"Hmm… brat! It's you?"
Kizaru's eyelids lifted slightly as his gaze fell on Jiang Lin, who stood before Whitebeard.
"Kizaru! And also…" After blocking Kizaru's attack, Jiang Lin shifted his eyes toward Sakazuki, firmly seated upon the golden throne.
"Akainu!"
As Jiang Lin's gaze landed on him, the always-composed Akainu, seated high upon the platform, lifted his head just a little—only to lower it again at once after glancing at him.
"D…"
Boa Hancock's eyes lit up the instant she saw Jiang Lin appear. She quickly scanned the surroundings, but when she realized that Jiang Lin had arrived alone, her expression returned to its usual cold calm.
"Fuffuffuffu… so a powerful newcomer has arrived!"
Doflamingo's interest was piqued as his sharp eyes focused on Jiang Lin. His curiosity burned intensely.
After all, Jiang Lin was said to have the ability to "replicate" powers.
That kind of ability… carried a fatal allure to anyone.
"D!"
On the execution platform, Sengoku's brows knitted tightly the moment he saw Jiang Lin. His appearance here was by no means good news for the Navy.
"All units, attention! Priority One is the extermination of D!"
Picking up the Den Den Mushi at his side, Sengoku issued the order without hesitation.
"What? Priority?"
Hearing Sengoku's command, Garp's interest was instantly roused. As a Vice Admiral, he naturally had access to Jiang Lin's file, so he recognized him right away as the rookie who had only recently joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Priority, huh?"
Doflamingo licked his lips slowly with the tip of his tongue, then began walking leisurely in Jiang Lin's direction.
"Mingo! Leave him to me instead!"
Seeing Doflamingo move to act, Hancock swayed her alluring waist as she stepped to his side, lowering her voice in a beguiling whisper.
"Oh? I didn't expect the Pirate Empress herself to be interested in some rookie. Fine, take him if you like… but either way, sooner or later, he's my prey. Fuffuffuffu…"
At her words, Doflamingo withdrew, giving a few chilling laughs as he tilted his head toward Jiang Lin, then quietly returned to stand beside Mihawk.
From the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard gave only a single glance at the young man who had suddenly appeared before him. Without a word, he withdrew his gaze, showing no interest.
"Whitebeard… I'm sorry."
Jiang Lin's voice was soft, but the instant the words left his mouth, he extended his right hand, aiming to place it upon Whitebeard's shoulder.
"Father!"
The sudden move made Marco the Phoenix, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, surge forward, wreathed in dazzling blue flames, intercepting Jiang Lin's "attack."
"Oh?"
Up above, Kizaru raised his brows in surprise. He hadn't expected Jiang Lin to strike suddenly at Whitebeard. Could it be… Jiang Lin hadn't come to aid Whitebeard—he had come to take his life.
"Hold it!"
Sengoku, who had just finished giving his orders, barked at the Navy soldiers rushing toward Jiang Lin, halting them in their tracks.
"Jiang Lin! What the hell are you doing?"
Amidst the Navy soldiers, Hancock's expression grew anxious as she stared at the Moby Dick. She never imagined Jiang Lin would suddenly raise a hand against Whitebeard. Was he trying to get himself killed?
No matter how strong Jiang Lin was, there was no way he could stand against Whitebeard.
"Could it be… this D is trying to present a token of loyalty?"
From the rear lines, Garp frowned in puzzlement, his eyes locked on Jiang Lin in the distance.
"Marco the Phoenix! Your power—I'll be taking it!"
With a sharp cry, Jiang Lin unleashed a beam of golden light directly at Marco.
The blinding attack struck head-on, but Marco did not attempt to dodge. Standing firmly before Whitebeard, his entire body erupted in radiant blue flames as he endured Jiang Lin's strike.
You have initiated an attack against Marco, the current wielder of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Phoenix form. The system is now copying the target's Devil Fruit ability. Please hold for one minute.
As the explosion shook Marco's body, that mechanical voice rang clearly in Jiang Lin's mind.
"D! How dare you raise your hand against our captain! This place will become your grave!"
Marco's body was bathed in blazing azure fire, lifting him into the sky. His wounds mended instantly under the flame's regenerative power, his form restored in the blink of an eye.
"Marco! Marco! His grave! His grave!"
A thunderous chant echoed from the Whitebeard Pirates below, every last one of them now treating Jiang Lin as an enemy.
"Haah… I had no choice."
Jiang Lin let out a helpless sigh. He had hoped to "peacefully" copy Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi, but even setting aside whether Whitebeard would allow a young stranger to linger by his side for an entire minute…
Even if Whitebeard tolerated it, everyone else watching would instantly suspect that Jiang Lin's copy ability required standing next to a target for a certain length of time.
That was something he absolutely could not risk being exposed. Once revealed, there would be no chance of him acquiring Devil Fruits silently as before.
For example, on the way here, Jiang Lin had already taken the Horm-Horm Fruit from Ivankov and the Snip-Snip Fruit from Inazuma without lifting a finger or shedding blood.
Why bother with a bloody fight for a full minute when a simple, peaceful touch was enough? That was the method Jiang Lin preferred.
That was why he had tried simply placing a hand on Whitebeard's shoulder—a way that still seemed somewhat "peaceful."
Whitebeard was anything but alone—protected by his loyal and powerful crew, there was no way they would let Jiang Lin get near him without a fight.
"Jiang Lin… why would you strike at my father? Don't tell me… everything you said in Impel Down was a lie?"
From the execution platform, Ace's face clouded with hurt and anger. Of everyone present, he knew Jiang Lin the best. They had fought side by side in Impel Down, even facing down Aokiji together.
Though circumstances had prevented them from escaping together, Ace never believed Jiang Lin was the kind of man who would betray his father.
Ace could not know that Jiang Lin was doing this only for the sake of saving him.
If a young man wielding the terrifying Gura Gura no Mi appeared here today, the storm he would unleash was enough to make anyone tremble just imagining it.
"D! Join us! Slay Whitebeard where he stands, and you shall become the Navy Headquarters' Fourth Admiral!"
Sengoku's voice thundered through the Den Den Mushi, echoing across the battlefield and spreading far beyond. His declaration didn't just ignite the scene into chaos—it shook the entire world.