---
"Sorry, Doffy... I lost again."
Though he knew his words would never reach that man, Vergo still used the last of his strength to speak to the dead Den Den Mushi, and then—
Silence.
The undercover Marine Vice Admiral, a loyal subordinate of the Donquixote Family, and the very first "Heart Seat" of the Donquixote Pirates, met his end at that moment.
---
SPLURT!
On the other side, after cutting down Vergo, a burst of heat erupted from Gambi's body. His muscles bulged and distorted before quickly shrinking back to their usual burly shape. A fine mist of blood burst from his pores—and then he collapsed forward.
"Gambi!" ×12
Portgas D. Ace flashed forward, catching Gambi just before he hit the ground. He gently laid him down.
"Ace..." Gambi grinned through his bloody face. "I... won."
"Yeah... you did," Ace smiled softly. "You won, Gambi."
Hearing that, Gambi's expression relaxed, and he lost consciousness.
Though victorious over Vergo, Gambi had paid a steep price. The accumulated injuries from their brutal clash finally exploded all at once—pain that would shatter the mind of an ordinary man.
---
"Bonsey, take Gambi and Wores for treatment. The rest of the battle is ours to handle now."
Ace handed Gambi's body to his sniper, Pai Bonsey, and turned toward Karros, saying, "Karros, since our crew's doctor hasn't arrived yet, please ask one of the Sun Elves to heal them."
"Leave it to me." Karros nodded firmly. Spreading her wings, she floated up and said to Bonsey, "Follow me."
---
Just then, several sailors from the G-5 Marine Branch warship approached, courage in their eyes.
"Please... hand over Vice Admiral Vergo's body to us."
Ace turned to face them, narrowed his eyes, and shouted:
"Get lost!"
"You—"
The leader tried to protest, but Ace had no intention of arguing. He unleashed his Haoshoku Haki—Conqueror's Haki—instantly knocking out most of the Marines.
His voice thundered:
"You have 10 seconds. Take your wounded and your ship and leave these waters, or I'll sink you to the bottom of the sea!"
The remaining Marines, barely able to stand under the pressure, bit their lips. Then, they silently bowed toward Vergo's corpse—tears in their eyes—before boarding the warship and fleeing Sun Island.
---
Ace knew well that Vergo wasn't here under Marine orders. This wasn't the World Government's doing—it was clearly Donquixote Doflamingo who sent him. If anyone wanted to retrieve Vergo's body, Doflamingo would need to come himself.
Once the Marines left, Ace turned to Yaki, the shipwright of the Spade Pirates.
"Yaki, prepare a coffin for Vergo."
Though puzzled, Yaki obeyed. A coffin was soon constructed, and Vergo's remains were respectfully placed inside.
Seeing this, Jinbe, who had watched everything in silence, finally relaxed the fists he had been clenching.
He had suspected Ace might display Vergo's body as a trophy, as many pirates and even Marines do to boost their reputation. After all, killing a Marine Vice Admiral was a major "feat."
Had Ace done that, Jinbe would have stepped in.
But now, Jinbe realized he had underestimated the young man. Instead of arrogance, Ace showed respect—even to an enemy.
"This man... Ace, is no ordinary pirate." Jinbe thought, eyes narrowing. "I just hope… he doesn't clash with Oyaji (Whitebeard)."
---
Ace returned to his seat before the Flame Gate—cross-legged and calm—awaiting his next 'guest.'
He knew: Jinbe and Vergo were just the warm-up.
The real threats—the ones who ruled the New World—would come next. The Four Emperors.
And raising his own pirate flag here was nothing short of declaring war.
---
Ships began to appear on the horizon, crowding around Sun Island. Most didn't approach, instead anchoring from a distance—observers, opportunists, and cautious big-name pirates from the New World.
Then—several hours later—they arrived.
"Look! That's a ship from the Big Mom Pirates!"
"Standing at the bow—it's Charlotte Cracker! One of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders and the Biscuit Minister! His bounty's 860 million Berries!"
"Tch, haha! The Yonko have finally arrived. Now it's getting exciting!"
A wave of murmurs, tension, and anticipation rippled through the crowd.
---
Ace smirked as he saw Cracker's ship approach.
"So... the Big Mom Pirates came first, not the Red-Haired Pirates?" He grinned.
"Seems like Shanks isn't joining the party... That's fine. It simplifies things."
---
"Boss, another ship's coming!"
Shouts rang out again from observers nearby. A massive vessel cut through the sea.
"That's the Jolly Roger of the Whitebeard Pirates! They're here too!"
"Phoenix Marco's at the bow!"
"And Thatch, Captain of the Fourth Division, is with him!"
"Two Division Commanders from Whitebeard's crew? Are they planning to crush the Spade Pirates?!"
---
The arrival of Whitebeard's Pirates sent the entire sea into a frenzy.
Though the Yonko's names were terrifying enough, Edward Newgate, the man known as Whitebeard, had stood as a rival to the Pirate King himself. Even without appearing in person—his reputation alone was thunderous.
He wasn't just feared.
He was legend.
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