"Don't come any closer, Luffy!"
Ace's furious roar spread across the battlefield, moving countless hearts.
"You should understand—both you and I are pirates. We're supposed to roam free across the seas. I have my adventures, I have my crew. You have no right to meddle in my affairs! And you—a coward like you—coming to rescue me? Do you think I'd allow that? Nothing could be more humiliating! Go back… Luffy! Why did you come? Why would you do this? Why… why…?"
Ace's words were stubborn and unyielding, as hard as iron, but inside, his heart was already soaked with tears.
"I'm… your little brother!"
As he sprinted forward, Luffy screamed hoarsely toward Ace on the execution platform. His words made Ace, who had just lowered his head, snap his eyes wide open and lift it again.
"Yo! Ace! Don't worry—I'll look after him. Nothing will happen. But tell me… are you interested in becoming my crewmate?"
In the sky, a pure-blue phoenix flashed past. When the flames vanished, Jiang Lin appeared at Luffy's side, one arm draped over his shoulder, the other pointing straight at Ace on the platform.
"D!"
"D!"
"D!"
The instant Jiang Lin appeared, Sengoku, Garp, and Whitebeard all turned their eyes toward him.
At this stage of the battle, any unusual move from either side drew immediate attention. Jiang Lin's arrival was undoubtedly a factor that could shift the tide. His choice—how he would participate, and with what attitude—would affect the course of the war.
"I… I…"
Ace's eyes darted between Jiang Lin and Whitebeard. He felt both tempted and hesitant, unable to decide in that moment.
Clang!
Just then, a resounding metallic crash rang out from the Moby Dick. Whitebeard lifted his weapon, Murakumogiri, and hurled it straight toward Jiang Lin.
"What?!"
"Oh my god!"
"Write this down—quick!"
Whitebeard's shocking act left his crew, the Marines, and even the reporters outside the battlefield in disbelief.
For a warrior, a weapon is not merely steel—it is a partner, a comrade, even a life itself.
Now, Whitebeard had entrusted his weapon to Jiang Lin. The meaning behind that gesture sent countless imaginations racing.
Clang!
With a sharp slicing sound, Jiang Lin reached out and caught the speeding Murakumogiri.
Boom!
The impact thundered as Jiang Lin gripped the massive naginata, standing in the center of the battlefield like a second Whitebeard, radiating overwhelming pressure in every direction.
"My god, that's Murakumogiri! Whitebeard handed his own weapon to D! Does this mean Whitebeard already considers Jiang Lin his successor? Could it be that D's terrifying strength is all the result of Whitebeard secretly grooming him?"
"It must be! Murakumogiri was more than a weapon—it symbolized Whitebeard's very identity and authority. For him to hand it over, and here of all places, in the middle of the war—it's obvious. D is the future master of the Whitebeard Pirates."
The Marines, shocked, exchanged heated whispers as they stared at Murakumogiri in Jiang Lin's hands.
The weapon's significance to Whitebeard was too great. For that reason, as soon as he gave it to Jiang Lin, it was only natural that everyone started speculating.
"So D really is Whitebeard's heir! No wonder his rise has shaken the seas so quickly. With Whitebeard backing him, it all makes sense!"
"I get it now—D must be Whitebeard's illegitimate son! How else could he replicate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit? And Whitebeard would never hand over his status and crew to some pirate he's only met a few times!"
On the Sabaody Archipelago, reporters stared at the live broadcast. Their pens never stopped scratching. The crowd was hushed, but furious note-taking filled the air like a sea of words.
"D! Whitebeard! Just what is your relationship?!"
Sengoku's face was grim as he looked down. He had already regarded D as a significant threat. Now, after seeing Whitebeard's action, he mentally raised Jiang Lin to a level just beneath the Four Emperors.
"Murakumogiri, huh?"
While all sides speculated on Whitebeard's intentions, Jiang Lin stood silently, gripping the naginata, lost in thought.
By giving Jiang Lin both his weapon and Devil Fruit, Whitebeard made his intentions clear—he wanted Jiang Lin's loyalty and Ace's peace of mind. No matter the battle's outcome, Jiang Lin owed Whitebeard a massive favor.
If the Whitebeard Pirates won a complete victory, Whitebeard lost nothing; just two small gestures had earned Jiang Lin's goodwill and allegiance bargain for him.
But if they were utterly defeated, Whitebeard's action carried even greater weight. In the face of inevitable sacrifice, with Jiang Lin's protection, the Whitebeard Pirates' losses and future would be far better than without him.
Either way, this single gesture promised Whitebeard and his crew endless benefits.
"Whitebeard… you really played me into a corner, didn't you?"
Jiang Lin raised his head toward the Moby Dick. Even without Murakumogiri, Whitebeard's towering figure remained unyielding and invincible.
"Father!"
At that moment, Ace on the execution platform also turned his tearful gaze toward Whitebeard.
"Ace!"
As Ace looked to him, Whitebeard met his eyes. The corners of his mouth tugged upward, as if silently conveying unspoken words.
Ace stared at Whitebeard's lips, and his tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Father! You'll always be my only father! Please, you mustn't… you mustn't…"
Ace screamed with all his strength, his voice even stirring Sengoku beside him.
"Could it be that Whitebeard…" Sengoku muttered, his eyes dark as he looked toward the old man.
"Ace… Luffy!"
Garp's eyes darted between the two brothers. His face was already drenched in tears. Even the Marine Hero, when confronted with the bonds of blood, could not escape unbearable torment.
"Ace!" Jiang Lin shouted toward the platform, Murakumogiri still in his hand. Then he raised it high, and, with a powerful throw, sent it soaring back to Whitebeard on the Moby Dick.
"Be my crewmate!"
As Murakumogiri spun through the air, Jiang Lin called out once more to Ace. His meaning was clear—he would not use Whitebeard's authority to coerce him. The choice would rest entirely on Ace's own will.