The war continued.
Whitebeard was still advancing.
And somewhere beyond Marineford—
another threat was still waiting.
The Paramount War had not ended.
Then—
A Marine's shout suddenly cut through the chaos.
"LOOK UP!"
Across the battlefield, several Marines were pointing toward the sky. Pirates followed their gaze, their weapons momentarily forgotten as a large shadow appeared high above Marineford.
At first, it was little more than a dark shape against the bright sky.
Then it grew larger.
And larger.
The silhouette was falling rapidly.
Arthur's expression changed. "That isn't a Marine ship."
"No." Hancock narrowed her eyes.
The vessel broke through the clouds.
Its familiar lion-shaped figurehead became visible.
"Well, that's certainly unexpected." Robin's eyes widened slightly.
"The Sunny Go." Arthur immediately recognized it.
The ship continued descending.
Not sailing.
Falling.
The sight stunned everyone below.
"What the hell is that?!"
"A ship is falling from the sky!"
"Is that another pirate attack?!"
The Marines hurriedly raised their weapons, while several pirates stopped fighting to watch the strange arrival.
On the execution platform, Ace lifted his head.
His eyes widened.
"What...?"
For a brief moment, the Sunny Go remained suspended between them, carried forward by the momentum of the descent.
Then gravity took over.
"WE'RE FALLING!" Usopp's scream echoed across the deck.
The Sunny Go dropped.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Everyone grabbed whatever they could.
Luffy clung to the mast.
Nami wrapped both arms around the railing.
Usopp flattened himself against the deck.
Chopper grabbed Franky's leg.
Brook's hands flew toward his head.
"YOHOHOHO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE AGAIN!"
"You're already dead!" Nami shouted.
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANT TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN!"
Sanji grabbed the railing with one hand while using the other to shield Nami and Vivi from falling debris.
"Lady Nami! Princess Vivi! Hold on to me!"
Zoro had planted both feet firmly against the deck.
His swords remained secured at his waist.
He glanced toward the approaching ice.
"Hm."
"That's all you have to say?!" Sanji stared at him in disbelief.
"We've had worse on sky island." Zoro shrugged.
"What kind of logic is that?!"
Franky looked over the side of the ship.
His expression suddenly changed.
"Wait…"
Everyone looked at him.
Franky pointed downward.
"We're not going to hit the ice."
Nami looked down.
Between the enormous frozen waves was a large depression filled with seawater.
The Sunny Go was falling directly toward it.
Her eyes widened.
"Everyone!"
The ship dropped faster.
"Brace yourselves!"
SPLAAAAASH!
Instead of smashing into the ice, the Sunny Go plunged into a large pool of seawater trapped between sections of the frozen harbor.
Water erupted in every direction.
The ship bounced violently before settling back onto the surface.
Several Marines stumbled from the sudden wave.
"It's floating!"
"What happened?!"
"Why didn't it crash into the ice?!"
The Sunny Go rocked dangerously from side to side.
A massive wave erupted around the ship.
Everyone was thrown across the deck.
"AAAH!"
"OW!"
"GYAAAAAH!"
"YOHOHOHOHO—!"
The Sunny Go lurched once more before finally settling.
The ship rocked violently from side to side.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Only the sound of dripping water could be heard.
Inside the ship, Luffy was thrown against the deck.
Luffy slowly lifted his head.
His hat was crooked.
"WHOA!"
"Hold on!" Sabo grabbed the railing before he could be thrown overboard.
Baby-5 grabbed another section of the ship as the vessel tilted.
Bon Clay and Ivankov struggled to keep their footing while several of the escaped prisoners shouted in alarm.
"Don't let go!"
"I'm trying!"
The ship finally steadied.
Water streamed from its sides as the Sunny Go continued bobbing within the pool.
"Is everyone okay?" Sabo immediately looked around.
"No serious damage." Baby-5 checked the surrounding deck.
"I thought we were all going to die!" Bon Clay dropped onto his knees with a relieved gasp.
"That's quite an entrance, darling!" Ivankov looked over the railing.
"…Are we alive?" Buggy slowly stood beside the railing.
"I think so…" Usopp raised one trembling hand.
Chopper immediately jumped to his feet. "Everyone! Is anyone hurt?!"
"My head…" Nami slowly sat up.
Sanji immediately turned toward her.
"Nami-san!" He rushed over. "Are you all right?!"
"I'll be fine." Nami looked around. "Where's Vivi?"
Vivi was sitting against the railing, soaked from head to toe.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"I'm okay."
"Thank goodness…" Sanji immediately sighed in relief.
Vivi looked toward the battlefield.
Her expression changed.
The sight before them was overwhelming.
Marineford.
The enormous fortress.
The frozen tsunami.
Thousands of Marines.
Pirates fighting across the ice.
Warships.
Giants.
Pacifistas.
Admirals.
And far in the distance—
the execution platform.
"So this is Marineford…" Vivi's eyes widened.
Nami stood beside her. "It's much bigger than I imagined."
Usopp slowly crawled toward the edge of the deck.
He looked at the battlefield through trembling fingers.
"There are… way too many Marines."
Chopper peeked over the railing.
"And giants…" His eyes widened. "Why are there so many giants?!"
Franky crossed his arms. "Because this place is SUPER dangerous."
Brook stood upright and adjusted his hat.
He stared at the frozen tsunami surrounding them.
"I must admit… I never expected to see an ocean frozen into a mountain."
Zoro looked toward the battlefield.
His expression became serious.
"This isn't a normal battlefield."
"What?" Sanji glanced at him.
"It's a war." Zoro's eyes narrowed.
The others fell silent.
For once, nobody argued with him.
The sound of cannon fire echoed across Marineford.
BOOM!
The Sunny Go shook slightly.
Luffy suddenly stood.
His expression had completely changed.
His eyes were fixed on the distant execution platform.
"ACE!"
Everyone turned toward him.
Luffy clenched his fists.
"I can see him!"
His shout exploded across the battlefield.
The name carried farther than he expected.
Several fighters turned toward the Sunny Go.
Whitebeard's commanders looked over.
Marine soldiers stared in disbelief.
Even the Admirals shifted their attention toward the unexpected vessel.
On the platform, Ace's eyes widened.
"Luffy...?"
For a moment, he simply stared.
He had known his brother would never listen.
Yet seeing him here was different.
The realization struck him with a mixture of relief and fear.
"You idiot..." Ace's hands tightened against his restraints. "Why did you come?"
Below him, Garp's eyes widened as he recognized the young pirate standing on the Sunny Go.
His expression became complicated.
"Luffy..."
Sengoku immediately turned toward the unexpected arrival.
"Straw Hat Luffy? Damn, Garp!?"
A Marine officer rushed toward him. "Fleet Admiral! It's him!"
"How did he get here?" Sengoku's expression hardened.
"We don't know, sir! They appear to have come from Impel Down!"
The news spread rapidly through Marineford.
"Straw Hat Luffy escaped Impel Down?!"
"He's with the prisoners!"
"Then that's Ivankov!"
"Who are the others?"
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
He noticed two figures standing near Luffy.
One was immediately familiar from the reports.
Sabo.
And beside him—
Baby-5.
"So they escaped together." Sengoku's expression changed slightly.
"Yes, sir." The Marine officer nodded.
Sengoku's eyes moved toward the Athena.
Across the battlefield, Arthur prepared to move.
Hancock, Robin, Baccarat, Law, Bepo, Koala, Monet, Sugar, and the Angeloids followed him toward the edge of the Athena.
Baby-5 had not yet returned.
Arthur looked toward the Sunny Go.
He could see her clearly now.
More importantly, he could see Luffy and Sabo.
The young pirate was already preparing to jump from the ship.
Arthur's expression remained calm. "He made it."
"And Sabo." Robin nodded.
"They've got incredible luck." Baccarat's abilities made her sensitive to the energy of luck.
Koala's eyes softened with relief when she saw him.
Law, however, was watching the Marine positions.
"They'll target them immediately."
Arthur knew he was right.
The Marine forces had already begun repositioning.
Several soldiers were moving toward the section of the frozen harbor where the Sunny Go had landed.
Arthur raised one hand.
"Stay here."
Law looked at him. "You're not going to help them?"
"Not unless Sabo needs us." Arthur's gaze remained on Luffy. "I gave Whitebeard my word."
The order was consistent with what he had already told the crew.
They would not interfere unless forced to.
But Arthur's attention stayed firmly on the Sunny Go.
The situation was becoming far more complicated than expected.
Still surrounded by Marines.
Nami immediately understood.
"We have to get to him."
Luffy nodded.
"Yeah."
Usopp swallowed hard.
He looked around at the enormous battlefield.
"Right…" Usopp's voice trembled. "But how exactly are we supposed to get through that?"
Another explosion erupted in the distance.
Usopp flinched.
"I mean, I'm all for saving Ace, but there are literally thousands of Marines between us and him!"
Nami looked at him. "You're not backing out."
Usopp froze.
"I didn't say I was!" He immediately straightened his posture. "I was merely… assessing the tactical situation!"
Zoro smirked. "Scared?"
"OF COURSE I'M SCARED!" Usopp pointed at him.
"Any sane person would be!" He then grabbed his weapon. "But I'm still going!"
"Me too!" Chopper's eyes filled with determination.
"I shall accompany Captain Luffy." Brook drew his cane sword.
Sanji stepped forward.
"Let's get Ace back." His expression became sharp.
"Then let's make our entrance SUPER!" Franky cracked his knuckles. "But I need to make sure the Sunny Go is all right and ready whenever we need it."
"Aha, I'll help Franky stay with the Sunny Go." Usopp's eyes brightened once again.
Vivi looked at Luffy.
She could see the determination in his eyes.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Only one goal.
Vivi tightened her grip on her weapon.
"Then we're going together."
On the ship, Sabo stepped beside Luffy.
"Non-combatants should stay on the Sunny Go and make sure the ship is ready for a retreat."
Luffy looked at all of them.
A huge grin spread across his face.
"Yeah! Leave the fighting to me, Zoro, and Sanji. You guys make sure the Sunny Go is safe."
The Straw Hats gathered around him.
For a brief moment, the enormous war surrounding them seemed distant.
They were still the same crew.
The same idiots who had crossed countless seas together.
The same people who had survived impossible situations.
And now they had arrived at Marineford.
Not because they were prepared for war.
But because one of their friends needed them.
Sabo tightened his grip on his pipe.
"We'll have to force our way through."
"Yeah." Luffy grinned.
Baby-5 stepped forward. "Young Master is here."
Luffy's eyes shifted toward the Athena.
He spotted the white sails.
Then Arthur.
For an instant, relief crossed his face.
"He made it."
"So he really did." Sabo followed his gaze.
"He arrived before us." Baby-5 nodded.
Luffy looked back toward Ace.
"Good." His expression hardened. "But why aren't they making a move?"
"Captain Arthur definitely has a plan." Sabo gave him a puzzled look.
"Young Master will do what he thinks is right." Baby-5 started walking to the Athena. "I'll report to him and ask what we should do."
Luffy lowered his stance. "And I'm going to save Ace."
"I'll go with Luffy. Please send my regards to the captain, Baby-5." Sabo smiled faintly.
"Let's go save Ace!" Luffy placed his hat firmly on his head.
The crew answered together.
"YEAH!"
The Sunny Go rocked gently in the seawater.
Above them, the frozen tsunami continued to tower over Marineford.
Beyond it waited thousands of enemies.
But the Straw Hats didn't turn back.
One by one, they prepared to leave the ship.
Baby-5 couldn't help but smile.
Despite everything surrounding them, seeing the two brothers standing together gave her a strange sense of relief.
They had escaped Impel Down.
They had survived the journey.
And now—
Ace was within sight.
And at the center of them all—
Luffy stared toward the execution platform.
"Ace…"
His expression became completely serious.
"I'm coming, Ace." The words were quiet.
But Sabo heard them. "So am I."
Luffy glanced at him.
Sabo tightened his grip around his pipe.
"We'll get to him together."
"Yeah." Luffy nodded.
Behind them, Bon Clay raised his arms dramatically.
"Then let's go save your brother!"
Ivankov grinned. "That's the spirit!"
The prisoners behind them began shouting in agreement.
The Marines saw the movement.
"They're about to advance!"
"Stop them!"
"Don't let Straw Hat Luffy reach the execution platform!"
Cannons began turning toward the Sunny Go.
"Luffy." Sabo's expression hardened.
"I know."
The first cannon fired.
BOOOOM!
The projectile tore through the air.
Luffy crouched.
Sabo stepped forward.
Baby-5 prepared herself.
But before the cannonball could reach them—
A sudden wall of ice rose from the water.
CRAAASH!
The projectile struck the frozen barrier and exploded.
Luffy looked toward the battlefield.
"Aokiji?"
The Admiral stood in the distance, his eyes briefly passing over the Sunny Go.
It was impossible to tell whether the ice had been deliberately placed to protect them or whether it was simply part of the chaotic battlefield.
Sabo narrowed his eyes.
"Don't count on that happening again."
Luffy nodded.
He stepped onto the railing.
His eyes remained fixed on Ace.
The Marineford battlefield seemed to stretch endlessly between them.
Yet Luffy didn't hesitate.
He bent his knees.
Sabo positioned himself beside him.
"Ready?"
"Let's go." Luffy grinned.
Both brothers prepared to leap.
At the same moment, Arthur watched from the Athena.
Rayleigh had returned beside him.
The older man looked toward Luffy. "There he is."
Arthur nodded.
Rayleigh smiled. "Just like Roger."
"Don't say that too loudly." Arthur glanced at him.
Rayleigh laughed.
Across the battlefield, Luffy stood ready to launch himself into the war.
Sabo stood beside him.
Ace watched from above.
Whitebeard's forces continued their assault.
The Marines closed in.
And Arthur remained where he was, his eyes following the young pirate who had just thrown himself into the heart of Marineford.
Luffy took one final breath.
Then—
he jumped.
Sabo followed immediately.
The two brothers descended toward the battlefield.
Marine soldiers raised their weapons.
"STOP THEM!"
Luffy's eyes never left the execution platform.
"Ace!"
And this time—
he wasn't coming alone.