Chapter 33: You Are Already Dead
Little Oars Jr., having entered the battlefield, was exceptionally ferocious. His oversized greatsword cut down enemies in swaths with each swing. Several Vice Admirals of the Giant Clan attempted to block him, but the disparity in size and strength was utterly hopeless.
*Thump!*
The greatsword slammed into the ice, sending a large group of pirates screaming as they were flung back by the shockwave.
"Ace, I've come to save you!"
Little Oars Jr.'s shout echoed across the entire battlefield. Ace, on the execution platform, was filled with anguish. He knew full well that Little Oars Jr. was practically a sitting duck on the battlefield, but there was nothing he could do except watch. This was more painful than death itself. He even wished the execution would come sooner. Perhaps if he died, his family would withdraw. But then he thought about how his family had risked their lives to save him, only for him to die—what despair and disappointment that would bring.
Various thoughts surged in his mind. Kneeling on the ground, Ace strained forward, his chains clinking. Still, he could do nothing but kneel there and watch. This was an execution more agonizing than death.
"This is the price of being a pirate."
Sengoku's authoritative voice rang out. Ace lowered his head. Different stances meant no reasoning could bridge the gap.
On the chaotic battlefield, as the war escalated, the Marines and pirates grew denser, barely a meter or two apart—close enough to strike with a blade.
Not far from Little Oars Jr., Su Xiao, holding his longsword, crouched low and leaped into the fray.
*Boom!*
The ice cracked as Su Xiao landed amidst a large group of Marines. The surrounding Marines froze for a moment, then surged toward him, intending to overwhelm him with numbers.
Su Xiao tilted his head to dodge a standard-issue Marine sword. His own blade, Dragon-Slaying Flash, swept sideways, sending a head flying—clean and decisive.
*Clang, clang, clang...*
Crisscrossing slashes radiated outward. A dozen Marines near Su Xiao fell instantly. The blade aura continued its momentum, cutting down another group before dissipating.
Though Su Xiao had killed a cluster of Marines, their numbers were overwhelming. Within seconds, the gap was filled, and they closed in again.
*Bang!* Su Xiao kicked, snapping a Marine's neck. *Clatter!* A sword struck his calf, but the crystal layer coating his leg remained unscathed—he only felt the impact.
As he swung his blade to cut down another Marine, a sound of air being split reached him—it was *Soru*.
Su Xiao raised his left arm, blocking an outstretched arm. A finger, straightened to its limit, thrust past his ear. He extended his arm, grabbing a Marine by the throat.
"Iron Body!"
The Marine in Su Xiao's grip roared, bending his arm to punch Su Xiao's head.
*Crack!*
The Marine, about to throw his punch, stiffened and became a corpse. Su Xiao flung the body away, sending it crashing into several other Marines.
Su Xiao hooked his foot under a standard-issue sword on the ice, kicking it up. He then kicked forward, striking the hilt. The sword pierced the air, impaling one Marine through the chest. The immense force carried the blade onward, skewering another Marine's throat.
In an instant, a large swath of Marines around Su Xiao fell. This time, no one rushed forward. They formed a circle, staring at Su Xiao with terror in their eyes.
Su Xiao's gaze swept the surroundings. These Marines weren't trained specifically for war; their main duty was capturing pirates. He had just slaughtered a group, and they already dared not advance.
"You... are afraid?"
Su Xiao's eyes scanned the area. Bright red blood dripped from his sword tip. A taunt.
About thirty meters away, a lone wolf Contractor was slowly backing off, trying to avoid Su Xiao's notice. There were many such Fourth Rank Contractors on the battlefield, and some were also in Whitebeard's camp.
"Kill him! We are the Marines representing justice! He's just one man!"
The lone wolf Contractor shouted from the crowd, but he himself was retreating.
"Don't be afraid. He's alone."
*Pfft, pfft...*
One by one, Marines suddenly collapsed. A large group fell before it stopped. *Banishment* flew back in front of Su Xiao, splitting into its second form and reattaching to his sleeve. The lone wolf Contractor lay among the corpses, even smearing blood on his face—strong survival instincts.
"Don't just stand there. You can keep charging forward."
Su Xiao looked at the dozens of pirates behind him, who were staring at him in shock.
"Charge!"
The pirates' morale surged as they stepped over the bodies and rushed forward.
Su Xiao turned his gaze to a pile of corpses on the ice, staring for a few seconds before raising both hands.
"Killing me gives no merit. Yeah, that's how it is. I've tried before."
The lone wolf Contractor on the ground spoke. Just then, a tall figure charged at Su Xiao—no, flew at him.
*Ding!*
Weapons clashed. Su Xiao's feet sank slightly into the ice to absorb the force. Seizing the opportunity, the lone wolf Contractor did a kip-up and bolted away.
A cloud of smoke appeared before Su Xiao, hovering in midair. The newcomer wielded a weapon resembling a long staff with a single-sided handguard—a *Jitte*. Its owner was Smoker, a Marine Captain and a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user.
Smoker glared coldly at Su Xiao. His upper body was solid, while his lower half was smoke.
Su Xiao suddenly leaped back, not even glancing at Smoker again. He strode toward the battle ahead, having no habit of leaving behind a "you are already dead" remark.
Smoker's lower half solidified, and he collapsed onto the ice. *Banishment*, in its fragmented form, tore open wounds across his chest before bursting out from within.
Su Xiao paused mid-step. Smoker's vitality was surprisingly tenacious. Severe organ damage plus three wounds to the heart—yet he wasn't immediately dead. Out of habit, never leaving an enemy breathing, Su Xiao casually slashed out a blade aura.
*Clink!*
The blade aura struck a flying sword, chipping a large chunk out of it. The person who had thrown the sword sprinted over, standing in front of Smoker. It was a bespectacled woman. Clearly, another one coming to die.
*Crack, crack, crack...*
Ice spread around Su Xiao. His brow furrowed. Aokiji had returned.
"What do you plan... to do to my subordinate?"
Aokiji, radiating cold, walked through the crowd of Marines.
"..."
Su Xiao signaled Amu with his eyes to follow the pirates toward the execution platform, but not to draw too much attention.
*Boom!*
A massive sound came from afar. Aokiji glanced at the source and stopped. It was Whitebeard jumping off his ship. The pirates had been unable to breach the port for some time, so Whitebeard was entering the fray himself. Once Whitebeard clashed with the Marines' top combatants, the war would reach its most intense phase, and its end would be near. At that point, Su Xiao could go all out to complete his plan. But before that, he had a surprise for Sengoku.
Aokiji found himself in an awkward position. Ahead of him was Su Xiao; to his side, Whitebeard was approaching with heavy steps. As for reinforcements, Akainu sat firmly behind the execution platform, Kizaru was held up by Marco, Sengoku was commanding from the platform, and Garp was loafing around below, torn on whether to join the fight.
Aokiji was no fool. He knew that taking on both Su Xiao and Whitebeard at once would mean preparing his own funeral. He couldn't even decisively defeat Su Xiao alone, let alone with the stronger Whitebeard added.
Meanwhile, on the execution platform.
*Click~*
A faint sound reached Sengoku's ears. One of the Sea Stone handcuffs restraining Ace had actually come open.
A bewildered Ace raised his left arm, staring at Sengoku as if to say, "Your Marines' restraints are really shoddy."
Sengoku stared back at Ace in shock. The scene was incredibly awkward.
Crouching behind Ace, Bubu Wang yawned. His task was to open only one handcuff.