As Drake's words rang out, the entire battlefield fell into a stunned silence.
Marines: "???" Pirates: "!!!"
Holy crap!
Is this guy for real? It's a bit much to try and poach our Captain right in front of all of us, isn't it?
Ace: "..."
The scene left everyone flabbergasted. This is hardly appropriate, is it? We are in the middle of a war!
Besides, was that even what Whitebeard meant? "I have a ship"? Who doesn't have a ship here?
Luffy stared with wide eyes, a sudden realization dawning on him. I've learned something new today... so that's how you do it.
Whitebeard froze for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "What an arrogant brat."
"However, it's dangerous here. You should go back."
"And!" Whitebeard looked back, feigning anger. "Did you lot forget my orders? Why haven't you left yet?"
"This..." The Whitebeard Pirates looked at one another, hesitating. Ultimately, all eyes converged on Drake.
"Heh..." Drake smiled and landed gracefully behind Whitebeard.
The Marines surrounding Whitebeard were like a mountain of people, an endless sea of white uniforms.
"Old man, the Whitebeard Pirates can't lose you yet. You aren't allowed to die," Drake said quietly, his back to the Emperor.
Whitebeard's eyes dimmed slightly. A real man does what he must, but he knew his limits. His mission was to ensure his sons returned safely to the New World; as for what came after, he had to trust them.
And they were worthy of that trust.
"Gurararara... I believe in them." In that moment, the darkness left Whitebeard's eyes. Every man must face death eventually, and he could feel his life force reaching its end.
"It has been... quite a long journey..."
Hearing those words, Drake felt a pang of deep emotion. Whitebeard had set sail as a youth and fought until this day; the title of "Strongest Man" wasn't something handed out for free.
"Old man, let's save the gloomy talk for later," Drake said, shaking his head. "Think about Blackbeard. Do you really intend to let him stay in this world and keep hunting your sons?"
At the mention of Blackbeard, a sharp glint flashed in Whitebeard's eyes.
"I have a way to heal all your wounds—instantly."
Seeing he had the Emperor's attention, Drake struck while the iron was hot. He had to give Whitebeard a reason to abandon his death wish.
Whitebeard's body stiffened. But at that moment, the Marines lunged forward.
"Whitebeard! And you... you brother of Fire Fist, stay right here today!"
"Charge!"
To this day, they still didn't know Drake's real name.
"Are you serious...?" Whitebeard suppressed his shock and asked slowly.
"Of course. But you'll have to endure for a little longer. If we heal you now, Blackbeard might be too scared to show his face, and that would be a hassle."
Drake had decided to use a Senzu Bean to restore Whitebeard. With a healthy Emperor, how could the Marines hope to stop them?
"Are you saying Teach is here at Marineford!?" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Drake nodded. He gripped his sword and leapt out, beginning to cut a swath through the enemy ranks.
"Marines! Let's see if you're as tough as you look!"
"Eight Desolations Sweep!"
A crescent arc of sword intent tore through space. It didn't just push back the Marines; it mowed them down in heaps. The sheer number of soldiers was staggering.
"Ararara... I let you slip away last time, but it won't be so easy now."
Just as Drake was getting into the rhythm, the temperature dropped sharply.
Admiral Aokiji!
"Admiral Kuzan!" Drake grinned, though he felt his muscles tense. A combat power of 8,000 was no joke. One mistake could lead to a quick end.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard was still surrounded by a dense crowd of soldiers. He looked at the small bean in his hand, hesitating. He didn't know if Drake was telling the truth, but...
He stowed the Senzu Bean away and let out a roar. "Gurararara!"
"Marines! Come at me!"
He gathered massive vibration energy on the blade of Murakumogiri and unleashed a devastating swing.
VROOOM—BOOM!!
The destructive force sent tremors through the entirety of Marineford.
"This is..." The onlookers watched Drake and Whitebeard fighting with renewed ferocity, completely baffled. "Are we retreating or not?"
Marco wanted to ask the same thing. The situation was becoming increasingly unpredictable.
"Drake..." Kenshin paused. He wasn't sure what Drake was planning; according to the original plan, they were supposed to retreat the moment Ace was freed. But now...
"We're going in too!" Ace shouted. Seeing Whitebeard's wounds continue to accumulate, he couldn't just stand by. He prepared to charge.
Sabo caught his arm.
"Sabo, don't stop me. They can't keep me down," Ace said, shaking his head.
Sabo's lips curled into a smirk. "Who said I was stopping you?"
Ace blinked as Sabo continued, "We're going together! Drake needs our help too." Sabo had noticed Aokiji engaging Drake. Their Mera Mera flames were the natural counter to the Hie Hie ice; in the face of fire, ice lost its sting.
"Right! Let's go!"
Ace and Sabo both rocketed toward Drake.
"Kenshin! I'm leaving Luffy to you!" Sabo's voice echoed back.
Kenshin: "..."
So I'm basically a nanny now?
Though he felt a bit of irony, Kenshin didn't mind. He understood their feelings perfectly. This was as it should be.
"Understood! Leave him to me."
"Fire Fist, where do you think you're going...?" Akainu saw Ace heading for the main fray and prepared to pursue, but he stopped mid-stride. He locked his gaze onto Luffy.
Luffy was exhausted. Having spent his stamina twice over, his body was currently at its breaking point.
"I'll finish you off first!" Akainu's eyes turned cold as he transformed into magma and surged forward.
"Hmm?" Kenshin noticed Akainu's movement and drew his blade, standing ready. Since he had promised to protect Luffy, he would see it through to the end.
"Ahhh! He's coming for us!" Mr. 3 shrieked, clutching his head and running for cover.
"Not good!" Ace skidded to a halt. Akainu was targeting Luffy!
Sabo saw it too, but he merely offered a confident smile. "Don't worry. Kenshin is there."
Seeing Sabo's calm, Ace relaxed. Sabo would never gamble with Luffy's life; if he said it was fine, it was fine. He also recalled Kenshin blasting Sengoku away earlier. The man was undoubtedly a powerhouse.
"In the world of swordsmanship, speed is everything!" Kenshin's blade flashed with a cold light. "One Sword Style: Flash of Lightning!"
It looked like an ordinary horizontal slash, but the moment it left the sheath, ethereal lightning flickered along the edge. It wasn't weak; it was hyper-compressed. Kenshin had thinned the lightning until it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The blade bit into Akainu's chest, and the lightning detonated.
BOOM!!
The explosion sent Akainu hurtling backward through the air.
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