Chapter 163 – The Appearance
Rumble!!
In the sky above Marineford, magma fell like a natural disaster, raining down precisely where the pirates were gathered. Even one of Whitebeard's auxiliary ships was sunk in the onslaught.
For a time, chaos spread among the pirates as they scrambled to escape the falling fire. The Navy's morale, meanwhile, soared.
A huge mass of lava crashed toward the Moby Dick, only to be shattered by Whitebeard himself, standing at the bow. With a single exhale of power, he dispersed the deadly strike.
"So, you're trying to stop me from saving those brats?" Whitebeard immediately understood Akainu's intention, glancing at him with disdain. "Lava brat… your flames are only fit for a birthday cake. You've still got a long way to go before you can shock me!"
"Huhuhu…" Akainu sneered coldly. "Then move, old man. I promise I'll give you a gorgeous funeral!"
"Ku la la la la!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, gripping his bisento tightly, preparing to charge in and save his allies from Kizaru.
But then—
"Hm?" Just as Whitebeard was about to strike, he sensed something. Looking up at the sky, he smiled strangely… and stopped in his tracks. Instead of advancing, he stood still, seemingly giving up the fight.
The members of the Spade Pirates remained in peril, but Whitebeard didn't move.
"Senior, you…" Trafalgar Law, standing behind Whitebeard, saw him unmoving and his expression turned grim. Without hesitation, Law turned to rush forward himself.
But Whitebeard blocked him with the shaft of his bisento.
"Kid, don't do unnecessary things."
"Senior!" Law glared at him, voice sharp. "I don't ask you to take action—but at least let me save them myself!"
Whitebeard gave him a long look, then silently pulled his weapon back. His gaze returned to the sky, this time with expectation in his eyes.
Law froze, then followed Whitebeard's gaze. Realization dawned on him and his heart skipped. "Don't tell me… it's…"
"As I said," Whitebeard rumbled, "don't do unnecessary things."
He cast another glance, this time toward Jewelry Bonney, who was lounging and eating casually nearby. "Compared to this girl, you're still a little green, doctor brat."
---
Seeing Whitebeard unmoving, Akainu narrowed his eyes, then sat back down, waiting.
Meanwhile, under the bay, the Spade Pirates were being mercilessly pressed under Kizaru's shining onslaught.
"Everyone!" Eboli Gambi, the Mad Swordsman captain of the Spade Pirates, saw his companions collapsing under Kizaru's beams. Bloodied and injured, he still tried to rise.
"Shadow Asgard!"
From above, Gecko Moria summoned his massive shadow construct and stomped Gambi back into the ground, laughing wildly.
"Heheheh! Do you feel it now, brat? The despair of watching your companions slaughtered while you're powerless to save them?"
He seized Gambi's shadow, raising his giant scissors toward the connection between shadow and body.
"But this is war! When you chose to fight here, you chose to face death—yours and your crew's!"
"I'll be taking your shadow!"
"Let me go!! My comrades are in danger!!" Varres, another Spade Pirate, struggled desperately against Vice Admiral Doberman, who held him pinned with ruthless strength.
"It's useless, pirate!" Doberman pressed his blade to Varres's throat. "You and your companions will all be eradicated in the name of justice!"
"Old hag, let us go!!"
"Our comrades are going to die—we have to save them!!"
Kukai and Kakus, trapped in Vice Admiral Tsuru's washing-ability, hung helplessly like wrung-out rags. Tears streamed down their faces as they screamed.
"…," Tsuru ignored them, though her brow furrowed slightly as she glanced toward Carols and the others who were cornered by Kizaru's merciless light.
"It's useless, no matter how you struggle," Kizaru said lazily, hands glowing. "There's no hope for you pirates. Sayonara… Spade Pirates."
"Yasakani no Magatama!!"
The deadly rain of light bullets shot down toward the exhausted pirates.
---
"Fire Fist!!"
BOOM!
A blazing fist of fire fell from the sky, colliding with Kizaru's attack and scattering the light.
A tall figure landed in front of the Spade Pirates, flames blazing from his fist.
"Ace!!"
The crew stared wide-eyed, relief flooding their faces.
"You stinking brat—you finally made it!" Whitebeard roared with laughter, seeing Ace appear. His gaze swept over the figures who had broken into Marineford alongside him. "Ku la la la la! Looks like this kid brought plenty of strong backup with him!"
Indeed—Ace hadn't come alone. He had broken into Marineford with the allies he'd gathered from Impel Down.
---
"Fish-Man Karate: Tang Caowa Punch!!"
From the bay, Jinbe launched a mighty strike that blew Moria back, rescuing Gambi at the last instant.
"Moria, you bastard!!" Jinbe glared calmly. "Sorry, but this man is Ace's companion. I won't let you take his shadow."
"Death Wink!!"
A massive air blast smashed into Doberman, forcing him away from Varres.
"You…!!" Doberman snarled, catching himself in a crouch. "You're… Revolutionary Army Commander Emporio Ivankov! Why are you here?!"
"Hoo-hoo-hoo!!" Ivankov struck a flamboyant pose as the Okama Army appeared behind him. "Of course I came to save Sabo-boy!"
"Vice Admiral Tsuru…"
A sharp voice cut in. Crocodile stepped forward, his sand swirling menacingly. He pointed toward Kukai and Kakus, still limp from Tsuru's wash-wash ability. "Leave those two to me."
Tsuru studied him for a moment. "…I didn't expect you to be here too, Crocodile."
"This war grows more unpredictable by the minute." With a sigh, she released her grip. As she walked past Kukai and Kakus, she lightly tapped them—restoring their bodies to normal.
"Thank you!" the two pirates cried, regaining strength.
But Crocodile only muttered under his breath, "…Tch. Don't thank me." His eyes stayed fixed on Tsuru's back as she walked away.
---
"Sorry I'm late!" Ace turned, facing his crew with fire in his eyes. His expression hardened as he stared at Kizaru.
"You dared to bully my friends while I was away… That makes me very angry, Kizaru!!"
Then, with his chest heaving, he raised his voice toward the execution platform.
"But first—" His voice thundered across Marineford.
"Sabo! I'm here to save you!!"
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