---
The Eve of the Execution
"(Original) Ace: Watching how I died on the eve of my execution… It's a strange feeling, haha."
"(Original) Whitebeard: Impossible. Does that mean my rescue mission failed?"
"(Original) Luffy: ACE!!!"
"(Original) Akainu: Hah! There's no way you died from me piercing your chest. What nonsense."
"(Original) Sengoku: This way of death seems highly improbable. I want to see how this happened."
As Sengoku finished speaking, the image on the screen shifted.
---
Marineford – The Battlefield of Fate
The scene depicted Marineford, a battlefield all too familiar to those from the original world. The war was still raging, and Ace—freed from his shackles—was fighting with incredible ferocity, cutting down Marines left and right.
"(Original) Sengoku: How did he escape?!"
The original Sengoku was visibly distressed. He had designed Marineford's defenses so tightly that no one should have been able to free Ace.
He had placed himself and Garp—the twin pillars of Marine power—as the last line of defense. Even Whitebeard himself wouldn't have been able to break through so easily.
So how had Ace escaped?
"(Original) Sengoku: Garp, did you let your grandson through?"
"(Original) Garp: What are you talking about, Sengoku? You can insult my intelligence, but don't insult my honor! Even if it's Luffy, if he came charging at me, I would punch him away without hesitation!"
Garp sounded resolute. His stance on justice was unwavering.
"(Original) Sengoku: Then how did Ace escape?!"
The execution platform was supposed to be impenetrable.
Not only had he stationed Kizaru as a sniper, ready to take out any intruder instantly, but even if Luffy had somehow made it, how did he unlock the Seastone handcuffs?
Seastone was known to nullify Devil Fruit abilities. Without the key, Ace would have been powerless to escape.
"(Original) Sengoku: Kizaru! Didn't I order you to eliminate anyone who rushed the execution platform?"
"(Original) Kizaru: Ehh? Come on, Mr. Sengoku, have a little faith. Anyone who rushed in front of me would've had their head blown off~"
Kizaru's lazy drawl did nothing to reassure Sengoku.
And even if Luffy had miraculously dodged Kizaru's attacks, there was still Sengoku himself!
"(Original) Sengoku: Am I an undercover agent in my own army?!"
Too many questions, yet the video skipped over the crucial details, leaving Sengoku frustrated.
---
A Moment of Freedom – A Fatal Mistake
Despite everything, the rescue mission had succeeded.
Ace was free.
All he had to do now was escape.
Whitebeard's forces had created an opening, and the Marines were struggling to stop them.
It was a perfect opportunity.
But then—
"(Original) Akainu: Running away already?"
Akainu's voice cut through the battlefield.
"The Whitebeard Pirates sure are pathetic."
"As soon as you rescue Ace, you turn and flee like cowards."
"Your captain is weak. Whitebeard is nothing but a relic of the past."
Ace stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"(Original) Ace: Take that back."
Despite the desperate cries of his allies, Ace turned back—choosing pride over survival.
---
The Fatal Strike
Ace clashed with Akainu, flames against magma.
The battle seemed even at first, but then—
Akainu's gaze shifted.
A few meters away, Luffy—exhausted beyond his limits—lay helpless on the ground.
A predator had spotted his prey.
Akainu lunged.
"(Original) Garp: SAKAZUKI, IF YOU TOUCH HIM—!!!"
"(Original) Dragon: You'd better think twice, Akainu. If you land that punch, I'll have no mercy."
"(Original) Shanks: Are you seriously ignoring my presence, Akainu?"
The threats echoed, but they were too late.
Akainu's burning fist was already descending toward Luffy.
He was helpless. He couldn't dodge.
Luffy was seconds away from death—
Until Ace stepped in.
---
The Screen Fades to Black
The punch went straight through Ace's chest.
A moment of silence.
Then, the video cut out.
A line of text appeared.
> "Ace's Death has been documented."
"Any objections?"
Sengoku was stunned.
This was something that hadn't happened yet.
Something he hadn't foreseen.
Something only someone who had already seen the future could know.
"(Original) Sengoku: I… I have no objections."
He finally accepted it.
The video was real.
The death was real.
But how had Ron, the mysterious political commissar from the parallel world, known about it before anyone else?
---
The Aftermath – A World Reacts
"(Original) Roger: Akainu, we have unfinished business."
"(Original) Whitebeard: SAKAZUKI!!!"
"(Original) Akainu: Hah! Come at me! I'll take you all on!"
"(Original) Luffy: ACE!!!"
"(Original) Garp: Damn you, Sakazuki!"
Meanwhile, in the other world—
"(Present) Sengoku: Look at how tragic things are over there. Thank the heavens for Commissar Ron."
"(Present) Garp: If we didn't have Ron guiding us, I'd be just as heartbroken as the other me right now."
"(Present) Ace: I can't believe it. In that world, not only did I become a pirate, but I died a meaningless death… The three of us brothers never even had a chance to reunite."
His voice was filled with emotion.
"(Former) Ace: The three of you… went on an adventure together?"
Ace from the original world looked at his counterpart with envy.
"(Present) Ace: Yeah. Thanks to Ron, I never lost my way. The three of us—me, Luffy, and Sabo—we stayed together. We explored the world as brothers, not as enemies."
"(Former) Ace: …"
For the first time, Ace felt true regret.
Had things been different, had someone guided him down another path…
Maybe he wouldn't have needed to block that punch.
Maybe he wouldn't have died at Marineford.
Then—
"(Present) Ace: Actually, you didn't have to block that punch at all."
Ace from the original world snapped back to reality.
"(Present) Ace: You probably don't know this, but Luffy is the Sun God. You used your Mera-Mera Fruit to block the Sun God's punch. That really delayed his awakening."
Silence.
Then—
"(Original) Ace: What the ***?!"
---
The Quiz Ends – A New Video Begins
The screen flashed.
> "Quiz complete."
"Comparison video will now continue."
The footage shifted to another scene.
A young boy, accompanied by Sabo, stood before a man.
Sabo spoke first.
"(Present) Sabo: Excuse me, Chief Ron. I have a friend who would like to talk with you. Would that be okay?"
Ace, arms crossed, looked unimpressed.
He had spent the entire journey hearing Sabo praise this man—this Marine.
Supposedly, speaking with him could change lives, strengthen faith, and reveal one's true path.
Ace didn't buy it.
He had come here with only one goal.
To prove them all wrong.
"(Original) Garp: Hmph. Let's see how you convince the Ace of another world!"
Garp clenched his fists.
After everything he had seen today, his heart ached.
Would this world's Ace find the redemption his own grandson never could?
The screen faded to black.
---
To Be Continued…
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