"Heh, he should at least have this much strength; otherwise, he wouldn't be fit to command the Second Division of our Whitebeard Pirates," 'Flower Sword' Vista remarked, a confident smile playing on his lips.
Morale among the Whitebeard Pirates exploded!
The Marines' spirits sank to rock bottom, but the gears of war continued to grind forward.
"Kenshin, take Luffy and the others to Drake's location first!" Sabo adjusted his top hat, his gaze sharpening with an intensity that sent a chill down the spine of anyone who caught it.
"Understood!"
It went without saying that the second executioner had been Kenshin.
Back when Drake first appeared, he had already made secret contact with Kenshin, ordering him and Mr. 3 to wait behind the execution platform for the perfect opening. The original plan centered on Mr. 3 using his wax to forge a key for the Sea Prism Stone shackles.
Drake and Sabo's roles were to draw the fire. As long as Drake acted with enough arrogance, the Marines' eyes would be glued to him, creating a blind spot for Kenshin and 3 to operate.
Of course, they had all played for keeps. If a frontal rescue had worked, all the better.
With the high-tech flight units, carrying Luffy and Mr. 3 away was a simple task.
"We're moving out!" Kenshin declared. Grabbing one person in each hand, he took to the skies.
Mr. 3 felt as though he were waking from a nightmare. Everything felt surreal. Yet, he didn't regret his choice. When Kenshin had first approached him about making a key to save Ace, he had agreed without a second thought. He couldn't quite explain why.
Perhaps it was Luffy's relentless persistence, or perhaps it was the boy's pure, unwavering spirit.
Seeing the sheer joy on Luffy's face, Mr. 3 couldn't help but shed a few tears of emotion. Naturally, he didn't want Luffy to see him like that, so he quickly turned his head away.
Kenshin, however, saw the whole thing. He chuckled to himself.
As Kenshin ascended, Akainu's weathered face turned a sickly shade of crimson. But he didn't dwell on it; at this point, the plans didn't matter. Only the slaughter did.
"Fire Fist! Don't think for a second you're leaving Marineford alive!" Akainu's body erupted with bubbling magma. He was clearly determined to bury Ace right here.
"Heh, big words for someone who just got his face caved in. You really think you can stop us?" Ace's lips curled into a smirk.
Sabo offered a calm, gentle smile of his own.
"You really think because you blocked one strike that you've actually surpassed me?" Akainu roared, launching into an immediate assault.
A literal river of magma flowed from his body, causing the remaining structural ruins of the execution platform to melt and collapse instantly.
"Ace, grab on!" Sabo engaged his flight unit.
Just as they prepared to bank into the sky, Akainu's upper torso elongated with molten speed, throwing a massive punch.
"Mirror Flame!" A wall of fire erupted from Ace's palms, spanning hundreds of meters.
Yet, even that wasn't enough to stop the Admiral completely. Droplets of magma forced their way through the fire. Though weakened, they still lunged for Ace and Sabo.
"Flame Dragon King!" Sabo unleashed a swirling vortex of fire from his "Dragon Claw," clashing with the residual magma.
Using the recoil of the explosion, they rocketed into the high atmosphere. At the speed of these flight units, Akainu could eat all the "Red Dog" treats he wanted—he still wouldn't be able to catch them.
The two brothers shared a silent, knowing glance. Simultaneously, they both unleashed a massive downward Fire Fist.
"FIRE FIST!!"
The twin pillars of flame descended from the heavens, blanketing the entire plaza. At the center of the inferno was the stubborn "Old Dog."
KABOOM!!
A tidal wave of flame surged outward. Pirates who had managed to reach the plaza immediately turned tail and ran for their lives. This wasn't a joke; a fire of this magnitude was far beyond what they could survive.
The Marines, however, weren't so lucky. The plaza was packed with their ranks. The sight of the descending suns left them paralyzed.
"Stay calm! Don't panic!" Akainu roared, emerging from the center of the flames. Reforming his human shape, he launched two gargantuan magma fists toward the sky.
He wasn't trying to win a duel; he was trying to prevent total annihilation. If he didn't intercept the fire, the falling magma and flames would cause catastrophic casualties to his own men.
BOOM!!
Drake watched the spectacle with a sense of deja vu. Man, those fire fists are huge!
Even "Our Light," Admiral Kizaru, seemed startled by the brilliance of the falling flames. "A fist from the heavens... how terrifying~"
Drake's lip twitched. A fist from the heavens, my foot...
The magma fists and the fire fists collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The plane of impact vibrated with such force that it generated a massive secondary shockwave that tore across the plaza.
"This is..." Drake found himself lost for words.
The massive pillars of flame were intercepted before they could do substantial damage to the platform area, though globs of magma and fire rained down like a volcanic storm. You had to give it to the "Red Dog"—he was putting his life on the line to keep his troops from being incinerated.
Seeing the molten rain coming for them, the Marine ranks finally broke. They scrambled in every direction, the plaza descending into chaos.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light flared.
For a moment, Drake thought Kizaru had finally grown a work ethic. Is the old man actually being helpful?
But he had overestimated Kizaru's professional spirit. The Admiral was still standing right beside him, watching the fire like it was a 4th of July display.
The source of the golden light was Fleet Admiral Sengoku in his Daibutsu form. Sengoku's golden aura exploded outward as he began thrusting his palms. One shockwave after another roared out, physically blasting the falling fire and magma away from the soldiers.
"It's the Palm of the Buddha!" Drake watched in awe. The Daibutsu form was truly formidable.
Huff... huff... After clearing the air, Sengoku reverted to human form, gasping for breath. The exertion was clearly taking a toll on him.
By now, Kenshin had reached Drake's side.
"Drake-bro..." Luffy looked at the exuberant Drake, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Luffy, you made it!" Drake beamed, but his joy was cut short as Luffy lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Drake's head in a crushing hug. Drake struggled for air for several seconds before managing to pry himself loose.
He almost smothered me.
But seeing Luffy crying like a child, Drake's heart softened. You can be a king to the world, but to your family, you're just the brother we worry about.
Luffy...
Memories flooded Drake's mind—the childhood they shared in this life, and the growth of the Luffy he knew from his previous life. Everything coalesced into a single realization: he wasn't just "Drake" from Earth anymore. He was Luffy's big brother.
The past was a shadow; the present was the dance.
He realized Luffy was still clutching him tightly, and Drake allowed a gentle smile to cross his face. I will protect this brother with my life. And I will ensure his dream has the wind it needs to soar.
Sabo got a hug earlier; I'm glad I get one too...
"You guys... are really taking me for granted, aren't you?" Kizaru finally spoke up. It's one thing to show up, it's another to have a family reunion right in front of me.And how long are you going to keep hugging?
Even for a man of his temperament, this was a bit much.
Only then did Luffy realize Kizaru was standing right there. He jumped back, detaching himself from Drake.
"Kizaru! What are you doing here!?"
Kenshin: "!!!" Mr. 3: "!!!"
You mean you didn't notice him this entire time!?
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