Hancock heard this, released her tightly clenched fingers, and broke into a smile, her face slightly flushed.
"I am very fond of you... You said you have one more wish, right? Alright, tell me the destination... I'll lend you the ship."
Luffy's eyes immediately lit up, "Really?!"
Then he looked a bit conflicted, "I don't know where to go either... Orochimaru didn't say... But let's eat first."
A moment later, Luffy, who had freeloaded at the Kuja Pirates' banquet, packed a large bone-in meat and gnawed on it while watching Elder Nyon read the newspaper.
"Elder Nyon... You really love reading the newspaper, don't you?"
"Because News Coo doesn't come to the Calm Belt... Although it's rare, since our country's Empress is a Shichibukai, it would be troublesome if we didn't understand the world situation," Elder Nyon slowly flipped through the newspaper.
"Huh? Shichibukai, who are you talking about?" Luffy asked, his mouth full of meat and a bewildered expression.
"Hm? Hime," Elder Nyon turned her head.
Luffy yelled in surprise and fell to the ground.
"What??? That guy is a Shichibukai...? Then wouldn't he be incredibly strong if he fought?"
"As a Pirate, you don't know that?"
"I don't know..."
"You don't usually read it?" Elder Nyon looked a bit strange.
"I don't," Luffy swallowed the meat in his mouth in surprise.
"That's truly astonishing."
As Elder Nyon continued her explanation, Luffy cried out again, dumbfounded.
"The Shichibukai and Marine Headquarters are going to war with the Whitebeard Pirates??? What's going on?! How can this be?! Wait, wait, wait! I've received too much information at once..."
Luffy grabbed a cup of tea, took a sip, and instantly calmed down.
Elder Nyon flipped a page, her face speechless.
"He's truly a speechless man; ignorance should have its limits... However, this matter is still just speculation for now, but a war is almost certain to break out... The World Government has already started provoking them.
Whitebeard will absolutely not allow his own people to die... They know this, yet they are still publicly executing Whitebeard's excellent subordinate,
Portgas D. Ace."
Luffy stopped his movements... as if he had heard something unbelievable.
"Who did you say...?"
"Ace... Fire Fist... Ace," Elder Nyon didn't pay attention and continued reading the news.
"It seems a Pirate named Blackbeard defeated 'Fire Fist' Ace and became the new Shichibukai."
"Ace... execution... Ace captured, when did this happen?"
Luffy's body trembled... He finally understood where the sense of incongruity was... that snake... Elder Nyon looked at the trembling Luffy with a puzzled expression.
"Hm? It's been over half a month, hasn't it...?"
Luffy grabbed Elder Nyon's shoulder, his expression anxious.
"That's my brother... Ace is my brother."
Elder Nyon's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What did you say... Is that true... He's your brother?"
Luffy was so angry his whole body was trembling, "I didn't know he was captured... What does execution mean... Doesn't that mean there's no escape!!!
That snake must have acted on its own again! Orochimaru! I won't forgive you!"
High above the distant Red Line, Orochimaru was flying swiftly. Suddenly, his body shivered violently. He couldn't help but mutter softly:
"What's going on? Sneezing and shivering, am I sick? No, how could I be sick... Someone must be cursing me. Who could it be? Moriah? Or Crocodile? Forget it, no matter who it is, it's not important."
Orochimaru's gaze swept towards the distant buildings, then he took out a Vivre Card. Look, Marineford was ahead, and the infamous Impel Down should be behind it.
Thinking of the impending infiltration of the prison, Orochimaru's lips curved slightly upwards, and he coldly snorted: "As easy as turning over my hand."
On the sixth floor of Impel Down, Garp looked at Ace, who was covered in wounds and in a sorry state, his expression becoming exceptionally solemn.
"You truly look miserable... Are you still alive... Ace?"
Chains rattled, making a crisp sound. Ace struggled to lift his head, his body covered in marks of torture. Looking at the Old Man outside, he weakly called out: "Old Man..."
Garp crossed his arms over his chest, remaining silent. After a while, Garp finally spoke.
"To have sustained such severe injuries and still hold on until now... Ace... Thanks to you... Marine Headquarters... No, the entire World Government has been thrown into chaos." After speaking, Garp actually laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.
"Kill me..." Ace said weakly.
Garp's expression became very grim; he frowned:
"You want me to kill you? Idiot! Nothing can be done now.
Even if you die, Whitebeard won't give up. No one can stop all of this anymore... We have completely enraged the King of the Seas."
As Ace thought of Whitebeard, his eyes filled with guilt, and tears streamed down uncontrollably: "Pops..."
Garp looked at the dejected Ace, slowly sat cross-legged on the ground, and heavily sighed:
"We could all guess Whitebeard's reaction... But... there's another uncontrollable factor, have you ever thought about it? This factor is something even the World Government never anticipated."
Ace looked at Garp through tear-blurred eyes.
Garp sighed helplessly again, his face full of melancholy, and said with a headache:
"...Orochimaru!!! It's Orochimaru!!
Did you forget your younger brother?
He's not like Luffy... He's a guy who can do anything.
Impel Down can't hold him at all. With his abilities, he could completely rescue you without anyone knowing... But... he didn't do that. What does this mean?
The latest intelligence shows that he disappeared from Sabaody Archipelago,
but he didn't come to save you... That only leaves one possibility... He's going to cause trouble on the battlefield!
Nine times out of ten, it's a big event that can turn the entire situation upside down... Without a doubt, your grandpa might be forced to retire early, and perhaps even take my Old Man Sengoku with me."
Ace, who was confined alone in a single room, instantly froze upon hearing these words. He suddenly remembered what Orochimaru had told him in Alabasta, and his throat suddenly felt as if something was lodged in it.
Wait... He seemed to remember that he still had a bunch of pills in his pants pocket that he hadn't touched. Orochimaru seemed to have told him to take them when no one was looking... If Orochimaru saw him in his current miserable state... wouldn't he be angered to the point of turning evil?
Though that guy was already a bit dark to begin with.
However... his jacket had been confiscated, and his backpack was gone, but thankfully, his pants were still there.
It's just that his hands were bound by Sea Stone, so he couldn't get the healing medicine... This should be excusable, right?
Ace, unable to convince himself, instantly lost all desire to live.
Wait... Ace suddenly thought... Orochimaru seemed to have said he was coming to rescue him with Sabo, no!!!
Even though he was about to be executed... he didn't want to die of embarrassment.
"Or... Grandpa... why don't you just kill me early?"
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