NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102: CHAPTER 102
As Sengoku finalized his strategy, he asked, "Has Fire Fist Ace been transported to Marineford?"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral," a vice admiral reported. "Ace has been successfully escorted from Impel Down to headquarters."
The officer hesitated before adding, "However, there are reports of a major riot at Impel Down. It seems intruders have broken in, and many prisoners have escaped."
Sengoku's expression darkened, his brows furrowing deeply. "What's the situation there?"
"The details are unclear," the vice admiral admitted. "We lost contact with the prison. The last report mentioned Warden Magellan personally moving to suppress the riot."
At the mention of Magellan, Sengoku's stern demeanor relaxed slightly. "With Magellan there, Impel Down remains the world's most secure prison. He won't let it fall, no matter the intruders."
Sengoku had no choice but to place his faith in Magellan. The Navy couldn't afford to divert resources to support Impel Down with the battle at Marineford imminent.
Meanwhile, within Impel Down...
The lower floors of the prison were in chaos. On the first three levels, prisoners had been released, and guards led by Vice Warden Hannyabal struggled to recapture them. The once-unbreakable undersea prison, standing tall for centuries, was now facing unprecedented turmoil.
Even when the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki had escaped, the chaos hadn't reached this level.
However, the anarchy was halted when the intruders reached Level 4—the Burning Hell. Standing at the entrance to the floor was a man who seemed more demon than human. His body radiated purple venom, and his cold, oppressive aura stopped the advancing prisoners in their tracks.
"Who's that?" Monkey D. Luffy shouted, fists clenched. "Get out of the way! I don't have time for this!"
Sabo placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, his expression serious. "That's Magellan, the warden of Impel Down. He's a monster. Be careful."
Ivankov, the flamboyant revolutionary, shivered. "Straw Hat Boy, don't be reckless! This guy's poison can kill with just a touch!"
Magellan's eyes narrowed as he addressed the group. "Straw Hat Luffy, Sabo of the Revolutionary Army, and Emporio Ivankov. I don't care how you got here. You're all criminals. And now, you'll die here. Hydra!"
Without hesitation, Magellan unleashed a massive torrent of venom, forming three gigantic serpents of toxic sludge. The air grew heavy with poisonous fumes as the hydras lunged toward the intruders.
"Move!" Ivankov shouted, dodging to the side.
Sabo leapt to the ceiling, avoiding the venomous attack, while Luffy ran wildly in circles, narrowly escaping the deadly streams.
The room filled with a toxic haze, and even Sabo began to feel lightheaded. "This guy is dangerous," he muttered, gritting his teeth. "He's overwhelming us."
"Damn it!" Luffy shouted, unable to contain his frustration. "We don't have time for this! Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
"Luffy, wait!" Sabo and Ivankov yelled, but it was too late.
Luffy's rubber arms stretched back before slamming into Magellan's torso. The force pushed Magellan back a step, but a sinister smile spread across his face.
"You fool," Magellan sneered. "Did you think brute strength alone would work against me?"
Magellan's venom instantly coated Luffy's hands, sending a searing pain through his body.
"Argh! My hands! They're burning!" Luffy screamed, writhing on the ground.
"I told you not to touch him!" Ivankov shouted, rushing to Luffy's side. "His entire body is covered in poison!"
"It's too late for that now," Sabo said from above. "Ivankov, can you help him?"
"I can, but it'll take time!" Ivankov replied, examining Luffy's deteriorating condition.
"Then I'll buy you that time," Sabo declared, determination burning in his eyes.
Sabo leapt from the ceiling, his hands glowing with Armament Haki as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack. "For Ace, for Luffy... I'll destroy this prison if I have to!"
"Dragon Claw Fist: Dragon's Breath!"
With a thunderous roar, Sabo's attack smashed into the stone floor, shaking the entire prison and sending debris flying. The impact created a massive crater, forcing Magellan to take a defensive stance.
"You revolutionary scum," Magellan growled, venomous energy radiating from his body. A massive purple dragon formed behind him as he shouted, "You think your ideals make you righteous? All you've done is cause chaos, toppling governments and leaving innocent civilians to suffer in the aftermath!"
Magellan's voice boomed with fury. "Your slogans won't bring peace! Your so-called justice is nothing but destruction! And now, for the chaos you've caused, you'll face Venom Demon: Hell's Judgment!"
The poisonous dragon roared as it surged toward Sabo, who stood his ground, ready to face Magellan's wrath.
Magellan's piercing words struck Sabo deeply, each one challenging the ideals of the Revolutionary Army.
"Can the Revolutionary Army truly change the world?"
Sabo couldn't answer. No one could—not even their leader, Monkey D. Dragon.
The Revolutionary Army had achieved notable victories by toppling corrupt regimes and empowering oppressed citizens to revolt. Yet compared to the sheer might of the World Government, they were vastly outmatched. The government's global influence, military power, and the Celestial Dragons' control over the Marines and Cipher Pol ensured their dominance.
Despite their successes, Sabo couldn't deny that their operations had only scratched the surface. They acted in the shadows, disrupting regimes one at a time. But overthrowing the World Government was an insurmountable goal—at least for now.
Magellan's venomous accusations echoed in his mind: "Is revolution worth the blood it spills? Can you truly build a new order without creating more suffering?"
Sabo didn't have answers. But he had belief—faith in his comrades, in their cause, and most of all, in his brother, Luffy.
"Luffy will become the Pirate King," Sabo thought, his resolve strengthening. "And when he does, the world will change. Just as Mr. Dragon believes in the Revolutionary Army, I believe in Luffy."
For now, he focused on surviving. Dodging Magellan's relentless poison attacks, Sabo moved with precision, using his sharp observation haki to predict and evade.
Magellan grew frustrated. His poison attacks had failed to land on Sabo, and his responsibilities weighed heavily on him. The chaos on the upper floors of Impel Down demanded his attention, and he couldn't afford to waste more time.
"Damn it!" Magellan cursed, his thoughts drifting to Shiliew, the bloodthirsty former Chief Warden of Impel Down. If Shiliew were still by his side, handling these intruders would have been far easier.
But Magellan had imprisoned Shiliew for his indiscriminate killing of prisoners. Now, he faced the consequences of that decision.
Meanwhile, Luffy lay on the ground, his body wracked with pain from Magellan's venom. Ivankov worked desperately, using the Horm-Horm Fruit to administer emergency treatment.
"Hang in there, Straw Boy!" Ivankov cried. "You've got to pull through for your brother!"
Time was running out.
Marineford: The Day of the Execution
The day of Fire Fist Ace's execution had arrived.
The skies were clear, the sun shining brightly. But the tension gripping the world was suffocating, a stark contrast to the tranquil weather.
The Navy had broadcast the event live, ensuring the world witnessed the culmination of their justice. Through the video-transmitted feed, citizens everywhere watched the scene unfold:
At Marineford's plaza, 100,000 elite marines stood assembled. Leading them were the Navy's finest vice admirals, including veterans like Doberman, Onigumo, and Momonga. Towering over them were the giant vice admirals, their massive forms like mountains of strength.
Behind them loomed the execution platform. On its first tier sat four of the Shichibukai—Boa Hancock, Bartholomew Kuma, Dracule Mihawk, and Donquixote Doflamingo. Missing was Blackbeard, who had stolen a naval warship to head to Impel Down for his own schemes.
Above them stood the Three Admirals—Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji—each an embodiment of the Navy's terrifying might.
At the very top stood Fleet Admiral Sengoku, overseeing the proceedings. Beside him knelt Portgas D. Ace, head bowed and shackled in seastone.
Sengoku stepped forward, speaking with a voice that carried authority and gravity. "Ace. Do you understand why you're here?"
Ace looked up, his expression defiant. "Because I'm Whitebeard's son."
"No," Sengoku corrected, his voice rising as he picked up a loudspeaker Den Den Mushi. "It is far more than that. Let the world know the truth!"
Turning to the crowd, Sengoku declared, "Portgas D. Ace is the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! The blood of the Pirate King flows through his veins!"
The words hit like a thunderclap, shocking not just the marines but the entire world.
At Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, the broadcast played on the transponder snail monitor.
"Roger has a son?" Shakky murmured, glancing at Silvers Rayleigh.
Rayleigh, Roger's former first mate, froze for a moment, his expression betraying a mix of surprise and pain. "So, he had a son after all..."
"Did you know?" Shakky asked.
Rayleigh shook his head, taking a swig of sake. "No. This is the first I've heard of it. Roger must have hidden it to protect the child. But now, it's all been revealed."
"Are you going to save him?" Shakky inquired.
Rayleigh sighed. "It's too late. Besides, I'm not the man I once was. I could barely keep up with Kizaru the last time."
A somber silence filled the room as they continued watching.
Back at Marineford, Sengoku's revelation explained everything. The Navy's desperation to execute Ace publicly, even at the cost of provoking Whitebeard, now made sense.
Twenty-two years ago, Roger's execution had sparked the Great Pirate Era. Today, the Navy sought to end that era by eradicating Roger's bloodline.
The battle for the future of the world was about to begin.
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