Super Card System

Chapter 581: Luffy Must Die

In the intelligence observations of the World Government and the Navy, Whitebeard’s health had always been a primary focus. Therefore, Sengoku was well aware that as Whitebeard’s illness gradually worsened and his body weakened, he had seldom taken action personally.

Most of the time, when faced with attacks directed at him, it was his sons who would step in to protect him.

However, this time, in the face of attacks from Crocodile and Mihawk, two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Whitebeard chose to take action himself!

What does this imply? It indicates that Whitebeard now has a strong fighting spirit, and his physical condition can support such actions!

This is quite an ominous message for the Navy…

After casually clashing with Mihawk, Whitebeard wore a mysterious smile on his face. However, there was one person who was not having it.

The blade aura that Whitebeard unleashed earlier flew out horizontally, and coincidentally, it passed right over Buggy’s body, slicing him in half. If it weren’t for the unique properties of the Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit), Buggy would have been killed on the spot!

So, once he regained his composure, Buggy broke out in a cold sweat. Turning his head, his upper body flew up to Whitebeard’s face, and he screamed hysterically, “Whitebeard! You did that on purpose, didn’t you!? Definitely on purpose!”

In reality, Buggy, who had been trying to escape the battlefield, got terrified once Whitebeard appeared.

As a former crew member on the Pirate King Roger’s ship, Buggy naturally recognized the Whitebeard. Back in the day, he and Shanks had even faced off against the Whitebeard, so he was very afraid that Whitebeard might recognize him. Buggy feared that if Whitebeard discovered him, he might kill him… After all, the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were once enemies.

However, the world works in mysterious ways. The more Buggy wanted to hide, the harder it became to stay hidden. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile on the battlefield, he was still affected by Whitebeard’s blade aura.

In his fear, Buggy assumed that Whitebeard had sharp eyes and had already spotted him. Overwhelmed by anxiety, he couldn’t help but reveal himself and shout at Whitebeard.

However, this scene was perceived quite differently by the prisoners who had escaped from Impel Down.

Whitebeard’s name resounded throughout the world. In the propaganda of the World Government and the Navy, Whitebeard was depicted as the most terrifying monster in the world. For those who had never seen the Whitebeard before, just the sight of him was enough to invoke fear.

Their thoughts could be summed up in one sentence: “That’s the Whitebeard…”

But Buggy dared to speak to Whitebeard in such a tone. Wasn’t he afraid of being killed?

It wasn’t just the prisoners who were shocked. Even the people watching this scene through the live broadcast found it incredibly unbelievable. They could see that Buggy seemed to be losing his temper at Whitebeard and cursing at him, and they guessed what his likely fate would be.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Whitebeard, upon seeing Buggy, was first taken aback, then smiled and said, “It’s you, the little red-nosed brat!”

“Who are you calling a red nose!? Who’s the red nose brat!?” Buggy was infuriated by this nickname and couldn’t help but shout at Whitebeard again.

Sometimes, Buggy really seemed like a foolish, simple-minded person. However, Whitebeard was in a good mood and didn’t take offense. He laughed and said, “So, you’ve come too. Are you here to take my head?”

But at this moment, Buggy finally came to his senses, remembering exactly what kind of person he was facing. He had no choice but to bluff, “Yes… that’s right! Prepare to die!”

Whitebeard understood well that Crocodile and Buggy were among those Ian had rescued from Impel Down. However, the true intentions of these pirate leaders were beyond Ian’s control, so Whitebeard didn’t mind Crocodile and Buggy’s disrespectful words. He said, “Taking my head is simple. But with so many Marines around, can you handle them? How about this: join us in driving back the Marines first, and then you all can challenge me!”

Everyone present, whether they were prisoners from Impel Down, pirates, or Marines, was shocked upon hearing this.

Whitebeard actually proposed an alliance with the Clown Buggy!?

As they processed this, everyone couldn’t help but gasp.

Sure enough! The Clown Buggy was indeed, like Black Dragon Ian, a hidden mastermind, a boss-level figure… The Navy’s classification of him as one of the masterminds behind the Impel Down riot was indeed correct!

Seeing an old acquaintance, Whitebeard couldn’t help but joke around with Buggy, but little did he know that such words would instantly elevate Buggy’s status!

Ian watched the scene unfold, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. This situation was somewhat similar to what he had imagined. It perfectly matched his expectations. The public exchange between Whitebeard and Buggy would significantly elevate the Navy’s assessment of Buggy’s threat. After the war, they might extend a Warlord invitation to Buggy, just as they had done with him.

If Buggy could successfully secure a seat among the Seven Warlords, Ian’s plan would be complete. So, he just smiled and watched, pleased with the turn of events.

With Whitebeard having dealt with Buggy and Crocodile, the troublemakers among the pirates were temporarily subdued. Whitebeard then swung his naginata and pointed its tip at Sengoku and Garp, saying, “Sengoku! Do you still want to fight?”

“Whoa!!” As Whitebeard’s words fell, the pirates erupted in a cheer, their morale soaring.

Sengoku gritted his teeth as he looked at Whitebeard. He had returned to his normal human form, with his Fleet Admiral uniform already torn apart, revealing his strong, muscular upper body, marked with scars from battles past.

He exchanged a glance with Garp, who smiled slightly and clenched his fist, saying, “Let’s go. Consider this the final act for us old men…”

With that, Sengoku let out a loud shout and transformed back into his Buddha form. Garp squatted down, his bulging muscles tearing his clothes apart, and his fists were covered in deep black Armament Haki.

Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed from the side and remarked, “Men…”

Though they didn’t respond to Whitebeard’s words, Sengoku and Garp’s actions spoke for themselves!

The war had reached a point where the Navy could not back down, and they certainly wouldn’t retreat just because of Whitebeard’s presence.

Seeing Sengoku and Garp charging directly at Whitebeard, the Navy gritted their teeth and roared as they renewed their attack on the pirates. The battlefield, which had been clearly divided due to Whitebeard’s appearance, became chaotic once again.

Both sides instinctively charged at the enemies they had been fighting before. Enel sent a thunder dragon roaring towards Kizaru, while Aokiji used his power to conjure an ice saber, slashing it at Fujitora.

Only Akainu deviated from this pattern. Instead of going after Marco, he scanned the crowd, then leaped in a different direction.

“Damn it! No!” Ace saw the direction Akainu was heading and shouted, “Luffy! Watch out!” He dashed in that direction as well.

Ian also realized Akainu’s target, cursed under his breath, and followed Ace.

Akainu’s target was none other than the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, who was mixed in with the crowd!

Whitebeard had made a triumphant return, in peak condition, and Akainu saw this as well. He wasn’t sure how this war would ultimately end, but considering the huge sacrifices already made, a total defeat would be a devastating blow to the Navy’s reputation. Therefore, Akainu decided that no matter the outcome of the war, he would ensure the Navy recouped some of its losses.

And that “recoup” was the son of the Revolutionary Dragon, Monkey D. Luffy!

The lower half of Akainu’s body transformed into flowing magma as he surged toward Luffy. His massive fist, wreathed in thick smoke, aimed straight for Luffy.

Luffy, unaware of Akainu’s fearsome power, stood there foolishly with his fists raised, ready to face the attack.

Luffy didn’t understand the danger, but Ace did! In a desperate leap, Ace kicked Luffy in the face, sending him flying to the side.

Akainu’s fist missed its target but scorched Ace’s lower leg. Because Ace hadn’t transformed into his elemental form to land the kick, he was injured, letting out a cry of pain as he fell down.

Ace was also one of Akainu’s primary targets. Without hesitation, Akainu didn’t withdraw his fist. Instead, his other fist transformed into a ferocious magma hound, its jaws wide open, lunging towards the fallen Ace.

At that moment, Ian arrived. Grabbing the back of Ace’s neck, he yanked him backward, then spun around, his foot engulfed in black flames, and kicked the magma hound’s head.

Boom! The dark red magma and black flames scattered in all directions, deflecting Akainu’s attack. After landing, Ian pointed backward without looking and said to Luffy, “Get to the rear! You’re not his match!”

“No!” Luffy shouted, his anger rising upon seeing Ace hurt because of him. “I’m going to knock him out!”

“Shut up! He’s a Navy Admiral!” Ian retorted coldly. “Can’t you see? He wants to kill you! Get out of the way! Now is not the time to show off!”

“Luffyy, he’s right!” Ace also stood up, moving his hat to the back of his neck. “You’re no match for him. Let us handle this!”

“Oh… oh!” Seeing the serious expressions on Ian and Ace’s faces, Luffy finally understood. Though often carefree, he wasn’t foolish. He turned and ran.

However, at that moment, Akainu shouted loudly, “Stop him! Straw Hat Luffy is the son of Revolutionary Dragon! He must die!!”