"Hm… brat! Is that you?"
Kizaru's eyelids lifted slightly as he glanced at Mizuchi, who stood before Whitebeard.
"Kizaru! And…" After blocking Kizaru's attack, Mizuchi shifted his gaze slightly toward Akainu, who sat imposingly on his golden throne.
"Akainu!"
As Mizuchi's eyes met Akainu's, the normally stoic admiral slowly lifted his head to look down at him.
"D!"
Akainu cast a brief, calculating glance at Mizuchi before lowering his head again.
"Mizuchi?"
Upon seeing Mizuchi, the Snake Princess immediately scanned her surroundings with excitement. But when she realized he was the only one present, her expression quickly returned to calm.
"Ahahaha! Looks like a promising rookie has arrived!"
Doflamingo's interest piqued as he observed Mizuchi. His curiosity wasn't casual—Mizuchi was rumored to possess the ability to "copy" powers.
An ability like that had a lethal allure for anyone.
"D!"
On the execution platform, Sengoku's brow furrowed sharply upon spotting Mizuchi. For the Marines, this was far from good news.
"All units, prioritize the elimination of 'D'!"
Sengoku grabbed a Den Den Mushi and issued the order immediately.
"What? Top priority?"
Upon hearing Sengoku's command, Garp's interest in Mizuchi skyrocketed. As a Marine Vice Admiral, he had access to information about Mizuchi and instantly recognized him as the rookie who had recently joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Top priority, huh?"
Doflamingo licked his lips and slowly began moving toward Mizuchi's position.
"Doflamingo! Leave him to me!"
Seeing Doflamingo about to intervene, the Snake Princess seductively swayed closer to him, bending low to whisper.
"Oh… I didn't expect the Pirate Empress to be interested in a rookie. Fine, I'll leave him to you. He'll be mine eventually anyway! Hehehe…"
After hearing her, Doflamingo did not persist in attacking. He tilted his head, casting a sinister smile toward Mizuchi's direction before quietly retreating to Mihawk's side.
"…"
On the bow of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard casually glanced at the young man who had suddenly appeared before him, then withdrew his gaze, showing little interest.
"Whitebeard! My apologies!"
Mizuchi quietly apologized to Whitebeard and extended his right hand, aiming for a light tap on the pirate captain's shoulder.
"Old Man!"
Seeing Mizuchi strike, Marco, the first division commander and Phoenix of the Whitebeard Pirates, surged forward in dazzling blue flames to block the move.
"Oh…"
Above, Kizaru was astonished at Mizuchi's actions. He hadn't expected Mizuchi to suddenly move against Whitebeard. Was Mizuchi here not to help, but to kill him?
"Mah-deh!"
Sengoku, who had just issued orders, immediately shouted to stop the Marines rushing toward Mizuchi.
"Mizuchi, what are you doing?"
The Snake Princess moved among the Marines, her expression tense as she watched the Moby Dick. Mizuchi attacking Whitebeard directly seemed suicidal. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't possibly defeat Whitebeard.
"Could this 'D' be trying to submit a token of allegiance?"
From a distance, Garp also watched Mizuchi, his face full of confusion.
"Phoenix Marco! I'll take your power!"
Mizuchi shouted, firing a concentrated laser beam at Marco.
A blinding yellow light erupted, but Marco did not dodge. Standing before Whitebeard, his entire body engulfed in dazzling blue flames, he endured the attack.
You have attacked Phoenix Marco, the Mythical Zoan-type user of the Tori Tori no Mi, model: Phoenix. System is now copying the target's Devil Fruit ability. Host, please maintain proximity for one minute.
As the explosive energy erupted from Marco's body, Mizuchi's mind received the system notification.
"D! Dare to strike our king? This will be your grave!"
Brilliant blue flames surged from Marco, lifting him into the air. With the flames' support, his injuries began healing visibly before the eyes of all.
"Oh! Marco! Marco! To the Grave!"
Thunderous cries erupted from the Whitebeard crew. Every member now saw Mizuchi as the enemy.
"Sigh… it can't be helped."
Mizuchi exhaled, a trace of helplessness in his expression. He wanted to "peacefully" copy the Gura Gura no Mi from Whitebeard, but it was unrealistic. Whitebeard would never allow a young man to stand beside him for a full minute without reacting.
Even if Whitebeard didn't care, others observing Mizuchi would surely guess one condition of his copying ability—proximity to the target for a short period.
That was far from ideal for Mizuchi. If exposed, he couldn't casually acquire Devil Fruit powers as he had before.
For example, on his journey here, Mizuchi had effortlessly copied the Hormone-Hormone Fruit from Ivankov and the Scissors-Scissors Fruit from Inazuma without a fight.
He didn't want to stand around fighting for a full minute when a peaceful alternative existed.
Hence, Mizuchi's "tap on Whitebeard's shoulder" was his way to copy the Devil Fruit in the most nonviolent manner possible.
But now, Whitebeard wasn't alone, and surrounded by capable allies, no one would let Mizuchi act against him.
"Mizuchi, why are you attacking my old man? Were the things you said in Impel Down lies?"
On the execution platform, Ace's expression darkened. Among all present, Ace had the greatest trust and understanding of Mizuchi—they had fought side by side in Impel Down and faced Aokiji together.
Though they hadn't escaped together in the end, Ace couldn't imagine Mizuchi would ever strike his father. What Ace didn't know was that Mizuchi's actions were entirely to save him.
A young Gura Gura no Mi user could create a storm that alone would send shivers down anyone's spine.
"D! Join us. Take Whitebeard's head, and you will become the fourth admiral of the Marine Headquarters!"
Sengoku's voice echoed through the Den Den Mushi. His declaration not only ignited the battlefield but sent shockwaves throughout the world.