Chapter 152: Saint Saturn Has Arrived! Execution!

Sengoku watched as Doflamingo fled, head ducked, desperately evading Hawkeye's relentless black blade strikes.

Doflamingo—the very man who had disrupted the internal stability of the Shichibukai—had become the scapegoat. The rest of the Shichibukai stood silently on the sidelines, and Sengoku felt a wave of numbness wash over him.

His grand plan—to risk everything, even his position as Marine Fleet Admiral, forcing the Shichibukai into action by threatening them with a Marine pursuit—had crumbled. And it had unraveled in the most absurd way possible: the Shichibukai turning on each other before the eyes of the entire world!

"Doflamingo, you bastard!" Sengoku gritted his teeth, his face contorted in anger.

Doflamingo, once a Celestial Dragon, had fallen from grace when his father renounced their noble status and left the Holy Land with their family. Even after returning to the Holy Land with his father's severed head, Doflamingo was denied his former status as a world noble and Celestial Dragon. 

However, even though he couldn't reclaim his title, Doflamingo still retained certain privileges. For instance, when he joined the Shichibukai, he did so by blackmailing the World Government—plundering the tribute of Heavenly Gold meant for the Celestial Dragons. Any other pirate would have faced an immediate, overwhelming response from the World Government. But because of Doflamingo's lineage, they were forced to negotiate, allowing him to join the Shichibukai and legally continue his plundering.

This Celestial Dragon bloodline allowed Doflamingo to act with impunity, exploiting his connections deep within the World Government. It was this same privilege that helped him become a kingpin in both the seas and the underworld.

Despite his fall from nobility, Doflamingo still carried an ingrained sense of superiority, rooted in his former status. That sense of entitlement, paired with his reckless disregard for others, had seeped into his very bones. Subconsciously, he always believed, "I am above the rules."

And in this battle, that deeply embedded mindset surfaced uncontrollably. Hawkeye, sensing Doflamingo's psychological vulnerability, consistently pushed the shadow of Ace into his mind, finally forcing Doflamingo to act rashly.

Under the immense pressure of the battlefield and overwhelmed by the fear of Ace's power, Doflamingo lashed out at Hawkeye in front of the entire world, his privileged mentality clouding his judgment. It was a trap, one he didn't see coming.

But Hawkeye isn't the type to engage in such convoluted schemes. As the world's greatest swordsman, his behavior, though not rash, is straightforward. He wouldn't go through the trouble of manipulating Doflamingo.

Which means this was someone else's design—someone who orchestrated the entire situation and exploited Doflamingo's psychological weakness.

In this sea, there is only one man who could pull off such a masterstroke.

"Red Hair Pirates… Ben Beckman," Sengoku gritted out, realizing the mastermind behind it all.

Ben Beckman, first mate of the Red-Haired Shanks, is a terrifying figure—someone whose strength is said to rival even the Emperor Shanks himself. But it's his intelligence that sets him apart, earning him the reputation of the smartest man on the seas.

Unlike Sengoku, whose wisdom was born from the power of the Buddha-Buddha Fruit, Ben Beckman's brilliance was natural—he was born with a mind that outstripped the ordinary. His strategies were demonic in their precision, and his ability to manipulate situations was unparalleled.

Even though the Red-Hair Pirates were currently clashing with Kaido, Beckman had already set his plans into motion here. 

He understood the self-serving nature of the Shichibukai. He knew they would not join forces with the Marines willingly to fight Ace. By manipulating Doflamingo's privileged mindset and forcing him to act recklessly, Beckman orchestrated this whole mess. Doflamingo's sudden attack gave the other Shichibukai the perfect excuse to abstain from the battle. 

Sengoku's entire plan, one that he had bet his career on, was falling apart, undone by Beckman's machinations. And now, Doflamingo was the scapegoat, shouldering the blame for the Shichibukai's internal discord.

It was a brutal, devastating blow—one that targeted not just the strategy, but human nature itself.

"Ben Beckman…you bastard," Sengoku muttered through gritted teeth.

Ace, observing the unraveling chaos, smiled faintly. The Shichibukai, whom Sengoku had so confidently pressured into action, were now paralyzed, unable to join the fray due to Doflamingo's actions.

"You… Are you working with the Red Hair Pirates?!" Sengoku shouted, his face pale with cold sweat as he stared at Ace.

"Who knows," Ace smirked. "Why don't you use the wisdom you gained from your Buddha devil Fruit to figure it out? But be careful—can you handle the consequences of what you find, Sengoku?"

Ace's eyes glowed like the dark, burning embers of the sun as he stared down Sengoku. The Marine Fleet Admiral, pressing his temples, began to experience the overbearing weight of his devil fruit's power—the very wisdom and clarity it provided was now becoming his burden. Overthinking and overextending himself, Sengoku was being poisoned by his own abilities.

As Ace watched, a grin spread across his face. 

"Welcome to the battle of wits, Sengoku."

"Since you've chosen to engage in a battle of wits with me, let's see how far you're willing to go. But in the end, you'll be waging a battle of wits against yourself~"

Sengoku, the ultimate strategist possessing the power, wisdom, and spirit of a Buddha. He was known across the seas as the Resourceful General, Buddha Sengoku.

Ace's eyes darkened, glowing like surging suns of deep crimson. "With every Devil Fruit comes a price," Ace thought, watching Sengoku carefully.

The greatest drawback of the Great Buddha form—was that when its user overextended their mental capacity while strategizing, the devil fruit's immense wisdom and spirit would begin to poison its wielder. The very intellect and clarity it granted could turn into a double-edged sword. Though the advantages of the devil fruit often outweigh its disadvantages, those weaknesses became fatal when exposed.

Ace observed Sengoku, whose golden radiance only grew more intense. His expression became more reckless as Ace's smirk widened, seeing Sengoku's full power take shape—the embodiment of the Buddha-like wisdom granted by his Devil Fruit.

"No… it's impossible for you to have direct contact with the Red Hair Pirates. Even if you could communicate with them via a Den Den Mushi," Sengoku murmured, grinding his teeth, "we Marines could easily intercept those signals. There's been no trace of communication between you and the Red Hair Pirates."

Sengoku's gaze sharpened as he stared at Ace. "Then you're telling me… you and Ben Beckman set up this entire plan without any form of communication? Is this… some sort of mutual understanding between minds as sharp as yours?"

His voice was shaky, but Sengoku was starting to piece together the truth. "Of course, Ben Beckman's involvement makes sense—he's the most dangerous strategist on these seas. His experience as the Red-Haired Shanks' right hand and his extensive intelligence network are unparalleled. But you are different."

"All strategies rely on information gathering," Sengoku continued, his voice regaining strength. "Without intelligence, even the smartest demon can't plan effectively. You've only been at sea for a year, and you haven't even made it to the New World yet. How could you possibly know so much about Ben Beckman's operations, or the connection between the Red Hair Pirates and Hawkeye? And how could you be aware of the long-buried secrets of the God Valley incident and the Knights of God?!"

Sengoku's breath grew labored, the golden light surrounding him beginning to flicker. His Buddha-like wisdom had allowed him to analyze the overwhelming amount of data before him, but it was now exceeding his mental capacity.

Ace's quiet applause broke the silence. "Well done, Sengoku. Your analysis is excellent. But do you understand how I know all of this?"

Sengoku's head snapped up, sweat beading on his forehead. "A Devil Fruit… have you gained a power similar to the Time-Time Fruit, allowing you to travel through time and witness past events?" Sengoku's voice trembled with frustration. "No, that can't be it. Even if you could travel through time, it wouldn't explain how you know such well-guarded secrets. The past can't be changed, and the Time-Time Fruit only allows you to move forward."

He clutched his forehead, sensing the mystery of Portgas D. Ace growing ever thicker. It was as though a dense fog surrounded Ace, hiding the truth just beyond Sengoku's reach.

Ace grinned as he spoke softly, "As a reward for your effort, I'll give you the answer."

Sengoku's eyes widened, and he held his breath.

"Unfortunately," Ace's voice was calm and deliberate, "your analysis is wrong."

Sengoku's heart sank. Even with the wisdom and clarity granted by his Buddha form, Sengoku was still confined by his limited worldview. He was an indigenous man bound by the constraints of his own world, unable to see beyond it.

"You… you're telling me I'm wrong?" Sengoku gritted his teeth as a splitting headache overwhelmed him. A man with power like Ace's wouldn't lie about something so crucial. His analysis, as precise as it was, had indeed gone astray.

With the collapse of his plan to mobilize the Shichibukai, the Marines were left with little chance to stop the public execution of Ace.

Sengoku had hoped to uncover a dark secret about Ace—something that could be used as leverage. His original plan had been to trade Ace's secret in exchange for halting the execution. But now, even that last hope had crumbled.

"Buzz!"

The golden aura surrounding Sengoku flickered out as he reverted to his human form. Panting heavily, drenched in sweat, he struggled to maintain his composure.

"It seems you've accepted your defeat, Sengoku," Ace observed, his smile widening.

Sengoku clenched his jaw, his face contorted in frustration. He had played every card in his hand, but it was clear: Ace and Beckman had outmaneuvered him.

The full-scale assault the Marines had launched to prevent Ace's execution had failed.

Ace ignored him, his attention on the execution platform.

Because it was time.

After revealing the final memories of Saint Rosward, Ace knew it was time to make his next move.

"I pronounce the Rozwald family guilty of their crimes. The punishment is death!" His voice echoed across the battlefield.

"KRRAAAK!" "RRRRUMBLE!" "KRRAAAK!"

Conqueror's Haki spears roared above the terrified Celestial Dragons.

Sensing death closing in, the three Celestial Dragons crumbled, their fear and ugliness exposed for the world to see.

"Ziiing!"

Suddenly, a massive magic circle appeared above the execution platform, crackling with ominous black lightning.

"The Five Elders! Saint Saturn has arrived!" a voice boomed from distant Marine ships. "All military personnel below commodore rank, stand down! Anyone watching the broadcast who dares to gaze directly at Lord Saint Saturn will die!"

A cold smirk crossed Ace's face as he turned toward the trembling Rozwald family. "Did you really think I was playing a simple game of hostage rescue with you?"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three Conqueror's Haki spears descended, striking the Celestial Dragons. Blood flowers bloomed on the bodies of the three Celestial Dragons, making the entire world tremble in horror!