"Straw Hat Luffy... Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, huh?"
Gion effortlessly dodged Luffy's Gatling punches, which were enhanced by his Second Gear. She smiled as she looked at him and asked, "You know Ron, don't you?"
"So what if I do?! Gomu Gomu no—"
"Then tell me... why is it that even now, your strength still hasn't reached the level he had when he was only fourteen? At this rate, you won't be able to save your brother, Ace."
Gion tilted her head slightly, evading Luffy's kick with ease. Then, with a swift jab of her sword's hilt, she struck him square in the chest, sending him flying backward.
Luffy crashed onto the ground, coughing as he stared at the execution platform where Ace was bound. The distance between them was less than a hundred meters, yet it felt impossibly far—as if no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach it.
"Is the gap in strength really this big?!"
For the first time, the usually carefree, confident, and optimistic Luffy truly felt his own weakness.
He clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding together, his eyes shut in frustration. And from deep within his soul, he let out a roar of pure, unfiltered rage.
A strange and overwhelming force erupted from his body.
It was the awakening of his Conqueror's Haki.
Though nowhere near as powerful as Ron's, the sheer burst of willpower was enough to shake the battlefield. Countless Marines with weaker resolve collapsed instantly, while others felt an undeniable pressure weighing down on them. All across the battlefield, heads turned toward the source of this newfound force.
When they saw that the wave of Conqueror's Haki had come from none other than Straw Hat Luffy, expressions of shock spread among them.
Sabo, Jinbe, Ivankov, Zoro, Sanji... even Vice Admirals Dalmatian and Onigumo, as well as other high-ranking Marines, were visibly taken aback.
"Conqueror's Haki... and it's coming from that Straw Hat kid?"
Dalmatian was stunned.
Ace, bound to the execution platform, stared at Luffy in disbelief. It hadn't been that long since they last saw each other, and yet Luffy had already reached such a level...
"That brat... he has the qualities of a king?"
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku narrowed his eyes. A cold, dangerous glint flashed within them.
"He cannot be allowed to live."
Vice Admiral Tsuru turned to look at him, frowning slightly.
"Tsuru... the lesson I've learned from Ron is that even the smallest spark can turn into a raging wildfire. We cannot allow that to happen. Not even for Garp's grandson."
With that, Sengoku, clad in his 'Justice' coat, suddenly expanded. In an instant, his massive figure transformed into a towering, golden Buddha, radiating divine brilliance. Without hesitation, he raised a colossal palm and brought it crashing down toward Luffy below.
In that moment, time seemed to slow.
Sabo's pupils shrank.
Ace's eyes widened in horror.
Garp, watching from afar, felt his heart clench.
A powerful shockwave, imbued with Sengoku's full killing intent, descended upon Luffy with devastating force.
The air twisted violently as an earth-shattering explosion erupted. The ground within a hundred-meter radius crumbled instantly under the immense impact.
When the smoke and debris finally cleared...
A massive crater had formed in the battlefield.
And at its very center, Luffy lay motionless, his body covered in blood.
Ace's pupils contracted to a single point as he stared at the scene, his mind blank with shock.
No one had expected Sengoku to make such a sudden move against Straw Hat Luffy.
Even Ron, who had been using his Observation Haki to scan the battlefield, hadn't foreseen this outcome.
Sabo trembled with rage, his fists clenching tightly.
Zoro and Sanji, locked in their own battles, froze in place, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Ace, still bound to the execution platform, gritted his teeth so hard that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He had never felt so powerless in his entire life.
Garp roared, glaring at the golden Buddha form of Sengoku. "Why did you attack?!"
"He's a pirate, Garp!"
"But he's also my grandson!"
The golden Buddha-like Sengoku turned his head and stared coldly at Garp. "Get your priorities straight!"
Garp clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his teeth grinding in frustration.
"Oh my," Kizaru tilted his head slightly, looking over. "Is Straw Hat Luffy dead? After taking a direct hit from the Fleet Admiral... he must be, right?"
Then, he turned his gaze to Ron, who was standing not far away. "You seem to know him quite well, don't you?"
Ron, who had been watching Luffy, shifted his gaze back to Kizaru. His expression was emotionless as he coldly glanced at the admiral.
"Are you provoking me, Kizaru?"
Kizaru suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
Those eerie, ice-cold blue eyes... that monstrous killing intent emanating from Ron's body...
A sense of unease crept up his spine.
Without hesitation, Kizaru's body turned into particles of light as he attempted to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Ron had already predicted his movements. His left hand slowly lifted, fingers spread apart.
An invisible yet overwhelming force of gravity yanked Kizaru out of his flight. Despite his light-speed movement, he couldn't break free from its pull.
Realizing this, Kizaru's face finally showed a flicker of panic.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
A dazzling beam of golden light erupted from his palms, transforming into countless laser bullets that rained down toward Ron.
A black sphere materialized in front of him.
The golden laser beams collided with the black sphere...
And were instantly swallowed.
Kizaru's pupils contracted violently.
What the hell was that black ball?!
Why was it giving him such an intense sense of impending doom?!
It felt even more dangerous than the blood-red sword in Ron's hand!
"I need to get away from that thing... immediately!"
Kizaru's instincts screamed at him to retreat.
But that monstrous gravitational pull was still dragging him toward Ron—and that terrifying black sphere.
"Tch... I have no choice..."
Gritting his teeth, Kizaru spread his arms wide.
In that instant, Kizaru's entire body radiated blinding golden light, illuminating the battlefield like a second sun rising from the horizon.
The golden light wasn't just for show—countless beams of pure energy burst forth, raining down like a deadly solar storm.
Each beam was powerful enough to pierce through solid rock.
It was Kizaru's last-ditch effort.
But Ron merely gazed at him, expressionless.
His left eye shimmered.
A repelling force surged outward!
The countless golden beams were forcibly deflected, scattering in all directions like a cosmic explosion.
The ground of Marineford was instantly leveled, reduced by several meters.
Both elite Marines and pirates caught in the crossfire were shredded by the deflected beams, their bodies left in bloody, mangled states.
"...Damn it! Is Kizaru insane?!" Sengoku cursed furiously.
As the blinding golden light finally faded from the battlefield—
A massive crater was left in the center of the Marine headquarters.
Every single person around the world, watching through the video den-den mushi, held their breath.
From the depths of the crater, a tall, imposing figure emerged, step by step.
He carried a blood-red sword in his right hand.
And in his left hand—he clutched something.
He tossed it onto the ground with a dull thud.
It was Kizaru's severed head.
The entirety of Marineford fell into dead silence.
Even across the seas, those watching through the video den-den mushi were left frozen in shock.
"...Admiral Kizaru... is dead?!"