Chapter 277: Ace, Luffy vs Akainu
Beside the Revolutionary Army, Luffy stood on the bow deck of the pirate ship, watching Bob battle at the summit of the Red Line.
His eyes burned with intense fighting spirit.
Then, his gaze flicked towards the entrance of Mary Geoise, and he could hold back no longer.
He had come here this time to rescue the slaves imprisoned by the Celestial Dragons within Marie Geoise.
In the next moment, Luffy's aura surged violently.
A fierce wind howled around him, his black hair whipping wildly in the air.
"It's time for us to make our move!"
"Attack, Marie Geoise!"
Luffy's eyes sharpened, his brows furrowing tightly as he spoke to himself.
Behind him, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami immediately grew solemn upon hearing their captain's words.
"After watching for so long, we've been waiting for you to say that!" Zoro's eyes locked onto the entrance of Marie Geoise, his lips curling into a grin as overwhelming battle intent surged across his face.
"Gear Fourth-Bound Man!!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Luffy's aura skyrocketed to its peak as he instantly activated Gear Fourth.
Then, he stomped down, the sound of springs coiling echoing as a shockwave erupted across the deck.
Whoosh!!
Luffy's figure blurred as he shot straight towards Marie Geoise.
His crewmates unleashed their abilities too, charging towards the same direction.
"Straw Hat!"
"Count me in too!"
Not far from Luffy's pirate ship, Law of the Heart Pirates rested his sword on his shoulder and spoke calmly.
"Room!"
The moment he uttered the word, Law's figure vanished from the ship in a flash.
"A moment like this—I can't let just the two of you steal the spotlight!"
Kid of the Kid Pirates smirked devilishly as he glared at the World Government forces below on the Red Line.
He had been itching for a massacre since arriving here and now was the perfect opportunity.
Those worthless, utterly foolish Celestial Dragons would face judgment today.
"Magnetic Force Demon!"
With a low shout, the metal swords scattered across the ground suddenly trembled under an unseen force.
They flew towards Kid, instantly assembling into a mechanical demon crackling with purple magnetic lightning.
"Let's go!"
"Wipe out these Celestial Dragons lapdogs!"
Kid roared, driving the Magnetic Force Demon into the battlefield.
In an instant, Luffy, Kid, and Law—three pirates captain from the New World with bounties of 3 billion—plunged into the fray.
Their crews followed suit.
The flames of war between pirates and the World Government ignited at that moment.
Their goal was singular: break through the World Government's defenses, storm the critical entrance to Marie Geoise and reach its highest sanctum.
*****
Meanwhile, high above, Akainu's expression twisted upon hearing the pirates charging towards Marie Geoise.
"Damn it!"
"That bastard Kizaru!"
Akainu's face darkened as he watched Kizaru fighting with Dragon.
But there was no time to dwell on it now.
If these pirates breached Marie Geoise's entrance and infiltrated the holy land, the fate of the Celestial Dragons gathered inside would be nothing but death.
Without hesitation, Akainu pivoted midair and descended towards the pirates.
"Straw Hat Kid, I'll start by cutting you down first!" Akainu knew that among these people, only Luffy posed the greatest threat.
Eliminating this rising star who had shone so brightly in the New World here would leave even Garp with no choice but to remain silent.
"Pops!!"
"Let me go!"
Ace, seeing Luffy join the battlefield and become Akainu's target, spoke up.
Hearing this, Whitebeard nodded.
With Whitebeard's permission, Ace's aura surged violently, flames swirling around him.
Then, with a step on the deck, he vanished from the Moby Dick.
"Fire Fist!!"
With a shout, Ace shot towards Akainu like a blazing comet.
Crimson flames engulfed his body as his arm transformed into a massive fist of fire.
After the Summit War, his strength had grown tremendously over the two years.
"Ace!!"
Luffy, who had already charged onto the battlefield, shouted upon seeing Ace descend from the Whitebeard Pirates' ship.
But the next moment,
Akainu appeared right in front of him, his massive magma fist surging towards Luffy with killing intent.
Yet, faced with such a ferocious attack, Luffy showed no fear.
"King Kong Gun!"
Wrapping both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki around his arm, an explosive force erupted from his body.
With a roar, he clashed head-on with Akainu's magma fist.
BOOM!!
The shockwave reverberated in all directions as Luffy was sent flying like a cannonball, tumbling several times before finally stabilizing himself.
Meanwhile, Ace had reached Akainu's side, his Fire Fist mere moments from striking.
But Akainu, already sensing the attack from behind, swung his arm backward with brutal force.
Just then, a voice murmured softly—
"ROOM!"
Instantly, Ace's position swapped with that of a Marine soldier.
Akainu's magma fist pierced through the Marine's body, killing him instantly.
Showing no emotion at the Marine's death by his hand, Akainu flicked his wrist, reducing the corpse to ashes.
"King Gun Barrage!"
Regaining his footing, Luffy charged at Akainu without hesitation, while Ace, now repositioned, coordinated with him.
In an instant, the three were locked in a fierce battle.
Despite being a Fleet Admiral, Akainu found himself at no advantage against the two brothers.
"Worororo!"
"Now it's your turn to show your powers!"
"Let these World Government dogs see the might of the Beasts Pirates!"
Kaido laughed heartily as he watched the World Government forces and the rookie pirates descend into chaos.
These rookies alone stood no chance against them!
The World Government's elite forces weren't limited to just Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals—there were also the formidable fighters from Enies Lobby and Impel Down.
As his words faded,
"Yes, Governor!"
"Gladly, Kaido-sama!"
The Calamities responded to Kaido's call.
King and Jack grinned savagely, while Queen's expression soured.
But this was a critical moment in the battle.
Under Kaido's command, the Beasts Pirates surged into the heart of the Red Line's battlefield.
The revolutionaries and alliance members around Bob, under Shiki's manipulation, instantly surged towards the entrance of Marie Geoise.
In less than half a moment, the battle on both sides descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Bob stood with his eyes tightly shut, sensing the Five Elders who had vanished into space.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.