Only Hancock could do such a thing.
With her soft voice, full of sweetness and authority, she leaned slightly forward and said:
"Salome… Luffy is tired of standing. Could you turn yourself into a seat for him?"
Her eyes sparkled with tenderness as she made the request, as if it were the most natural favor in the world.
Salome slowly turned her head, her piercing eyes staring at Hancock with a mixture of pity and resignation.
For a brief moment, she seemed to hesitate, but in the end, she let out a serpentine sigh and obediently began coiling herself, adjusting her scaly body until she formed a sturdy and comfortable chair.
Luffy, with his usual carefree smile, sat down contentedly, settling in like a king on his improvised throne.
As he relaxed, he shot a provocative look at the snake, thinking to himself:
(Does this snake still try to act arrogant around me? Well, know this: not only am I going to sit on you… but one day, I'll be your master too.)
Then, without any ceremony, he wrapped an arm around Hancock's waist and pulled her closer.
The Pirate Empress, so used to being revered and feared, was left completely speechless.
Her face instantly flushed a deep crimson, as if all the blood in her body had surged to her cheeks at once. Her eyes sparkled and she began to daydream, imagining that simple gesture as… a wedding.
(He… he pulled me… closer… this is… this is a marriage!)
Hancock raised her hands to her cheeks, unable to contain the silly smile that kept escaping.
But the intimate moment was abruptly interrupted.
"They've arrived!" announced a tense voice amidst the chaos.
Immediately, Doflamingo leaned forward, his eyes hidden behind his glasses reflecting the scene before him.
With that sadistic, characteristic grin, he let out his drawn-out laugh:
"Fufufurfur… The strongest man in the world… Whitebeard… Edward Newgate!"
At the same time, on the surface of the sea, bubbles began to rise in succession, as if the very ocean was holding its breath.
Then, emerging from the depths like a colossal beast, a massive black shadow broke through the calm with a deafening roar.
"It's the Moby Dick!" someone shouted, their voice filled with astonishment.
Barely had the words dissipated when two other gigantic ships appeared, one after the other, slicing through the water like ancient sea monsters.
"Three ships…!" exclaimed another soldier, almost breathless. "The three main ships of Whitebeard's fleet!"
Boom!
As if in a rehearsed choreography, the three ships quickly positioned themselves, forming a perfect triangle, each one pointed in a strategic direction, but the central ship…
…the central one was facing directly toward the execution platform.
"Fire!" Sengoku ordered firmly, his voice as unyielding as steel.
Thanks to their prior preparations, the Marines did not panic at Whitebeard's sudden appearance.
The cannons roared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dozens of projectiles cut through the air, streaking across the gray sky toward the pirate ships.
But in that moment, something even more impressive happened.
A bird of fire exploded into the sky.
Unfurling its majestic wings, which ignited with every beat, it soared forward with incredible speed, intercepting the projectiles one by one.
The flames that enveloped it weren't destructive but powerful enough to detonate the cannonballs before they could reach the ships.
"T-the First Division Commander…!" stammered a Marine, terrified.
Moria, meanwhile, licked his lips with a macabre gleam in his eyes:
"Hehehehe… That guy's corpse will make… the best material…"
Meanwhile, hovering in the air, Marco the Phoenix simply smiled confidently, looking down at everyone below as if observing a routine spectacle.
"What a warm welcome ceremony…" he taunted, his voice calm but full of irony.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The metallic sound of footsteps echoed on the Moby Dick's deck.
Heavy. Slow. Determined.
Leading the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates' divisions, a tall and imposing man walked toward the bow.
In one hand, he held his enormous naginata — the bisento he had carried for as long as anyone could remember.
With firm steps, he ascended the stairs to the top, and there he stood, motionless, staring at the execution platform.
"Gurararara…" his deep, unmistakable laugh reverberated across the battlefield. "Haven't seen you in decades… Sengoku."
"Whitebeard!" Sengoku exclaimed, clenching his fists tightly.
At the front lines, the Vice-Admirals immediately felt the weight of that colossal presence.
Just by staring at him, even from a distance, a chill ran down their spines, and an instinctive fear nested in their hearts.
Sengoku, however, remained firm, though his breathing grew heavier.
"You've come… to die today."
Ace, watching the scene from the platform, clenched his teeth hard.
"Dad…" he murmured, his voice choked with emotion.
The spectacle had begun.
And, at that moment, the whole world… held its breath.
"My dear son, just wait there a little longer. I'm coming to rescue you right now," Whitebeard shouted to Ace.
"Why? Why did you come to save me? I was the one who left the New World without permission and ended up in this situation. It's all my fault! Why did you come here…"
Ace lamented, consumed by regret.
He should've listened to Luffy.
Now, not only had the Whitebeard Pirates come to rescue him, but even his younger brother had to become a Shichibukai.
That guy who spent the whole day yelling that he'd be the Pirate King… became a Shichibukai?
It was all his fault!
Ace's previously steadfast heart was, once again, overwhelmed by pain.
"What nonsense are you spouting? I was the one who let you go! In these seas, everyone knows the iron law: anyone who dares lay a hand on my sons, no matter who they are, will face my vengeance!"
Whitebeard raised the naginata he held, tilting the blade downward and driving it heavily into the deck.
Then, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, veins bulging from his robust muscles.
With a guttural shout, both his fists moved outward.
Boom!!
In an instant, the atmosphere split.
The sky, as if it were a gigantic mirror, shattered under Whitebeard's strike, cracks spreading rapidly in all directions.
The 100,000 elite Marines in the plaza began to break out in cold sweat.
The sea, once calm, now formed strange waves, as if the very ocean trembled in fear.
The coast of Marineford seemed to have been sliced into numerous perfectly aligned squares.
The next second, two colossal waves rose from both sides of the inner bay, reaching hundreds of meters in height, like two giant hands ready to crush everything in their path, rushing toward the naval fleet.
"Shit!" Sengoku exclaimed gravely.
Such a devastating attack… if realized, would be enough to obliterate countless lives.
"Am I really the first to act?"
From the seats reserved for the Admirals, Aokiji launched himself into the air, unleashing a freezing blast in the blink of an eye.
He spread his arms, and from his outstretched palms, a cutting cold quickly spread, creating ice spears that connected with the colossal waves, instantly freezing them.
In less than a blink…
Everything turned to ice.
"Ice Age!"
The power of his ability completely froze the surrounding sea, transforming the gigantic tsunami created by Whitebeard into nothing more than a colossal ice sculpture.
With a crash, the solidified sea blocked the advance of Whitebeard's three pirate ships.
Only then could the Marines, who had been in a panic, finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Aokiji… you brat," Whitebeard muttered, narrowing his eyes impassively.
And then…
Mihawk stepped forward, ready to draw his sword.
But Luffy was faster.
"Hold this for me, Hancock."
He handed the tea he was holding to Hancock and, in the same movement as he stood up, had already activated Second Gear.
The instant steam began to escape from his body, Luffy disappeared.
"Hm?"
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed slightly as a figure crossed a distance of several hundred meters in the blink of an eye, stopping right in front of him.
"You're the strongest man in the world, right? Let me test that."
Luffy gave a confident smirk.
His two advanced-level Hakis condensed instantly into his fist.
In a moment, black and red lightning spread around him like a spiderweb.
(That must be Luffy… Ace's brother… What is this brat planning to do?)
Whitebeard froze for a moment but then quickly raised his left hand and threw a punch with equal force.
Boom!!!
The two fists collided in mid-air, and a dark flash expanded, covering the inner bay like a vast net.
A devastating shockwave erupted from nowhere, dismantling the Marines' formation.
The surface of the sea, which Aokiji had just frozen, was shattered in an instant by the impact of the two blows.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Countless people stood agape.
Even the captains positioned behind Whitebeard were forced to retreat from the power of the clash.
Everyone was in shock.
Sengoku, Garp, the Admirals, and the Shichibukai — except for Aokiji and Hancock — were stunned, their expressions blank, as if they couldn't believe what they were witnessing.
Many knew Luffy was strong…
But being able to fight Whitebeard on equal footing… that was far too astonishing.
"Gurarara… what an incredible brat!"
Whitebeard couldn't hold back his laughter, the corners of his mouth curving in satisfaction.
Luffy was also a bit surprised, but soon he smiled.
Truly worthy of the title… Luffy thought.
Boom!!
As if they had coordinated it, both activated their Conqueror's Haki again at the same time.
And, in an instant, countless people around them were engulfed by the wave of power.
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."