Grand Line, Marineford.
The air in the Fleet Admiral's office was thick with tension, a silence that felt heavier than the weight of a battleship. It was broken only when a Marine Rear Admiral entered, visibly anxious.
"Reporting to Fleet Admiral Sengoku," the officer announced, his voice tight. "Fire Fist Ace has been escorted to headquarters by Admiral Kizaru!"
At the name, Garp suddenly lifted his gaze. The others in the room let out a collective sigh of relief, none more so than Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who immediately gave the order: "Send Ace to the headquarters' prison and guard him strictly. We still have three hours; there must be no accidents."
"Yes, sir!"
The Rear Admiral quickly departed to relay the command.
Tsuru watched him go, then turned to Sengoku with a reassuring nod. "Sengoku, you can relax now. With Borsalino [Kizaru] handling the escort, there won't be any mishaps."
Sengoku nodded in response. Before he could speak, Garp abruptly rose and walked toward the door. Sengoku and Tsuru, his closest friends, simply watched him leave, offering no comment.
Once Garp was out of sight, Tsuru spoke slowly, raising a delicate subject: "What about the Impel Down situation?"
"Nothing happened in Impel Down!" Sengoku stated without hesitation.
Tsuru understood instantly. "I see."
She changed the subject to tactical matters. "Reports from our Marines in the New World suggest that Kaido and Charlotte Linlin [Big Mom] have both made a move. It looks like they're heading toward Whitebeard's territory."
"That's good news, but we can't let our guard down," Sengoku cautioned. "Charlotte Linlin is one thing, but Kaido requires total vigilance, especially since we know his daughter was locked up in Impel Down. And keep the Straw Hat matter from Garp, at least until this is over."
"It's shocking, isn't it?" Tsuru remarked. "They're so bold. Kaido's daughter, and even Garp's grandson..."
Sengoku looked out at the sky with a grim expression. "Since they chose to invade Impel Down, they will pay the price for it," he said slowly. "Not to mention, they released so many prisoners from inside. If those guys get out into the open sea, the chaos they'll cause won't be simple. By the way, what about Red Hair?"
"There's no movement from Red Hair [Shanks] yet," Tsuru replied. "Since his last confrontation with Kaido, the Red Hair Pirates seem to have gone silent. No one knows what they're up to."
"Is that so?" Sengoku's gaze was solemn, but after a moment's thought, he made a decision. "For now, don't worry about him. Given Red Hair's personality, he generally won't cause trouble, as he has no personal stake in this war. Is there still no sign of Whitebeard?"
"None. I suspect they're waiting for confirmation about Ace," Tsuru concluded.
Sengoku glanced at the clock on the wall. "In that case, we won't hesitate any longer. Let the war between the Marines and Whitebeard begin!"
"Understood!"
The Assembly of Marine Justice
Swoosh!!!
A sudden, blaring alarm sliced through the original quiet of Marineford's central plaza. The moment the sound rang out, the atmosphere of the entire headquarters seemed to freeze solid.
Under the intense sun, the formerly peaceful plaza instantly erupted into activity. At every entry point of Marineford, teams of elite Marine soldiers, clad in blue uniforms and carrying their weapons, marched onto the plaza in tight, square formations.
A staggering 100,000 elite Marine soldiers were mobilized for the Marineford War. This colossal number meant it took nearly an hour for all the regular troops to enter the battlefield and take their designated positions. Among them was the young Koby, known for his extraordinary effort, the future hero of the Marines.
Next, a second alarm sounded.
This time, the mid-level Marine officers from various branches entered the plaza. These consisted mainly of Rear Admirals and Commodores, totaling over a thousand individuals, each accompanied by two or three subordinates.
It was clear that the Marines had brought every elite fighter they could summon from across the entire ocean for this decisive battle.
For instance, Smoker, who had just entered, had been directly promoted from Captain to Commodore for his capture of Crocodile. Beside him stood Tashigi, who had been promoted to Ensign.
Smoker's long-time acquaintance, the undeniably beautiful and absolutely sexy Marine Rear Admiral Hina, was also present. She was a Paramecia-type Cage-Cage Fruit user.
Hina's subordinates included Jango, the former Vice-Captain of the Black Cat Pirates from the East Blue, and Fullbody, a former Marine Captain from the East Blue who had once been soundly beaten by Sanji.
This group stood directly in front of all the regular Marine soldiers and was slated to be the primary fighting force against the Whitebeard Pirates.
The next group to enter the battlefield were the Vice Admirals from various Marine branches—the true high-ranking officials of the military. They were a much smaller group, only thirty in total, but each one possessed the strength of a thousand men, representing the absolute core fighting power of the Marines. This formidable assembly included several Giant Vice Admirals and Staff Officer Tsuru. These Vice Admirals took their positions right in front of the Rear Admirals.
The Seven Warlords and the Three Admirals
The remaining important figures were reserved for the grand finale. Standing as a bridge connecting the ranks of Vice Admirals were the five Seven Warlords of the Sea who had been forcefully summoned to Marineford. They were essential players in this global conflict:
Tyrant - Bartholomew Kuma.
Moonlight - Gekko Moriah.
Heavenly Yaksha - Donquixote Doflamingo.
Hawkeye - Dracule Mihawk.
Empress - Boa Hancock.
They stood positioned at the forefront of the entire assembly, ready to act as the key combatants for this war. Whether they would actually engage in battle, however, was entirely up to them.
By now, virtually all the key Marine personnel had arrived. An hour and a half had passed since the first alarm.
At this moment, under the collective gaze of all assembled, the three Admirals, who represented the highest combat power of the headquarters, finally made their appearance. They were Admiral Aokiji, Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Kizaru.
They seated themselves at the very bottom of the execution platform, looking like three immovable, unbreakable barriers.
Following closely behind the three Admirals were the two figures who were the pillars of strength in the hearts of every Marine soldier: Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marine Hero Garp.
Once they had taken their places on the execution platform, Sengoku exchanged a brief look with Garp, then nodded to the crowd below.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the sole prisoner of this public execution—Fire Fist Ace—was slowly escorted onto the platform. Garp's expression became profoundly solemn as he looked at his grandson, who was now so close.
Sengoku then slowly spoke: "Fire Fist Ace, accept your fate!"
Ace's expression was heavy with unprecedented despondency. He looked up and asked slowly, "How are Luffy and Yamato?"
Hearing this, Garp clenched his fist tightly. Sengoku replied with a slow, deliberate tone: "I think you know that breaking into Impel Down is an unforgivable crime. They will spend their lives there."
"Damn it!"
At that moment, Ace tightly clenched his fists and slammed them onto the execution platform. He had never felt such overwhelming regret and self-reproach, but he knew everything was now in vain.
With Ace in place, all the Marines participating in this crucial war were finally assembled.
The only ones left were the pirates...
As if answering Sengoku's thoughts, a fleet of countless pirate ships suddenly appeared on the distant sea, shrouded in a thick fog.
As the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates' main ship, broke through Marineford's defenses from beneath the deep sea, the Marineford War—the conflict that would soon influence the future course of the entire ocean—finally began.
The news of Whitebeard's shocking appearance, being broadcast live from headquarters, rapidly spread across the entire sea. In the New World, the Beasts Pirates and the BIGMOM Pirates also began to put their plans into action.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse