Chapter 37: Hunger
As the Whitebeard Pirates charged into the plaza on the port, the war entered a white-hot phase. Except for Akainu, Sengoku, and Garp, all of the Navy's high-end combat power rushed into the battlefield.
Cannonballs flew across the plaza, and from time to time, a Marine or pirate was felled by a sniper's bullet, most of which were the work of contractors.
As Marines and pirates fell, their comrades or companions stepped over their corpses and charged forward.
On the execution platform, Sengoku pulled a pocket watch from his bosom, glanced at the time, and his grim expression eased slightly. Ten minutes remained. Barring any accidents, the war would end in ten minutes, with the Navy emerging victorious.
Sengoku took out a Den Den Mushi. The party on the other end seemed to have been waiting for a long time and answered immediately.
"Cut off all visual Den Den Mushi in ten minutes."
What Sengoku planned to do next could not be reported. In fact, even if the plan succeeded, he could no longer serve as Fleet Admiral. He would have to bear that black mark forever.
"2.475.55518."
A somewhat hoarse voice came from the Den Den Mushi. Sengoku also recited a string of numbers.
"Command received. Estimated time to cut all visual Den Den Mushi: ten minutes."
The communication ended there. Sengoku let out a long breath and glanced at Ace, who was kneeling on the execution platform. The previously scheduled execution time was a decoy. In truth, Ace's execution time was random. As soon as the Whitebeard Pirates breached the port, Ace's execution countdown began, with a time limit of ten minutes. To this end, Sengoku was willing to temporarily sacrifice the Navy's credibility. War was a hell, and there was no honor in hell.
The Navy lieutenant crouching behind Ace remained fully focused, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two shackles on Ace's hands, lest any more accidents occur.
Gurgle~
A pang of hunger struck the lieutenant's stomach. At first, it wasn't strong, but within a dozen seconds, he felt stomach acid burning his stomach lining, intensifying the hunger.
With a *drip*, the lieutenant's saliva fell onto his tiger's mouth, embarrassing him. He quickly wiped it clean on his clothes.
'So hungry... Is there anything to eat? No, I must carry out the Marshal's orders. I can't leave.'
Perhaps even the lieutenant himself didn't notice that his pupils had turned dark red, growing deeper, as if dark red flames were burning within them.
Right beside the lieutenant, Bubu Wang waved a dog paw, stowing a pitch-black object into the team storage space.
The hunger in the lieutenant's stomach seemed about to devour him. Saliva dripped uncontrollably, some drops landing on his hand. Just as he was about to shake the saliva off, his gaze froze, fixed on his right hand.
Crunch, crunch...
The crisp sound of chewing reached Sengoku's ears, startling him. He followed the sound to see the lieutenant crouching behind Ace, chewing something.
"What are you eating..."
As Sengoku got a clear look at the lieutenant behind Ace, his eyes gradually widened.
"Marshal, I'm a bit hungry. I'll be done soon, real soon."
The lieutenant crunched and chewed in his mouth. Looking at his right hand now, at least three fingers had been bitten off.
"You..."
Even Sengoku, who had weathered countless storms, was stunned by the sight. If the lieutenant had merely eaten his own hand, Sengoku wouldn't have been so shocked. What shocked him was the man's attitude.
"Marshal, Portgas D. Ace is about to be executed. How about... letting me eat him?"
The lieutenant licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes had completely changed. The whites had turned pitch black, and his pupils burned like magma fire, a dark red. These pupils were somewhat similar to those of the Demon race, yet slightly different.
"!"
Ace's face twitched. He had felt something warm splashing onto his back earlier. Now he saw it—it was clearly blood!
"..."
Sengoku said nothing. Armament Haki coated his fist as he punched toward the lieutenant, intending to blast him off the execution platform. But he always held back, fearing that a full-force strike would destroy the platform.
Boom!
Sengoku's fist slammed into a black tentacle, as thick as an arm, which had deeply pierced the execution platform. A dark energy flowed within the tentacle.
"Marshal Sengoku... my master... is calling me!"
The lieutenant stood up, and tentacles burst forth from him as the epicenter.
"Ah!!"
The lieutenant roared, his pupils turning pure black. His body cracked like ceramic. If one were to break open his shell, they would find he was already hollow. The tentacle eruption had drained all his life force.
Hundreds of tentacles enveloped the execution platform. Sengoku was sent flying into the air by a tremendous force.
Inside the thick, barrel-sized black tentacles, Ace's face turned pale. The slimy, cold touch of the tentacles felt like countless tiny insects crawling over him.
Rumble...
The execution platform couldn't bear the weight and began to tilt. Steel beams twisted, emitting a grating sound.
A golden light flashed, and a towering golden figure appeared—Sengoku in his Great Buddha form.
The Great Buddha form was several times larger than his normal size. He extended one hand, and a shockwave spread from his palm, blasting toward the collapsed execution platform.
Boom!!
The white shockwave shattered large swaths of tentacles, revealing the battered execution platform. Ace, who had been bound to it, was gone.
"Flame Commandment: Flame Pillar!"
A pillar of fire erupted from within the tentacles—it was Ace, now free.
Seeing Ace's empty hands, Sengoku in his Great Buddha form was furious. He strode toward Ace. Although Ace had escaped, he hadn't gotten far, which was good news for Sengoku.
In truth, Ace was also bewildered. He didn't even know who had saved him, and he wanted to know if that person had any follow-up plan, or if they had just abandoned him here?
Not far from Ace, Bubu Wang frantically patted his dog paws, extinguishing the flames on the tip of his tail. He had had the chance to take Ace away earlier, but who would have thought that as soon as he freed Ace, Ace would unleash a Flame Commandment: Flame Pillar? Luckily, he ran fast, or he would have been singed bald.
Looking at his now somewhat bald, smoking tail tip, Bubu Wang trembled with rage. His dog-life motto was: You can hit him, you can scold him—that's all fine. The one thing you absolutely cannot do is ruin his smooth, glossy fur. That was his weak spot.
Ace's sudden escape surprised even Whitebeard, who was fighting two Admirals on the plaza. Undoubtedly, this was good news.
"Boys, Ace is up ahead!"
Whitebeard's roar made the pirates even more excited. Aside from the pirates on Whitebeard's own ship, the pirates from his allied crews had three reasons for coming to rescue Ace. First, Whitebeard had indeed shown them kindness, and they were willing to risk their lives for him.
Second, they all bore the "mark" of the Whitebeard Pirates. If they didn't come, they would never be able to hold their heads high in the New World again and couldn't continue as pirates. They were used to a life without labor—how could they be content to become ordinary criminals on the run?
As for the third reason, it involved self-interest. If they succeeded in rescuing Ace, both their fame and status would rise. Moreover, Whitebeard would have to show his appreciation after the war, such as redistributing territory jurisdiction.
Men are not saints, let alone pirates. Whitebeard didn't care for wealth, but that didn't mean all his subordinates felt the same. Their willingness to follow him to Marineford was already a display of loyalty.