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Sengoku stared at Akainu in surprise; he hadn't expected him to speak up for Garp.
He sat back in his seat, his tone shifting to a low, resolute pitch.
"I'll say it one last time: I will never let Ace go! Even if he isn't one of Pops' pirates, he can never join the Shichibukai!"
"Sengoku! You owe this old man an explanation!"
"An explanation? Is it enough that he's Roger's son? The most dangerous bloodline in the world runs in his veins—what more do you need?"
"You..."
Garp was wounded by the words, at a loss for how to respond.
Yes, the true reason for executing Ace was his lineage—his father, the Pirate King, Roger.
How could a child of the world's most dangerous criminal ever become a Marine?
"Marshal, I have a plan."
Akainu, dressed in his crimson uniform, approached Sengoku.
Seeing him so formal, Sengoku couldn't help but feel curious.
"Go on."
"Accept Ace into the Shichibukai, have him work for the Marines, but on one condition: he must play along in a plot with us. Tomorrow, we'll let Ace 'escape' and return to Pops, only to take Pops' head!"
The mere suggestion twisted the atmosphere in the room.
Garp's eyes flared with anger.
Akainu's idea was despicable.
Kizaru raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and Aokiji lifted his blindfold, staring at Akainu.
Only Sengoku looked contemplative.
Akainu's face remained impassive, oblivious to the reactions around him. His absolute sense of justice allowed him to do whatever it took.
"When the plan succeeds, Ace's true identity will be revealed to the world. The son of the Pirate King, Roger, surrendered to the Marines. What could be more powerful than that?"
Akainu's plan was indeed ruthless, just like how he'd manipulated Squard to betray Pops—he would go to any lengths.
Garp clenched his fists, fury etched on his face.
If Ace truly followed this plan, killing Pops and submitting to the Marines, then he might as well die with honor.
A true man would rather die than live under such a fate—wasn't that what Marine justice was supposed to stand for?
"Very well."
Before Garp could object, Sengoku had already decided.
"Come, let's go see Ace in his cell!"
Sengoku led the way, followed closely by Akainu.
Hands in his pockets, Kizaru trailed behind leisurely.
When Aokiji passed Garp, he looked as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately he sighed and walked out.
No one noticed the look of disappointment on Garp's face.
He'd fought his entire life for peace, always aboveboard. How could the Marines have come to this?
Was this really the same Marine he once knew?
...
Not long after, loud, uncontrollable laughter rang from Ace's cell.
"Hahahaha—you all, stop talking! Let me laugh for three... five minutes—no, ten minutes! Hahaha..."
Upon hearing Sengoku's intentions and the conditions proposed, Ace laughed until he nearly cried.
His raw, unfiltered laughter carried an unspoken mockery.
A scornful indictment of the Marines' self-righteousness.
Ace's laughter grated on Sengoku, who finally snapped, his voice harsh.
"Enough, Ace! You came to us, and if you can't follow Marine's plan, why should I trust you?"
"Should we draw up a contract?"
Ace replied nonchalantly.
Did they come here just to mock him?
Expecting him to kill Pops, become Marine's puppet as Roger's son—it was laughable. Had the Marines lost their minds?
Swish—
A figure darted forward, and a fist struck Ace hard in the stomach.
To maintain his cover, Ace bore the blow without flinching.
The force rattled his insides, a sharp taste of iron filling his mouth, but he swallowed it down, his teeth clenched.
"Don't be so smug! Believe me, I'll kill you right now if I have to! Let Pops come collect your corpse tomorrow!"
Akainu threatened viciously.
He hadn't expected Ace to joke about contracts—it was as if he was toying with them.
He pressed his fist harder against Ace, adding more force.
What enraged him further was Ace's reaction—no plea for mercy, no expression of pain.
Only a defiant sneer on his lips.
"Ace, I'm giving you one last chance to cooperate. Miss it, and you'll meet me at the execution platform tomorrow!"
Sengoku, with an icy resolve, signed off on the final decree.
As for Ace's private execution, that was out of the question.
Ace's value lay in the message he sent—proof of Marine's power and justice, a warning to the great pirates.
The son of the Pirate King, Roger—an identity of immense weight.
"I am looking forward to it."
Ace forced a smile.
Even the tense muscles on his face twitched in spite of the searing pain.
Sengoku grimaced, then turned and left with a sharp snort of anger.
Akainu's eyes burned with murderous intent as he glanced back at Ace, who refused to yield, but reluctantly held himself back.
The moment he released his grip, Ace taunted:
"Not going to kill me? Then I'll just take a nap."
This taunt ignited a fury in Akainu.
"You want to die!"
He drove his fist into Ace, sending him crashing into the steel wall and tumbling to the ground in a disheveled heap.
In the confined cell, a suffocating heat began to build.
Molten lava dripped from Akainu's clenched fist as he advanced toward Ace, each step promising the next blow would be fatal.
"Stop!"
A cold, commanding voice rang out.
Between Ace and Akainu, a solid figure stood.
It was Garp.
Standing there like a beast ready to strike, Garp exuded an aura of raw dominance, one that seemed to disdain everything around him.
Akainu flinched, coming back to his senses.
A chill shot up from his feet, and the magma on his fist unconsciously retracted as a trickle of cold sweat ran down his forehead.
Just in time, Sengoku's voice called out from outside:
"Get out! No one is allowed near the cell!"
Relieved, Akainu retreated hurriedly, knowing that even a moment's delay could have been his undoing.
As he stepped through the prison doors, Ace's voice echoed behind him:
"Akainu, don't forget this punch. I'll pay it back tenfold."
Akainu, on the verge of exploding, held his temper under Garp's silent gaze, and strode away.
As for Ace's threat, he couldn't have cared less.
A man set to be executed tomorrow—what threat could he pose?
Repay tenfold?
What a joke!
Garp couldn't even bear to look at Ace, fearing he'd lose control.
He came and left in haste.
As they departed, the echo of a dozen heavy locks fastening the cell door reverberated through the empty hall.
Ace stood up from the cold floor, wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. A faint smile lingered.
"Self-righteous Marines... see you tomorrow."
A quiet murmur filled the lonely cell.
A golden flame danced at his fingertips, flickering with a fierce, defiant light.
…
Outside the cell.
A profound silence lingered.
The oppressive aura that had erupted from Garp left the Marines reluctant to breathe too loudly.
The night breeze swept through.
The sentries on duty couldn't help but shiver.
Seabirds, as if sensing something ominous, took flight in flocks, stirring up the tranquil night sky.
A full moon hung above.
Its cool light bathed the sea, illuminating Marineford but casting shadows on those hidden within the prison.
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