A tense silence crashed over the scene, shattered almost instantly by a furious roar from the admirals' platform. Sengoku, his face red with rage, veins bulging under his pristine uniform, bellowed at Teach: "What the hell does this mean, Blackbeard?! Explain yourself, you filthy wretch!"
Teach tilted his head toward the fleet admiral, a mocking grin splitting his face, but before he could get a word out, fresh chaos erupted in the bay. In the distance, Crocodile—his fur coat stained with blood and soot—sliced through the seastone chains binding Portgas D. Ace with a razor-sharp sand blade. Nearby, Luffy unleashed a blast of Conqueror's Haki, his primal scream—"ACEEEE!"—knocking out an entire row of vice admirals. The officers collapsed, foaming at the mouth, while the crowd of marines recoiled, terrified by the raw power of the straw-hatted pirate.
Ace, finally free, stumbled for a moment, his flickering flames reigniting around his fists. His eyes, bloodshot with rage and despair, locked onto Whitebeard's motionless body. Without a word, he bolted, charging across the cracked ice, his footsteps pounding like war drums. "FATHER!" he screamed, his voice cracking with emotion.
But his momentum was cut short. A glowing red shadow loomed into his path—Akainu, the magma-fisted admiral, his features twisted with molten fury. "You won't escape punishment, Portgas D. Ace!" he roared, hurling a blazing lava fist straight at Whitebeard's adopted son.
Luffy, spotting the danger, dove in without a second thought. "ACE, NO!" he yelled, his body stretching under Gear Second to intercept the blow. But Akainu was too fast, too strong. With a dismissive backhand, he sent Luffy flying, the kid crashing hard a dozen yards away with a sickening crunch, gasping for air.
Ace, unarmed and drained, didn't have time to react. Akainu's magma fist slammed down, pinning him to the ground in a burst of steam and blood. The ice melted beneath the heat, pooling into a smoking puddle around the flame-wreathed pirate. Akainu raised his other hand, poised for the killing blow. "Absolute justice always prevails," he growled, his magma dripping like an imminent death sentence.
On the platform, Garp took a step forward, fists clenched, his face contorted with unbearable pain. "Sakazuki!" he snarled, ready to leap. But Sengoku grabbed him with an iron grip, his eyes flashing. "Stay put, Garp! That's an order!"
Teach, watching it all unfold, let out a booming laugh. "Zehahaha!" He turned to Sengoku, that smug grin still plastered on his face. "I came to help you out, Fleet Admiral. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
Sengoku paled, his fists trembling with fury. "Are you mocking me, Teach?! You dare claim you're here for the Marines after everything you've done?"
Teach shrugged, his laughter fading into a raspy huff. "Either way, the stakes ain't worth it anymore now that the old man's dead." He turned slowly, his eyes landing on Ace, pinned beneath Akainu's looming threat. "Hey, Captain," he called out with fake camaraderie, a cruel smile stretching his lips.
Ace, his face twisted in pain and fury, spat a streak of blood onto the ice. "Teach… you… traitor!" he roared, his faltering flames struggling to flare up against the crushing weight of the magma.
Akainu, ignoring the exchange, raised his fist to finish it. "Goodbye, son of Roger," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. But before the strike could land, a blinding shockwave ripped through the bay, shoving the admiral back. Magma scattered in sizzling droplets, hissing as they hit the ice.
Mihawk stepped forward, Yoru in hand, a dark aura radiating from the blade. His golden eyes gleamed with cold resolve. "I've got a promise to keep," he declared, his voice cutting through the chaos like a final judgment.
Akainu, flung back several yards, rose with a growl, his uniform smoldering. "Mihawk!" he spat. "You still defy justice?"
The swordsman didn't spare him a glance. He walked steadily toward Ace. Teach, still flanked by his crew, watched with an intrigued smirk. "Zehahaha! You're a weird one, Hawk-Eyes." He crossed his arms, his tone turning syrupy. "Tell me… how about joining my crew? A guy like you, with a blade like that… we could do wonders together."
Mihawk stopped dead. Then, without a word, he turned and passed through Teach like he was nothing but a shadow. Teach flinched, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. Mihawk paused behind him, his low, razor-sharp voice slicing through the tense silence: "Say that again, and your tongue'll hit the ground before you know what's happening."
A murmur rippled through Blackbeard's crew. Van Augur adjusted his rifle, Catarina Devon snickered softly, but none dared move. Teach, after a stunned beat, burst into laughter again. "Zehahaha! You've got guts, Hawk! I like that!"
Mihawk ignored the taunt. He approached Ace, who was struggling to stand, propped up by a breathless but determined Luffy.
Mihawk stood still before Ace, Yoru resting lightly in his right hand, his golden gaze fixed on the young flame-wreathed pirate. Ace, leaning on a panting Luffy, clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with incandescent rage. Whitebeard's body, frozen in its defiant death pose, still seemed to loom over the scene, its heavy shadow stretching across Marineford's ravaged ice. Around them, Blackbeard's crew formed a menacing wall, their laughs and whispers echoing through the salt-and-blood-soaked air.
Suddenly, Ace let out a primal howl, flames erupting around him like an uncontrollable inferno. "YOU!" he roared, breaking free of Luffy's shaky grip to charge straight at the swordsman. His blazing fists tore through the air, aiming for the chest of the man who'd taken his adoptive father's life. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"
Mihawk didn't flinch. With a fluid, almost casual motion, he raised Yoru one-handed. The black blade blocked the attack with terrifying precision, deflecting the flames in a shower of sparks that scattered across the ice. Ace, carried by his momentum, swung again, but Mihawk sidestepped, his cloak swirling like a raven's wing. Yoru's edge grazed Ace's throat, stopping a hair's breadth from his skin—a silent warning.
"Don't make me regret keeping my promise," Mihawk said, his voice as cold and sharp as his sword's edge. His golden eyes bored into Ace's, a mix of challenge and caution. "Your father asked me to save you. Don't make that pointless."..
TO BE CONTINUED...
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