Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 491

Ace is the only future leader of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The only one.

Compared to Ace, Marco is trash.

There's no other reason; it's just that Whitebeard raised Marco and other heroes like his "sons," and unknowingly spoiled them rotten.

The captains of the Whitebeard Pirates may seem strong, but they lack the responsibility of leaders.

They might not be able to become captains of a large pirate crew, but they could never even dream of becoming captains of a giant pirate crew like the Whitebeard Pirates.

This world values ​​talent. Without the extraordinary talent of Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, Shiki, and Big Mom, the only way to become the captain of a giant pirate crew is to rely on the bloodline passed down from top-tier figures.

Coincidentally, Portgas D. Ace not only possesses the bloodline of the Pirate King, but also has top-notch aptitude, making him a rare leader.

Comparatively speaking, Marco and Jozu are only qualified to be support players. They can definitely stand on their own, but they are not good at being a leader who can unite people and lead the whole team.

Sengoku looked at Ace and understood more and more.

Whitebeard is about to die, and Ace is their last hope. Once he dies, the Whitebeard Pirates will be completely finished.

With that thought in mind, the Warring States Marshal no longer hesitated and raised his hand to summon two executioners.

He wanted to execute Ace first to prevent future trouble!

You see, it was because he hesitated too much when executing the Pirate King that he finished speaking, causing the sea to boil and remaining in turmoil to this day.

Hmm? It seems the East China Sea has completely quieted down now.

Thinking of this, Zhan Guo couldn't help but glance at Xia Zuo again, only to be glared at fiercely by him once more.

However, Sengoku's attempt to carry out the execution ahead of schedule failed because Luffy arrived!

As the protagonist of his era, Luffy always seems to have incredible luck.

At this point, his strength was only average, but he was still able to push his way through and head straight for the execution platform.

Although naval officers and soldiers jumped out to stop them along the way, they were either punched away by Luffy or blocked by his companions behind him.

Because the pirates had already been defeated and were only thinking about escaping, the Navy's numerical advantage was further amplified, giving them ample manpower to stop Luffy and his crew of pirates who were going against the tide.

But Luffy's crew is incredibly strong: Ivankov, Jinbe, Crocodile, and the real Shichibukai Boa Hancock, each of them is a powerful figure who dominates the seas and can take on a hundred men at once.

Aokiji and Jozu got into a fight, Kizaru and Marco were locked in a fierce battle, Akainu was pinned down and beaten black and blue by Whitebeard, and the other Shichibukai were just bystanders.

The lieutenant generals were almost wiped out by Whitebeard, and the rest were entangled by Whitebeard's captain and his vassal captains.

In other words, the navy has sufficient manpower, but there isn't a single naval officer of sufficient strength to stand up and stop him.

It cannot be said that there were no generals, such as Brigadier General Smoker and Brigadier General Shazor.

However, Brigadier General Smoker's strength was indeed lacking; he relied on smoke to attack people directly.

Despite being a high-class Logia-type Devil Fruit user, he has absolutely no imagination when it comes to developing his Devil Fruit abilities.

Despite being a member of the elite training camp, his domineering cultivation level is negligible.

So, just as the Commodore stepped forward and pinned Luffy to the ground, before he could even properly rub him, he was kicked away by the Pirate Empress.

Then he disappeared from the battlefield.

As for the other brigadier general, Xia Zuo, he led his men to the edge of the battlefield, enjoying the war with great relish.

Marshal Sengoku tricked these branch naval personnel who were on the front lines. They were just slacking off instead of rebelling, which was definitely worth the meager salary the navy paid them.

Luffy and his crew, relying on their superior strength, managed to rush all the way to the execution platform.

Then, the naval hero who doted on his two grandsons stepped forward, let out a loud shout, and was knocked down by Luffy's punch.

Release the water?

nonexistent!

This is the entire East China Sea!

Marshal Zhan Guo glared angrily, but couldn't say anything.

Like the 77th Naval Division, he wanted to kill his old comrade's grandson, but the comrade only let him go instead of rebelling on the spot, which showed his loyalty.

With the help of his crew, Luffy leaped onto the execution platform.

Approaching Ace, he pulled out the key that Boa Hancock had secretly given him from his pocket, preparing to unlock the seastone shackles.

The Warring States marshal was so angry that his nose was crooked.

Because Luffy was too excited, he didn't realize that there was a Marine on the execution platform, and that it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku who commanded the entire Marines.

But that's just Luffy.

As a useless captain who relies solely on sight and intuition to survive, Luffy has no idea who Fleet Admiral Sengoku is.

Moreover, Sengoku, who had completely suppressed his imposing aura, wore glasses, and had a bird on his hat, posed no threat to Luffy and was therefore not taken seriously.

Luffy was unaware of the gravity of the situation, but how could Ace not? He was terrified by his brother's recklessness and erratic behavior.

Ace wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid of causing his brother's death!

Don't be fooled by Luffy's seemingly effortless and unstoppable advance to the execution platform; it's purely due to his incredible luck.

At this point, the pirates had been effectively defeated, and even Whitebeard himself had risked his life, having used all his trump cards.

However, the Navy still has two of its strongest combat forces that have not been deployed to the battlefield: Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the hero Garp.

Okay, Garp doesn't count; his greatest act of loyalty is simply not making things worse.

But so what? The Navy still has the Fleet Admiral!

Is the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy something anyone can do?

Normally, the marshals of the Warring States period kept a low profile, commanding the entire army from the rear. They were troubled by all sorts of difficulties and troubles every day, to the point that many naval commanders had never even seen their marshals take action.

But as the old saying goes, the world of One Piece is a world where strength matters, not brains. If you can't beat all the Marine Admirals, what makes you a Fleet Admiral?

Sengoku's strength is beyond doubt, as he rose step by step from the bottom to the position of Admiral of the Navy, accumulating real merits.

The wise general Sengoku was known as the Buddha Sengoku before becoming a marshal.

His strength absolutely surpasses that of the three admirals Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru. Even Garp, who joined the Navy at the same time as him, and Zephyr, who retired early, are no match for him.

Coupled with a mind so sharp it borders on monstrous, and a judgment so calm it borders on ruthless, the Sengoku period was the most terrifying navy.

none of them.

Ever since Luffy punched Garp and ascended the execution platform, Sengoku's face had been incredibly grim; the anger burning within him was already on the verge of bursting.

It was about to explode.

Moreover, the way the navy, led by Xia Zuo, looked at him made Sengoku feel extremely frustrated.

Gathering 100,000 elite naval personnel, including dozens of renowned vice admirals, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, three admirals, and naval hero Garp, the entire elite force of the navy was mobilized, causing the Whitebeard Pirates to collapse and on the verge of being wiped out at Marineford.

He paid the price for it: his reputation, Marineford, tens of thousands of naval lives, and countless sums of money and resources.

As a result, a rookie pirate who had not yet set foot in the New World brazenly cleared all the levels and rushed straight to him, ignoring him and going to rescue Ace.

Is this a miracle?

Pooh!

This is about human relationships and social interactions!

But the Warring States Marshal could not tolerate it any longer. He threw off his cloak, and his whole body shone with a dazzling light.

A second later, a giant, golden Buddha stood on the execution platform.

Zoan type, Mythical Zoan, Human-Human Fruit, Buddha form!

At this moment, the Warring States Marshal exuded supreme majesty and solemnly announced: "The most heinous criminal—the bloodline of Roger,..."

"I will personally execute the bloodline of Dragon!"

A dazzling golden light shone from the giant, bathing the entire battlefield and sky in a golden glow, making it appear solemn, majestic, and inviolable.

The blinding golden light continued to expand, and the golden body of the Buddha grew larger and larger, transforming into a terrifying size comparable to that of giants at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A magnificent aura erupted from the Warring States period, lingering over the entire battlefield.

Under the golden light, the air was filled with an overwhelming and powerful pressure, and everyone felt an overwhelming sense of awe.

Like Marco, Sengoku's Devil Fruit is a rare Mythical Zoan type.

This is an even rarer and more precious Devil Fruit than Logia-type Devil Fruits.

Of course, the strength of a Devil Fruit ability is only one aspect; the ultimate strength is determined by the Devil Fruit user themselves.

For example, Marco's strength is completely incomparable to Sengoku's; the two are simply not in the same league.

The mythical Buddha-like form, with a size comparable to giants and adorned with full-body Armament Haki, exudes an aura that seems to pierce the heavens.

On the execution platform, golden light shone brightly.

Even Luffy, with his thick skin, was overwhelmed by such overwhelming power. His eyes widened, and he stared at the battle with trepidation.

country.

Then, the unreliable Luffy accidentally touched the Seastone shackles and collapsed limply.

Without the slightest pity or hesitation, Sengoku swung his giant fist down at the execution platform. The massive fist stirred up a fierce wind, and the powerful force of the punch enveloped the two brothers in death.

Garp, who had deliberately fallen to the ground below the execution platform, also stared wide-eyed. His fists were clenched tightly, and the veins on his forehead were bulging as if they were about to explode.

Just as Garp was wondering whether he should intervene, he discovered an unexpected figure within the range of his Observation Haki.

Swish!

A sandstorm raged, and a sudden desert tornado crashed down, bending the steel execution platform.

Crocodile appeared below the execution platform at some unknown time. He placed his hands on the wooden frame and absorbed the moisture from the sturdy wood, causing the main frame to be completely destroyed, leaving only the steel outer structure.

As a result, when Sengoku delivered the punch, the rivets at the joints of the steel structure could not withstand his immense force and broke instantly, causing the execution platform to collapse entirely.

Therefore, the violent energy in the Warring States period's fist did not actually land a blow; the shockwave caused the two brothers to vomit blood, but there was no real danger to their lives.

On the contrary, Ace and Luffy were blasted away by the shockwave and quickly left Fleet Admiral Sengoku's attack range.

Garp was deeply moved: "Waaaaah, Sengoku is truly my friend, he really understands me!"

To protect my two good-for-nothing grandsons, he shamelessly went easy on them on the battlefield.

[I'm so touched—sob sob sob—I'll never steal his rice crackers again!]

The two brothers were blasted into the air. Luffy was lucky enough to escape the negative buff from the sea stone. He twisted the key in mid-air and unlocked Ace's shackles in the last second before landing.

boom!!!

A massive pillar of fire roared up, its orange flames illuminating the battlefield.

A scorching wave swept out, and Ace, carrying Luffy, flew out of the flames like a victorious hero returning home.

The pirates, who had been on the verge of collapse, suddenly regained their morale, brandishing their swords and cheering in victory.

"Well done, Straw Hat Boy!"

"He wreaked havoc in Impel Down and turned Marine Headquarters upside down. Straw Hat Luffy did a fantastic job!"

"Great! We've finally rescued Ace!"

"Waaaaah, our brothers who sacrificed their lives did not die in vain!"

"Hahaha, we won!"

The cheers from the pirates were so loud that they even drowned out the booming cannons, turning the faces of the marines besieging the pirates pale.

The sailors all wore expressions of frustration, and some even shed tears of humiliation.

"Justice? Justice has failed?"

"Why did such a heinous criminal win?"

Seeing the Navy's morale plummeting, Sakazuki, disregarding the blows he received from Whitebeard, turned to face the Navy and shouted, "Go all out to kill Portgas D. Ace and Straw Hat Luffy! We absolutely cannot let them escape Marineford!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was punched in the back by Whitebeard, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit power erupting in full force, instantly causing Admiral Akainu's eyes to roll back.

The aftershocks of the tremor tore through the ice and the earth, and the unconscious Sakazuki fell into a crevice, temporarily leaving the battlefield.

The white-bearded man, who was attacking with all his might, was also in bad shape and coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

But he was very excited and laughed loudly, "Gurarararar, Akainu is quite bold, daring to disregard this old man."

The white-bearded man then looked at Ace: "My son, welcome home!"

"Straw Hat Luffy, you did a great job!"

The Whitebeard Pirates became even more excited, chanting wildly, "Ohhhhh! Victory! Victory! Victory!!"

On the contrary, the navy was in a state of low spirits, with morale so low that it was on the verge of collapse.

The reversal in morale was immediately reflected on the battlefield. The navy, which was supposed to be surrounding the pirates, was forced to retreat step by step by the pirates' counterattack.

Instead, the pirates not only launched a counterattack, but also, under their command, orderly escaped the battlefield through the gap in the wall.

No, this cannot be called an escape, it's a retreat!

The Navy's plan to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates is on the verge of complete failure.

At that moment, all the naval personnel felt a lump in their throats, including those officers and men who were resentful of the admiral's betrayal.

For example, the 77th Detachment of the East China Sea Force.

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