Chapter 243 : Retreat!

As Ace rose once more!

Flames roared across the sky, igniting hearts with fervor and emotion!

Countless onlookers, pirates of all stripes, and those who held Ace dear... all wept tears of joy!

Luffy... he did it!

The Whitebeard Pirates did it!

Through immense sacrifice and loss, they persevered!

Surrounded by a hundred thousand Navy forces, three admirals, and the Shichibukai, Ace was at last freed!

Water 7!

"Ace!!!"

In this moment, Luffy, typically solemn, gleamed with unbridled excitement for the first time!

His face aglow with the widest of grins!

No one cherishes Ace more than him, not even the Whitebeard Pirates...

Witnessing Ace's rescue stirred within him a joy that begged expression.

Nami, Robin, Sanji, Zoro, Usopp, and their comrades joined in laughter at the sight.

Their happiness for Luffy was genuine.

For Ace is not just anyone; he's the captain's brother who had taken care of him since childhood. Who wouldn't wish for his safe return?

...

The Whitebeard Pirates!

Boom!!!

Every member of the crew erupted in jubilation!

As that fiery beacon blazed anew...

Each and every one of them, without exception, felt a surge of excitement!

Some were even moved to tears.

Whitebeard sat in his customary seat, a wide grin stretching across his weathered face, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

The sound of his hearty laughter reverberated across the vast expanse of the sea, a testament to his joy.

Beside him, Ace joined in the laughter, a sense of relief washing over him. He knew, without a doubt, that it was Luffy who had come to his rescue.

"The lad I've watched grow since he was knee-high has finally come into his own," Whitebeard chuckled, a hint of pride coloring his words.

Meanwhile, at Navy Headquarters...

"What?"

"Ace was rescued?"

The incredulous outcry erupted simultaneously from Sengoku and Akainu, their disbelief palpable. How could Ace have been snatched from under the full force of their navy's onslaught?

It was a humiliating blow to their authority, a slap in the face to their prestigious institution.

Across the room, Aokiji and Kizaru shared the same bewildered expression, their eyes reflecting disbelief.

Only Garp, with a complex mix of emotions playing across his features, betrayed a flicker of surprise. Deep within him, however, there lingered a subtle sense of relief.

As Ace's grandfather, despite his allegiance to the navy, he couldn't bear to witness Ace's demise. And the fact that Luffy had intervened, ultimately saving Ace, was a bittersweet outcome that he couldn't help but acknowledge.

Garp gazed at the silhouettes of Ace and Luffy in the sky, his thoughts murmuring silently within him.

"Just flee, lad... Run as far as you can, and never set foot in Marineford again!"

...

Ace was rescued, a cause for celebration among countless individuals.

However...

The jubilant atmosphere didn't linger for long!

Ace's fiery onslaught swiftly overpowered numerous Marines!

Following a burst of cheers, the Whitebeard Pirates swiftly initiated plans for retreat.

Escape from Marineford!

Yet, how could the Navy stand idly by as they fled?

Under the immediate directives of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the three Admirals, the entire Navy mobilized to block their escape with all their might!

And this time... Whitebeard stood tall!

"Leave it to me," he declared.

"I am a relic of a bygone era. In this new world, there is no ship that can carry me!"

**********

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