The position of a Marine Admiral didn't just represent absolute justice—it also represented absolute power.
Those who could reach the rank of Admiral were by no means ordinary. Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru—each of them possessed overwhelming strength that could leave anyone breathless.
Yet now, a young pirate, just beginning to make his mark in the world, had been offered the chance to become a Marine Admiral by Sengoku. This was undoubtedly a shocking event, enough to stun the whole world.
"Who exactly is this D?"
Far away, in Wano Country, a burly man watched the live broadcast through a Den Den Mushi, his interest piqued. The feed showed Jiang Lin being offered the position of Admiral by Sengoku.
"Hehe… D, huh?"
"D! Interesting!"
Across the islands of the New World, one by one, formidable figures watched the broadcast—some standing, some seated, others reclining. Though their faces showed different emotions, all of them were unmistakably captivated by Jiang Lin.
"Hehehe… Admiral of the Marines! Sengoku! I… am… truly… excited!"
Jiang Lin turned toward the execution platform and laughed wildly.
"Hehe! Whitebeard, let this pirate drain some of your energy first!"
Seeing Jiang Lin's reaction, Sengoku set the Den Den Mushi aside with a satisfied smile. He had no real intention of granting Jiang Lin the rank of Admiral—he was simply using the ruse to drive him to exert himself fully.
After all, with Jiang Lin's ability to copy powers, even Whitebeard—the strongest man in the world—would find it nearly impossible to defeat him without sustaining any injuries.
If Jiang Lin and Whitebeard ended up severely hurting each other, it would signal the Marines' time to strike back.
"How is this possible, Jiang Lin! Are you really deceiving me, deceiving Luffy?"
Ace clenched his fists in anger. His concern wasn't for his own safety—it was for Luffy. He had entrusted Luffy's care to Jiang Lin. Now that only Jiang Lin appeared on the battlefield, had something happened to Luffy?
The thought made Ace's body tremble uncontrollably.
"Ace… don't worry. That kid isn't a match for Whitebeard!"
Sengoku sensed Ace's emotional fluctuation and assumed he was worried about Whitebeard. But he didn't know Ace's true concern was Luffy.
After all, compared to Whitebeard, Luffy was the "weaker" one.
"I… refuse!"
As Sengoku and the Marines observed the events on the Moby Dick like spectators, Jiang Lin suddenly stopped smiling and shouted his true intentions to the Marines, Sengoku, and Ace.
"Oh…"
Kizaru looked down in confusion. He truly could not understand Jiang Lin's purpose.
If Jiang Lin had truly sided with Whitebeard, he wouldn't have launched an attack. By striking, however, he had unmistakably placed himself in opposition to him.
At this moment, facing Sengoku's offer of Admiral, Jiang Lin had no reason to accept.
After all, the temptation of an Admiral's rank could only be resisted by very few people in the world. Those few were the Emperors, their deputies, some long-established great pirates, and Garp.
A newcomer like Jiang Lin was clearly not among them, so his refusal was unexpected.
"Hmph!"
Akainu raised his head and snorted coldly upon seeing Jiang Lin's response.
"What exactly are you doing?"
Aokiji exuded a piercing cold from his body, looking meaningfully at Jiang Lin.
"D! You stand against a hundred thousand Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates at the same time. Do you really think you'll survive Marineford?"
Sengoku, raising his arm again, spoke with anger and intimidation. His original plan had become a joke thanks to Jiang Lin's refusal.
This was not just a slap to Sengoku's face—it was a slap to the Marines and even the World Government itself.
"Hehehe! What an interesting kid!"
Rayleigh, sitting in a tavern while drinking beer, watched the live broadcast intently.
At that very moment, many around the world were doing the same, fully focused on the live feed.
Originally, the reporters had been drawn to cover the Whitebeard Pirates, but Jiang Lin's series of unprecedented actions quickly shifted their attention and reporting focus onto him.
"A man challenging both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates at the same time—what is his purpose?"
"The mysterious pirate D has appeared in Marineford, opposing both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates. What will his fate be?"
"…"
Headlines like these spread rapidly from the Sabaody Archipelago, broadcasting worldwide. From this moment on, Jiang Lin had firmly left his mark on the hearts of everyone across the globe.
Across the world, countless people stared anxiously at their screens, eagerly anticipating Jiang Lin's next move. They were all waiting for him to once again shock the world.
"D! Well done! Hahaha…"
While all the factions were deeply pondering and reeling in shock from Jiang Lin's actions, Whitebeard, standing behind him, suddenly smiled, stepped forward past Marco, and draped an arm over Jiang Lin's shoulder.
"You have already attacked Edward Newgate, the wielder of the Gura Gura no Mi. The system is copying his Devil Fruit; please maintain your position for one minute."
"You are already within one meter of Edward Newgate, the user of the Gura Gura no Mi. The system is copying his Devil Fruit; please maintain your position for one minute."
As Whitebeard embraced him, Jiang Lin placed his own arm over Whitebeard's shoulder.
The two stood like old friends reunited, facing over a hundred thousand Marines. They exchanged glances and laughed heartily together.
"Ha ha ha ha ha…"
The thunderous laughter stunned everyone. Those who had just been locked in battle suddenly paused—how could a single laugh erase all animosity?
"D, I know you came to save my son. My powers are in your hands, and I trust you!"
Whitebeard's voice, barely audible and only audible to Jiang Lin, spoke softly amidst the laughter.
"Thank you! Father!"
Jiang Lin solemnly thanked Whitebeard.
Jiang Lin had braced himself for a fierce confrontation as Whitebeard drew near, but to his surprise, he was met with a warm embrace instead.
Undoubtedly, it was Whitebeard who understood Jiang Lin's intent in striking him—the act was related to Jiang Lin's ability.
Whitebeard also knew his own physical limits. By entrusting the Gura Gura no Mi to Jiang Lin, their chances of victory increased significantly.
"Sengoku! Your little scheme is useless against my young friend! Hahaha…"
Whitebeard's hearty laughter echoed across the plaza. His words landed like a powerful punch on Sengoku's face, turning it furious.
"Attack! Don't let D copy Whitebeard's powers! Everyone, make D your primary target—attack!"
With his strategy exposed, Sengoku could not allow Jiang Lin to copy the Gura Gura no Mi. At his command, all shore cannons, Admirals Aokiji and Kizaru, and every Marine Vice Admiral rushed toward Jiang Lin.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Dense cracks appeared around Jiang Lin and Whitebeard as a staggering aura erupted from the prow of the Moby Dick.