Naruto: Copy System#639+640: The Summit War Begins, Ace Must Die

Aokiji’s Ice Age flash-froze the tsunami and the surrounding sea, but in the next instant, the ice shattered.

The Moby Dick crashed through the frozen debris, charging toward Marineford.

"Gurararara! Ace, Pops is here to save you!"

Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri, his naginata, and swung it toward Marineford. The single slash tore the ocean apart, the waters parting so completely that the seabed itself was visible for long, harrowing moments.

"POPS!!!!" Ace’s face lit up with joy. He thought he’d never see his father again.

Garp looked up at the Whitebeard Pirates, a flicker of hope in his eyes. He found himself actually wishing they would succeed in rescuing Ace. Everyone has a selfish side, even in the name of justice, personal feelings are hard to ignore.

"Ace, we'll get you out of there in a second!"

"Hahaha, the Marines can't stop us!"

Hearing the pirates' taunts, Sengoku’s face turned livid. To be so arrogant even here—they clearly had no respect for Marine Headquarters.

"Fire—" Akainu ordered the Marines, his voice devoid of emotion.

For this war, the Marines had prepared an arsenal of countless cannonballs. A full-scale bombardment began.

Shin's ship had just arrived, just in time to see the Marines open fire on the Whitebeard Pirates.

"The fighting's already started. Good thing we're not late," Shin said, sitting at the bow and watching the chaos unfold.

"Shin, who do you think will win?" Hancock asked, her curiosity piqued.

Shin shrugged. "That's a tough one. I can't say for sure who'll come out on top."

Neither side was weak.

Both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines were formidable forces.

Of course, in terms of pure combat strength, the Marines had the upper hand, but their side also had its share of slackers—like Garp, and that lazy bastard Kizaru.

Garp certainly wouldn't fight seriously. Even if he did, he'd hold back. Just like in the original story—if Garp hadn't pulled his punches, there was no way Luffy could have rescued Ace.

Ace had only died in the end because he threw his own life away. Otherwise, the sacrifice of Whitebeard would have been enough to save him.

In the original story, the Summit War was a complete failure for the Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard died, and so did Ace.

But now? Who knew? Shin couldn't predict the outcome. Everything depended on Whitebeard's performance. Just what kind of power could he unleash in his prime?

"SENGOKU, YOU ONLY KNOW HOW TO SCHEME! IF YOU'VE GOT THE GUTS, COME AFTER ME! WHAT KIND OF MAN GOES AFTER MY SON?" Whitebeard’s gaze was locked on Sengoku.

The slash Whitebeard had unleashed moments ago had been blocked—by Sengoku himself. After transforming into a giant golden Buddha, Sengoku’s shockwaves were nothing to scoff at. His strength might not match Whitebeard’s, but he could certainly block one of his attacks.

"Sengoku... Shin Uzumaki is here too," Tsuru suddenly reminded him.

A Marine had spotted Shin's arrival and immediately reported it to her.

Sengoku’s expression hardened. He hadn’t expected Shin to actually show up.

"What's he doing?"

"Nothing for now," Tsuru replied, shaking her head.

"That's good. Let's hope he stays out of it," Sengoku could only pray. If he decided to intervene, Sengoku couldn't stop him.

"Ignore him for now. Focus on Whitebeard. Something about him feels... different."

Sengoku stared at Whitebeard in the distance. Though he looked the same, the sense of threat he radiated had skyrocketed.

Whitebeard, receiving no answer from Sengoku, let his anger show. He leaped from his ship onto Marineford, his aura pressing down on every Marine present. He didn't use Conqueror's Haki—it was an indiscriminate attack that would knock out his own men as easily as the enemy. Shin, on the other hand, had mastered it to the point where he could avoid friendly fire.

Countless scars, large and small, crisscrossed Whitebeard's body—a testament to a lifetime of battle. The sight of them was enough to tell anyone that Whitebeard was a force of nature.

"<Great Eruption!>"

Seeing no one move against Whitebeard, Akainu attacked first, a fist of magma flying toward him. The molten rock could melt a steel warship. Even Whitebeard would be vaporized if he took a direct hit without defending himself.

Faced with the incoming magma, Whitebeard’s response was simple and direct—a single slash from his naginata.

He coated Murakumogiri in Armament Haki, but his was unique. While others' Haki manifested in black, red, or even purple, Whitebeard's was completely colorless. Most people couldn't even see it when he used it.

The blade sliced through the magma fist, forcing Akainu back. The sheer force of the blow sent a shockwave through the Admiral's body.

"Monstrous strength..." Akainu commented. He was usually the one called a monster, but after feeling Whitebeard’s terrifying power, he knew he was still a step below.

If this were like the original story, their strength would have been comparable, with an aging Whitebeard's power severely diminished.

But now, Whitebeard could practically crush him. Akainu alone stood no chance.

"I knew it. My gut was right. Whitebeard feels like he's back in his prime!!" Sengoku said grimly.

From the moment Whitebeard had effortlessly swatted Akainu aside, it was clear that his power was even greater than imagined.

Could the intel have been wrong?

——————

"Mama, should we help Papa now??" Weevil asked Miss Bakkin.

Hearing her son's question, Miss Bakkin’s expression froze.

Help Whitebeard? Not a chance. By the looks of things, the old man was finished.

Miss Bakkin did know Whitebeard—they'd even served on the same crew once. Weevil really was his son.

But given the circumstances, there was no way she would stand with him.

——————

Whitebeard had no time to spare for them. He was currently facing the combined assault of all three Admirals.

Together, they had managed to temporarily hold him back. But now, the Whitebeard Pirates’ ships had reached the shore, and their strongest fighters were disembarking.

"We have to help Pops!" Marco, wreathed in blue flames, charged towards the three Admirals surrounding Whitebeard.

Having eaten the Phoenix-Phoenix Fruit, Marco was fearless, charging straight through a barrage of attacks. He was hit several times, but it didn't seem to matter.

Any wounds he sustained healed in an instant. As long as he had stamina, Marco was as hard to kill as a cockroach—no, even more resilient.

<><><><><><><><>

"This is... not what I expected."

Shin watched the great war unfold, a look of surprise on his face. He had assumed it would be an even match, or that the Marines would have the advantage.

But the situation now was different. Though the Whitebeard Pirates were outnumbered, they were the ones gaining the upper hand.

Marco had gone to help Whitebeard but was sent away by the man himself. Whitebeard was now fighting all three Admirals alone. And not only was he holding his own, but he was actually suppressing them. It was an incredible sight.

"Looks like Whitebeard in his prime is a real force of nature..." Shin couldn't help but say.

"I'm almost tempted to join in," Hancock remarked, watching the battle.

"If you want to, go ahead."

Shin didn't mind. He was content to watch, but if Hancock wanted to fight, he wouldn't stop her.

"I think I'll pass," Hancock said, shaking her head. "I'd rather stay here with you."

Momousagi’s expression was complicated. She activated her Observation Haki, her focus entirely on her sister-figure, Tsuru.

Though they weren't blood relatives, Tsuru had always treated her better than a real sister. Momousagi had sworn to protect her, no matter what.

If Tsuru was in danger, she would act immediately. As for the other Marines... she was no longer one of them. After so long undercover, she had truly become a member of the Kuja Pirates and had no intention of returning.

——————

Hina watched the battle with a similar conflicted expression. She wanted to help the Marines, but one look at Shin, and she abandoned the thought.

"Hina is going to rest." She turned and went back to her cabin. Clearly, she couldn't bear to watch the Marines suffer while she stood by and did nothing.

"The pirates' advantage is only temporary. It's because they caught the Marines off guard. Once they recover, the Whitebeard Pirates will be the ones on the back foot," Olvia said, analyzing the battlefield.

With her Rumble-Rumble Fruit enhancing her Observation Haki, she had a clear overview of the entire situation.

"You're right. The Seven Warlords are just phoning it in. If they actually helped the Marines, the Whitebeard Pirates would be the ones losing ground," Shin nodded.

The Whitebeard Pirates' current advantage was entirely due to Whitebeard himself holding back the three Admirals single-handedly.

If they were free to act, the Whitebeard Pirates would suffer heavy losses.

The Admirals were all Logia users, and their greatest strength was their destructive power, especially over a wide area. Stronger pirates might be able to withstand their attacks, but the weaker ones would be wiped out.

But overall, the Marines had the advantage in numbers.

The Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals had now entered the fray—engaging the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders. Marco was being held back by two Vice Admirals, preventing him from doing anything else for the moment.

——————

"SAVE ACE!" Whitebeard shouted to his crew after knocking Kizaru back.

Their purpose in coming to Marineford wasn't to fight the Marines, but to save Ace. As long as they could do that, it would be their victory.

"Ace, we're coming for you!" A group of pirates charged towards the execution platform.

"THIS IS NO PLACE FOR YOU TO RUN RAMPANT!"

Sengoku roared, transforming into his Great Buddha Form.

A single shockwave sent the charging pirates flying, spitting up blood, their combat abilities gone. Some were even killed on the spot.

"Damn you, Sengoku!" Vista glared at Sengoku, his brothers having just been killed by the Fleet Admiral. He abandoned his fight with Doflamingo and charged towards Sengoku.

However, Vista was no match for him either.

Sengoku was old, even older than Whitebeard, but he showed no signs of slowing down. His strength hadn't diminished much.

Another shockwave, and Vista was severely injured.

"Vista, are you alright?"

Marco immediately abandoned his own fight and rushed to Vista's side, enveloping him in blue flames. Though the flames of regeneration had a weaker effect on others, they still helped speed up Vista's recovery.

"Jozu, you go save Ace! We'll hold them off!" Marco ordered.

Jozu had eaten the Diamond-Diamond Fruit, giving him incredible defense. He could withstand Sengoku's shockwave attacks.

"Garp, it's time for you to act..." Tsuru said to him. "The Five Elders are watching this battle."

Garp stood up with a sigh, then moved to block one of the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders.

He did nothing more.

With his strength, he could have fought the current Whitebeard and not been at a disadvantage, but he didn't. He just picked a commander and didn't even fight seriously.

——————

"Garp is deliberately holding back, isn't he?"

The Five Elders watched the battle through the Visual Den Den Mushi, their faces filled with anger.

"Hmph, it seems Garp wants to spend the rest of his life in Impel Down," Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro snorted.

"According to the reports, Shin Uzumaki is there as well. What are your thoughts?" Saint Jaygarcia Saturn asked the others.

"Since he hasn't acted yet, it means he doesn't want to. There's no need to anger him," Saint Shepherd Ju Peter said.

"Are we just going to wait for him to act? Even if he's not fighting now, when he does, it will be too late," Saint Marcus Mars said with a frown.

Shin Uzumaki, even just by being there, was a great threat.

"Send the order," Saint Topman Warcury said after a moment of thought, speaking to a CP agent. "Even if we can't wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates, we cannot let Ace escape. Ace must die."

Fire Fist Ace had to die. Not because he was the son of the Pirate King, but because this execution was for him. If he were allowed to live, this whole affair would become a joke.

To preserve their authority, Ace had to die. Even if they didn't kill Whitebeard, they had to kill Ace. If the Marines lost face, the pirates would only become more arrogant.

"If necessary, we may have to make a move ourselves..." Saint Jaygarcia Saturn Elder added.

Yes, if necessary, the Five Elders would not remain idle. This matter was gradually escalating beyond their control.