Makino's Death!!!

As the war continued, tens of thousands of allied troops from various regions of Mary Geoise surged into the heart of the city, putting immense pressure on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.

It could be said—

As the elite forces of the allied army began to invade the inner regions of Mary Geoise, the advantage of the war was steadily shifting in their favor.

The reason for this shift in the battlefield was twofold. On the one hand, the allied army's top warriors perfectly held off the elite forces of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. On the other hand, the addition of scientific power from Vegapunk, Queen, and Judge gave the allied forces a massive advantage on the battlefield.

Moreover, Shirahoshi's use of giant Sea Kings to blockade many of the islands under the World Government's control prevented the government's allied nations from sending reinforcements to Mary Geoise.

The overwhelming manpower advantage the World Government was supposed to have was erased.

Instead, the allied forces, including the Revolutionary Army and parts of the Navy, had gained a slight numerical advantage.

At this moment, countless people were fighting fiercely within Mary Geoise, risking everything in the battle.

The blood of many dyed the stone bricks of the Holy Land red.

The sounds of battle, mixed with various cries, echoed above every street in the Holy Land.

In this war that would decide the future of the world, life was nothing more than cold numbers in this enormous meat grinder.

Meanwhile, in a hidden part of the Holy Land, flames shot into the sky.

"Prepare to retreat. The enemy reinforcements are growing," Sabo said, glancing at the ever-increasing number of CP0 members surrounding them, as he turned to Ace and Luffy.

"Why, Sabo? I can knock them all away!" Luffy, after sending a CP0 member flying with his Gum-Gum Rocket, looked at Sabo in confusion.

From Luffy's perspective, both Ace and Sabo were more than capable of handling these masked enemies. Even though he couldn't fight as effortlessly as them, he certainly wasn't a burden. So, he didn't understand why Sabo wanted to retreat.

"Luffy, you idiot! Sure, we're strong, but have you thought about the others?!" Sabo replied while fending off CP0's attacks.

At Sabo's words, Luffy finally noticed that the people being executed weren't just him, but also the villagers of Windmill Village and many others he didn't recognize. These people were just ordinary civilians. CP0, who Luffy thought he could handle, were terrifying beasts to them.

"I get it. I'll protect everyone," Luffy nodded seriously, showing that the tragedy Windmill Village had once suffered had taught him many things.

Sabo smiled widely at Luffy's response.

"Hey! You two, stop getting distracted during the fight! These guys aren't some pushovers!" Ace called out, using another fire fist to drive back an advancing CP0 member.

From the infiltration to the successful rescue of the hostages, they had already clashed with CP0 hundreds of times.

Even though the three were instinctively protecting the civilians, casualties still occurred.

Despite their formidable strength, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy weren't at the level where they could easily overpower their opponents. The energy from their fierce exchanges rippled outward, endangering the ordinary people nearby.

Even a stray fist-sized rock from the battle could easily claim a civilian's life.

In a fight between strong warriors, the lives of the weak were never truly in their own hands.

As the battle dragged on, Ace, despite frequently using his Flame-Flame Fruit powers, began to show signs of fatigue.

Though the CP0 were notorious for handling the World Government's dirtiest missions, their strength was undeniable. After adapting to the Flame-Flame Fruit's attacks, they even devised strategies to counter Ace.

As CP0 pressed their assault, Ace's fatigue became apparent.

Since Ace was the primary fighter among the three brothers, his being occupied only increased the pressure on Luffy and Sabo.

Realizing this, CP0 started targeting the civilians during their attacks, forcing the three to defend them, then exploiting that distraction to launch attacks on the trio.

In just a few seconds, all three were wounded.

"You're really intent on protecting those people, huh? I didn't expect the infamous pirate Fire Fist Ace to risk injury for ordinary people. It looks like some of those people mean a lot to you," the CP0 leader sneered, glancing at the terrified civilians in the distance, his eyes showing a hint of cruelty from behind his mask.

For them, methods didn't matter—only results did. As long as they achieved the desired outcome, no matter how dirty the means, it was justified.

"You—"

Before Ace could shout in rage, the whistling sound of a bullet tearing through the air interrupted him.

The bullet wasn't aimed at Ace, Sabo, or Luffy. Instead, it was targeting Makino, who was tending to the wounded among the civilians.

The CP0 shooter had chosen their target with ruthless precision. Their experience with dirty tasks had honed their ability to judge people's character, and someone like Makino, who chose to help others even in crisis, was the perfect trigger to infuriate Ace and the others.

But the shooter miscalculated one thing: Makino's importance to the three brothers was far greater than they could have imagined.

"No!" Sabo, realizing the shooter's intent, desperately rushed toward Makino, trying to intercept the bullet. Luffy also turned his head at Sabo's shout.

But it was too late. The bullet struck Makino's chest, leaving a gaping, bloody wound.

Time seemed to freeze. Makino's expression was one of disbelief.

Makino… Sister…

Luffy stared at the wound on Makino's body, his mouth agape, as if those few words weighed a thousand tons.

"Makino!"

"I'll kill you!"

Ace roared in fury, flames blazing as he charged toward CP0 in a frenzy.

Sabo rushed toward Makino, but CP0 blocked his way. Their objective of making them lose their composure had been achieved, and they weren't about to waste this opportunity.

Why, why, why... why did this happen?

Luffy, kneeling beside Makino, looked at the blood on his hands, questioning everything in his mind.

Boom!

Suddenly, in the midst of their battle, both Imu and Nicholas seemed to sense something. After putting some distance between themselves, they looked sharply toward the direction of Mary Geoise.

At the same time, Shanks and Dragon also appeared to sense it, turning their gazes toward a specific location in the Holy Land.

Something had happened...