〖After discovering that Luffy had successfully rescued Ace, the Whitebeard Pirates members were thrilled.
"Well done, Straw Hat!"
"Finally got Ace back!"
"Now let's break out in one go!"
The Marines, however, upon seeing this situation, didn't lose heart but rallied their spirits and continued firing at the group.
"Everyone, stay calm! Maintain your rhythm!"
"Attack their landing points!"
"Keep attacking! Don't stop!"
The Marines charged toward Luffy and the others.
At that moment, Ace finally activated his ability.
"Flame Ring, Fire Pillar!"
Fierce flames suddenly erupted, knocking down all the Marines around them.
Then he looked at Luffy and thanked him:
"I never thought there'd be a day when I'd be saved by you. Something I never imagined. Thank you, Luffy."
Luffy felt a bit embarrassed by the praise and rubbed his nose.
"It wasn't just me. Whitebeard and the others helped too."
The two brothers shared a heartfelt moment, but the surrounding Marines seemed unable to bear seeing them like this.
They swarmed forward again, rushing at the two.
"You two, don't think you're saved now! Remember, this is the execution ground—the place where you'll be judged!"
Watching the elite Marines charging at them, Luffy and Ace exchanged a glance and smiled.
"Fire Fist!"
"Gear Second!"
The two brothers joined forces and sent all those Marines flying.〗
[God Usopp: Well done, Luffy! Keep charging! Defeat all those Marines!]
[Charlotte Katakuri: Brothers fighting together?]
[X Drake: Straw Hat and Fire Fist's offensive power really shouldn't be underestimated.]
[Marine 1: They're actually this powerful? Could the Marines lose this time?]
[Marine 2: Impossible! We still have the Fleet Admiral and the Admirals! Those two are no match for them!]
[Marine 3: Right! Look! It's Admiral Aokiji! He's making his move!]
Everyone looked up at the Sky Screen.
Sure enough, in the video, Aokiji now stood before Luffy and Ace, blocking their path.
〖"Thinking about escaping from here is a fool's dream. You probably won't even live to see tomorrow's sun, yet you're still talking about the future? Give up. There's no way you're escaping from here."
Aokiji looked at the two and calmly delivered these words.
Ace looked back at him, battle intent surging around him, blazing flames encircling his body, eager for a full-on fight.
However, concerned for Luffy's safety, he still turned and said softly:
"Luffy, step back for now. Let me protect you here."
Just then, Aokiji used "Ice Block, Pheasant Beak," attacking Ace.
Ace immediately countered with "Mirror Flame." Violent flames erupted, colliding with the ice bird Aokiji had formed, filling the surrounding area with a large cloud of steam.〗
[Whitebeard Edward Newgate: Gurarararara, well done, Ace!]
[Diamond Jozu: Pretty impressive, Ace! Actually blocked an Admiral's attack!]
[Big News Morgans: Although Fire Fist Ace's Devil Fruit ability naturally counters Aokiji's, being able to block an Admiral's strike shows Fire Fist Ace's strength is truly remarkable. Worthy of the Pirate King's bloodline.]
[Pirate 1: Could Fire Fist Ace really escape this time?]
[Pirate 2: The Whitebeard Pirates already have Whitebeard, the world's strongest man. Now they also have Fire Fist Ace, whose strength rivals an Admiral's. If they really escape Marine Headquarters, how powerful would this pirate crew be?]
[Pirate 3: So the Marines will definitely try everything to prevent their escape.]
On the Sky Screen, Ace's ability to block Aokiji's attack sparked much discussion.
Off-screen, many also had different thoughts about this scene.
Whole Cake Island
Big Mom had also been closely following the video's developments.
After seeing Ace's abilities, she began to have different ideas.
"Where are Katakuri and the others now?" she asked Brulee beside her.
Brulee, having just contacted Katakuri through a mirror, immediately answered Big Mom.
"Brother Katakuri should be arriving at Marine Headquarters soon."
"Is that so? The Marines' execution of Fire Fist Ace should be soon too, right?"
"Yes, Mama."
"Mamamama! Then tell Katakuri the plan has changed. This time, we're helping the Marines take down Fire Fist Ace."
Big Mom laughed as she announced her decision.
Originally, she didn't care which side to help.
But now, after seeing Ace's performance in the video, she felt she couldn't let such a potential rival go.
If Fire Fist Ace successfully escaped this time, the Whitebeard Pirates would be like a tiger with wings added.
Dealing with them later would be much harder for her.
Might as well take this opportunity to join forces with the Marines to defeat the Whitebeard Pirates.
When both sides are weakened from the fight, she could sneak attack and reap greater benefits.
Moreover, she believed she wasn't the only one with this idea.
One person definitely thought the same way.
No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than that person contacted her.
"Urororororo, Linlin, since you chose to accept my message, that means you have the same idea as me, right?"
Kaido laughed as he spoke to Big Mom.
"Mamamama, indeed. We'll have to cooperate more when the time comes."
"No problem, Urororororo!"
Big Mom and Kaido formed an alliance, for now.
Even if the Marines knew their goal was to crush Whitebeard, they probably wouldn't be happy.
After all, both are Emperors.
An alliance between Emperors is something the Marines would absolutely not sit back and ignore. Luckily, they didn't know about it yet.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Kizaru looked at the Sky Screen with his usual expression and shared his thoughts:
"Yuru~ Fire Fist Ace is actually this strong? How terrifying."
Sengoku also had a dark expression:
"It seems our data on Fire Fist Ace's threat level wasn't accurate enough. We must avoid this oversight in the future."
"Hmph."
Akainu, as always, wore a mocking expression.
"That's why we should have eliminated Fire Fist Ace immediately upon capture. Then we wouldn't have the problems shown in the video."
"Enough. Say less."
The person involved in the video, Kuzan, couldn't help but interject.
Afterward, they stopped talking and returned their attention to the video, watching the subsequent developments.