A small, white piece of paper fluttered down, only to instantly burst into flame.
"A-Ace..."
Luffy, still being carried on Ivankov's back, reached out a hand in a daze.
"Ace!"
"N-no, it can't be!"
"H-how is this possible?!"
"Fire Fist Ace... is dead!"
Pirates, Marines, and the Warlords, countless people watched the scene unfolding before their eyes.
Sizzle...
Sakazuki pulled out his magma arm, which was smoking heavily, remaining utterly indifferent and silent.
"Fire!"
At that moment, a burly man wearing square purple-framed tinted glasses stepped forward. He wore a brown and green striped drum-like helmet and ear defenders resembling headphones, carried two rocket launchers on his back, and held a large-caliber flintlock pistol in each hand. He began shooting at Sakazuki.
Bang, bang, bang, bang...
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
A group of pirates wielding firearms and cannons ferociously unleashed a torrent of bullets and shells at Sakazuki. The thunderous roar was incessant, and dust filled the air.
Intense gunfire and smoke enveloped Sakazuki's figure, immediately igniting the surrounding area.
"That's the price for attacking Ace!" a pirate shouted furiously. "How does that taste, Akainu!"
However, from the heart of the flames, a ravaged figure appeared before everyone's eyes. Sakazuki staggered out step by step, the massive, missing parts of his body replaced entirely by high-temperature magma.
"How can this be? Is he a demon?" a pirate cried out in horror.
His magma body healed rapidly. Sakazuki walked to Ace's side, looking at the pirate who was still faintly breathing, and said, "You still seem to have some life in you, Fire Fist Ace!"
Gurgle...
Sakazuki raised his already magma-transformed arm, preparing to deliver another fatal blow to Ace.
"Stop! Stop—"
Luffy, struggling on Ivankov's back, screamed in alarm.
"Fire Fist Ace... how could he?" Ivankov was filled with dread.
"Ace!"
Seeing Sakazuki's movement, Whitebeard could hold back no longer. He swung his fist, aiming to crush the Admiral.
Whoosh!
A laser beam instantly pierced Whitebeard's raised arm, the intense pain causing the power he had condensed in his limb to dissipate.
"Oh~ You actually let me hit you dead-on, Whitebeard!" Borsalino extended his index finger, drawling leisurely, "I won't let you get in the way, ne~"
Just as Sakazuki's fist was about to fall, a large, plump blue figure flashed by at high speed, intercepting Sakazuki.
Bang!
A visible, distorted ripple spread outward, and large amounts of magma splashed around.
"You won't lay another finger on him!"
Jinbe lifted his head, struggling to withstand Sakazuki's high-temperature magma fist.
"He's not dead yet, and he can still move! Did that fellow hold back?"
Sakazuki was somewhat surprised, but a glance at the bandages covering Jinbe's body made him scoff: "But, how much time can an injured man like you buy here? Jinbe. You're a former Warlord; you should know my power well!"
"If sacrificing myself can buy time, I'll be satisfied. I've long since put life and death out of my mind! Besides, you are also severely wounded; I can still buy a moment or two!" Jinbe's face was distorted. The excessive strain caused his wounds to burst open, and crimson blood began to seep out, staining his white bandages.
Rumble…
A violent explosion, like a volcanic eruption, sent intense air currents whipping all around.
"Huff... Huff..."
Jinbe gasped for breath, one of his hands already scorched by the high temperature.
"It seems necessary to deal with the traitor!" Sakazuki bled from the corner of his mouth, but still raised his magma arm and brought it down fiercely on Jinbe.
"Jinbe, duck! Death Wink!!!"
A familiar cry rang out. Jinbe quickly bent over, and an intense explosive gust of wind swept over them in an instant.
Boom! Boom!
Sakazuki's upper body exploded, his high-temperature magma scattering everywhere. The fierce impact force caused him to stagger several steps backward.
"Emporio Ivankov!" Sakazuki stared at the bizarre figure who had rushed to Jinbe's side.
"Thank you," Jinbe nodded to Ivankov beside him.
"Ace!"
"Hey... are you okay?"
"Ace, we have to treat you right away!"
Luffy struggled off Ivankov's back and immediately embraced Ace, feeling the bloodied hole in Ace's back. His hands were covered in blood, and his voice trembled. He was afraid.
"Sorry, Luffy."
"You fought so hard for me, yet in the end, I couldn't escape this fate."
"I'm sorry!"
Ace slumped weakly onto Luffy's shoulder. With blood oozing from his mouth and nose, he knew the final outcome.
In the distance, Aeridar floated in the air, his gaze complicated as he watched the scene. With that kind of injury, his internal organs were completely incinerated. Even if Trafalgar Law, the user of the Op-Op Fruit, were here now, there was no chance of saving Fire Fist Ace.
The only reason Ace still held a single breath was thanks to his robust physical constitution and the elemental transformation of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
After all, one does not possess the tenacious, superhuman regeneration of a Wolverine, nor does the world have a legendary Life-Life Fruit. Even on an operating table, are there not still countless people who die every year?
Doctors are people, even miracle doctors with special abilities are people, not gods!
To be honest, in his previous life, he had also admired Whitebeard, Ace, and the others. When he first arrived in this world and acquired the Impact-Impact Fruit, he had once fantasized about making grand entrances during the Paramount War, saving Whitebeard, saving Ace, and so on.
However, there is a gap between fantasy and reality. Adult society only considers interests. Whitebeard is the biggest obstacle to the coming of the new era, and the strongest force in the world is ultimately the World Government and the Navy. No matter how corrupt or dark they may be, inexplicably opposing them is inherently unwise.
As for Fire Fist Ace, everyone who appears in this world owes no one anything, and everyone must pay the price for the choices they make. His impulsiveness and recklessness created this result; no one is indispensable.
Because of his impulsiveness, whether to save him or to prevent his escape, too many people have already lost their lives in this colossal war.
After being saved, he should have obediently followed Whitebeard's orders and left. Instead, his renewed impulsiveness not only negated the efforts of the Whitebeard Pirates but also sealed the fate of more people.
Ultimately, he was a pirate, and no matter how generous, charismatic, or heroic he was, a pirate is still a pirate, an evil criminal in the eyes of many.
"Everyone must pay the price for their actions," Aeridar muttered, his expression complex. "And the magnitude of that price comes down to one's own strength. In the end, Fire Fist Ace was simply too weak."
"Even gods die, let alone men."
Sizzle...
The white paper burned down to nothing.
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