The sudden appearance of a hidden mission caused Krillin to suspend his return.
He had originally planned to head back and report his success to the group, but with the new objective unlocked, things had changed.
He turned to Luffy and Ace, his expression serious.
"Excuse me… who is Whitebeard?"
If the hidden mission was to help the Whitebeard Pirates end the war, then finding their captain, Whitebeard himself, was the first step. Naturally, either Ace or Luffy would know.
"You're looking for Dad?" Ace blinked in surprise, then pointed into the distance. "He's right over there."
Krillin followed Ace's gaze. Standing in the distance was a towering figure, leaning slightly on his bisento. He radiated raw power and majesty, even in his wounded state.
But Ace's gesture made him realize something else—Whitebeard was badly injured. His body was covered in wounds, and blood stained his clothes. Clearly, the effort to rescue Ace had come at a heavy cost.
Seeing his father figure like this sent a wave of guilt through Ace.
He clenched his fists. "Because of me… Dad ended up like that…"
The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates didn't fare much better. Many of them were wounded, some barely standing. The war had taken a toll, and the price of saving Ace had been high.
"Oh? That's Whitebeard?" Krillin raised an eyebrow, examining the tall man in the distance. "Yeah, I can see how he got the name."
The iconic crescent-shaped mustache certainly suited the title. And his presence was certainly impressive, but Krillin wasn't shocked.
He'd seen his share of giants in the Dragon Ball universe. Frieza, in his first transformation, wasn't much shorter—and far more terrifying in aura. Still, Krillin respected what he saw.
However, Krillin's actions weren't going unnoticed.
Since Ace's miraculous recovery, the Marineford battlefield had gone quiet.
Both pirates and marines were frozen in surprise. The bean Krillin had given Ace—the magical Senzu Bean—had completely restored him. It was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.
And now, Krillin was walking straight toward Whitebeard.
People began whispering again.
"Who is this guy?"
"Is he going to heal Whitebeard too?"
"What kind of ability is this?!"
The marines grew tense. Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, was the first to react.
"All units, stop him!" he roared. "Don't let him reach Whitebeard!"
He may not have known what Krillin planned, but he understood one thing:
If Krillin healed Whitebeard—restoring him to full strength—then the war would spiral completely out of control. All the injuries Whitebeard had suffered would be meaningless, and the balance of power would tilt drastically in the pirates' favor.
"We can't let that happen!"
At Sengoku's command, the marines moved in. Soldiers began charging toward Krillin, weapons raised.
Naturally, the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't just stand there.
"Get out of the way!" roared one commander.
Krillin had saved Ace—he was one of them now. There was no way they would let the marines get in his way, especially if he was going to help their captain.
Swords clashed, cannons fired, and chaos began to erupt once more.
---
Ace stepped forward, flames igniting around him as he prepared to clear a path.
"Krillin! I'll show you the way!" he shouted.
In Ace's mind, the situation was obvious. If Krillin was trying to reach Whitebeard, then the least he could do was help.
After all, Krillin had saved his life. How could he just stand by while the marines tried to stop him?
But Krillin simply smiled.
"No need to trouble yourself."
And with that—he soared into the sky.
---
The battlefield froze again.
"...He's flying?"
"He's really flying!"
"What Devil Fruit is this?!"
Gasps spread across both sides. Krillin hovered above the battlefield effortlessly, rising with no visible transformation or energy.
Many Devil Fruits granted flight—but there was always a visible change. Whether it was Marco's phoenix form or Kaido's blue dragon, the transformation was part of the power.
But Krillin?
He just floated upward without even blinking.
No wings. No aura. No transformation.
Just… flight.
---
"What in the world?!" one marine shouted. "Is that the power of the Piao Piao no Mi?!"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes, carefully watching Krillin.
"No… it's not the Flutter-Flutter Fruit," he muttered.
He had fought the Golden Lion before. He knew the signs of the fluttering power. This wasn't the same. There was no suspension of other objects, no aura or manipulation of surrounding elements.
Krillin simply defied gravity.
"Is this… some new type of Devil Fruit?" Sengoku wondered aloud. "Or something else entirely?"
---
Still, regardless of how he was flying, one thing was clear—he had to be stopped.
"Fire!" Sengoku barked. "Don't let him reach Whitebeard!"
Cannonballs and energy blasts tore through the air toward Krillin. The pirates began fighting back harder to protect him. Meanwhile, Whitebeard himself began to step forward, watching Krillin approach.
Then came a shout from the skies.
"You're not getting through that easily!"
Akainu, his arm glowing with molten heat, hurled a devastating magma fist into the air toward Krillin.
"Saving Ace alone is reason enough for me to execute you!" Akainu roared.
But Krillin wasn't fazed.
With a calm expression, he vanished—blurring out of sight.
The magma punch soared past, exploding uselessly in the air.
"Where did he go?!"
"Vanished?!"
The next moment, Krillin reappeared—right in front of Whitebeard.
Everyone gasped.
"Impossible!"
"Was that Instant Movement?!"
"How did he move so fast?!"
Both the marines and the pirates were stunned. None of them had seen what just happened. Krillin hadn't just flown—he had teleported. One moment he was midair; the next, he stood before the world's strongest man.
---
Whitebeard stared at the small man who appeared before him.
"You're the one who saved Ace," he rumbled.
Krillin nodded. "Yes. And I'd like to help end this war… if you'll allow it."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed.
This man—Krillin—had no trace of a Devil Fruit user's aura. And yet, he flew, dodged magma, and moved faster than the eye could see.
He wasn't from this world.
"Who are you, really?" Whitebeard asked.
Krillin bowed slightly. "Just a… wandering warrior. Let's say I'm here to help the right side win."
Whitebeard chuckled, a low rumble escaping his chest.
"Ace trusts you. That's enough for me."
---
Back in the group chat, the reactions were exploding again.
Jack: "@Krillin, not bad. That dramatic entrance definitely made a statement."
Beerus: "He flew. Without wings. Without turning into anything. Tch. I'm starting to think this guy is more than just lucky."
Goku: "@Krillin, I saw that! You used Instant Transmission, didn't you?! Hah! That move's still so cool!"
Vegeta: "@Kakarot, what's wrong with you? It's not cool—it's cheating! And he's not even a Saiyan!"
Whis: "@Everyone, we may be witnessing the early stages of a very interesting development. Let's see how Krillin handles the next step."
---
Now standing in front of Whitebeard, Krillin reached into his gi.
"I'd like to offer you something," he said.
From within, he pulled out a second Senzu Bean.
Whitebeard blinked. "Another one of those…?"
Krillin nodded. "This will heal your wounds instantly. If we're going to stop this war, you'll need your full strength."
Whitebeard hesitated. It wasn't often someone handed him power—especially not freely.
But he could see the sincerity in Krillin's eyes.
With a grunt, he popped the bean into his mouth.
Moments later, his wounds vanished. His muscles tightened, his back straightened. Even the blood dried off his skin. The pirates watching from afar began to cheer wildly.
"Daddy's back to full strength!"
---
Krillin looked up at the towering man.
"Now, let's go stop this war."
---
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