BOOM!
A violent shockwave swept across all of Marineford like a hurricane.
The thick stone plaza shattered like paper.
The Marine HQ building and the execution platform—both at the epicenter—collapsed instantly.
Sengoku and Garp, stationed atop the high platform, were startled by the sudden eruption. As Ace plummeted from above, Sengoku shouted urgently:
"Garp! Whitebeard's gone mad—he's throwing his life away! You catch Ace—I'll stop the shockwave!"
With that, Sengoku's body erupted in golden light, transforming into a towering golden Buddha over seven meters tall. He slammed into the ground ahead of the shockwave.
"Shockwave of the Buddha!"
BOOM!
His fist collided with the incoming tremor.
The resulting explosion shattered everything within hundreds of meters, but it successfully halted the devastating quake.
"Sengoku, you bastard…" Garp muttered, stunned that Sengoku had left Ace to him.
Seeing Ace falling fast, Garp gritted his teeth and leapt to intercept him.
But just as he neared—
A figure appeared in front of Ace.
"You bastard! Get out of my way!" Garp's expression darkened. He hadn't expected interference at such a critical moment.
He clenched his fist—then froze.
"Luffy?! What are you doing here?!"
"Grandpa, I'm taking Ace with me!"
Luffy, dressed in a Marine uniform, looked up. Armament Haki surged over his arms like black ink.
"Gear Second: Armament Rocket!"
"Armament Haki?!"
Garp was stunned. He hadn't expected Luffy to master Haki so quickly.
Steam burst from Luffy's body as his speed skyrocketed. In a flash, he appeared before Garp.
His elongated fists, coated in Armament Haki, slammed into Garp's chest like twin rocket launchers.
Garp hesitated for a split second.
Then—
BOOM!
He was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing into the rubble dozens of meters away.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence.
A Marine soldier had just struck down the legendary hero Garp.
"That's Straw Hat Luffy! What the hell—how did he get in here?!"
Sengoku's face darkened. As someone who knew the truth about Luffy and Garp, he wasn't surprised by Garp's hesitation.
But before he could act, magma exploded from the rubble.
BOOM!
Debris and molten rock flew as Akainu emerged, his face twisted with rage.
"Tch… a snot-nosed brat dares cause trouble here? Die!"
"Hellhound Fang!"
ROAR!
Akainu punched the air, launching a massive molten hound—dozens of meters tall—straight at Luffy and Ace.
Ace, just lifted by Luffy, turned pale.
"Luffy! Get out of here—don't worry about me!"
"Don't worry, Ace—we came prepared!"
A deep voice rang out.
A burly figure landed in front of them with a crash.
"Fish-Man Jujutsu: Over-the-Shoulder Ocean Throw!"
A massive torrent of seawater surged from above, colliding with the molten hound.
BOOM!
The explosion sent scalding steam billowing across the battlefield.
Akainu's face twisted in shock.
"Jinbe! Are you rebelling? Planning to throw away your Warlord title?"
"Don't forget—this is Marineford. You won't escape!"
The Marines' faces turned grim.
They had already been shaken by Doflamingo and Blackbeard's betrayal on the second battlefield.
Now Jinbe, stationed at HQ, had turned too.
It felt like a dagger in the back.
"Hmph. Akainu, I owe Whitebeard a debt I can never repay. Even if I die, it won't be enough."
"I agreed to help you only to wait for this moment—to save Ace!"
Jinbe grabbed Ace and Luffy and dashed through the steam, heading toward Marco.
"And I brought a little gift for Marine HQ."
"Marco—protect Miss Nami!"
"Got it!"
Marco's wounds were instantly healed by his blue flames.
Akainu and the others were stunned.
The seastone cuffs on Marco—supposedly unremovable without a key—had somehow been unlocked.
A girl with orange hair cowered in the crowd, pale-faced.
"I told you I didn't want to come… Everyone's eyes are trying to kill me…"
Wearing a Marine uniform and using Jinbe's Warlord status to sneak in, Nami's legs were trembling.
But seeing Ace, she gritted her teeth and rushed forward.
As a seasoned thief—
The seastone cuffs lasted only seconds in her hands before falling away.
"It's done! Pops—I'm coming to save you!"
Ace broke free, his long-suppressed powers flooding back. His face lit up with joy.
Seeing Whitebeard—wounded, drugged, and still fighting to save him—filled Ace with burning rage.
With Marco and Ace unshackled, Akainu and the others were stunned.
The alliance of the Straw Hats and Jinbe had completely upended their expectations.
But before they could act—
Another voice rang out:
"Pops… I didn't expect to see you in such a sorry state. Looks like you've grown old. Why don't you hand over the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to me?"
A black pillar of darkness erupted from the shattered ground just meters from Whitebeard.
Blackbeard emerged.
Behind him, a group of prisoners followed.
Everyone's faces twisted in horror.
"Those are Level 6 inmates from Impel Down! How are they here? Has the second battlefield fallen?"