Marineford, the Day of Execution
The dawn over the Red Line broke not with the warmth of sunlight, but with the cold edge of steel and tension. The mighty Marine Headquarters at Marineford had transformed into a battlefield prepared for war.
A hundred thousand elite Marines stood in formation across the bay, their weapons gleaming, eyes hard with discipline.
Battleships—fifty of them—formed a defensive circle around the island, their cannons aimed outward, ready to unleash fire upon any threat that dared approach.
At the front of the battlefield, five figures stood as terrifying symbols of the World Government's power—the remaining Warlords of the Sea.
Dracule Mihawk stood with his black sword calmly resting on his shoulder.
Doflamingo grinned madly, twitching his fingers like a puppeteer already eager to play.
Bartholomew Kuma stood silent and unreadable.
Moria, still recovering from injuries, looked haggard but present.
And Boa Hancock, regal as ever, stood among them—though her conflicted gaze betrayed her inner turmoil.
Behind them all, rising above the plaza, was the focal point of the day's grim ceremony. The massive execution platform loomed high, and shackled atop it was the man the world had been told was Portgas D. Ace. His head hung low, his body restrained by Sea-Prism Stone cuffs. At his side, untouched, lay his iconic orange hat.
Unknown to the masses, the man on the platform was not Ace. He was a body double, selected and prepared by the highest authorities of the World Government. Only a select few—Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the three Admirals, and a few others—knew the truth.
Flanking the platform on either side were the three Marine Admirals: Aokiji, cold and detached as ever; Kizaru, with his unreadable smirk; and Akainu, whose stern eyes were fixed on the crowd with silent fury. These three alone were enough to terrify any would-be rescue force.
Below the platform stood a line of Vice Admirals, each powerful in their own right. Among them were the legendary Tsuru and the seemingly relaxed yet formidable Garp. While others stood with serious expressions, Garp's posture was noticeably casual, arms crossed as he watched the events unfold with a tired gaze.
All across the world, the event was being broadcast. Giant monitors in places like Sabaody Archipelago and countless towns played the live execution feed, while countless others tuned in through radios or intercepted through hidden transponder snails. The entire world watched with bated breath.
This wasn't just an execution. It was a declaration of war.
From the back, Sengoku followed by Garp walked toward the execution platform with a heavy expression.
"Are you happy, Garp?" Sengoku asked. "You must be relieved that the real Ace isn't the one being executed."
Garp raised an eyebrow and whistled innocently. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Tch. Whatever." Sengoku grunted. "I'm making the announcement."
"Do what you want," Garp muttered with a shrug. He then walked off to the side and leaned against a column near the three Admirals.
Sengoku on the other hand climbed the platform, and stood up near the shackled figure.
The people observed him silently as he lifted a Den Den Mushi to his mouth. His voice echoed throughout the bay and across the world.
"I have something important to say," he declared. "The execution of this man—Portgas D. Ace—is not just another punishment. This is a significant event in our history."
The crowd waited in silence. Every Marine stood still. Every pirate hiding in the shadows held their breath. Every civilian glued to a monitor or radio leaned in closer.
"Portgas D. Ace's real name," Sengoku continued, "is Gold D. Ace."
The reaction was immediate.
"Gold D. Ace?"
"That name… sounds familiar…"
"Wait… could it be…?"
Speculation rippled through the crowd like a storm.
Sengoku's next words silenced them all.
"This man… is the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
BOOM.
The world itself seemed to freeze. The revelation exploded like a cannon blast in the minds of everyone watching. Shock, disbelief, and horror painted the faces of even hardened soldiers. Whispers turned to gasps. Pirates and civilians alike stood paralyzed by the truth.
The son of the Pirate King was alive… and was about to be executed before the eyes of the world.
Yet the man at the center of it all, the one kneeling on the execution platform with Sea-Prism Stone shackles, showed no reaction beyond a slight tremble. His head remained bowed, his face hidden under his hair.
He didn't cry out, nor did he deny or confirm the claim. He simply kept his silence.
Sengoku, maintaining his composure, continued his speech.
"Two years ago," Sengoku said slowly, pointing toward the shackled man, "this young man, hiding under his mother's surname, set out to sea. As Portgas D. Ace, he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the captain of the Spade Pirates."
The crowd listened intently. Many now looked at Ace with new eyes—some with awe, others with fear.
"That was when we discovered that Roger's bloodline had not been extinguished. That his will… lived on in this boy."
He paused for emphasis, his eyes narrowing.
"But we were not the only ones who knew. Whitebeard, of all people, took this man aboard his ship. He made him one of his own, raising the son of his greatest rival… perhaps even with the intent to make him the next Pirate King."
A shocked murmur rolled across the plaza.
"Whitebeard… raising Roger's son?"
The thought alone was enough to spark tension in the Marines' hearts.
"We cannot allow this to continue," Sengoku declared, his voice rising. "We will not allow the Pirate King's son to inspire a new era of chaos… nor let Whitebeard's ambition to turn him into a symbol of the next generation succeed!"
He clenched his fist and thundered, "This is why the execution must proceed—regardless of the cost—even if it means… ALL-OUT WAR WITH WHITEBEARD!!"
The last line exploded like thunder across the plaza.
Instantly, the entire Marine force erupted in a deafening roar. Giants raised their weapons and let out battle cries. Thousands of soldiers pounded their shields and shouted in unison, their war cries echoing off the walls of Marineford. The very ground beneath them trembled with the sound of imminent battle.
Just then, without warning, a lookout shouted from one of the battleships.
"Ships on the horizon!"
Eyes turned toward the sea.
From the distant horizon, several black dots grew larger and clearer. Before long, sails and figureheads became visible. A fleet of pirate ships was sailing full speed toward Marineford. Their flags flew high, bold and unmistakable.
"It's the New World pirates," a Marine officer shouted. "All of them allied under Whitebeard!"
Someone did a quick count. "Forty-four ships in total!"
"They brought their captains too! The Bohemian Knight Doma, Thunder Lord McGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, Whirl Spider Squard—"
Another Marine pointed out a unique ship sailing among the fleet. "Wait! That one… that's not part of Whitebeard's fleet!"
They looked again and saw a familiar figure standing at the front of the Thousand Sunny.
"That's… that's Monkey D. Luffy! One of the Supernova!"
Shock rippled through the command ranks.
From the platform, Garp's eyes bulged in disbelief. He nearly fell off his seat. "What the hell is that brat doing here?!"
His face turned red with frustration. "How did he even know about the execution?! And how did he get here with Whitebeard's fleet?!"
He clenched his fists tightly, a tick mark pulsing on his forehead. He grumbled under his breath but didn't move from his position.
Out at sea, on the Sunny, Luffy leaned forward, his eyes locked on the figure shackled on the platform in the distance. The moment he saw Ace, he lit up.
"Ace! I'm here! I'm coming to rescue you!" he yelled with all his might.
Just as he was about to leap forward, Tensuro grabbed his arm.
"Hold on," Tensuro said calmly. "Don't rush. We need to wait until we're in the plaza."
"Nggh…" Luffy gritted his teeth but reluctantly held himself back, the fire in his heart still burning hotter than ever.
On the Marine side, tension mounted like a coiled spring. Thousands of soldiers stared hard at the sea where the dozens of pirate ships were approaching.
"Whitebeard's ship is not among them!" one of the Rear Admiral shouted, eyes darting from ship to ship.
The realization spread quickly. Even Sengoku narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Just then, he heard something.
Blup. Blup.
Soft at first, like bubbles rising from the ocean floor. The sound was barely noticeable over the commotion, but some ears—sharpened from years of battle—picked it up instantly.
Sengoku turned his head slightly. "...That sound..."
The Admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—shifted their gaze toward the bay.
"That guy's pulling something outrageous again," Garp muttered under his breath, folding his arms with a grimace, as he gazed at the bubbling water.
The sound grew louder. Blup. Blup. BLUP!
Then, from within the calm waters of the bay, giant shadows began to emerge beneath the surface.
"What is that…?"
"Something's coming from underwater!"
The shadows rose higher and higher—then with a thunderous SPLOOOSH, four massive ships erupted out of the sea like sea kings breaching the surface, spraying seawater in all directions. The splash was so huge it rocked even the closest Marine ships.
Gasps and shouts of disbelief rang through the ranks.
"That's the Moby Dick!!"
"They came from underwater?!"
"All four ships—Whitebeard's fleet—are right inside the bay!"
The Moby Dick was accompanied by four sister ships, and standing aboard them were all fourteen of the Whitebeard Pirates' Division Commanders.
The psychological blow struck deep. The entrance was sudden, theatrical, and terrifying. It crushed whatever confidence the Marines had in their initial numerical advantage.
On the Moby Dick's deck, a towering man stepped forward, leaning slightly on a massive naginata. He was old, his body scarred by countless battles, yet his presence silenced even the wind.
Edward Newgate—Whitebeard.
He stood tall upon the massive whale-head hull of his ship, the sea breeze catching his coat as it fluttered like a banner of war.
"Gu ra ra ra..." Whitebeard let out his trademark laugh. "It's been a long time, Sengoku. My beloved son… better be safe and sound."
His eyes, sharp as blades, scanned the plaza and locked onto the execution platform.
The man sitting in shackles looked up slowly. Though he was only a body double, the sight of Whitebeard still stirred a response. He raised his head slightly. "Oyaji…"
The moment their eyes met, Whitebeard clenched both fists and threw powerful punches into the air on either side of him.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Shockwaves exploded from his fists.
"Did he just… crack the air?"
"That's not possible—he broke the air like glass!"
"A quake? Is that an earthquake?!"
Even seasoned Vice Admirals squinted their eyes. What looked like invisible fractures split the sky itself, shaking the very foundations of the bay.
For a moment, it seemed like nothing happened.
"Hah. Is that all he's got?" a rookie Marine said with shaky confidence.
Then Sengoku's voice rang out, firm and grave. "Do not let your guard down! Numbers mean nothing when facing that man. He possesses the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
He narrowed his eyes. "Whitebeard… the man capable of destroying the world."
The cracks in the air had not been for show. On both sides of Marineford, the sea began to shift unnaturally. Huge swells rose out of nowhere, growing rapidly.
"They're turning into… TIDAL WAVES!!" someone screamed.
From the left and the right, two monstrous tsunamis loomed like walls of death, rising higher than Marineford's outer walls.
Even the towering Marine Giants stared up in awe and dread, momentarily stunned into silence.
Panic swept through the ranks like wildfire.