Before the astonished eyes of Conis and the others, Vivi slapped her right hand against her hip. The liquor stored there gushed forth, forming a ferocious dragon that pounced on the pile of Sky Island apples and cloud coconuts.
Boom!
Under the liquor dragon's assault, the fruits burst apart. Countless streams of juice sprayed out, only to be devoured by the coiling serpent of alcohol. In an instant, the dragon swelled to ten times its original size, transforming into a fine liquor that carried the sweet fragrance of apples and the crisp taste of coconuts. This was the power of the Sake-Sake Fruit—the ability to brew exquisite alcohol in moments.
"What a fragrance!" Crocus took a deep breath, an intoxicated expression on his face.
Not only that, but Vivi could also control the ratio of alcohol to water, altering the drink's proof and viscosity at will.
"Captain!" Vivi called out to Ryuuto, skillfully maneuvering the liquor dragon to fully release its aroma. The timing was perfect.
Thump! Thump-thump!
Hearing her call, Ryuuto leaped onto the deck of the Ark Maxim and kicked more than a dozen large wooden barrels over the side in a single motion. Then, under Vivi's control, the streams of fine liquor shot downward, filling each barrel.
With a series of gurgles, all the liquor was sealed away. Vivi landed beside the barrels and tapped each one shut.
"Alright, brewing's done!" she announced, clapping her hands together and turning to Ryuuto with a cheerful expression.
"Truly a miraculous Devil Fruit," Ryuuto said with a light smile.
Next, Vivi used some of Shandora's vines to create even more liquor. Just like that, the stores of alcohol aboard the Ark Maxim grew ever larger.
Time flowed by, and the day of departure was upon them.
On a bright, sunny morning, Ryuuto steered the massive Ark Maxim toward Marineford, the Marine Headquarters located near the Red Line. High above, a giant island cloud drifted along, keeping pace with the ship. The scenery from the sky was indeed different from that at sea level, especially at an altitude of nearly ten thousand meters.
It was exceptionally quiet. Not a single bird could be seen. Fortunately, the Ark Maxim, a marvel of moon-dweller technology, sailed at incredible speeds. It would likely take no more than ten hours to reach Marineford.
Meanwhile, on a small island near the Sabaody Archipelago, Luffy and his crew stared in shock at a newspaper. The headline announced that Ace was to be executed at Marineford.
"I have to go save Ace!" Luffy crushed the newspaper in his fist, his voice heavy as he spoke to Zoro, Sanji, and the others. His tone was resolute.
"Then let's go! We'll go together!" Zoro declared, his hands on his three famous swords, a sharp glint in his eyes. He thought to himself, *The Warlords will be there too, which means... that man will be there.*
Sanji slowly lit a cigarette without a word, but his attitude was clear: he was ready for whatever came.
Franky struck a "Super!" pose.
Usopp, however, was in a panic. "That's Marine Headquarters!" he repeated over and over. "We'll never make it out of there alive!"
Brook calmly gazed into the distance. Then again, he had no eyes to gaze with. Their ship, the Thousand Sunny, was currently at a shipyard in Sabaody, undergoing its coating process.
At the same time, in the underwater prison of Impel Down, Blackbeard had used his new status as one of the Seven Warlords to secretly infiltrate Level 6. By inciting the prisoners to kill one another, he selected the strongest survivors to join his crew.
Five prisoners ultimately chose to join the Blackbeard Pirates. They were: Shiryu of the Rain, the former Head Jailer of Impel Down, imprisoned by Magellan for his excessive cruelty. After being freed by Blackbeard, he betrayed the prison and joined his crew, later becoming the Captain of the Second Ship.
Catarina Devon, the "Crescent Moon Hunter," known as the most dangerous female prisoner in history. She was a user of the Mythical Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Nine-Tailed Fox, and would become the Captain of the Sixth Ship.
Sanjuan Wolf, the "Colossal Battleship," whose immense size surpassed even that of the ancient giant, Oars. He would become the Captain of the Seventh Ship.
Vasco Shot, the "Heavy Drinker." He would become the Captain of the Eighth Ship.
Avalo Pizarro, the "Corrupt King." He would become the Captain of the Fourth Ship.
With this, the core of Blackbeard's crew was assembled. The remaining members were Jesus "The Champion" Burgess, Captain of the First Ship, whose left arm, previously severed by Ryuuto, had been replaced with a Seastone prosthetic using Marine technology. Captain of the Third Ship was Van "The Supersonic" Augur. There was also a new addition: the disgraced former CP9 agent, Rob "The Leopard" Lucci. He was slated to become the Captain of the Ninth Ship.
"Zehahahahaha! Let's go plunder some Devil Fruits! Marineford, here I come!" Blackbeard's laughter echoed through Level 6 of Impel Down. His eight commanders stood ranked beside him, surrounded by the blood and bodies of the defeated. They had already commandeered a Marine warship and were en route to Marineford.
Far away at Fish-Man Island, the Whitebeard Pirates were passing through the Red Line in a massive procession. Leading the charge was the Moby Dick, carrying the 14 Division Commanders and their subordinates. Behind them followed 43 allied pirate crews. It was a vast and mighty fleet, numbering fifty thousand strong.
Time continued to pass.
The Ark Maxim drew ever closer to Marineford. In the plaza below, all the Marine soldiers, officers, and the Seven Warlords stood in formation, ready for battle. The three seats beneath the execution platform, reserved for the Marine Admirals, were still empty.
Ryuuto had already contacted Morgans, who was on his way. The promotion of the Justice Guild would be left to him. Ryuuto still remembered Morgans's booming laughter before he hung up the Den Den Mushi. "Now this is a real scoop!"
Not only that, but Ryuuto had also brought the official banner of the "Justice Guild." The upcoming battle would be the perfect opportunity to boost his reputation. All preparations were complete.
In the plaza at Marineford, Hancock stood atop the fortress wall. She had little interest in the impending war; her heart was filled only with the joy of seeing Ryuuto again soon. While she waited for the Whitebeard Pirates to appear, her expression remained cold and impassive, but a faint smile would grace her lips whenever she glanced at her right hand.
With his head bowed, Ace was slowly led toward the execution platform, flanked by two soldiers holding long-bladed spears. A set of footsteps approached—Sengoku and Garp walked forward, followed by the three Marine Admirals. Sengoku continued toward the platform, while the Admirals took their designated seats below.