Journey to One Piece

243. They dreaded them

Akainu reluctantly withdrew his magma-hot hands from Ace, allowing them to cool down. He was seething with anger, his desire to tear Ken apart burning fiercely. While the World Government had placed a massive bounty on Ken due to his actions in Water 7, there was something more at play.

"You always talk about eliminating evil. I wonder if you'll survive beyond today," Ken remarked, and with those words, his body was drawn into his left eye, vanishing from sight.

"Garp... What in the world is happening? What kind of Devil Fruit did he consume?"

"I don't know. All I knew was that it had something to do with lightning. I have no idea what's going on."

"It's certainly not a Logia. His body can't even be affected by Haki. I've never witnessed anything like this before," Sengoku stated. The Navy was in disarray, and Sengoku was striving to find a logical explanation.

He chose not to dwell on the fact that Doflamingo had murdered his son and the fact that the general public now knew of it. At that moment he was really in a very bad emotional state to refute the words of Ken and saving himself from embarrassment. Dealing with the aftermath would come later. It wasn't the right time. Fortunately, Doflamingo hadn't departed yet, unlike Mihawk and Hancock. He could still be utilized. Another faction with a deep-seated resentment towards Luffy and his allies was Moria. His hatred for the Straw Hats eclipsed even the shocking revelations.

Kuma, now an android, remained at the scene. However, morale within the Marines had plummeted, with many actually buying into what Ken had spoken. Sengoku's failure to refute Ken's claims only solidified the pirate's words. The way Garp reacted further underscored Ken's credibility. Nevertheless, the immediate concern was facing the Whitebeard Pirates, given that news had arrived of Whitebeard's ship and crew vanishing from the New World. Everyone knew that Whitebeard cherished his family above all else.

Ken found himself once again on the Merry, which had ascended to an altitude so high that Marineford's eyes and even Haki couldn't reach them. The ship functioned as a miniature satellite, transmitting live feeds to the Revolutionary Army in Sabaody, which in turn relayed the information to the rest of the world. When Ken returned, the Straw Hats and the prisoners had already witnessed his discourse.

Their jaws dropped upon hearing his words in the live feed. He had openly insulted the World Government and then calmly walked away.

"What's up!" Ken greeted, noticing the wide-eyed stares of those around him.

"You were incredible!"

"You're my hero!"

"You're like a deity!"

Such words were thrown around liberally, but Ken merely shook his head. Even Jinbe was impressed by how Ken had faced the fury of the World Government head-on and then strolled away with composure.

"Whitebeard will be here soon. So you will have to get ready." Ken didn't bother with their worship and nor did Luffy. Luffy actually wanted to come with Ken when he had decided to act but somehow all the crew members stopped him and said it would be dangerous. At the end Luffy agreed.

As expected, Whitebeard eventually arrived at Marineford. Upon his arrival, Newgate was elated. The Revolutionary Army and Straw Hats had ensured an upgraded live stream, broadcasting the entire Ken and Sengoku saga to them. Thanks to excellent logistics managed by Sabo, who, like Ken, seemed to be everywhere at once, word reached Whitebeard swiftly.

This was why he had been absent since his departure from Thriller Bark. Now that Whitebeard was on the scene, his laughter resonated with joy. When Ace was captured, he believed his world was collapsing, but now his brother had sprung a remarkable surprise.

Mocking Sengoku and neutralizing two formidable Shichibukai were brilliant tactics. Even the current Shichibukai weren't exactly aligned with the World Government, and beyond that, Ken had struck a heavy blow to the Navy's morale. That was ample achievement in itself.

"Hahahah... Sengoku, you're truly a letdown. I once thought we were equals. What a mistake that was," Whitebeard declared as he gradually rose with his Murakumogiri atop the bow of the Moby Dick.

"You'd better hold your tongue, or I'll end your son's life right here. Your fabricated story to manipulate everyone holds no weight," Sengoku retorted with a roar.

"Sengoku... You and I have clashed on a few occasions, and we both know who spoke the truth. Try laying a hand on my son and witness the Straw Hats' retaliation. Ace always held his brothers in high regard, and I see why now. You've done well by dubbing him the Punisher. He's a Punisher, but for the Marines. Hahahaha..." Whitebeard responded before launching his initial attack.

Employing his signature technique of cracking the air with his punch, he triggered a massive earthquake, unleashing a subsequent tsunami. Sengoku utilized the microphone to disclose the nature of Whitebeard's Devil Fruit power and proclaim him as the world's most dangerous man.

As per the original events, Aokiji intervened, freezing the sea. This led to the freezing of the ocean beneath and provided a neutral battleground for others to stand on. With the battle initiated, the Marines understood this was just the beginning, fully expecting the Straw Hats to arrive shortly.

As anticipated, a sizable circular orange portal materialized, and numerous figures emerged. Initially, it was the Straw Hat crew, each adorned in attire designed for battle, capable of withstanding prolonged combat and resisting certain attacks. Among the Straw Hats, two were conspicuously absent.

Nico Robin and Vivi were missing from the assembly. Their presence would have introduced too much uncertainty, and it was deemed best to keep them in reserve on the Merry. The second group consisted of the escapees from Impel Down, accompanied by Jinbe. Additionally, Sabo was present, the sole representative from the Revolutionary Army, his companions Koala and others absent from this engagement.

"ACEEEEE! We have come to save you." Luffy after landing shouted loudly from the bottom of his heart. The marines were not surprised by their arrival and were expecting them.

But mostly they dreaded them.