instantly gain another fighting force. So Sengoku immediately activated his transformation into Zoan -type Human- Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Buddha Form.
"Oh dear! That Straw Hat Boy actually has the key to the Seastone Handcuffs! We really can't be careless at all!"
Kizaru wasn't under much pressure at the moment. Whitebeard was already seriously injured, so he had the leisure to pay attention to other things. Seeing what was happening on the Execution Platform, Kizaru simply pointed a finger, and a Laser Beam shot towards the Execution Platform.
Kizaru's Laser Beam was incredibly fast, instantly reaching the Execution Platform and striking the key in Straw Hat Boy's hand, cleaving him in two.
At this point, Sengoku had completed his transformation, but the gigantic Sengoku made the Execution Platform teeter on the verge of collapse, and many rivets had already fallen off.
Seeing Sengoku transform, the other naval personnel were reassured about the situation on the Execution Platform.
"3! Create a candle wall to protect Ace!"
Just as Luffy was staring in disbelief at the half-finished key in his hand, Mr. 3, who had been knocked unconscious by Luffy's Conqueror's Haki, woke up. He was terrified when he saw the giant golden Buddha, and even more terrified when the golden Buddha punched at him. Fortunately, he heard Straw Hat Boy's words and came to his senses. He immediately used his power to create a candle wall to trap him and Ace inside and protect them.
Luffy also saw the giant fist coming from the Buddha Form. He bit his thumb and blew a lot of air into his muscles, turning himself into a giant muscle balloon that blocked Sengoku's punch.
However, Sengoku's attack had a shockwave, which was useless even though Luffy was made of rubber. Luffy coughed up blood and began to lose his strength. However, Sengoku's attack also caused the already crumbling Execution Platform to collapse, and the four of them fell down with the Execution Platform.
Just as the four were falling, Mr. 3 conjured a key from wax and unlocked Ace's handcuffs. The other half of the key, which had been broken by Kizaru, had fallen right in front of Mr. 3, who had seen it while hiding under the candle wall.
With Three's intelligence, he could figure out what was going on with just a little thought, and that led to the unlocking process.
The more chaotic the battlefield, the greater the chance of the Three surviving. He's not a mindless person; anything that's detrimental to the navy is beneficial to him, and he's very willing to do things that benefit him.
Moreover, he could gain a favor from Straw Hat Boy through this; Crocodile could think of anything, and so could Crocodile.
In addition, their shared experience fighting in Impel Down had indeed forged a friendship between them. Seeing Bon Clay's performance in Impel Down, it would be a lie to say he wasn't moved at all. All these thoughts combined led to this action!