Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Celestial Dragons...Public Execution!

Sabaody Archipelago, inside the human trafficking auction.

"Yes, someone hurt the Celestial Dragons!"

"Run! The Marine Admiral is coming!"

In the stands, countless wealthy businessmen stared at the unconscious Charros in horror, fear seeping through the entire auction venue.

"Hey, that person is!"

Some pirates in the auction house looked at Ace in disbelief, sweat starting to bead on their foreheads.

"No doubt about it. It's the captain of the Entei Pirates with a bounty of over three billion beli, the fifth emperor of the sea, with a bounty of 1.18 billion beli, Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace!"

A pirate captain exclaimed angrily.

"Tsk, so this is the guy who has overshadowed our generation of pirates and within less than a year of going to sea, is now called the fifth emperor of the sea?"

Though cold sweat streamed down his forehead, a pirate captain still had a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

The first half of the Grand Line, a route leading to the final island, has seven magnetic routes. Pirates, dispersed along these routes, ultimately converge at the Sabaody Archipelago.

Pirates aiming for the New World must pass through the Sabaody Archipelago, get coated, dive into the deep sea, pass The Fish Men Island, and then reach the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.

Each year, new pirates set out, and after countless eliminations in the first half of the Grand Line, they gather at the Sabaody Archipelago.

The bounty, reflecting a pirate's threat level, serves as the most intuitive measure of their strength.

At the Sabaody Archipelago, pirates with bounties over 100 million beli are dubbed "Supernova."

Every "Supernova" that arrives at the Sabaody Archipelago becomes the center of attention.

Although this title makes them prime targets for the Marines, it also fuels the pirates' ambition. After all, they set out to find the ultimate treasure, ONE-PIECE! Achieving this would grant them wealth, prestige, and everything they desire.

But for the pirates gathered this time, all attention was stolen by one man: the fifth emperor of the sea, Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace!

While these pirates were still chasing the identity of 'Supernova,' Ace had become one of the Four Emperors of the New World, comparable to those who reign over the second half of the Grand Line like emperors.

Among the Entei Pirates, only one member had a bounty less than 100 million. The remaining seven had bounties exceeding 100 million, with three surpassing 300 million!

Ace himself carried a bounty of 1.18 billion beli. The total bounty for the entire crew exceeded a terrifying three billion beli!

Adding up the bounties of all pirates at the Sabaody Archipelago couldn't match the Entei Pirates.

Such a reputation made most pirates fear the Entei Pirates, but many others, with significant bounties, felt extreme dissatisfaction.

Why? Didn't he just invade the Enies Lobby and defeat five Marine Vice Admirals?

These top pirates hadn't even faced Marine Commodores and Rear Admirals. Though strong, they believed themselves on par with him. If he could kill Marine Vice Admirals, why couldn't they? Was he truly worthy of being called the fifth emperor?

These pirates, unaware of the vast gap between Heaven and Earth, harbored delusions of defeating Ace.

Ambitious "Supernovas" often targeted one of the Four Emperors upon entering the New World, hoping to gain unprecedented attention and reputation. Yet, despite such ambitions, the Four Emperors remained firmly entrenched in the New World.

The terrifying strength and prestige of the Four Emperors led many ambitious individuals to eye Portgas D. Ace, believing him an easier target.

"If we kill the Flame Emperor, we'll become famous worldwide," declared a captain of this generation's 'Supernova' pirate group, gripping his knife with a fierce look.

"Hmph, I don't believe someone from our generation can be much stronger than us," said another captain, transforming into a human-animal form, baring his fangs.

"If we attack together, the Flame Emperor might not withstand us," added another pirate captain with a bounty over 100 million beli.

Though seeking to defeat Ace for fame, these pirates weren't fools. They knew it was safer to strike together.

They exchanged nods, seizing the chance to kill the Flame Emperor and gain fame before the Marine Admiral arrived.

"Go! Kill Entei! Before the Marine Admiral arrives!" roared the Zoan-ability captain, leading the charge towards Ace.

"Tsk, Zoan's transformations make them brainless," muttered several pirate captains, following suit.

"We'll take your head, Flame Emperor!"

"Whizzing!"

Nearly ten notorious pirates with significant bounties rushed at Ace in front of the entire world.

"They are the 'supernovas' of this generation!"

"There are also some big pirates with bounties exceeding 80 million!"

"Are they going to attack the Flame Emperor?!"

Some pirates who didn't dare to take action exclaimed as they watched the captains rush toward Ace.

Ace, unfazed, didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Ditz!"

Accompanied by the terrifying thunder, a deafening roar echoed across the sky.

"Boom!"

"Ah!"

Screams erupted instantly.

To the shock of people worldwide, the notorious pirates who had braved countless hardships in the first half of the Grand Line to reach the Sabaody Archipelago were now reduced to charred remains in an instant by violent lightning, without even the slightest ability to resist.

"Whoosh!"

"Does a guy of this caliber want to challenge our captain?"

Nami landed gracefully on Ace's left side, twirling her weather stick, a proud smile playing on her pretty face.

"Yes, it's the navigator of the Entei Pirates, with a bounty of 500 million beli, the thunder fruit's ability user, the thieving cat Nami!!!" a pirate with a bounty of over 60 million shouted in fear.

In Cocosia Village, the villagers watched in awe.

"Nami!"

"It's Nami, she's so strong. Those are big pirates with bounties many times higher than Arlong's!"

"Nami's name has spread all over the world!"

"Today's toast!"

They laughed and celebrated, watching Nami's formidable display.

"Supernovas, they don't have the ability to resist at all, and they all died in one blow?" The pirates present felt cold sweat trickle down as they stared in disbelief at the once-mighty sky pirates reduced to ash.

"The difference, the gap, how could it be so big?!" muttered some pirate captains with high bounties, falling to the ground in shock.

Flame Emperor had not even taken action!

The navigator under his command had buried all the best pirates with a single strike.

"Is the sea really so vast?" muttered a captain of a pirate group, overwhelmed by the immense disparity in strength.

"I don't want to be a pirate anymore! Are all New World monsters like this?!" cried out many pirate captains, unable to accept this cruel reality, as they broke down emotionally and ran towards the auction house exit along with the terrified wealthy businessmen.

"You are very strong, this young lady," Fujitora said deeply, frowning slightly. His Observation Haki perceived that such an attack was no less than his own.

"Logia's Thunder Fruit? It hasn't appeared in the sea for a long time. Its power is truly amazing," Rayleigh remarked, smiling slightly. The sheer power of Nami's Devil Fruit ability rivaled that of an Admiral. A single casual blow showcased its devastating potential.

"Ace," Vivi called, her voice calm.

A gust of wind and sand filled the air as Vivi appeared on Ace's right side. She touched the ground with her right hand.

"Erosion of Reincarnation!"

"Buzz! Boom!"

The Sand-Sand Fruit's power was released instantly.

"Bang! Bang! Phew!"

The earth, walls, and buildings began to dry out and collapse rapidly. All moisture was absorbed, turning everything into sand.

"Bang! Huh!"

The majestic auction house, which had stood in Sabaody Archipelago GR-1 for many years, engaged in human trafficking, collapsed into sand in an instant.

The sand, under Vivi's control, turned all the escaping pirates and wealthy businessmen into piles of sand, leaving only their terrified faces visible.

"Yes, she is a combatant of the Entei Pirates, with a bounty of 350 million beli, a user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, the 'Desert Princess' Vivi!!!" a pirate captain, buried in the sand with only his face left, screamed in horror.

"Help! Help! Don't kill me! Woo!" cried a wealthy businessman, his face quickly buried in sand.

"If you disturb my captain, I will kill you," Vivi declared, her pretty face full of pride.

"Woo!" All the struggling pirates and wealthy businessmen immediately fell silent.

"Does the Sand-Sand Fruit from Crocodile have the ability to turn rocks and buildings into sand on a large scale?" Rayleigh mused, examining the drastically altered surroundings and the seemingly lifeless earth.

Such mastery of the Sand-Sand Fruit was only a step away from awakening. Though not as powerful as the Thunder Fruit, once awakened, it would be infinitely close to Admiral level. However, a strong person who could develop a Devil Fruit to the point of awakening would also naturally be adept at using Haki.

"Is she another one who is about to become an Admiral-level combatant?" Rayleigh wondered, looking at Vivi with curiosity and admiration.

No wonder the world government regarded the Entei Pirates as a group comparable to the Four Emperors even before they sailed to the New World. The combat power and potential of their core members were not at all inferior to that of the Red Hair Pirates.

Rayleigh's smiling face grew more solemn as he contemplated the implications.

"Princess Vivi!"

Jakaa, Pell, and Igaram looked at Vivi with intense excitement and relief.

"Vivi, you are very energetic," Kobra said, his eyes moistening as he gazed at his daughter's determined face.

"Are you crazy? Dare to attack us Celestial Dragons! A capital crime! An absolute capital crime!" Shalulia, now buried in the sand with only her face visible, screamed at Ace, her expression twisted with rage and fear.

"Buzz!"

The sand around Shalulia began to squirm, causing her to panic. The moisture in her body was being absorbed by the sand, and soon, she was too dehydrated to speak, teetering on the brink of death.

"You, you are..." Rozwald, also buried in the sand, looked at Ace with a mix of shock and anger.

"In the Holy Land of Mariejois, You released the Conqueror's Haki! Portgas D. Ace!" Rozwald gritted his teeth. As the head of the Rozwald family, he knew very well what had happened in the Holy Land. He had been one of the Celestial Dragons who had demanded that Marine arrest and enslave the person responsible for the mass comas, but the Five Elders had suppressed his demands.

Now, Portgas D. Ace had directly attacked the Rozwald family. What audacity!

"You, what do you want to do, Portgas D. Ace?" Rozwald demanded, looking at his family members who were either unconscious or dying from dehydration.

"What do I want to do?" Ace's lips curled into a slight smile as he raised his right hand slowly.

"Buzz!"

Under Vivi's control, the sand formed a high platform, slowly rising in front of the entire world.

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. This platform, this shape, was all too familiar. It was exactly like the execution platform in Logue Town where his old friend, Gol D. Roger, had been executed. Could Portgas D. Ace be planning...

"Asshole! Crazy, completely crazy! Portgas D. Ace!" Sengoku's face twisted in shock and anger as he watched the scene unfold. This man, did he really intend to publicly execute Celestial Dragons?

Rayleigh looked dazed, his eyes fixed on the execution platform. It was exactly the same as the one he would never forget. Seeing Ace use Conqueror's Haki to force the three Celestial Dragons onto the platform, Rayleigh could hardly believe what he was witnessing.

"Public execution!"

Ace's Haki-infused declaration resonated around the world. The targets of this unprecedented execution: three Celestial Dragons.

A Execution Like No Other.

An execution platform made entirely of sand stood ominously, but its shape and appearance were still fresh in the memory of countless people around the world. It was identical to the one where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been publicly executed in Logue Town, broadcast live to the entire world.

A figure of unparalleled Haki stood there—Portgas D. Ace, known as the fifth emperor of the sea, with a bounty of 1.18 billion beli, the Flame Emperor. At his feet were three of the world's true nobles, the Celestial Dragons, descendants of the world's creators, who enjoyed countless privileges. At this moment, these Celestial Dragons were forced to kneel before the whole world under the power of the Flame Emperor.

Ace, with Haki resonating in his voice, declared the same words once used by the Naval Headquarters to suppress the Pirate King:

"Public execution!"

The fifth emperor of the sea, the Flame Emperor, would publicly execute three Celestial Dragons!

A Madman's Declaration.

The world erupted into chaos. Madness! Complete madness! It had always been the world government that publicly executed the most heinous criminals. Now, this pirate, who had destroyed Enies Lobby and was deemed the most notorious pirate in recent years by the world government, was about to execute the descendants of the twenty kings who created the world government. This act was broadcast live to the entire world.

As the three Celestial Dragons, who once commanded immediate kneeling from ordinary people, were now forced to kneel before the world, waiting to be sentenced, the global reaction was explosive.

Holy Land, Mariejois

"Boom!"

"Are you kidding?! Portgas D. Ace!!!" Saint Saturn, God Warrior of Science and Defense, was completely furious. The Celestial Dragons, who were blessed by their world government to enjoy unlimited privileges and be welcomed everywhere as the descendants of the Creator, were now kneeling, waiting for the trial and execution by a pirate.

"This is unprecedented! In eight hundred years since the founding of the world government, such an incident has never occurred!" Saint Warcury, with a birthmark on his forehead, roared as he punched a hole in the wall of the office.

"Portgas D. Ace is looking for death! Does he really think our world government can't do anything to him?" Saint Mars, with long hair and a beard, spoke with cold eyes. "Marines are incompetent. It seems that we need to solve this big trouble ourselves. Saturn, you should be the vanguard. Celestial Dragons must not be publicly executed by a pirate! This is trampling on the face of our world government!"

Saint Nushjuro slammed his sword into the ground, his voice filled with fury. The titles of all the Five Elders are Martial Gods, making them the strongest combatants in the world government.

"I would go out, but those fools haven't managed to cut off the signal yet. Our abilities cannot be exposed to the whole world," Saint Saturn said with a gloomy expression, staring at the broadcast.

"Asshole! Portgas D. Ace, what method did you use? We should have complete control over the phone bug signals!" Saint Peter's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"Does this mean we allow Portgas D. Ace to be so rampant?" Saint Warcury's forehead was veined with anger.

"Let all members of Marine mobilize to prevent this public execution by any means possible! Even if they can't kill Portgas D. Ace, they must force him to use the power of the Gate Fruit to escape in panic and stop this public execution," Saint Mars ordered.

"No, let Marine's main target be those video phone bugs," Saint Peter said coldly. "Once the signal is interrupted, Saturn, call us over. I want Portgas D. Ace to regret what he did today!"

The eyes of the other Five Elders were equally cold. The unscrupulous behavior of Portgas D. Ace, trampling the face of the world government in front of the entire world, had completely enraged the five most powerful men in the world.

"I'll get ready," Saint Saturn said, standing up and walking towards the door of the office, while the remaining Five Elders began giving orders to the Marines.

At Naval Headquarters.

"Asshole! Portgas D. Ace! You madman!" Sengoku glared at the three Celestial Dragons kneeling before the entire world, awaiting trial and execution, his face twisted with anger. He grabbed the phone bundle urgently.

"Akainu! Portgas D. Ace is at the human trafficking auction house in Sabaody Archipelago, GROVE-1. Get there immediately and stop him. Do not let this man publicly execute the Celestial Dragons in front of the world. You must prevent this!" Sengoku's voice was a roar, filled with desperation.

"I'm on my way, but it will take some time. I can't guarantee the fate of the Celestial Dragons, but I will kill Portgas D. Ace. There is no better opportunity than this, to kill him in front of the world," came Akainu's cold, calculated response, causing Sengoku's headache to intensify.

"Extreme bastard," Sengoku muttered before picking up another phone. "Kizaru! Use your Sparkling Fruit ability to rush to Sabaody Archipelago, GROVE-1. Stop Portgas D. Ace and interrupt this live broadcast. Do you understand?" he barked into the phone.

"Ten minutes," Kizaru replied, his usual nonchalance replaced by a deep seriousness. The phone clicked off.

"Public execution of Celestial Dragons, Portgas D. Ace, you madman!" Sengoku gritted his teeth, issuing commands furiously. The Five Elders were enraged, and now, the Marines had to mobilize with full force.

Marine warships surrounding Sabaody Archipelago sped towards GROVE-1, while those at the headquarters began mobilizing. Every available Vice Admiral boarded the battleships, heading towards the chaos.

"Everyone, you've seen it. If the Celestial Dragons are publicly executed, who knows what will happen to the world order. Your Shichibukai privileges may be in jeopardy. Head to Sabaody Archipelago and stop Portgas D. Ace," Sengoku addressed the Shichibukai gravely.

Kuma stood up first, leaving the lounge. The other Shichibukai weren't surprised. Kuma was the most obedient to the World Government among them, but his actions left Sengoku uneasy. Thriller Bark's events had yet to be reported, and Kuma's behavior was troubling. Yet, he reminded himself that Kuma's transformation into a government weapon made disobedience unlikely.

Moria, however, had a peculiar look in his eyes as he followed Kuma. Doflamingo, usually fearless, now looked grim. "That's crazy, Portgas D. Ace," he muttered. Ace's audacity even made him fearful. Doflamingo walked out, deciding that a madman like Ace needed to die to avoid future unrest.

"Portgas D. Ace," Hancock whispered, shocked by the sight of the three Celestial Dragons kneeling. Biting her lips, she moved towards the door, her eyes filled with an unfamiliar emotion.

The Shichibukai were on the move.

On the Execution Platform

Ace raised his hands, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the three Celestial Dragons kneeling before him, barely breathing. "Before the execution, let's start with an appetizer," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

A point of light shot into Disco's brain, revealing his memories. The screen changed, displaying the horrors of the human trafficking auction house, exposing the dark trade of human lives to the world. Mermaids and members of participating countries, supposedly protected by the World Government, were shown in a dreadful light. The protection of Whitebeard had prevented worse, but the darkness was undeniable.

Doflamingo's expression changed repeatedly. "Bastard! How did he broadcast the memory?" he cursed. "It's the bear's Paw Fruit ability," Saint Mars explained. "But how Ace can use it? Even with the user alive?" Saint Nusjuro speculated.

Ace activated three memory light spots in the bodies of the Rozwald family. "See for yourselves, these are the Celestial Dragons," he said, touching the memory ball of Charles Ross, broadcasting his memories to the world.

"Great Eruption!" a roar echoed. "Boom!" Akainu's magma fist shot towards the execution platform. "Trying to stop the execution, Akainu?" Ace smirked, ready for the next phase of his audacious plan.