The broadcast screens around the world trembled with shock.
"Pirate King Roger's son! So this fierce man still lives, it's no wonder the Marines are going all out to execute him in public!"
"This is terrifying! End him quickly! He's a destabilizing force in the world!"
"Not only is he Whitebeard's son, he's Pirate King Roger's son! Fire Fist Ace is an absolute terror!"
Even as the world reeled from Fleet Admiral Sengoku's revelation that Ace was the son of the former Pirate King…
A thick mist had spread swiftly across the distant sea.
"Unusual. This fog formed far too quickly…"
As the haze thickened, the Marine lookout on the horizon tensed, sensing something was wrong.
"Keep watch. Anything out of the ordinary, call it out!"
"Yes, this fog is beyond strange!"
Suddenly a dark shape swayed in the distance, catching the observer's eye.
"Not good!"
His eyes widened with panic.
"Something's happening! The enemy… has appeared!"
"Oh my god! Oh my god!!!"
"They really came!"
The Marine observer stared blankly through his binoculars at the massive flotilla of pirate ships swarming through the fog, then spun and shouted out an alarm.
"Enemy attack!!!"
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku roared with righteous fury.
"Today, I will fully sever this tainted bloodline! Even if it escalates into all‑out war with Whitebeard, I will not hold back!"
A thunderous cry echoed from him.
"For Justice!!!"
"Justice will prevail!!!"
Cheering erupted from every Marine in the plaza. Vice Admirals around Sengoku lifted their weapons, their voices bleeding with power and zeal, bolstering Marine morale.
"Report! Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The Gates of Justice have opened!"
Just then, Sengoku received confirmation that the Gates of Justice had indeed opened silently.
"They…"
His face turned grim as he stared toward the sea.
"They've really come!!!"
Suddenly an urgent alarm sounded throughout Marineford.
"Enemy attack!!!!!"
Marineford burst into full combat alert.
"Prepare for battle! The enemy has appeared!!"
"For Justice! We will prevail!!!"
"For the safety of civilians, annihilate all intruders here!"
"Behind us is headquarters! We will not fear!"
Marines roared and braced themselves, watching the distant silhouettes of enemy ships grow clearer.
One terrifying pirate crew after another emerged from the fog. Over forty ships flooded into sight, their flags snapping fiercely in the wind.
Though not all bore the same banners, they represented a united fleet — the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Most of Whitebeard's core forces have arrived!!!"
Marine observers scanned the approaching fleet through binoculars, struggling to maintain calm as their voices tremored.
"There are many known figures aboard! Ice Witch Whitey Bay, Knight of the Sea Doma, the Decalvan Brothers…"
The commander of the observation team cut in, voice low and tense:
"None of that matters! Where is Whitebeard?"
"No sign of Whitebeard!"
"Not only Whitebeard, but the main captains aren't visible either!"
"Where are their core captains hiding?"
"Should we fire?"
The Vice Admiral in the observation team ground his teeth, breathing hard.
"No, we need to identify core forces first! They could bait us into attacking at the wrong moment!"
The one hundred thousand elite Marines assembled at Marineford, drawn from around the world, stood trembling with nerves — not from fear of battle, but from the torment of waiting.
Even seasoned fighters felt their hearts pound, sweat soaking uniforms and palms clinging to weapons.
"What Marine elites? A bunch of trash!"
A disdainful voice rang out from one of the elevated observation platforms.
Because of the distance, most Marines didn't hear it, but a few with keen Observation Haki did.
Several Vice Admirals shifted their gaze briefly toward the lavish viewing deck where the voice came from, then looked away as if they hadn't heard a thing.
They were not naive, nor blindly devoted to the abstract idea of justice. They understood what truly mattered in this world was not just strength — their own, their subordinates', or the Marines' strength — but also background and influence.
While the Marines below braced nervously for combat…
Two World Nobles lounged in the safety of the VIP spectator area, eating delicacies and watching idly.
They even complained that the grand cannons hadn't fired yet.
This was the stark truth of the world.
Celestial Dragons, World Nobles — untouchable, not to be offended.
There were Marines who had learned that lesson the hard way.
Once, some Vice Admirals had crossed the Celestial Dragons…
And then vanished without a trace.
Silently.
So regarding that insult, even the Vice Admirals had to pretend they heard nothing.
They turned their attention back to the approaching fleet, contemplating how best to respond.
Above the platform, a Celestial Dragon brat pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Why aren't the cannons firing yet? This Saint came here just to hear that sound!"
This spoiled child wore the standard bubble‑helmet, red hair standing on end, and a white inflated robe like all others of his class.
"Cowards, fire the cannons for this Saint!"
Next to him, a pampered young noblewoman flicked an exquisite fruit aside petulantly.
"I didn't come here to see commoners! I want to know if the cannon volleys sound as loud as thunder!"
Behind them stood a cadre of black‑suited guards, expressionless, arms clasped behind their backs. They would not budge from their posts for any reason, even the death of a Fleet Admiral. They believed their presence guaranteed safety for their Celestial Dragons.
"Slurp… not bad, this fruit is delicious."
But to their oblivious ignorance, a figure of immense significance observed quietly nearby.
"Indeed, watching from outside a screen and being immersed in it are two different things."
Shirogai sat in a chair close by, watching everything unfold below with a slight smile.
"Are kings, nobles, and commanders born to be like this?" he murmured, eyes drifting up to thick clouds overhead.
Born to be this way?
This world required a grand operation.
The Marineford War, in the eyes of the world, was a monumental clash of powers…
But to Shirogai it was nothing more than a massive operating table.
An opportunity to cut away the rot and decay in this world.
The Marines were maggots feeding on the putrid flesh of society.
The more they tried to prove their strength, the more their weakness showed.
Their shell was strong only in appearance, already hollow within.
"The operation begins," Shirogai whispered to himself.
Suddenly countless bubbles surged from the waters before Marineford. A dark shape rose beneath the surface…
Boom!
A titanic wave exploded upward, and a massive whale‑shaped pirate ship burst from the sea.
The Whitebeard Pirates' Moby Dick had arrived.
On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face hardened with gritted teeth.
"Whitebeard!"
"You old geezer still alive! You tricked us all, coming up from the seabed under cover!"
Beside him, Ace knelt on the platform, face wavering with conflict as four massive pirate ships rose from the sea.
"I… I…"
Ace's gaze pierced the ships, his teeth clenched so hard his lips cracked, blood bleeding into his mouth. But his distress ran deeper than the metallic taste — his reckless decisions had led his family into a trap.
The words once spoken by that smiling figure echoed in his mind.
Ace, if you keep clinging like this…
One day your love will turn into the very instrument of death for those you cherish.
The affection you once gave becomes an invitation to the banquet of death.
And Whitebeard's crew, your beloved family, could be destroyed because of you.
His entire body trembled.
Only now did he realize that Shirogai's advice back then may have foreseen this moment.
The Whitebeard Pirates had been forced to Marineford, into a trap set by the Marines.
Coming here — where a trap was certain — to save him…
Ace's heart sank.
I was wrong, so very wrong…
He who believed he understood right and wrong had been blind.
Now he wished he could die on the spot rather than watch his family fall to save him.
"The Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, Moby Dick, has appeared!"
Marineford broadcast rang with frantic shouts.
"In addition, three other Whitebeard Pirates ships have arrived, along with several captains!"
"First Division Captain Marco! Third Division Captain Jozu! Fifth Division Captain Vista… they are all here! But there is still no sign of Whitebeard!"
"Hmph. He'll be on the Moby Dick," Sengoku said coldly. "A commander never abandons his flagship."
Thud.
Thud.
Steady footsteps echoed across the Moby Dick's deck.
Clank!
Clank!
As the sound of heavy steps and staff strikes grew louder, a suffocating pressure filled every Marine's heart in Marineford plaza.
"So… terrifying…"
That pressure forced even the timid to retreat a step or two in fear.
Clank!
A massive, unmatched figure emerged at the bow of the Moby Dick, bare‑chested with the Whitebeard Pirates' cloak draped over his shoulders, facing Marineford without fear.
"This is… legendary…"
"One of the Four Emperors…"
"The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates…"
Marine after Marine averted their gaze, unable to meet his presence head‑on.
For many, it was the first time facing a true Emperor of the Sea.
The living legend — Four Emperors Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
Whitebeard stood firm, blade in hand, gaze fixed on Ace atop the execution platform.
After a brief silence he grinned, voice deep and calm.
"Hahaha… Sengoku, long time no see!"
Holding Murakumogiri, a Supreme Grade sword, he called out.
"My beloved son, Ace! Are you well?"
"Pops…"
Ace trembled as he lifted his head, shock and emotion straining his voice.
"It'll be okay soon, Ace!"
Whitebeard smiled, utterly unconcerned with the vast Marine forces and cannons aimed at them.
"I…"
Upon hearing that, Ace — like someone who had been separated from his family for far too long — cried out with all his taut spirit.
"Pops!!!!"
Clank!
Murakumogiri struck the Moby Dick's deck fiercely. Whitebeard crossed his arms, clenched his fists, and with a roar he struck upward.
"Hoh Ah!!!!!"
Crack…
Cracks split space and spread outward toward the surrounding sea.
The waters around Marineford churned violently.
"He, he stirred up the waves? Is the sea actually being used as a weapon?"
A Marine Vice Admiral shouted in disbelief.
Sengoku spoke in a grave voice.
"Tsunami! You haven't lost it yet! Old man, was that strike casual?"
Sengoku had long anticipated this — the Tremor‑Tremor Fruit ability was the Whitebeard Pirates' core combat force and Marine strategists had prepared for its devastating power.
Boom!
A colossal wave surged, rising like a mountain above Marineford's walls.
"Is this the power our enemies wield?"
"Can we truly stand against them?"
Marines stared up in disbelief, unease cutting deep into their hearts.
And yet…
"Huh? The waves… disappeared?"
"What? Was that just a show?"
"Hmph, you scared me! I thought I'd have to swim!"
The terrifying tidal wall receded unexpectedly, leaving Marineford intact.
"We're safe!"
Marines breathed deep sighs of relief, shaking off pounding hearts.
"Marines!"
A seasoned Vice Admiral, Observation Haki active, warned sharply.
"Brace yourselves. The most dangerous moment hasn't arrived yet!"
Rumble rumble rumble!
Ominous vibrations pulsed from the distant ocean.
Boom!!!!!!!!!
Violent waves crashed against Marineford's docks.
Then even larger waves followed, each higher than the last.
"What terrifying power! A true monster!"
Doflamingo grinned as monstrous waves cast shadows over Marineford.
Fufufufufu~
Such power evoked despair, yet he found the thought exhilarating — especially if that force was allied with him.
"So terrifying!"
One Marine with golden hair looked up, fear overtaking him.
"Run — I need to run fast…"
His feet seemed ready to turn and flee.
Whoosh…
At that moment, a figure near the base of the execution platform vanished, leaving an icy chill in the air…
A presence radiating absolute cold hovered in midair.
"Ice Age…"
Frost spread from his hands, freezing waves mid‑air, ice forming instantly on contact…