Whoosh—!!
A small flame flickered on Smoker's hand as he huddled in the corner, deftly lighting the thick cigar clenched between his teeth.
A wisp of blue smoke curled up as he took a deep drag, letting the rich smoke fill his lungs.
He pocketed the lighter in his hand, holding the cigar between his index and middle fingers, and exhaled gently.
The fragrant, dense smoke surged forward like a stampede of horses.
Clearly, this was an exceptional cigar, not something someone of Smoker's rank would typically have access to.
Suddenly, just as Smoker was squinting in enjoyment, a tall figure appeared before him, casting a giant shadow that engulfed him.
"How is it? My special-supply cigars taste pretty good, right?"
"Ah? Brother Atlas, is the meeting over?" Startled, Smoker quickly opened his eyes to find Atlas's towering figure blocking his view.
"Yeah~ It was just a bunch of trivial details anyway." Atlas patted Smoker on the shoulder, grinning mischievously.
"No need to look like that. Although these cigars are rare, in my position, the World Government allocates a special supply to me every month."
Being an Admiral candidate wasn't just about the prestigious title. There were other privileges that ordinary Marines couldn't enjoy.
For example, these special-supply cigars were a yearly tribute from one of the World Government's affiliated nations, available in limited quantities.
Since he didn't smoke much, he hadn't bothered to collect his share from the warehouse until now.
As it happened, Smoker—perhaps influenced by his Devil Fruit ability—was quite obsessed with tobacco.
So, Atlas gave his share to the brat.
"Hehe~ It's okay. It's just my first time smoking something of this quality; I haven't gotten used to it yet." Smoker scratched his head sheepishly.
Perhaps due to Atlas's influence, Smoker wasn't like the perpetually scowling, fierce-looking man from the original timeline.
Instead, he had a certain boyish innocence.
As for insubordination?
That only happened when he first graduated from boot camp. At least under Atlas's command, such a thing had never occurred.
"Alright, go get ready. Move the White Tiger to the skies above Marineford." Atlas looked at the spirited young man before him and waved his hand with a smile.
This version of Smoker wasn't bad at all.
"Yes! Vice Admiral Atlas!"
---20 hours remaining until the execution.---
...
Impel Down.
At this place that struck fear into the hearts of countless pirates, a dog-headed warship was quietly docked at the prison's main gate.
—The Marine Hero, "Iron Fist" Garp, walked slowly down from the warship.
Wearing his dog-head hat, he yawned as he walked, looking somewhat absent-minded.
Thump—!
The gangplank lowered, followed by two columns of fully armed Marine soldiers with solemn expressions.
Clang—!
The gates opened. In the darkness, a figure wrapped in chains could be vaguely seen walking out, followed by a massive man with two horns.
Clatter!!
Thick chains dragged weakly on the ground, making a crisp clinking sound.
"Hsss—!!"
Seemingly unaccustomed to such bright sunlight after a long time, the chained figure sucked in a breath of cold air, instinctively covering his eyes.
"Zehahaha! It really is blinding!"
The bright sunlight revealed the dark, fat figure. He opened his gap-toothed mouth and laughed, though his voice lacked confidence.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Why have you come personally?" Magellan, behind him, looked solemn.
Although he and Garp weren't in the same system, he admired the man from the bottom of his heart.
"Zehahaha! I didn't expect the famous Marine Hero to escort me personally. How unfortunate."
Seeing the dog-headed Marine clearly, Teach's pupils contracted. His heart sank, but he put on a flattered expression.
"Bwahahaha! I just happened to have nothing to do, so I thought I'd come here for a stroll."
Garp glanced at Teach out of the corner of his eye, then turned to laugh heartily at Magellan, ignoring Blackbeard completely.
"By the way, why does this guy have so many locks on him?"
Garp pointed at Blackbeard and asked.
"Uh, Atlas requested it. He said this guy is too cunning, so adding a few dozen more locks is safer."
Magellan shook his head with a bitter smile.
"He originally wanted to chop off this guy's limbs, but since he's going to be executed in front of the whole world later, he was afraid it would look bad, so he had to give up on that idea."
"Bwahahaha! That sounds just like the brat's style!"
"..."
That guy—
Hearing the two mention Atlas, Blackbeard's already dark face darkened further. His open mouth slowly curved downward, his expression becoming visibly gloomy.
He actually destroyed my dream!!
He knew very well that even if the Whitebeard Pirates came out in full force, the chances of rescuing him from Marineford were slim to none.
"Enough talk. Let's get this guy to Marine Headquarters before Sengoku starts nagging in my ear again!"
...
On the other side of the great undersea prison, at the deep-sea prison wall.
Pressure from all directions constantly assaulted the thick prison walls. Giant Sea Kings circled, but none dared to cross the line.
This was the Calm Belt. A large amount of Seastone powder was mixed into the walls, tricking the Sea Kings into thinking it was just seawater, creating a natural barrier for the undersea prison!
In the dark and deep sea, three figures of varying sizes quietly appeared outside Impel Down.
"So many Sea Kings?"
Beckman looked at the Sea Kings prowling ahead, his heart sinking.
No wonder Shiki the Golden Lion was the only person ever successfully to escape Impel Down since its construction. With this level of internal and external security...
Most people probably ended up in a fish's belly.
"Don't worry. Although we Fish-Men can only communicate with ordinary fish and cannot command Sea Kings, there are still ways to avoid their attention."
Sunbell the Fish-Man chuckled.
The Fish-Man race was known as the children of the sea. Avoiding Sea King attacks was something they could easily do.
"Hehe~ Once we break through, I'll come in handy."
The giant Seagull flexed his developed biceps and spoke in a booming voice.
Night passed, and dawn broke.
5:00 AM.
Seven hours remaining until the execution.
Marshall D. Teach himself was imprisoned in a temporary cell beneath the execution platform at Marineford.
50 warships, each heavily armed, surrounded the crescent-shaped harbour and the entire island of Marineford.
Several heavy cannons were set up on the shore, ready to deliver devastating blows to any pirate ships that came into view.
High above, unseen by all, the massive island-ship—the White Tiger—hovered quietly. Its dark cannon muzzles were all aimed at the harbour.
If anyone used Observation Haki to scan, they would discover a massive amount of life signatures suspended in mid-air.
In the vast plaza, troops were already being deployed according to the plan. The sound of ammunition being loaded rang out, and the tense atmosphere of pre-war filled the entire square.
They knew very well that any one of them could die here today.
But they also knew that their families and the... justice behind them were watching their every move!
"Truly spectacular. Since joining the Marines, I don't think I've ever seen a scene like this."
Kyros, holding his greatsword, couldn't help but sigh.
Although he had served as a captain in the Dressrosa army, it was insignificant compared to a world-class war like this.
"You haven't been in the Marines that long, you know." Smoker, biting on his exquisite cigar, interrupted Kyros's lament with a strange look.
"That's true, but..."
Kyros leaned on his sword with one hand and pointed at the unlit cigar. "Did you forget to light that?"
"Shut up! None of your business!"
Smoker blushed, speaking with embarrassment.
Buzz—!
Suddenly, as the two were talking, a commotion came from the Marines behind them. The neatly arranged Marines consciously cleared a wide path.
And Smoker and Kyros—
We were standing conspicuously in the middle of the road.
"Hm? That is..."
Sensing the movement behind them, both turned around simultaneously. A large shadow enveloped them, and an invisible pressure weighed on their minds.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea!
"Hey! You two... get out of my way!"
Before they could react, Hancock lifted a leg. A flash of white thigh whizzed past, kicking toward them with a whistling sound!
White?!
A thought suddenly popped into their minds as a sharp high heel threatened to stab them in the face!
Clang—!!
A crisp impact sounded. A half-drawn cane-sword blocked the kick. Sparks flew, stinging their faces.
"Mr. Issho—?!"
Smoker cried out in surprise. After returning from the New World, Issho had traveled with him for a while, so he was no stranger to this blind middle-aged man.
He also knew from the man's conversations with Atlas that this man...
Was very strong!!!
"Honorable Warlord, this is Marineford!"
Issho was still dressed in his purple kimono. He wasn't officially part of the Marines yet; he was waiting for this war...
Shing—!! Click—!!
Seeing the conflict arise, the surrounding Marines didn't hesitate. They drew the swords at their waists and chambered rounds, aiming their weapons at the Warlords.
For a moment, swords were drawn and bows were bent. The atmosphere was tense to the extreme, and infighting seemed imminent.
"This is trouble you caused yourself. We're not on the same side as you, Boa Hancock!"
Mihawk's gaze didn't waver. He walked around Hancock, heading straight for the front of the harbor.
The other Warlords also adopted an attitude of indifference, following suit.
"Hmph!!"
Seeing this, Hancock seemed to think of something. She snorted coldly, then bypassed Issho and the others to catch up with Mihawk and the rest.
"Are you two young Marines alright?"
Seeing them walk away, Issho bowed and asked the two.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. This is Marineford; I bet that woman wouldn't dare do anything to us!"
Smoker waved his hand dismissively.
If that woman dared to attack him in public, she probably wouldn't be walking out of Marine Headquarters today!
On the other side, at the very back of the plaza, beneath the towering execution platform, three chairs of different colours were placed.
—Red, Blue, White!
Three tall, strong figures sat leaning back in the chairs with their legs crossed.
—[Akainu] Sakazuki, [Aokiji] Kuzan, [Byakko] Atlas!
Representing the Marines' highest combat power against the Whitebeard Pirates!
An invisible aura spread, infusing the somewhat apprehensive Marines with a shot of confidence.
Especially Atlas. As a possessor of Conqueror's Haki, the pressure of his willpower was even greater than that of Akainu and Aokiji!
At this moment, reporters who had swarmed from all over the world were like sharks smelling blood, gathering their cameras around the surveillance screens on the Sabaody Archipelago.
To increase the Marines' prestige and deter criminals, Sengoku had specifically used surveillance Den Den Mushi to broadcast the situation at Marineford in real-time.
The Marine families evacuated from the residential area were now arranged on evacuation ships near the Sabaody Archipelago, protected by Zephyr and his recruit camp.
Ain and Binz were among them. After all, a war of this magnitude was a slaughterhouse.
Sending recruits to the front lines would be no different from sending them to their deaths.
Time ticked by. Whitebeard's Moby Dick still hadn't appeared at Marineford's harbour. People all over the world, closely following this war, couldn't help but question.
"Whitebeard... will he definitely come?"
"He will definitely come!!"
Zephyr stared unblinkingly at the monitor in front of him. Without turning his head, he answered the question that Ain had just asked.
"You don't understand that man. Call him arrogant or protective, but now that the Marines have formally declared war on him, he will definitely not run away."
"Moreover, he is Whitebeard, known as the World's Strongest Man. Sakazuki and the other two are still a bit lacking."
Zephyr's gaze was distant. As the teacher of Akainu and the others, he knew their strength very well.
They could reach that level in the future, but there is still a gap now.
"Then the Marines..." Ain frowned, her smooth forehead wrinkling.
"The Marines have gathered such a powerful force. If they don't keep Whitebeard at Marineford, their prestige will drop to an all-time low."
"Therefore, Whitebeard has no reason to leave alive!!" Zephyr said with certainty, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Is that so? But..."
"Vice Admiral Byakko seems to be getting more and more imposing. I wonder if his offer for me to be his adjutant still stands?"
Her gaze drifting, Ain murmured somewhat absentmindedly.
Zephyr:?