MTS: Marvel and Beyond

Chapter 139: Stop Talking

"Ah!"

Boa Hancock let out a cry of pain, clutching her now swollen cheek. Her eyes, filled with both fury and disbelief, locked onto Alex.

'This man... actually hit me?'

He ignored her charm?

Slap!

Another crisp smack landed on her other cheek, leaving both sides of her face equally red and swollen.

Now they matched perfectly, which Alex found more aesthetically pleasing.

Boa Hancock covered her face with both hands, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and bewilderment:

"Why... why did you hit me again?"

Alex responded with a calm smile. "No reason. You just annoyed me."

"You..."

Seeing Alex raise his hand again, Hancock quickly held her tongue. Despite the seemingly casual slaps, they were powerful enough to crush an ordinary person's skull with ease. Even for someone as strong as Hancock, enduring such force was no small feat.

Silenced by fear, Hancock simmered in a confusing mixture of anger and... something else. Strangely, after being slapped twice, a peculiar sensation welled up within her.

Trying to suppress the odd feeling, she subtly shifted her long legs. She stole a glance at Alex, relieved to see his focus had shifted.

Alex wasn't looking at her anymore. Instead, he gazed skyward, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Suddenly, the sound of frantic shouting echoed from above. Everyone followed his gaze.

A massive warship, accompanied by several figures, plummeted from the sky.

Amid the falling group, certain individuals stood out—former Warlords Jinbe and Crocodile, Buggy the Clown, and finally, the Straw Hat crew.

As they descended, Luffy's voice boomed: "Ace!"

Unlike the original timeline, thanks to Alex's strengthening, Luffy's power had significantly increased. Mid-air, he activated Gear Fourth while Sanji used Moonwalk to rescue most of the group. The remaining members conveniently fell into the seawater-filled crater left by Diamond Jozu.

After ensuring his crewmates' safety, Luffy spotted Alex nearby. His face lit up with excitement.

"Alex! I'm here! Where's Ace?"

Alex pointed toward the execution platform.

Following Alex's finger, Luffy's eyes gleamed as he finally saw Ace.

"Thanks, Alex! I'm going to save Ace now!"

Without hesitation, Luffy left Alex's side and bolted toward the platform.

In his Gear Fourth form, he practically flew, bouncing off the air with every step.

"Ace, hold on! I'm coming for you!"

Ace, shackled with seastone, looked on in shock. Even under suppression, his battle instincts remained sharp.

Through his observation haki, Ace could sense that Luffy's current strength far surpassed his own peak.

But this realization didn't ease his concerns.

"Luffy, go back!" Ace yelled. "You can't save me! It's impossible here!"

"No!"

Before Ace could finish his sentence, a marine in a red floral shirt stepped forward, his fist blazing with molten magma as he launched an attack toward Luffy.

"Luffy, dodge it!" Ace shouted urgently. He knew full well that Admiral Akainu's attacks were beyond Luffy's capability to withstand.

Below the execution platform, Garp witnessed the scene. His fists clenched tightly as he fought the urge to intervene, but ultimately, he remained motionless.

He was a grandfather, yes—but he was also a Vice Admiral, a hero of the Marines. His duty held him back, a responsibility he couldn't ignore.

Tsuru, noticing Garp's internal struggle, placed a hand on his shoulder, her face filled with sympathy. "It's not your fault..." she whispered.

Meanwhile, atop the execution platform, Akainu poured his full power into the attack. He knew exactly who Luffy was: Garp's grandson, Dragon's son. He carried the bloodline of the most dangerous people in the world.

Just like Ace, if left unchecked, Luffy would inevitably grow into a threat capable of toppling the world's balance.

He must be eliminated.

This was Akainu's sole thought as his molten fist hurtled toward the Straw Hat pirate.

Luffy, however, did not flinch. He was born with the will of a king, and even when outmatched, he refused to cower. And now, with Alex's power coursing through him, he felt stronger than ever.

His body gleamed with thick, dark red Armament Haki, making his rubbery frame even more resilient.

Clang, clang, clang...

The sound of metal clashing echoed as Luffy wound his arm back, compressing it with immense force.

"Gomu Gomu no... Kong Gun!"

Luffy's Haki-coated fist collided with Akainu's magma punch, producing a crackling surge of crimson energy. The two forces clashed fiercely for a moment, but Luffy was eventually flung backward.

Yet, to everyone's astonishment, he emerged unscathed.

The battlefield fell silent for a beat as all eyes turned to Luffy.

From behind Akainu, Sengoku's deep voice rumbled: "How is this possible? How has the Straw Hat boy grown this powerful? Not long ago, he couldn't even stand against Kizaru, and now he's nearly on par with an Admiral!"

Ace, watching Luffy from the platform, felt a wave of relief wash over him. He broke into a genuine smile.

"Luffy! Since when did you get so strong? You've really surprised me!"

Akainu clenched his magma-dripping fist, his eyes narrowing as he processed the clash. His gaze shifted sharply to Alex, standing casually on the battlefield's edge.

"It's you," Akainu growled.

He was certain now. Luffy's sudden surge in strength could only be explained by external factors, and the only person in the world capable of enhancing someone's power to such a degree was the most dangerous criminal: Alex.

Before Alex could respond, Luffy shouted: "Leave Alex alone! If you have a problem, come at me!"

Though well-meaning, Luffy's declaration only confirmed Akainu's suspicion. Luffy's current strength was indeed Alex's doing.

The realization made every eye on the battlefield burn hotter with intensity as they turned toward Alex.

Even though rumors of Alex's ability to enhance others had spread before, seeing it firsthand made it undeniably real.

Now, countless warriors, willing to sacrifice anything for power, were ready to bow to him for a chance at Admiral-level strength.

Akainu and Luffy's battle raged on—a clash of two titans, marking the first true high-level confrontation of the war.

Meanwhile, other marines tried to assist Akainu, but any lower-ranking officers who ventured too close were blown away by the battle's overwhelming shockwaves. Vice Admirals and higher ranked officers were intercepted by Zoro, Sanji, and the rest of the Straw Hat crew.

With their paths cleared, Luffy and Akainu faced each other in an intense, one-on-one duel.

After fending off the interference, Zoro turned his head sharply, his senses locking onto a familiar presence.

Through his Observation Haki, he confirmed the figure—a tall man with a distinctive black sword.

"Dracule Mihawk..." Zoro muttered, his eyes narrowing as they focused on the World's Strongest Swordsman.

What puzzled Zoro even more was the large, fresh wound on Mihawk's chest, eerily similar to the one Mihawk had given him years ago.

"Who could've done that?" Zoro wondered aloud.

He turned to Sanji. "Hey, curly-brow, can you hold the line here?"

Sanji followed Zoro's gaze, spotting Mihawk. He instantly understood.

With a sigh and a resigned shake of his head, Sanji replied: "Yeah, yeah, go ahead. I'll handle things here."

"Thanks," Zoro said, unsheathing his swords and stepping toward Mihawk.

His voice was low but firm as he added, "This time, I'll surpass you."

With those words, Zoro charged toward Mihawk. At the same time, Mihawk noticed the swordsman sprinting toward him, his expression turning serious.

Even without using Observation Haki, Mihawk's instincts as a swordsman told him that Zoro had grown far stronger.

Mihawk recognized him—he was a member of the Straw Hat crew, someone he had easily defeated back in the East Blue. Yet, Zoro's power now was leagues beyond what it should have been. Was this also the handiwork of Alex, the most dangerous criminal?

As Zoro stood before Mihawk, his gaze fell on the deep sword wound across Mihawk's chest. He couldn't help but ask:

"Who gave you that wound? Who defeated you? Was it Shanks? Or another swordsman?"

Mihawk slowly drew his black blade, Yoru, and replied, "Not Shanks. It was Alex. You should be challenging him, not me. I'm no longer the World's Strongest Swordsman."

Zoro froze for a moment, stunned. He hadn't expected Mihawk's injury to come from Alex. Suddenly, everything made sense. To have survived an encounter with someone as monstrous as Alex was already a miracle for Mihawk.

But challenging Alex? That was impossible—he wasn't ready to throw his life away just yet.

Drawing his swords, Zoro held two in his hands and placed one in his mouth, assuming his combat stance. Yet instead of aiming at Mihawk, he directed the blades at himself.

A moment later, Zoro slashed across his own chest, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound that matched Mihawk's exactly. Controlling his muscles, he stemmed the bleeding and declared:

"Now it's fair. Let's see the strength of the world's second-best swordsman!"

Mihawk was both impressed and puzzled by Zoro's resolve.

"Your goal is to become the World's Strongest Swordsman," Mihawk said. "So why challenge me and not Alex?"

Zoro answered matter-of-factly, "Because I don't want to die. There's no way I could defeat a monster like him. Even my current strength is something I gained early thanks to him."

He added, "Alex said my power now is what I would've achieved two years from now with training. I'm just borrowing from the future."

"I see," Mihawk nodded. He did not look down on Zoro for his choice. Mihawk, too, understood the futility of challenging someone like Alex—there would be no contest, only certain death.

Mihawk raised his sword and launched a powerful strike at Zoro. "Come then! Show me the strength you've gained!"

Two massive slashes collided, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. It was a battle of titans, as yet another clash between Admiral-level fighters unfolded.

Both Marines and pirates alike turned their attention to the two battles raging on: Akainu versus Luffy, and Mihawk versus Zoro.

"Unbelievable," one Marine muttered, his eyes wide. "The Straw Hat crew's strength is terrifying. Is it really all because of Alex's power?"

"They've already got two fighters at Admiral level," another said, stunned.

"If they survive this war with their power intact, the Straw Hat crew might very well rise as the fifth Emperor of the Sea!"

The battlefield split into several key scenes: Whitebeard standing on the bow of the Moby Dick 1, pirates charging forward, Marines desperately trying to hold them back, Luffy clashing with Akainu, Zoro dueling Mihawk, and Ace tied to the execution platform.

Each one of these scenes, on its own, would have been groundbreaking news. Together, they formed a grand, epic tapestry that defined the Pirate World's history.

Feeling his current vantage point inadequate, Alex decided to move. But before he left, he delivered another resounding slap to Boa Hancock's face, knocking her unconscious. He then stowed her away in his pocket dimension, intending to train her as a maid later.

With that settled, Alex casually strolled toward the execution platform.

At first, a few Marines attempted to stop him. However, once they realized even Vice Admirals couldn't last a single move against him, no one dared to confront him again.

Unlike the other pirates who faced relentless resistance, Alex's walk was leisurely, unhindered, as though he were taking a casual stroll.

Well, almost unhindered.

Bartholomew Kuma, who had lost most of his emotions, foolishly launched an attack. He unleashed a powerful air cannon, an even stronger blast than the one he used on Little Oars Jr.

But just like all other attacks, the air cannon froze a meter away from Alex and trembled in place. With a flick of his wrist, Alex sent the attack hurtling back, hitting Kuma with twice the force and sending him flying.

Alex didn't even spare the battered Kuma a second glance as he reached the execution platform. With a single step, he appeared beside Ace.

As soon as he appeared, two massive fists hurtled toward him from either side. Sengoku and Garp both attacked, their strikes carrying the full weight of their power.

But Alex raised two fingers, effortlessly halting their punches in mid-air. His voice was lazy, almost bored:

"No need to panic. I'm not here to rescue Ace. I just want the best seat to watch this grand performance. After all, there's no better spot than the execution platform."

Sengoku's eyes narrowed, not buying Alex's claim. He threw another punch, only for it to stop a meter away, blocked by Alex's Infinity. No matter how much strength he used, he couldn't get closer.

After a few futile attempts, Sengoku finally relented.

"You're not with Whitebeard? Why not save Ace? It'd be easy for you."

Garp, sitting beside him, looked conflicted. His feelings were torn between duty as a Marine and love as a grandfather.

Alex leaned back in a chair that he summoned from his pocket dimension, along with a table, snacks, soda, and wine. He answered nonchalantly:

"Why ruin the spectacle? This is already the grandest scene your world has to offer. I could change it, but I don't want to break it."

Sengoku caught onto a curious phrase. "Your world? Just who are you?"

Alex ignored the question, pouring himself a glass of wine. Then he looked at Garp.

"Care for a drink? With me here, the outcome is beyond your control. No need to carry the burden anymore. Like Vice Admiral Tsuru said, it's not your fault."

Garp froze, then laughed heartily.

"Haha! Didn't think I'd get lectured by a young man. You're right. With you around, the outcome of this war is no longer up to me!"

The weight of his internal conflict lifted. In the original timeline, Garp's potential defection would have been a decisive factor, tipping the scales in the pirates' favor. But now, Alex's overwhelming presence made Garp's choices seem trivial.

Seeing both Sengoku and Garp take their seats, Ace hesitated briefly before joining them. Soon, the four of them—Alex, Sengoku, Garp, and the supposed prisoner Ace—were enjoying a feast of otherworldly delicacies that Alex had brought.

The scene was surreal.

While the battlefield raged on below, with Marines and pirates locked in deadly combat, the very center of it all—on the execution platform—was calm and almost festive. The four central figures of the war sat together, eating and drinking as if at a peaceful banquet.

The sight left everyone, both Marines and pirates, utterly dumbfounded.

Watching this absurdity unfold, the Five Elders couldn't take it anymore. They immediately called Sengoku via Den Den Mushi, demanding he take action against Alex.

But when the line connected, it wasn't Sengoku's voice that answered. Instead, a calm, chillingly deep voice came through:

"Stop talking. Or I'll crush you all."

°°°

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