Chapter 240: A Mad Dash Across the Deadline! The Hero's Tears and the Descent of the Great Buddha
High in the air, a flash of azure-blue flame streaked through the smoke like a brilliant meteor.
Marco landed steadily on the devastated ice.
In his arms, he held Tatsuya tightly.
Marco carefully handed the pale-faced Tatsuya to Ivankov and the members of the Revolutionary Army who had arrived behind him for protection.
Subsequently, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates turned around, his burning gaze fixed on the massive breach ahead that Tatsuya had cleaved open with all his might.
"Thud!"
Whitebeard Edward Newgate slammed his Supreme Grade sword, "Murakumogiri," heavily onto the ice, the immense force sending surrounding rocks and ice shards flying.
The world's strongest man took a deep breath and issued the highest order to the entire army:
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, listen up!"
"Do not let that kid's efforts go to waste."
"At all costs, cover Straw Hat and the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army as they charge the execution platform!"
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh—!!"
Accompanied by earth-shattering, fanatical war cries.
The previously trapped pirate army, like a bursting dam, flooded into the heart of the plaza along the path Tatsuya had forcibly cleaved open, heading straight for the execution platform.
However, as the highest combat power of the Marine, the Admirals would never allow this group of pirates to brazenly set foot on the plaza, a territory that represented absolute justice.
Aokiji Kuzan leaped up, his body hovering in mid-air.
He released bone-chilling cold air from his hands, attempting to use "Ice Age" to reseal the breach that had been cut open.
On the other side, Kizaru Borsalino also transformed into a sky full of golden photons, coalescing into form in the air, with deadly light flickering at his fingertips, preparing to snipe at Luffy and Sabo, who were charging at the very front.
"Your opponents are us!"
Accompanied by a clear, high-pitched bird cry, Marco transformed into a massive phoenix burning with azure-blue flames and soared into the sky.
He flapped his wings, his speed reaching the extreme, and delivered a powerful mid-air kick that sent Kizaru's about-to-be-released "Yasakani no Magatama" flying.
At the same time, "Diamond" Jozu let out a beast-like roar, his entire body flashing with a dazzling, sharp radiance.
He transformed his entire body into an indestructible, massive diamond, and with a brutish, terrifying charge, he withstood the extreme cold capable of freezing the sea, taking Aokiji's attack head-on.
Under the desperate, life-risking cover of the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders, Luffy and Sabo's charge was no longer hindered by the Admirals.
Luffy maintained the extreme speed of Gear Second, his body emitting scorching pink steam, his skin turning red due to the flow of high-pressure blood.
Sabo had his hands wrapped in deep, pitch-black high-level Haki, his eyes sharp.
The two brothers stood back-to-back, like two sharp, unstoppable blades, charging fiercely into the heavy encirclement of the Marine elite.
Fist winds whistled, dragon claws tore through the air, and amidst the hail of bullets, they forcibly tore open a bloody path leading to the execution platform.
Stepping over countless fallen elites, Luffy and Sabo finally fought their way to a dangerous position less than a hundred meters from the execution platform.
However, the path ahead had been completely blocked.
Below the stairs, it was densely packed with heavy Marine forces holding muskets and sharp swords, waiting in battle formation.
Furthermore, the plaza floor had been shattered and broken by the previous artillery fire and earthquakes.
Everywhere were huge pits and rubble, making it impossible to gain leverage to jump and cross this last hundred-meter distance.
Just at this desperate moment of being caught in a dilemma.
Inazuma, the Revolutionary Army cadre who had been silently following behind Sabo, suddenly leaped high out of the crowd.
"Click-clack—!!"
Inazuma's hands instantly transformed into huge, sharp scissors.
Moving like lightning, he began to frantically cut through the incredibly hard stone slabs on the plaza as if they were soft fabric!
"Go!"
"Straw Hat Luffy! Chief of Staff!"
Under the control of Inazuma's miraculous Devil Fruit ability, a massive spiral stone staircase made of the hard slabs rose from the ground!
This staircase, in a manner defying the laws of physics, arched over the heads of all the heavy Marine forces below, connecting straight to the edge of the high-up execution platform!
The two brothers did not hesitate at all, leaping up in perfect unison, stepping onto this staircase leading to hope, and sprinting wildly upward.
Just as Luffy and Sabo were about to reach the top of the execution platform, a figure as massive as a mountain descended from the sky.
"Bang!"
The person slammed heavily onto the top of the stone staircase, the immense impact shattering a large section of the stone slabs, sending dust and smoke everywhere.
The Marine Hero—Monkey D. Garp, breathing heavily, stood in the necessary path of his two grandsons.
"If you want to pass, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
Garp's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an unquestionable majesty, yet it also revealed a trace of imperceptible trembling.
"I am a Vice Admiral of the Marineford!"
Garp gripped tightly those iron fists that had sent countless great pirates to the bottom of the sea.
At this moment, this legendary veteran who had dedicated his life to justice was experiencing unimaginable torment in his heart.
Between the duty of "Absolute Justice" and the "familial affection" that connected his flesh and blood.
His soul was being frantically torn, the pain reaching an unbearable level.
"Move aside! Grandpa!"
Luffy and Sabo roared out in unison.
Although both their eyes were red and teary, their pace charging upward showed no sign of slowing down at all.
There was only one thought in their hearts: Save Ace!
Luffy pushed the steam of Gear Second to the limit, pulling his right fist back.
Sabo gritted his teeth, clenching his fist wrapped in pitch-black Haki.
Facing the howling wind, the two simultaneously unleashed a full-strength attack without reservation toward the grandfather they had feared and respected the most since they were children!
"Ah!"
Garp let out a shout, the veins on his face bulging.
He raised his right arm, also swinging his iron fist, which had struck fear across the four seas, toward his two grandsons charging at him.
But just at the moment when the wind of the fists whistled and their faces were about to cross...
Looking at Luffy and Sabo's resolute and unyielding gazes, and seeing Ace, who was full of despair and pain on the execution platform in his peripheral vision.
At the final moment of swinging his fist, Garp painfully closed his eyes, which were filled with the weariness of years.
The layer of Armament Haki on his fist, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, quietly dissipated a second before the collision.
"Bang!"
Luffy and Sabo's fists slammed solidly and fiercely onto Garp's face.
The massive force erupted, and this Marine Hero, who was renowned throughout the sea and whom even the Pirate King had to be wary of.
Like a kite with a broken string, he fell powerlessly backward from the high spiral staircase.
In the wind of his falling body, a single tear mixed with tearing pain slid from the corner of Garp's tightly closed eyes, finally dissipating silently on the smoke-filled battlefield of Marineford.
Passing over the fallen Garp, Luffy and Sabo leaped, finally landing steadily on the execution platform that towered into the clouds.
After more than a decade, in this death trap of Marineford.
The three brothers had overcome countless hardships and obstacles, finally completing this epic reunion.
Ace, kneeling on the execution platform, looked at his two younger brothers, who were right before his eyes.
He bit his lip hard, but tears gushed out like beads from a broken string, streaming madly down his dust- and scar-covered cheeks, soaking the wooden planks in front of his chest.
"Garp! You bastard!"
"Don't forget you are a Marine!"
Just at this deeply moving moment of reunion, a roar filled with endless fury exploded on the execution platform.
The Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had been standing on the side, was completely enraged.
He had witnessed his old comrade Garp's obvious "holding back" behavior, and could no longer maintain the composure and demeanor befitting a Fleet Admiral.
"Don't think this is over!"
"You bunch of sinful bloodlines, none of you will escape today!"
Sengoku's eyes widened in anger, his body suddenly expanding amidst his roar.
A dazzling golden light instantly erupted from within his body, enveloping the entire execution platform like a scorching sun.
Zoan Type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Great Buddha form!
Sengoku transformed into a massive, pure-gold Great Buddha, majestic, sacred, and filled with a suffocating, terrifying sense of oppression.
He raised that huge golden palm, with a destructive shockwave capable of shattering the entire island gathering in his palm, and with an overwhelming force, he slapped it down fiercely toward Luffy and Sabo, who had just rushed up.
"Hurry and use the key to unlock! I will block him!"
Facing this deadly strike capable of crushing one's bones to dust, Sabo roared.
He stepped forward, standing in front of Luffy and Ace without hesitation.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, pushing all the remaining Haki in his body to the limit without reservation, releasing his strongest Dragon's Breath to clash head-on with the golden giant palm descending from the sky.
"Boom—!!!"
The massive golden shockwave and Sabo's all-out defense collided with a bang on the narrow execution platform!
The terrifying energy wave swept across the sky instantly like a Category 12 typhoon passing through, the blinding light making it impossible to look directly at it.
The entire towering execution platform began to shake violently under the cruel collision of this strike.
The thick wooden pillars emitted creaking sounds of breaking under the unbearable weight, already on the verge of total collapse!
And behind Sabo's figure, which was holding on with all his might.
Luffy gritted his teeth, his hands trembling slightly due to the shock of the reaction force.
But the metal key in his hand, entrusted to him by the Empress, was about to be inserted into the keyhole of Ace's heavy Sea Stone handcuffs...
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