Inside Impel Down, the Great Underwater Prison.
Ace sat shackled, his wrists weighed down by seastone cuffs. Across from him, Garp sat heavily, his expression dark with pain.
"Brat! I wanted to raise you into a fine Marine, but you and your brother both became pirates!" Garp roared, voice shaking with frustration. "There's no future for pirates!"
Garp had watched both Ace and Luffy grow from childhood. For him, this was unbearable. Were it not for his duty as a Marine, he might have smashed Impel Down apart just to take Ace away.
Ace lowered his head slightly, his voice faint. "Old man…"
Garp exhaled, then continued, his tone quieter. "I told Luffy about his father. When he learned that his father was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he was shocked."
Ace gave a sharp snort. "Knowing or not knowing changes nothing. Both Luffy and I carry the bloodline of the world's greatest criminal. Even if I bear my mother's surname, that bastard's blood still runs in me. It's shameful."
Hearing those words, Garp's mind drifted to Roger—the Pirate King, the friend and enemy who had sparked the Great Pirate Era.
"In the end, it's still Roger's bloodline," Garp muttered.
Ace's jaw tightened, his eyes filled with defiance.
"I have only one father, and that's Whitebeard! He's the greatest man in this world. Roger left me nothing but humiliation. That man is not worthy of being called my father!"
The intensity of Ace's words left Garp stunned. His heart ached as he rose to his feet. For once, the indomitable Marine Hero seemed old. He turned his back and walked away slowly, shoulders heavy.
When it came to raising children, perhaps he had no talent at all. One grandson shouting about becoming Pirate King. Another grandson shackled here, facing execution. He had raised them, and yet… their paths had all led to piracy. Maybe he should have crushed those dreams long ago.
Garp's retreating figure faded, leaving Ace behind in the dim prison.
---
At sea, aboard Ashveil's ship.
Only an hour remained before Marineford.
In his cabin, Thorne Ashveil sat up from the bed, yawning. "Ahh… that was a good sleep," he muttered. Rest had cleared away his drowsiness, and he stretched lazily before slipping on his slippers. With two chicken legs in hand, he stepped onto the deck.
There, Urouge was diligently steering. By the railing sat a sturdy raft he had already finished building.
Ashveil nodded, satisfied. Urouge might not have the greatest strength, but he was reliable. "Hey, Urouge," Ashveil called.
Hearing his captain's voice, Urouge hurried over. "Captain Ashveil, what are your orders?" His eyes gleamed with excitement.
Ever since witnessing Ashveil defeat both Mihawk and Kaido, Urouge's admiration had deepened into absolute devotion. Before, he had followed partly out of gratitude. Now, he followed out of conviction.
In his eyes, the Four Emperors, the Marines, even the World Government itself—none of them mattered. His captain stood above them all.
"Well done. You've worked hard," Ashveil said casually. "From this moment on, you're no longer just an errand boy. I'm officially making you a crew member of my ship."
Urouge's eyes widened, and Ashveil smirked. "But… chores are still yours. And crew members don't get paid."
A promotion in title, but not in responsibility.
Even so, Urouge was overcome with joy. His voice trembled. "Thank you, Captain Ashveil! I'll work even harder!"
Ashveil blinked, momentarily speechless. Was it really that easy to impress people in this world? But then he realized—his reputation had already grown immense. To be acknowledged as his crew member was like being acknowledged as part of Roger's crew during the Pirate King's era. For Urouge, this was an honor beyond words.
Ashveil coughed lightly, then pointed to the raft. "That's far enough. Stay here and wait. When I return victorious, we'll regroup."
With a flick of his hand, he tossed the raft into the sea and leapt aboard, his body gliding smoothly as his Conqueror's Haki flared around him.
His next destination was Impel Down. The seastone cuffs restraining Ace? Useless. With his current mastery of haki, breaking them would be effortless. His plan was simple: turn the prison upside down, free Ace, and rally the powerful prisoners within. Together with the Shichibukai waiting at Marineford, he would strike when the Marines least expected it.
If executed properly, the war at Marineford wouldn't be an extermination of Whitebeard's forces, but a counterattack that shattered Marineford's justice itself.
Watching Ashveil's figure vanish across the waves, Urouge's chest swelled with pride. His captain didn't falter, not even when standing against the might of Marineford. His aura surpassed even Roger's legend.
Urouge clenched his fists. "I can't fall behind. If I want to follow Captain Ashveil, I must become stronger." He began training on the deck, determined to withstand even the aftershocks of his captain's battles.
---
At Marineford.
The fortress bristled with tension. Along the coast, rows of colossal cannons stood ready, while countless warships filled the bay. Elite Marines lined the walls, and the atmosphere was suffocating.
"Fuffuffuffu… this war is going to be exciting," Doflamingo chuckled, his sharp grin gleaming as he surveyed the horizon. He had already struck a secret deal with Ashveil: when the time came, he would side with the stronger power. To him, justice was simple.
Victory. Only victors had the right to claim justice.
Nearby, Boa Hancock stood tall, her beauty captivating the Marines around her. "No matter what I do, I will always be forgiven," she declared proudly.
Several Marines swooned immediately, their eyes replaced with hearts. "Empress Hancock… she's so beautiful!"
Tyrant Kuma remained silent, standing motionless. Mihawk's sharp gaze was fixed on the sea, as if awaiting something inevitable.
Each Warlord harbored their own secret intentions—except Moriah. The hulking figure of Gekko Moriah cackled uncontrollably.
"Hahahaha! A war of this scale is perfect for me! The more corpses, the better! I'll add them all to my zombie army! Hahahaha!"
His mad laughter drew sneers from the others. Doflamingo and Mihawk both looked his way with disdain. "Idiot," they thought. Moriah was too weak to play this game. When betrayal inevitably came, he would be the first to fall.
At the rear, Fleet Admiral Sengoku raised his binoculars, scanning the horizon with unwavering focus. This battle would decide not only the fate of the Marines but his own legacy.
"Whitebeard," he murmured, eyes hard, "I'll show you what justice truly means. This war will end with our victory."
---