One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 43 The Phoenix Wings, The Legend of Speed!

boom--!

A terrifying explosion rang in Chen Ye's ears.

The world was stretched and distorted in his vision in an instant, and finally turned into a blurry patch of color that was rapidly receding.

He only had time to see the massive body of the elderly white-bearded man below, along with the battle-ravaged island, which rapidly shrank in his field of vision until it became a tiny black dot.

Then, even the black dots were swallowed up by the endless blue.

This is the speed at which Marco the Phoenix flies at full speed.

Even ordinary people with typical Devil Fruit abilities cannot outrun Marco's speed.

Chen Ye gripped Marco's back tightly, feeling as if he were being torn apart by the terrifying inertia.

The gale was no longer an airflow, but rather a series of invisible yet indestructible walls crashing head-on into us.

He finally understood why Marco had told him to hold on tight.

At this speed, let alone ordinary people, even a physically strong naval vice admiral would be instantly thrown out and torn to pieces by the high-altitude airflow if he is not careful.

How about it, kid?

"Can you handle it?"

Marco's voice rang clearly in his ears.

To Chen Ye's astonishment, a thin, flickering blue flame enveloped him like a bubble, shielding him from most of the deadly wind pressure from the outside world.

Marco used his "Flame of Regeneration" ability to create a small sanctuary for him.

"No...no problem!"

Chen Ye squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, his voice trembling slightly from excessive excitement.

He slowly raised his head, and after adjusting to the incredible speed, a magnificent scene that he would never forget unfolded before his eyes.

They are flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

Beneath my feet stretched an endless sea of ​​white clouds, edged with a shimmering gold by the sunlight, like a frozen golden ocean.

Occasionally, through gaps in the clouds, one can glimpse the vast, boundless sea below, like a huge, perfectly polished sapphire lying there quietly.

Islands appeared in their field of vision, only to be left behind in the blink of an eye, as fast as green bullets flying past.

The distant horizon is no longer a straight line, but rather carries a visible, enormous arc belonging to this world.

"Gurararara... What an exciting plan!"

Marco's voice carried a hint of emotion.

"But for some reason, I feel excited now."

"Because we are making history, Marco."

Chen Ye grinned.

"No, it's about changing history!"

"Will it change history?"

Marco repeated the sentence in a low voice, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"Well said!"

The man and the bird stopped talking.

They transformed into streaks of azure light, hurtling through the air at incredible speeds, disregarding distance and space, heading straight for the first half of the Grand Line.

……

Meanwhile, the Moby Dick.

The massive figurehead remained majestic, but the deck was filled with an atmosphere different from usual—a somber yet slightly anxious one.

The next morning.

When the captains discovered that First Division Captain Marco and Tatsuha had vanished overnight, the entire ship was in an uproar.

"Marco is missing?"

"And there's Chenye kid too!"

Where did they go?

Are they afraid of the impending war and have secretly fled?

"Impossible! Marco would never abandon his father and brothers!"

Diamond Jozu, the burly captain of the Third Division, was the first to find Whitebeard, who was sitting on the throne at the bow of the ship, gazing at the sea alone.

His face was filled with worry and confusion.

"Dad, where did Marco and Chenye go?"

"Marco and Tatsuha, go find some help."

The white-bearded man did not turn around; his voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Joz's words came to an abrupt halt.

The captains, including Vista and Izo, who had followed closely behind, also stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.

The white-bearded man slowly turned his massive head, his insightful eyes sweeping over his most trusted sons.

"We alone are not enough to rescue Ace."

His voice was deep and powerful, echoing across the entire deck and instantly silencing all the noisy discussions.

helper?

This word stunned all the team captains.

Given the Whitebeard Pirates' reputation and strength, who else would they need to help them on this high seas?

And who else is qualified to be their accomplice?

"Dad, what kind of helper is he?"

Vista couldn't help but ask, his grip on the hilts of his twin swords tightening instinctively.

"Yeah, Dad! Isn't the Whitebeard Pirates enough?"

"With just your order, we can turn even the Marine Headquarters upside down!"

The crew members were filled with excitement.

In their hearts, their father is the strongest in the world, and their pirate crew is the number one in the world.

"Guralalalalala!"

The white-bearded man let out a hearty laugh, but his laughter carried a complex mix of emotions and anticipation that his sons could not comprehend.

He was well aware of his sons' loyalty and strength.

But he knew better than anyone who the enemy in the Marineford War was, and how brutal it would be, a war that would consume the power of an entire era.

Moreover, his own body...

"It's just to make it more lively."

The white-bearded man casually made up an excuse, and a mysterious smile appeared on his weathered face.

"As for who they invited..."

He paused, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense and building up their curiosity.

"Keep it a secret for now."

"You'll be very surprised when the time comes."

After saying that, he ignored everyone and turned his gaze back to the distant horizon.

The captains looked at each other, their hearts filled with countless doubts and speculations, but since it was their father's decision, they chose to believe him unconditionally.

However, they could never have imagined it.

Just how earth-shattering would the surprise their father spoke of be, a surprise that would "take them by surprise"?

Nobody noticed.

After saying "it's a secret," the white-bearded man quietly clenched his fist in the hand that wasn't holding the naginata.

Within the aging body, a domineering aura, suppressed for far too long, slowly revived, like a dormant volcano.

His gaze seemed to pierce through endless space and time, seeing the blue flame rushing across the horizon.

Rayleigh...

Garp's grandson...

And... myself at my peak...

Gulalalalala...

Ace.