"Tsuru."
Sengoku's voice was filled with barely contained rage.
Below the execution platform, Tsuru had been watching the situation closely, her heart heavy with unease. From the very beginning, she had feared that Garp might lose control.
"Whoosh!"
The instant Sengoku shouted her name, Tsuru's heart skipped a beat. She launched herself upward using Geppo, landing on the execution platform in a blur. Her expression shifted between calm and severity as she grabbed Garp's wrist tightly.
"You need to think this through," she said, her tone grave.
"Oh! Look at the execution platform!"
"Something is happening up there!"
"Could Marine Hero Garp be…?"
"The show is starting. Marine Hero Garp is the spiritual pillar of the Marines!"
Both those present at Marineford and countless viewers around the world noticed the abnormal scene unfolding above.
Tsuru's sudden appearance was far too eye-catching.
"Little Tsuru… Ace is my grandson."
Garp's voice was hoarse, like a man drowning who had finally grasped a single piece of driftwood.
In his eyes, Ace and Luffy were no different. Both were his grandsons. Both were irreplaceable.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Tsuru forced herself to remain rational, her teeth clenched as she spoke through suppressed anger.
"Do you even understand what will happen if you save him?"
"I know, but…"
"Get down here."
Before Garp could resist, Tsuru grabbed him by the collar and leapt off the execution platform.
"If you want to hate me, then hate me later!"
How could Tsuru not be conflicted?
But for the sake of the Marines, for the sake of the world, she had no choice.
As Tsuru dragged Garp away, Sengoku stepped forward and picked up the Den Den Mushi megaphone once more.
"Execution."
The world went silent.
Countless eyes locked onto the execution platform as the two executioners raised their cold, gleaming long swords.
"Ace…"
The battlefield shifted violently.
Whitebeard forcibly blasted Akainu and several Vice Admirals away. His Haoshoku Haki erupted outward, the shockwave causing Marines and Revolutionaries alike to foam at the mouth and collapse unconscious.
Yet the distance was still too great.
Even Whitebeard could not reach him.
"Ace!"
Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the others screamed in desperation.
But it was useless.
There were only four Admirals, but Vice Admirals were everywhere.
Any one of them, placed in any sea, would be a renowned powerhouse capable of suppressing pirates worth hundreds of millions of Berries.
On the Revolutionary Army's side, Ivankov, Belo Betty, Morley, and the others were also firmly blocked.
And the Shichibukai were not mere decorations.
Every one of them was engaged in battle.
Only Kuma and Mihawk seemed abnormal.
Kuma stared at the execution platform, hesitation evident in his posture.
Mihawk, on the other hand, showed no interest. The only person on the battlefield who truly caught his attention was Vista.
In the original timeline, Mihawk had made a single strike before withdrawing.
But not this time.
"Get lost."
At the center of the chaos, Sabo drove his fist into Yamakaji's chest. Bones cracked audibly as the Vice Admiral was sent flying. Without hesitation, Sabo charged straight toward the execution platform.
Below it, Tsuru forced Garp's head into the ground, suppressing him completely.
Sengoku snorted coldly as he looked down upon the plaza. With a simple wave of his hand, the two executioners acted without hesitation.
Their swords pointed at Ace.
They thrust downward.
"Don't even think about hurting my brother. Get out of my way!"
Sabo leapt high into the air, his eyes bloodshot. A terrifying killing intent burst from his body. Behind him, the phantom image of a roaring divine dragon seemed to manifest.
A crushing aura surged toward the executioners.
"Thump."
Terror filled their eyes.
Their pupils shrank violently, and both men collapsed unconscious before their blades could fall.
"Haoshoku?"
Confusion rippled through the battlefield.
"Hey, hey, is this real? Was that Haoshoku?"
"The Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff has Haoshoku too?"
"A king's disposition?"
"What kind of joke is this? Isn't Haoshoku supposed to be one in a million?"
"When did kingly will become so common?"
"No, that wasn't Haoshoku. It was just an overwhelming aura."
"Top-tier powerhouses can suppress others with presence alone. It's not the same."
"Anyone in a high position has an aura. As Chief of Staff, that level of pressure is normal."
"So it's not Haoshoku? You scared me."
"I knew there couldn't be that many kings."
As the executioners fell, Sabo landed on the platform. His condition was miserable, blood spilling from his mouth, but he still smiled at the stunned Ace.
"You bastard, Ace."
They were now within arm's reach.
"Sabo, don't worry about me. Hurry and go!"
Ace shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face. He knew there was still someone else coming.
"I'm your brother," Sabo said calmly. "Even if I die, I'll save you. And if I leave now, Luffy will never forgive me."
He smiled as he spoke.
Turning his head, he saw Luffy charging toward them. The moment Luffy spotted Sabo on the execution platform, his face lit up with joy.
"Ace! Sabo!"
Luffy was overflowing with excitement. He believed, without doubt, that Sabo would save Ace.
"He made it up there!"
"It's Sabo, the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff!"
"Ace's brother is on the platform!"
"He'll save him for sure!"
Many Whitebeard Pirates clasped their hands together, praying desperately.
"Wishful thinking."
Several Marines sneered at the sight.
Did they really think the Fleet Admiral would allow a mere Chief of Staff to take a prisoner away?
It was laughable.
No one in the Marine camp believed Sabo could succeed.
Not even Whitebeard's strongest commanders.
Blinding golden light erupted, illuminating the storm-filled sky.
Before everyone's eyes, Sengoku transformed into a colossal golden Buddha. Like an enraged Vajra, he thrust his massive palm toward Sabo with earth-shaking force.
Sabo's instincts screamed.
He abandoned the Sea Stone handcuffs instantly and poured everything he had into defense.
"Dragon Claw!"
His right hand transformed, fingers curled like a dragon's talons. A divine dragon phantom surged behind him, wrapped in Armament Haki, colliding head-on with the Buddha's palm.
The impact detonated.
A violent storm spread outward from the execution platform.
Sabo's expression twisted in pain. Blood poured from his mouth uncontrollably. With a muffled grunt, he was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing diagonally into the plaza below. The ground shattered as dust and debris exploded into the air.
He failed.
Sabo was among the strongest of the younger generation.
But against veterans like Sengoku, legends of a previous era, he was still lacking.
"How dare you… how dare you… I will never forgive you!"
Steam roared violently.
Luffy, already in Gear Fourth, appeared above the execution platform. His eyes burned with fury as he stared at Sengoku's Buddha form. His right arm compressed again and again like a coiled spring, creaking ominously.
"Gum-Gum King Kong Gun!"
The massive fist tore through the air with a deafening sonic boom.
"Hmph."
Sengoku snorted coldly. He withdrew his palm and slammed it forward once more.
A thunderous explosion shook Marineford.
Two immense forces collided, Haoshoku pressure raging as wind and rain spiraled violently. Luffy held on slightly longer than Sabo, but soon spat blood and was sent flying.
His body smashed into the ground, carving a massive trench as he slid to a stop, lying broken amid flying sand and stone.
"So strong!"
"This is Buddha Sengoku, one of the Marine's original three pillars!"
"What kind of power is that?"
"Mythical Zoan, Great Buddha form!"
"These youngsters are still too early."
Veteran pirates watching from afar scoffed.
"In the old days, Buddha Sengoku, Iron Fist Garp, and Black Arm Zephyr were the Marine's iron triangle."
"Even now, their strength stands at the very peak."
The old generation had aged, but their fangs were still sharp.
To this day, no one from the younger generation could defeat them head-on.