Chapter 330

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

The war had spiraled far beyond Bai Ye's original designs. His strategy was never a protracted war of attrition; it was meant to be a swift, surgical strike.

Just as the Navy needed Ace chained to that execution platform, the pirates needed only to free him. The moment he was loose, the retreat could begin. The plan was simple: the Straw Hats would tie up the Marine forces below the rank of Rear Admiral. The Whitebeard commanders would engage the elite Vice-Admirals. The three Admirals themselves would be occupied by the top-tier fighters from both pirate crews.

All of this was designed to leave Ace's position on the platform relatively unguarded. This would create the perfect opening for an unrevealed Kuma and an unseen Sabo to swoop in, free Ace, and trigger the mass escape.

It was a solid plan, and it had started smoothly. But too many unforeseen variables had thrown it into chaos: the sudden appearance of Shiki the Golden Lion, the unexpected timing of Kizaru's arrival, and the World Government's own secret countermeasures. Now, after a cascade of coincidences and brutal clashes, the battlefield was locked in a bloody stalemate.

In the pocket of fighting closest to the execution platform, Admiral Akainu, the most destructive and relentless of the Navy's top trio, was a walking volcano. The steam rising from his magma-coated body seemed to hiss with his waning patience.

Opposite him, Luffy and Sabo were on their knees, chests heaving as they gasped for air. Even with Sabo's aid, the intense battle had taken its toll. Luffy's Gear Fourth had failed him minutes ago, and the Sky-Furnace Fire that Bai Ye had gifted him was now little more than a flicker.

Luffy bit down on another one of the Priest's pills, a jolt of energy surging through him. He forced himself to his feet and stood protectively in front of his brother.

"Luffy!" Sabo cried out, his voice raw.

"Let me handle this, Sabo," Luffy said, not looking back. He activated Gear Second, his gaze locked on Akainu. He could hear it in Sabo's ragged breaths—his brother was at his absolute limit.

It was true. Sabo's powerful Armament Haki gave him devastating offensive capabilities, but it offered little protection. Unlike Luffy's rubber body or Marco's mythical zoan physiology, Sabo was still human. Every glancing blow from Akainu's magma was a critical hit. And like Zoro and Sanji had discovered, the pills could mend the body, but they could do nothing for the agony that wracked the mind and spirit.

"Don't be a fool," Sabo rasped, sweat and blood mingling on his face. He reached out a trembling, bleeding arm. "I can't let my little brother stand in front of me." But his vision was already blurring; he could barely make out Luffy's form.

"It's because I'm your brother that I have to stand here!" Luffy roared, his fists clenched. "I already lost you once! I won't let it happen again!"

His voice thundered across the plaza. "You and Ace! I'll never let either of you die!"

"Gomu Gomu no... Jet Gatling!"

A storm of piston-like fists erupted toward Akainu, kicking up a massive cloud of smoke, dust, and shattered stone. Under the cover of the chaos, Luffy charged, using the attack to drive a wedge between the Admiral and his injured brother.

"LUFFY!" Sabo struggled to yell, but he could only watch as Luffy's form grew smaller in the distance. Tears of frustration and helplessness streamed down his face. He quickly regained his composure. He couldn't even stand, let alone help. He collapsed to the ground, pulled out the remaining pills Bai Ye had given him, and swallowed them all. As a violent surge of energy flooded his system, his eyes hardened with grim determination.

"Hmph. A pointless struggle." Akainu sneered at Luffy, who now stood alone before him. The boy's intent was obvious, but the Admiral didn't care.

"You, that Revolutionary, and Fire Fist," he growled, "you are all destined to die here today. You should have been prepared for that when you defied justice."

In his mind, the outcome was already decided. The advantage was his.

"That's a resolve I've had for a long time!" Luffy shouted back, his expression iron-clad. "But I will not die here! I'm going to save Ace! And we're all leaving this place together!" His voice grew louder, a declaration to the entire world. "I'm the man who will be King of the Pirates! I won't die before I see it through!"

"Gomu Gomu no... Jet Pistol!"

The heat radiating from Luffy's body intensified. He vanished, the ground cracking beneath his feet, and reappeared directly in front of Akainu, his Haki-coated fist aimed for the Admiral's chest.

"The Pirate King? Stop dreaming, brat!"

"Dark Hound!"

The magma dog on Akainu's right arm lunged, its fangs sinking deep into Luffy's left arm. The flesh sizzled and vaporized instantly; no blood flowed. Akainu raised his other fist, a molten meteor aimed directly at Luffy's head. "The fate of all pirates is to be erased by justice! Die!"

The magma fist crashed into Luffy's face. Even with his Haki, the impact was devastating. A spray of blood erupted from his mouth as his head snapped back.

But through the pain, Luffy's eyes burned brighter. He hadn't struggled against the magma hound's grip. He had let himself be caught.

"Entangle!"

His captured arm stretched, wrapping around Akainu's body like a rubber python, binding him tight. At the same time, his right fist, which had been gathering power, came hurtling forward. The nearly extinguished Sky-Furnace Fire roared back to life, burning hotter and more violently than ever before.

"My destiny," Luffy screamed, his face inches from the Admiral's, "is for me to decide!"

"Gomu Gomu no... Red Hawk!"

The explosive attack, fueled by rage, Haki, and unbreakable belief, slammed squarely into Akainu's face. The Admiral felt the blow not just in his body, but in his very soul. A mouthful of his own blood erupted from his throat. For the second time in this war, Admiral Akainu was the most grievously wounded of the Navy's three pillars.

But it still wasn't enough to defeat him.

As Akainu closed the distance again, Luffy, barely maintaining Gear Second, could only endure. The Admiral's relentless assault began anew, and soon, Luffy was soaked in his own blood. But even as his body failed him, he did not yield. He did not let Akainu get one step closer to Sabo. He had made a promise, and he would keep it even if it cost him his life.

"Luffy... Sabo... everyone..."

On the execution platform, Ace watched his friends and brothers fall, one by one, all for him. His tears fell like rain. Regret, guilt, and a desperate, burning helplessness consumed him. He hated the Seastone cuffs on his wrists with every fiber of his being. All he wanted was to fight beside them.

The deafening shouts of war raged on. The top-tier fighters—the Admirals, Bai Ye, and the others—all accelerated their attacks, desperate to end their own battles and intervene. Bai Ye, in particular, fought with a cold fury, wishing he could drive the three CP0 agents so deep into the earth they'd never be found again. Everywhere, the pirates fought with growing anxiety. The longer this dragged on, the worse their odds became.

Yet, amidst the battlefield's frantic desperation, there was one person whose status was completely at odds with the chaos around them.