The laughter in the valley gradually faded.
Whitebeard finally calmed his excitement, though his fan-sized hand still rested on Lucian's shoulder, his eyes brimming with undisguised pride.
This wasn't just finding treasure.
He had practically picked up a god capable of splitting heaven and earth.
Lucian's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
He lifted his head, golden light still flickering faintly in his eyes, and gazed toward the direction of Marineford.
"Old man."
"There's not much time left until Ace's execution."
At those words, Whitebeard's face twitched slightly, and a surge of blazing fury and killing intent ignited in his hawk-like eyes.
Ace.
That name was his one and only reverse scale.
"Gurararara..."
A low, guttural laugh rolled from Whitebeard's throat—less laughter, more like the growl of a beast about to be unleashed.
"You're right, brat!"
"It's time those Marine HQ bastards remembered what it means to fear a sea emperor!"
"Let's go back!"
Without another word, the two turned and strode forward.
Whitebeard grabbed Murakumo Giri from the ground and slung it over his shoulder.
Lucian followed behind him.
Together, they marched toward the coastline where the Moby Dick awaited.
Meanwhile, on the Moby Dick—chaos had erupted.
Marco, Jozu, Vista, and all the division commanders, along with thousands of elite Whitebeard Pirates, were still in a state of utter shock.
Every eye was locked on the distant sea, where a bottomless pit now stood in place of endless blue water.
That part of the sea... had been evaporated.
The thousand-meter-long sword of light that had descended from the sky, along with that divine pressure that made their very souls tremble—what was that?
Was it Pops?
No, it couldn't be.
Whitebeard's power was raw, earth-shattering destruction—shockwaves that tore everything apart, not divine judgment forged from light and fire.
Could it be Lucian?
Even more impossible.
That kid was strong, freakishly so—but he couldn't possibly wield such godlike power.
Everyone was filled with terror and confusion.
Just then, two figures flew in from above the distant island, landing steadily on the deck.
It was Whitebeard and Lucian.
"Pops!"
"Lucian!"
Marco and the others rushed over immediately, urgency written all over their faces.
"Pops, what the hell happened just now?!"
Diamond Jozu growled, pointing toward the sea trench, his face pale from the lingering shock.
"That sword of light… and that pressure… was that you?!"
Flower Sword Vista couldn't help but ask. As one of the world's top swordsmen, he had felt like nothing more than an ant before that blade.
All eyes turned to Whitebeard and Lucian, waiting for an answer.
Lucian glanced at their stunned faces, exchanged a look with Whitebeard, and the two shared a subtle, knowing smirk.
"That?"
Lucian spoke first, smiling as if casually talking about the weather.
"That was just a little trick Pops and I cooked up recently. Still working out the power control. Guess we overdid it a bit."
A little trick?
Overdid it a bit?!
You evaporated an entire section of the sea—and you call that a little trick?!
All the division commanders twitched violently, feeling like their entire worldview had just been curb-stomped.
"As for that pressure…"
Lucian paused, then continued his nonsense with a perfectly serious face.
"Pops and I tried combining our Conqueror's Haki just to see what would happen. Seems like we triggered some strange reaction. Nothing to worry about—it's perfectly normal."
Combining Conqueror's Haki?
What kind of unheard-of technique was that?
Everyone stood there dumbfounded. It didn't sound right, but they couldn't refute it either.
Only Marco, standing at the back, stared at Lucian like he was looking at a monster.
He had witnessed Lucian's summoning firsthand. There was no way he believed this double act between him and Pops.
Because Marco knew very well—
That cataclysmic display of power just now?
It had absolutely nothing to do with Pops.
It was all Lucian.
'This guy… how many secrets is he still hiding?'
Marco felt a storm surging in his chest.
Just as everyone remained suspended between belief and doubt, Whitebeard spoke.
"Gurararara!"
His signature laugh rang out again, carrying an undeniable, king-like authority.
"Lucian's right. No need to panic!"
"That was just a new technique the two of us developed together!"
Pops himself confirmed it.
All remaining doubt vanished.
What followed was sheer frenzy and admiration.
So it was a technique jointly created by Pops and Lucian?!
Too strong.
Absolutely unreasonable levels of power.
With strength like that, what was there to fear about Marine HQ?
Morale aboard the Moby Dick instantly surged to its peak!
Watching the fired-up crew, Whitebeard's smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness.
He stepped to the bow, facing all his sons, his voice like rolling thunder across the sea.
"Brats!"
"Listen to my orders!"
The deck went silent in an instant.
Everyone stood tall, eyes burning as they stared at their one true king.
"From this moment forward, issue the highest-level—"
Whitebeard paused, each word like molten steel forced through clenched teeth, laced with searing fury.
"—Summoning Order!"
"Target: Marineford!"
"We're going… to bring our family back!"
"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!"
The brief silence was shattered by a volcanic roar of battle cries!
The trumpet of war had sounded.
The order spread like invisible waves from the Moby Dick, reaching across the entire New World.
In the snow-covered expanse of an icy island—
Inside a fortress built from solid ice, a burly man in thick fur and a beard like a lion's mane raised a massive barrel in celebration with his crew.
It was none other than Doma, the savage cavalry knight under Whitebeard's banner.
Suddenly, a News Coo descended through the storm. A crewman snatched the message and raced toward Doma, face pale.
"Captain! It's… it's a summoning order from Pops!"
The celebration screeched to a halt.
Doma grabbed the letter, read it, and then smashed his giant barrel into the ground.
BOOM!
Liquor splashed everywhere.
Eyes bloodshot, he let out a roar that echoed across the frozen wastes.
"Move your asses, boys!"
"Pops is calling!"
"Set sail! Break the ice! We're heading for Marineford! Anyone who gets in our way—crush them!"
In a bustling port city of the New World—
"Thunder Lord" Makugai was drinking with his crew in a tavern.
Suddenly, his personal Den Den Mushi started buzzing—burururu!
He picked it up, listened, and his face instantly darkened.
After hanging up, he drained his glass in one swig and stood abruptly.
"Everyone—back to the ship!"
"The party's over!"
"The war… has begun!"
Elsewhere in a chaotic sea of the New World—
"Maelstrom Spider" Squard stood at the bow of his ship, staring at a newspaper in his hands, expression grim.
The headline: Ace to be publicly executed.
Just then, a crewman rushed over and handed him a ringing Den Den Mushi.
Squard took the call, stayed silent for a long while after.
Then, raising his head toward the crashing waves, a strange flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.
At last, he took a deep breath and made his decision.
"All hands—prepare to sail!"
At that very moment—
Makugai the Thunder Lord, Whitey Bay the Ice Witch, the Decalvan Brothers...
One by one, the most notorious pirate captains of the New World—
One by one, the allied commanders under Whitebeard's flag—
All received the Emperor's final Summoning Order.
No hesitation.
No delay.
Dozens of colossal pirate ships from every corner of the New World began moving at full speed toward the same destination.
Each one flew the banner bearing Whitebeard's skull.
Each pirate wore a look of fearless determination.
They were family.
And when family is threatened, they become savage beasts—
ready to tear the world apart.
Thus, the curtain rose...
On the war that would shake the world to its core.
The winds of the New World began to howl in fury.