Super Card System

Chapter 570: Ace's Demise (2 in 1)

Jozu’s arm now shimmered with a brilliant light, becoming extraordinarily hard. As a user of the Diamond Devil Fruit, this crystallization bore some resemblance to Kuzan’s ice crystals at first glance.

Called over by Marco, Jozu initially intended to free the frozen Little Oars Jr. However, upon his arrival, he witnessed Ace, encased in ice, battling with Kuzan. Without hesitation, Jozu charged directly at Kuzan.

Seizing this opportunity to send Kuzan flying, Jozu approached Ace. Plunging his hands into the ice below, cracks appeared on the icy ground. With a forceful tug, Jozu lifted the entire ice pillar encasing Ace!

Holding the ice pillar, Jozu hurled it into the sky behind him, shouting, “Marco! Catch!”

Although Jozu appeared to be a brute with his immense size, he was quite intelligent. He understood that as long as Ace wasn’t further affected by Kuzan’s cold, given some time, Ace could melt the ice and free himself with his flame abilities. The priority now was not to prolong the battle but to relocate Ace first!

Marco was flying in mid-air at this moment, seeing the ice pillar flying towards him. He quickly spread his arms to catch it.

However, at that moment, a dazzling light suddenly flashed in the corner of Marco’s eye. Simultaneously, Admiral Kizaru, who was sitting relaxedly in his chair, vanished in an instant!

Swish! Kizaru suddenly appeared in mid-air, hanging upside down with his heels shimmering with a dazzling light, preparing to kick the ice pillar containing Ace!

He’s actually launching a surprise attack!?

However, his speed couldn’t match Kizaru’s. It was too late. Kizaru’s light-speed kick hit the ice pillar Ace was encased in!

With a cracking sound, the immense force from Kizaru’s light-speed kick instantly shattered the ice. Then, Kizaru’s foot directly struck Ace within the shattered ice. Ace, like a falling meteor, plummeted from the sky!

Boom! A loud crash echoed as Ace crashed into a pirate ship, piercing a hole through its deck and plunging into the sea below.

“Aceeeee!!!”

Marco shouted anxiously, turning his head to fly towards Ace’s direction.

“Hey hey… how odd!” Kizaru scratched his head in mid-air. “I thought I could shatter him in one hit… Could it be because he wasn’t fully frozen?”

“Quick, save Ace!” After descending, Marco remembered he couldn’t swim and quickly ordered nearby pirates to jump in and rescue Ace.

Several pirates who could swim didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped off the ship. However, at that moment, another burst of light erupted from the sky above!

“Yasakani no Magatama!” (Comma Jewel of Eight Shaku)

How could Kizaru in the sky let Marco and the others rescue Ace so easily? He crossed his arms in front of his chest and then forcefully spread them apart. Countless light particles immediately shot out like bullets, attacking the sea surface below!

The light beam bullets descending from the sky covered a large area like a torrential rain. Marco was hit, but he was unharmed. However, the pirates who jumped into the water to rescue Ace were pierced through by several beams.

Not only them, but many pirates in the nearby area suffered heavy casualties.

“You bastard!” Marco roared angrily and engaged in a fierce battle with Kizaru in the sky.

First, it was Aokiji, and now it’s Kizaru. The appearance of two Admirals and their skirmish with the Whitebeard Pirate captains immediately made this the focal point of the entire battlefield.

Flower Sword Vista, Buffalo Atmos, and Curiel were fighting against the Vice Admirals nearby. Seeing the situation here, they immediately rushed over.

Similarly, the Vice Admirals began to converge towards this direction.

One side wanted to rescue the fallen Ace, while the other side was determined to stop them at all costs, escalating the situation on the scene instantly.

“Ace…” Garp saw Ace fall into the water from a distance, clenched his fists tightly, worried about Ace’s safety and angered by Kizaru’s sneak attack, unable to remain seated any longer.

However, he was suddenly held back by Sengoku, who shouted at him, “Garp! Understand your position!”

“I understand… I do…” Garp’s expression turned gloomy, and he sat back down despondently, but his clenched fists remained tight.

Although Sengoku’s order was to capture Portgas D. Ace, the situation had to be handled differently. If they couldn’t capture him, the Marines could also execute Ace directly.

The Whitebeard Pirates were anxious. They knew that the longer it took, the more dangerous it becomes for Ace. Drowning victims lose consciousness and die within ten minutes.

So, the pirates desperately jumped into the sea, swimming downwards, attempting to salvage Ace. However, the Marines fiercely obstructed them. Many Marines even jumped into the water, battling the pirates to delay their rescue efforts.

Most importantly, amidst the chaos, the exact location where Ace fell into the water became muddled. The pirate ship he had pierced with a hole had shifted position due to the waves and could no longer serve as a reference.

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Captain of the Eighth Division, Fish-Man Namur, also arrived. Being a Fish-Man, he wasn’t greatly disturbed and had been wandering in the sea, searching for Ace’s traces. However, he discovered several fierce sea beasts swimming nearby.

Namur was furious. These beasts had appeared just at this time to obstruct their vision!

Usually, Fish-Men have a benevolent attitude towards marine creatures. They don’t casually kill marine life. With their innate abilities, they can even communicate with gentle fish or sea creatures.

However, the anxious Namur’s usually hot-tempered nature flared up, and he reached out to attack these sea beasts.

Just as he was about to strike, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his arm.

Namur was startled, thinking it might be a Marine sneaking into the water. But when he turned around, his angry expression turned into surprise!

“Jinbe… big brother Jinbe!?”

At some point, the knight of the sea Jinbe had appeared underwater. More importantly, he was cradling the unconscious Ace in his arms.

This surprise was so sudden that Namur was momentarily stunned.

“Take Ace and get out of here!” Jinbe handed Ace over to Namur and said, “The Marines are after him. You can’t just approach them like this!”

“Ah… Understood!” Namur nodded. Fish-Men can speak underwater. As he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked Jinbe, “Big brother Jinbe, you’re here, so does that mean… Ian is here too?”

Namur knew Ian. All the captains had drunk with Ian before.

“Ian? He’s probably looking for his old man right now…” Jinbe smiled and waved, “Hurry, Ace’s situation can’t wait.”

Namur didn’t say anything more. Holding Ace, he moved away from the battlefield, seemingly planning to take Ace back to the island for treatment.

Jinbe continued to stay underwater, watching the battle above. Even though he couldn’t see clearly, he knew that the Whitebeard Pirates were currently at a disadvantage…

“Watch closely, Ian…” Jinbe muttered to himself, “The moment you heal the old man will be the moment we counterattack…”

Since Namur hadn’t told anyone and had moved away, as time passed on the surface of the sea, the morale of the Whitebeard Pirates sank to its lowest. Ace hadn’t been rescued for so long; there was a high possibility that he had drowned!

“Ace!!”

A more pessimistic pirate couldn’t hold back his tears and shouted.

On the contrary, the Marines were elated!

“Fire Fist Ace has drowned!”

“Second Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates is dead!”

The Marine soldiers cheered. This was the first achievement they had gained since the start of the battle, and it was against a prominent figure from the Whitebeard Pirates. This significantly boosted their morale.

Hearing these shouts, Diamond Jozu, who was battling Aokiji, was momentarily distracted and got frozen by Aokiji. The same happened to Marco, who was struck by Kizaru’s kick and plummeted down.

At the same time, Sengoku received the report. Although they hadn’t seen Ace’s body, considering the time he had been in the water without being rescued, the chances of survival for a devil fruit user were slim.

Sengoku sighed. Although they failed to capture Ace, their original plan had always been to kill him. So, for him, this outcome wasn’t any different. Ending the bloodline of the Pirate King was a good thing, no matter what.

As for Ian’s appearance, as long as they could quickly defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, even if he appeared, it wouldn’t make a difference.

Therefore, after some consideration, Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi and made a broadcast to the entire fleet.

“In this war against the Whitebeard Pirates, we have two primary targets. One is Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, and the other is Fire Fist Ace!”

“Perhaps some of you may find this puzzling, why Ace is listed as a target second only to Whitebeard. Let me tell you why!”

“Fire Fist Ace, his biological father is the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!”

Not only were the Marines stunned, but even many pirates who heard the broadcast were left dumbfounded at that moment!

The son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!?

People from all over the world, hearing this through the Den Den Mushi screen, were equally shocked.

Cold sweat unconsciously dripped from their foreheads…

“The… the sinful bloodline, it still exists in this world!?” A journalist trembled, stammering as he spoke.

This was almost the unanimous thought of the common people in this world. Under the propaganda of the World Government, Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, had been portrayed as the epitome of evil. The shadow he cast upon the world was massive.

However, just as people were panicking, they heard Sengoku continue on the screen: “However, just now, Fire Fist Ace was struck down into the sea and has drowned! The bloodline of the Pirate King has finally been severed at this moment!”

“Is it… is it true!?”

“Ace drowned!? No, I don’t believe it! It can’t be true!”

“Great, well done Marines! You did an excellent job!”

People’s reactions to Sengoku’s words varied greatly. Those civilians watching the broadcast were ecstatic upon hearing this news, with some even shedding tears of joy.

However, the scattered pirates on the battlefield were in disbelief, thinking they had misheard.

“Is this really good?” Aokiji listened to Sengoku’s broadcast, showing no expression on his face but inwardly pondering, “Announcing Ace’s death so hastily, what if he hasn’t died and reappears? Fleet Admiral Sengoku shouldn’t make such mistakes…”

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard Sengoku shout loudly on the broadcast: “Fire Fist Ace is dead, Whitebeard is critically injured and unable to appear! In this war, the Marines will be victorious! I declare, the final assault begins! Charge towards the Edd War Island reef and seize Whitebeard’s head! The Marines will end the era of the Whitebeard!!”

“Ooaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Following Sengoku’s impassioned words, a deafening cheer erupted from every Marine ship, the cheers intertwining to form a massive resonance!

“The Marines will emerge victorious!!! Justice will prevail!!!”

The morale of the Marine soldiers reached an unprecedented peak at this moment. Utilizing the yet-to-be-confirmed news of “Ace’s death,” Sengoku successfully inspired all the Marine soldiers!

In contrast, the morale of the pirate side plummeted to its lowest point at this moment.

Whether they were Marine soldiers or officers, they fought valiantly, risking their lives. They knocked down pirates one after another on their ships, regained control of their vessels, and then, shouting loudly, steered their ships towards the Edd War island reef.

Compared to the energized Marine soldiers, the pirates were in full retreat. Their ships were destroyed by the warships’ cannons, and their crew either plunged into the sea or were captured outright.

With Ace dead, their spirit for the fight was shattered. Now that the Marines’ final assault had begun, should they retreat to protect their Captain?

With these thoughts in mind, the plight of the pirates was evident, retreating continuously towards the Edd War island reef group.

“Hehehe!” Moria watched this scene and couldn’t help but sneer, saying, “Indeed, Sengoku, the strategic genius. With just a few words, he disrupted Whitebeard’s breakout plan. Now, the Whitebeard Pirates are trapped!”

Doflamingo, although laughing sinisterly, was biting his nails lightly, his thoughts unclear.

“Ian-san… haven’t you arrived yet?” Boa Hancock wore a worried expression.

“…” Mihawk sat expressionlessly on his coffin ship, silently watching the two sides engaged in combat.

Bartholomew Kuma stood on the deck of a warship, holding a book in his hands, with two rows of pacifistas behind him, identical to him in appearance…

“Inform Aokiji to blockade the entire sea after we land. We can’t let the Whitebeard Pirates have a chance to escape!” Sengoku rolled up his sleeves, revealing his wrists and fists, seemingly preparing to join the battle.

Akainu, Sakazuki, also rose from his chair…

As the Marine’s final assault began, the Whitebeard Pirates and their ships were continuously forced to retreat towards the island reef group. As they approached the center of the reef, the water became increasingly shallow. Many ships had to be abandoned due to running aground, and the pirates onboard had to jump into the water. They fought against the pursuing Marines while retreating into deeper waters.

When only Marine ships remained on the periphery, Aokiji stretched out his hand over the sea, activating the Ice Age once again. This time, the range of his Ice Age was broader than ever before!

In the eyes of countless people and through the Den Den Mushi live broadcast, a vast expanse of white ice crystals covered the sea with Aokiji at its center. The ice spread continuously, first extending to the left and right, and when it reached a certain extent, it began to gradually surround the islands. From an aerial view, it looked like a gigantic bird with spread wings. The wings gradually rose, eventually converging at the tips!

With the Edd War island reef group at its center, a white ring finally formed. The frozen sea revealed numerous shipwrecks, and even some greedy sea creatures and sea kings that hadn’t escaped in time were all frozen!

The Marine ships were also frozen, but here they could no longer advance. They continued firing from their forward artillery positions. Soldiers jumped onto the frozen ground, forming formations under the cover of artillery fire, advancing towards the center of the island reef.

Having completed his blockade mission, Aokiji showed no signs of joy. Hands in his pockets, he looked up, somewhat puzzled, at the clouds over the island group.

“These clouds haven’t moved in a while…”

When he saw Ace pull out the life paper earlier, Aokiji only glanced at it. He didn’t see where the life paper was truly pointing. He vaguely remembered it pointing towards the island reef.

So, at this moment, although Aokiji suspected that Ian had arrived, he had no idea how Ian had come…

Shaking his head, Aokiji took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket to remind Sengoku of this matter and headed towards the island group.

Not long after he left, Jinbe emerged from the sea at the other end, looking quite relieved.

“That was close, I was almost frozen in the deep sea…”