Hum—BOOM!
A beam of concentrated light erupted from beneath the waves, angling upward to strike the warship carrying the Blackbeard Pirates.
"What the—!?" Blackbeard's eyes bulged as the streak of light roared toward him. With no time to think, he unleashed a wave of swirling darkness, attempting to swallow the attack whole.
"Black Hole!"
But the Ion Lightbeam moved too fast. It tore through the hull from below, engulfing Blackbeard before his shadows could fully manifest.
"ARGH!" A blood-curdling scream ripped from Blackbeard's throat as the energy slammed into him.
"Captain!" The crew cried out in horror.
"Who is it!? Who's attacking us?" Burgess roared, spinning around and scanning the horizon for an enemy. But the Protector had already dived deep into the dark blue depths, leaving not a trace behind.
Van Augur, the sniper, relied on his uncanny perception to pinpoint the beam's origin. He fired several rapid shots into the water, but his expression remained grim. "They've likely already escaped."
"Hoya! This is bad! There's a massive hole in the ship!" Burgess shouted before rushing to Blackbeard's side. "Captain, are you alright?"
"Ugh... cough, cough..." Blackbeard struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his forehead. His face was twisted in a mask of fury.
"Who was it!? Tell me who did this!" He let out a primal roar of rage before slumping down. "Can this ship still sail?"
"Barely. We can patch it enough to keep moving."
"Fine. We're leaving!" Wiping the last of the blood away, Blackbeard stood up, staring at the empty sea with a suspicious glare. Who could have possibly ambushed them in a place like this?
"Well? Did we sink them?" Kenshin asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"No, but it gave Blackbeard a little something to remember us by. Besides, our energy is low. This was enough," Drake replied, shaking his head.
"Why let them go?" Sabo asked, puzzled.
"Blackbeard is heading for the Great Prison, Impel Down. His crew has made arrangements; someone will open the Gates of Justice for them. If something happens to stop that, Luffy might never make it out of there," Drake explained.
The truth was, the System had designated the "Paramount War" as a primary mission. This meant the outbreak of the war was an inevitability. Even if Drake tried to stop it now, the wheels of fate were already turning. The priority was reaching Marineford without delay.
But his thoughts turned to Luffy. His trial of life and death is unavoidable.
High Noon. Impel Down, Level 5.
At this very moment, Luffy had been decimated by Magellan. Ravaged by lethal toxins, he was being dragged through the freezing hell by Mr. 2, Bentham. Bon Clay's body was at its limit as he searched for the legendary "Okama King," Emporio Ivankov.
Trapped by a pack of wolves, Luffy's Conqueror's Haki had momentarily awakened in his desperation, knocking out the beasts before both he and Bentham collapsed into unconsciousness. They were eventually rescued by Inazuma and taken to Level 5.5—Newkama Land.
Luffy was now undergoing Ivankov's treatment, but the price for his life was ten years of his lifespan.
Luffy... you must feel so helpless right now, Drake thought, his eyes flashing with a sharp, internal light. Your only remaining brother is facing execution, and your comrades have been scattered across the world. You broke into the world's greatest prison alone, and now you're at death's door... I'm sorry you have to carry this burden by yourself.
But you aren't alone! Drake roared in his mind. You have two more brothers! We are right behind you!
"Drake, what's wrong?" Sabo noticed the strange intensity in Drake's expression and asked with concern.
"Nothing... I'm fine," Drake replied. He decided not to burden Sabo with the details of Luffy's current suffering.
Luffy... hang on! You're our little brother—the man who will become the Pirate King!
The path to the throne was paved with hardship, but with three older brothers at his back, the world was about to learn a lesson. During this war, they would show everyone: Luffy was their brother, and anyone who touched him had better be prepared for the consequences.
Right, Ace?
Drake knew Ace was thinking the exact same thing. Even though Luffy wasn't the "crybaby" he used to be, an older brother never stops worrying.
At their current speed, they would arrive at Marineford in two days, right around noon. With the execution scheduled for 3:00 PM, they had plenty of time.
RUMBLE!
Just as Drake was lost in thought, the Protector buckled under a massive impact.
[WARNING! WARNING!]
Red lights began to strobe throughout the cabin. Drake was stunned—they were submerged deep in the ocean. How could they be under attack? Was it another Sea King? Was their luck truly this rotten, or was the sea just this merciless?
The exterior monitors had gone pitch black, the edges of the screens bleeding a harsh red glow.
"Protector! What's happening? What's going on out there?" Drake shouted.
[Warning: The Protector is currently in an extreme high-temperature environment. Self-defense protocol engaged. All non-essential functions are locked down.]
Locked down?
Drake froze. A sense of impending doom settled over him. "Are you saying... we can't move?"
[Ding! In self-defense mode, the Protector can only travel at minimum speed. All offensive and auxiliary systems are offline.]
"How is this possible...?" Sabo and Kenshin both realized they were in grave danger.
[Ding! The Protector must escape the high-temperature zone within ten minutes, or the hull will suffer structural failure, leaving the vessel stranded.]
"Protector, identify the source! Why did the temperature spike so suddenly?" Drake forced himself to stay calm. This was irrational. One second they were fine, the next...
[Ding.]
A transparent holographic display flickered to life in front of them.
A Marine warship had appeared on the surface. Standing at the very front of the deck, arms crossed over his chest, was a figure draped in a red suit.
"That's..." Drake and Sabo both recoiled, their hearts hammering against their ribs.
"Admiral Akainu!"
The words were spoken in a breath of pure disbelief. Why was he here? In the final countdown to the war, shouldn't he be stationed at Marineford?
For Drake, the sight was even more visceral. He knew this man was the one who would eventually kill Ace. Seeing that proud, ruthless "old face" looking down as if he were a god ignited an unquenchable fire of rage in Drake's soul.