Chapter 331

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Just as the battle on the ground reached a fever pitch, a new wave of warships stormed Marinford's harbor, unleashing a devastating bombardment upon the main plaza. They fired indiscriminately, not caring if their cannons struck Marine or pirate.

There was no doubt who had sent them. This was the will of the World Government. Rather than risk the pirates breaking their containment, it was simpler to obliterate them all with overwhelming firepower. And the elite Marines caught in the crossfire? They were acceptable losses. As long as the Whitebeard Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates were buried here, only one voice of authority would remain on the seas. A world conscription could easily replace the dead.

The order from the Five Elders to this fleet was simple and absolute:

Indiscriminate Annihilation.

To ensure nothing was left to chance, a dozen more warships were stationed at the mouth of Crescent Bay, cutting off any possibility of escape.

The Sunshine Merry, hovering in the sky, was now a primary target, bracketed by artillery fire. Down on the battlefield, Merry herself, the ship's spirit, was being relentlessly pursued by government agents. The war had reached a point where even the Marines were now considered disposable pawns.

As the bombardment continued, a dawning horror spread through the Navy's ranks.

"They're trying to kill us, too!"

"Get to cover! Find somewhere to hide!"

Panic ripped through the battlefield. Amidst the chaos, one strange figure remained perfectly still. He stood unmoving, ignoring the shells that rained down around him, his eyes closed tightly. To a skilled observer, it was clear: this man was pushing his Observation Haki to its absolute limit, blanketing the entire battlefield.

Calm down. Panic won't solve anything.

Robin is protecting the Merry. Chopper and the ship's spirit are holding their own. Luffy, the Priest, Zoro… everyone is fighting with everything they have.

How can I just stand here and wait?

It's not enough. It's still not enough!

The figure took a deep, steadying breath, pushing his senses further, wider. He was searching for something—the one critical key that could break the stalemate.

I don't have a Devil Fruit. I'm not a master of close combat. I have no special, god-given talent.

But there has to be something. On a battlefield this vast, there has to be an opportunity.

An opportunity that… only a sniper can seize!

In that moment, Usopp's Observation Haki stretched to its breaking point, encompassing the entirety of Marinford. And he found it. The one, single chance to change everything.

He opened his eyes. Through the smoke, through the artillery fire, through the panicked crowds and the brutal combat inside the bay, his gaze locked onto Ace on the execution platform.

So, that's it. You're itching for a fight, too, aren't you?

In that moment of perfect clarity, Usopp had sensed one other person on the battlefield whose emotions mirrored his own: a desperate desire to fight, to help, to protect their friends.

Usopp tore off his broken mask and dropped to one knee, his silver-white Sniper Rifle already in position.

Thunder for speed. Water as the carrier. Wind to guide its path.

Shells exploded nearby, but he was oblivious, lost in his focus.

And the most important part…

A new power awakened within him, born from five long months of being Garp's personal punching bag. A flicker of strength he had only just begun to grasp.

Armament Haki: Imbue.

A single, specially crafted bullet rested in the chamber.

I only get one shot.

Usopp's breathing slowed, his heartbeat becoming a steady, rhythmic drum.

But this is something only I can do.

I am the greatest sniper in the world. One shot is all I need.

He gently squeezed the trigger.

"Sure Kill: Armed Wind Thunder!!"

The bullet flew, unnoticed in the storm of cannonballs and gunfire. It was this chaos that provided the perfect cover. The small projectile weaved through the maelstrom, dodged the shockwaves of titanic battles, and, as if guided by fate itself, struck Ace's Seastone handcuffs with pinpoint precision.

The water carrier in the bullet instantly enveloped the lock, and the lightning, charged with Haki, invaded its mechanism.

CLICK.

Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, "Fire Fist" Ace, was free.

FWOOM!

What began as a spark erupted into a roaring inferno. Ace was fire made manifest. He had endured for so long, and his patience had finally run out.

At the exact same moment, Sabo, having finally tamed the runaway power in his own body, also made his move.

Ace flashed into the air, raising his right hand. A vortex of spiraling flames gathered around him before coalescing into a colossal orb of fire in his palm, a miniature sun.

On the ground, Sabo charged forward. His hands, clad in the black sheen of Armament Haki and shaped into dragon's claws, swung in a vicious cross-slash, as if to tear open reality itself.

Together, the two brothers roared with one voice:

"GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER!"

"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!"

"Dragon's Claw Fist: Dragon's Breath!"

A sun and two ferocious, claw-shaped waves of destructive energy slammed into Admiral Akainu at the same instant. The resulting blast of burning air was so immense it threw the Admiral backward and forced every other combatant in the bay to a screeching halt.

It was only then that everyone saw him.

"ACE!"

Lying on the ground, beaten but not broken, Luffy burst into a wide, happy laugh.

"You haven't changed a bit, Luffy." Ace landed beside him, pretending to be annoyed as he naturally extended his right hand. "Always making a mess."

"And you never listen to a word your big brother tells you," Sabo added, joining them and extending his left hand, his expression mirroring Ace's. "Always trying to show off."

Luffy just looked up at them with a foolish, wonderful grin, reaching out his own hands to take theirs. They pulled him to his feet.

For a few precious seconds, the three of them stood together, the roar of cannon fire a distant echo. Then, they looked at each other and broke into joyous, unrestrained laughter.

"Hahahahaha!"

At that moment, on the war-torn fields of Marinford, the three sworn brothers of Mount Colubo… were finally reunited.