"POPS!!"
Ace screamed as he watched Whitebeard stand alone, a titan blocking the path of the entire Marine force. He wanted to say more, but Whitebeard cut him off with a gravelly voice.
"Ace..."
"Was I... a good enough father to you?"
"..." Ace opened his mouth, but the words were choked by a lump in his throat. Finally, he fell to his knees on the ice and bellowed with everything he had.
"OF COURSE!!"
"Hmph..." Whitebeard's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
"Then that's enough for me!"
With that, Whitebeard slammed his Supreme Grade blade, Murakumogiri, into the ground.
"I am... a remnant of the Old Era! There is no ship in this New Era capable of carrying me!"
He clenched both fists and slammed them violently into the air at his sides.
CRACK!
The space itself shattered. Twin shockwaves surged outward, plowing through the Marine ranks and sending hundreds of soldiers flying like autumn leaves.
"AAAAARGH!" The cries of agony were endless.
Sabo reached Ace's side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Ace..."
"I know," Ace said, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stand. "I won't let Pops' sacrifice be in vain."
But just then, a streak of crimson light blurred toward them. Sabo stiffened as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him. He turned his head and saw a weathered, furious face charging through the chaos.
"Akainu!"
The massive fissure Whitebeard had torn into the island could stop ordinary soldiers, but it couldn't stop an Admiral. Akainu was closing the distance with lethal intent.
"Ace, we have to go!" Sabo grabbed Ace's arm, urging him to retreat.
Drake saw this from the distance, and his heart skipped a beat. Shit, this looks way too familiar! He gripped his sword and rocketed toward them.
"Kenshin! Look after Luffy!"
Without looking back, Drake ignited his blade until it glowed a fierce red. He knew Akainu would show zero mercy in his pursuit to eradicate the "Evil Bloodline."
His Detector flickered with a readout:
[Name]: Admiral Akainu (Sakazuki) [Cultivation]: Great Swordsman (Brawler/Fruit Specialty) [Ability]: Magu Magu no Mi [Haki]: High-Level Armament, Mid-Level Observation [Combat Power]: 8,200
He was the strongest of the three Admirals. Though the gap between them was technically only 200 points, in a life-and-death struggle, that slight edge was everything. Drake didn't dare be careless.
I can't let us get capped in the endgame!
He frantically scrolled through his mental inventory for anything he could use. Then, it hit him.
Wait! Ace has been rescued. That means the mission should be complete!
He checked the system panel, and his face instantly turned a sickly shade of blue.
"You dog of a system!! Get out here! I'm going to dismantle you!!"
He checked his inventory. There were only a few items:
[Items]: Rainbow's Remnant (Basic), Senzu Bean, Detector, Devil Fruit (Unknown)
[Ding! Host has used malicious language against the system. Warning issued.]
Hearing the system's cold, robotic voice, Drake gnashed his teeth. "Fine! Then explain this: I finished the main mission, so why is there only one Devil Fruit as a reward!?"
"And why..." Drake's voice faltered.
The fruit in the inventory looked exactly like the hairstyle of a certain cartoon sheep from his old world. It was a literal swirl of... well, it looked like a pile of poop.
How was he supposed to eat that?
Setting the aesthetics aside, he had traveled across the sea and risked his life for this main mission. Getting just one "shitty" fruit felt like a total scam.
[Ding! This Devil Fruit has a unique effect. If the Host does not want it, the System will reclaim it immediately.]
Drake: "!!!"
That is a blatant, naked threat.
But now was not the time to haggle with a digital swindler. Akainu was breathing down their necks. His face darkened. "Ace! Sabo! Over here!"
As he shouted, he froze. It was as if he had just discovered a new continent.
Wait... with this fruit, is everything still a problem? Is THIS what it's for!?
No, I have to play this right. I can't lose out on this deal. A mysterious, knowing smile spread across Drake's face.
"Drake, we—" Ace and Sabo reached his side, panting.
"None of you are escaping!" Akainu's voice was void of emotion as he unleashed a magma fist toward the trio.
"Red Dog! Do you really think you can take all three of us at once!?" Drake barked, swinging his blade in a wide arc.
"Descent of the Immortal Bloom!"
A storm of crimson petals erupted from the blade, swirling toward the magma. Ace and Sabo moved in perfect sync beside him.
"FIRE FIST!!"
Their combined flames merged into a gargantuan pillar of fire, surrounded by Drake's explosive petals. The collision was cataclysmic.
KABOOM!!
The meeting of magma and fire generated a massive shockwave, blowing everyone backward—including Akainu!
Drake skidded across the ice, cursing under his breath. "Why are we running? Screw this!"
He took a deep breath and roared at the top of his lungs: "WHITEBEARD PIRATES! LISTEN TO ME! I HAVE A WAY TO SAVE WHITEBEARD!"
"WHAT!?"
The battlefield ground to a halt. Marines and pirates alike stopped mid-stride, their eyes locking onto Drake.
"Drake, you..." Ace's pupils shrank.
"Ace, leave it to me. I'm going to give you back a father who's in one piece," Drake said with a confident grin as he stepped forward.
"Hey! Ace's brother! What the hell does that mean!?" Jozu shouted. He was a man of few words, but when it came to his father's life, he couldn't stay silent. The entire crew was staring at Drake with desperate hope.
"A-Are you telling the truth?" On the other side of the fissure, Squard froze. He had already resolved to die alongside Whitebeard to atone for his sin. He was currently steering his ship toward the frontline, ready to make a final stand.
Everyone realized Squard had somehow bypassed the obstacles to reach Whitebeard's side of the divide.
"Squard..."
Watching the hope on Squard's face, the crew felt a pang of pity. They all understood his agony—the man had been manipulated by the Marines into stabbing his own father. The pain of that guilt was unimaginable. Seeking death was the only way he knew how to find peace.
"Heh..." Drake smirked. He engaged his flight unit and soared toward Whitebeard. All eyes followed his trajectory.
Near the ruins of the execution platform, Sengoku's face was dark. Seeing Drake fly toward Whitebeard gave him a terrible feeling in his gut.
Whitebeard was currently surrounded by Marines, but he wasn't alone. "First Son of the Sea" Jinbe stood by his side.
"I've already decided to die on this battlefield," Jinbe said solemnly. "To die alongside Pops... I have no regrets."
Whitebeard looked at him and went silent. He knew there were some fools you couldn't talk out of a noble sacrifice. Without a word, he reached out and swatted Jinbe, launching the fishman away from the front line.
"Pops!" Jinbe cried out as he flew backward. Suddenly, a figure blurred past him in mid-air.
A smiling face glanced at him. "Thanks for looking after our little brother."
And then... the figure was gone.
Drake descended over Whitebeard, hovering just out of reach, a wide grin on his face.
"Old man, I heard you say earlier that there's no ship in this era capable of carrying you."
Drake's smile turned into a confident smirk.
"I've got a ship. Why don't you join me instead?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.