A massive wave spread outward with Luffy at its center. It was his Conqueror's Haki, and no, he didn't use it unconsciously. He wielded it in control, and this time, its power was even greater. Luffy had made significant progress over the months, so this time the Haki surged over everyone like a storm.
Those approaching them fell unconscious in an instant, and the executioners tumbled face-first to the ground.
"They've really done it now."
"This guy has the same Haki as Pops."
"Hahaha... Go, Straw Hats..."
While most of the people were surprised by this, the upper echelons knew that Straw Hat likely possessed the Conqueror's Haki. Even their swordsman had it, so it was entirely possible that their captain did too.
Plus, he was a D to begin with.
Sengoku clenched his teeth. Sabo, who was nearby, was genuinely surprised at Luffy's rapid growth, enough to wield Conqueror's Haki. Yet, he felt a sense of pride as well.
"Luffy... I didn't expect you to grow so much," Sabo said as he ran.
"Huh... Hahahaha... Well, I've been practicing," Luffy replied with a slight smile, still on the move. Sabo didn't waste any more time.
Whitebeard was taking quite a beating, and he wouldn't be able to provide support if this continued. With no other options left, Sabo rotated his hands, and a portal opened. Another portal appeared right beside Ace.
Sengoku, who was nearby, spotted the portal and immediately lunged towards it. He didn't understand the mechanics of this Devil Fruit, but he had witnessed it before when the Straw Hats first emerged. Though he lacked the specifics, he could guess what it entailed after seeing Luffy and Sabo.
Sengoku leapt into the air and aimed straight for Sabo. Sabo and Luffy had just crossed through the portal when they were confronted by a massive golden figure hurtling toward them. Sabo performed a swift hand sign and shouted:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Suddenly, a colossal creature materialized between them and Sengoku – a tapir, its head wrapped in bandages. The tapir had been summoned to the side, so when Sengoku was airborne, he was pulled toward Baku, the summoning beast.
Sabo wasn't particularly fond of summoning Baku; he found the creature rather unsightly. However, in dire circumstances, he would resort to calling upon Baku, and this was one of those moments.
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Sengoku lost his balance as his trajectory shifted. Seizing the opportunity, Sabo and Luffy pushed forward and reached the platform.
"Straw Hat has reached the platform! Somebody stop him!"
"This is bad."
"Go, Straw Hat! You can do it!"
The admirals were trapped and unable to intervene directly. Akainu and Aokiji had teamed up to subdue Whitebeard, who was determined not to let Luffy and Sabo's interference go unchecked.
Marco stepped forward, blocking Kizaru's path from returning. Garp remained uncertain, torn between his duty and his family.
It was the first time he faced this crossroads. Ultimately, his sense of duty overwhelmed him, and he leaped to strike down Sabo and Luffy, who were in the process of freeing Ace. Ace was crucified, so they had to proceed cautiously.
Garp materialized behind them, but before he could deliver a blow to Sabo, a blinding light suddenly appeared between Garp and the trio. The light struck the ground, and in an instant, a colossal hammer emerged, connecting with Garp's abdomen. Under ordinary circumstances, this blow shouldn't have affected him, yet the hammer possessed properties unlike any weapon seen before.
Garp couldn't halt the attack and was carried through the air by the hammer's force. The blinding light disappeared, and Ken emerged. After Mjolnir flung Garp a considerable distance away, it returned to Ken.
"Grandpa, I am sorry," Ken apologized. Regaining control of Mjolnir, he flung it once more, this time toward Sengoku, who had managed to free himself from Baku's suction force and was approaching them. Mjolnir streaked through the air and struck Sengoku, overwhelming even his Buddha body. He was dragged back numerous meters.
Meanwhile, with Ken's arrival, Sabo and Luffy grinned and resumed their efforts. In mere moments, both managed to remove the nails. However, liberating Ace wasn't going to be simple.
Suddenly, CP agents materialized using Soru, a high-speed technique.
"I'll handle them," Ken declared, summoning his Stormbreaker. He hurled the Stormbreaker, which spun as it soared toward the agents. Although the CP agents took the attack seriously, the Stormbreaker wasn't an ordinary weapon. Lightning crackled around it, and despite their best efforts, two agents were sent flying while the others narrowly evaded.
Ken engaged the remaining agents in close combat. It took a few extra seconds, but Ace was finally free, albeit at a cost. Blood dripped from both his hands, as the crucifixion had taken its toll, yet Ace paid it no mind.
A smile spread across his face when he saw his brothers.
"Luffy... Sabo... Ken... I'm sorry... I've made you worry about me. I'll make it up to you."
"Ace... You idiot. Ken used to tell me you're crazy. You're even crazier than we thought," Sabo scolded.
"What? So it's my fault that I got captured?"
"Of course, it's your fault. You should've fled when the admiral appeared."
"The Whitebeard Pirates don't run," Ace retorted.
"Both of you are idiots. Run..." Ken yelled, but it was already too late. Sengoku had arrived, expanding his body's size and launching an attack with a sweeping motion of his hand. Luffy who was laughing watching the argument between Ace and Sabo turned around and in a moment's notice, became a huge balloon.
This cushioned the impact but it was enough to break the long standing platform. The platform had suffered a lot of attack and now it finally broke. The 4 people who were in the platform had to immediately jump down.
"You dare look down on the navy?" Sengoku shouted but it was already late. The 4 people had already landed on the square and broke into a run. All the 4 had smiles on their faces.