The appearance of the Red Hair Pirates shocked everyone.
And just as the world was still reeling, another figure stepped onto the deck of the Red Hair Pirates' ship—an elderly man in a white robe, wearing slippers, carrying himself casually.
But the moment Sengoku and Garp saw him, their pupils shrank. Their faces turned grim and incredulous.
"D–Dark King Rayleigh!?"
Sengoku almost asked why Rayleigh was here, but he immediately realized. Ace was Roger's son—how could Roger's closest companion not come to rescue him?
They had miscalculated. Rayleigh had lived so long that the world had nearly forgotten that many of Roger's crew still lived.
"Oi, Sengoku, looks like you still owe me something!" Rayleigh grinned, then turned toward Ace. "After learning that Roger left behind a son, I was truly happy for him."
"Don't be afraid, Ace. Garp came to save you too!"
Rayleigh shamelessly leaned on Roger's legacy, his words easing Ace's heart.
The Marines, however, were shaken to their core.
"Rayleigh!? The Dark King himself!?"
"First the Red Hair Pirates, now Rayleigh too!?"
The morale built up before began to crumble. Originally, their enemies were just the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines' own high command.
Now, with the Red Hair Pirates joining in and Rayleigh standing alongside them, the battle had escalated into chaos.
This war… had become far more dangerous.
All around the world, viewers watching the broadcast were stunned.
"Two Emperors and now Rayleigh? This is insane!"
"The Red Hair Pirates weren't even in the Marines' plan!"
"Against Whitebeard, Red Hair, and Rayleigh—how can the Marines fight this!?"
"They should just release the prisoners—better that than being destroyed!"
"If the Marines back down now, they'll lose all authority. Who would dare join the Marines again?"
"No matter what, this war is spiraling out of control."
In Totto Land, Big Mom sneered as she watched.
"Red Hair… secretly working with Whitebeard? Hmph, and I didn't hear a word of it? That's a bad sign."
"And Rayleigh, that old man—why isn't he enjoying retirement instead of meddling?"
But soon, her grin spread wide.
"Wonderful! Excellent! With Red Hair and Rayleigh joining, this war will burn hotter than ever. Both sides will be devastated. And once they're gone—only my Big Mom Pirates will remain on top, Mon Mon Mon!"
Back at Marineford, the pressure on the Marines grew heavy. The balance of power had shifted far against them.
And then—on the execution platform—Good moved.
"Damn it! I've been holding back all this energy, and if I don't let it out now, I'll explode!"
With a thunderous boom, he launched himself off the platform like a cannonball. The execution stage quaked from the force of his leap.
In an instant, Good closed in on Whitebeard's Moby Dick.
Before their eyes, his body once again transformed into a massive dragon.
The crowd erupted in shock.
"The Reckless Maniac Admiral!"
"He's charging straight in!?"
"One man, directly into the enemy's fleet!?"
"Truly reckless! No wonder that's his name!"
Even Big Mom and her children, watching from afar, were stunned at Good's sheer audacity.
"Facing two legendary pirates, and he just charges head-on!?" Katakuri muttered.
"Is he really that confident in his strength!?"
To the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates, though, this was no surprise. They had seen Good before.
Marco smirked. "That's him alright—the Reckless Maniac Admiral. The name fits perfectly."
Marco, the First Division Commander, stepped forward to intercept.
Behind him, the other division commanders moved as well.
From the Red Hair Pirates' side, Ben Beckman and the senior officers also raised their weapons, firing support from afar.
But Good, with Armament Haki and the vitality of a dragon, shrugged off their attacks. Even when injured, his wounds rapidly healed.
With one punch, he sent Marco crashing into the deck, smashing a hole straight through it.
Next came Diamond Jozu's charge. But even Jozu's power couldn't move Good—he was knocked backward instead.
Good roared, "Whitebeard! I told you—the next time we meet, I'll beat you down!"
Whitebeard showed no panic. His massive blade swung out in reply.
"Boom!!"
Their clash of Conqueror's Haki shattered the air. The sea churned violently, and the earth trembled beneath them.
On the other side, Shanks leapt up with his blade Gryphon, charging toward Good as well.
From the beginning, the Red Hair Pirates had known—this new admiral was the greatest threat.
And so, Shanks aimed straight at him.
The true battle had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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