Even a man as steady as the Strongest in the World couldn't help but waver.
That battle had marked the end of his first life… and the beginning of his second.
Back then, the Rocks Pirates had been powerful enough to shake the world.
Yet under the combined assault of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp, the legendary crew was completely wiped out.
The images stirred countless memories inside Whitebeard.
Old comrades long gone…
Once, he, Roger, and Shiki had stood together as the three great legends of the seas.
Blaine's video rapidly shifted scenes.
A younger Whitebeard appeared on the screen.
"Become my son! Use my name… and run wild across this ocean!"
Scenes of Whitebeard meeting his many sons flickered by, warm and nostalgic.
The screen went dark.
A red subtitle slowly emerged, accompanied by a tragic, swelling BGM.
[The Legendary Battle , The Summit War!]
[To reach Marineford and rescue Ace , captured by the Navy , Whitebeard annihilated the twenty-three surveillance warships watching him. Then he led the entire Whitebeard Pirates, accompanied by forty-three allied crews from the New World, into battle against Marine Headquarters and the Seven Warlords. The world trembled before this war.]
[In this war, the Strongest Man in the World proved himself worthy of the title.]
The darkness receded.
Whitebeard stood tall, grasping his massive bisento, facing Marineford head-on.
His solitary figure radiated overwhelming might.
When the screen focused on the execution platform, everyone watching the multiverse projection shouted in unison.
"Ace!"
Whitebeard's brows locked into a deep frown the moment Ace appeared.
Rage surged through him.
He rose from his seat and slammed a fist into the air.
Reality cracked open.
Hundreds of meters away, the calm sea erupted into towering waves.
Whitebeard roared, voice trembling with fury.
"Titch! I'll tear you limb from limb!"
He had already sensed something was wrong.
Ace had vanished for too long.
Only one explanation remained: he had lost to Teach.
And Teach appearing on the Navy's side confirmed it , he must have made some secret deal.
The video showed Whitebeard unleashing earth-shattering quakes, commanding the very mountains and seas.
Characters across different anime worlds gasped.
Naruto: "What an insane ability… That man could literally destroy the world!"
Wu Liuqi, mid-transformation as he fled assassins, sneaked a glance at the screen.
"Whoa. He's just one rank above me, but the power gap is this big? He's flipping entire oceans!"
Luffy clutched his phone, tears streaming down his face.
"Ace! How did you get caught?! I'll save you! I swear I'll save you!"
Seiya from Cautious Hero exhaled in relief.
"These people are far stronger than me. Good. That means the author won't expose my true capabilities."
Far away in Wano, Kaido guzzled sake in a mountain cavern, red-faced and roaring.
"Whitebeard! Just you wait! The Strongest in the World is me! HAHAHA!"
Back in the war, Ace wept when he saw his family coming to rescue him.
"Dad… I'm sorry. I was too reckless…"
Whitebeard smiled warmly, making Ace choke up.
"I was the one who sent you after Teach. If anyone is at fault… it's me."
The battle between the two greatest forces of the pirate world raged.
Countless lives were lost.
The scenes were brutal beyond words.
Then came the stab , Squard, manipulated by Akainu before the war, drove his blade into Whitebeard.
The strongest man stood motionless as he watched the memory, expression unreadable.
In the projection, three commanders surrounded Squard, their faces grim.
The Summit War reached its peak.
Whitebeard battled the three Admirals, suffering wound after wound.
Finally , thanks to the pirates' desperate protection and Garp intentionally holding back , Ace was rescued by Luffy.
Hope was within reach.
The entire Whitebeard crew watching the projection tensed.
But as they fled, Akainu's voice cut through the battlefield.
"Whitebeard has always been nothing but a loser from a bygone era."
Ace stopped.
Turned around.
Eyes blazing.
"Take that back!"
Whitebeard shouted at the screen, furious.
"You idiot! He's provoking you! Don't fall for it, my foolish son!"
And then , the punch of magma pierced Ace.
Whitebeard wept.
He fought until his body had nothing left to give.
The tragic BGM echoed across worlds.
Characters cried.
Even hardened pirates wiped their eyes.
The video faded to black once more.
Cold white text rose slowly.
[During this war, Whitebeard sustained 267 blade wounds, 152 gunshots, and 46 cannon blasts… yet he never once fell before his enemy.
And throughout his entire life as a pirate, not a single scar was left on his back , because he never turned to flee.
He died standing.]
The video ended.
Silence fell over the Whitebeard Pirates.
Many wept openly.
Whitebeard walked toward Squard.
He gently pushed aside the three commanders restraining him and pulled the trembling man into a hug.
"You foolish child… How could I ever betray you? You are my son."
Squard broke down completely.
Between sobs, he admitted his secret dealings with Akainu… and confirmed Ace's capture.
Whitebeard ripped out the needles and IV lines from his body, lifted his bisento, and walked toward the bow of the ship.
Moonlight cast his enormous shadow across the deck.
If the Strongest Man in the World couldn't even save his own son…
what right did he have to that title?
He swung his bisento forward, voice shaking the night.
"My beloved sons! Set sail , for Marineford!"
Marco rushed forward first, kneeling behind him.
"Dad! This will kill you! Let us save Ace! If we can contact the original author, there must be a better way!"
But Whitebeard's gaze was unwavering.
"What meaning does my life have compared to family?
If saving my son costs me everything… then so be it."
Every pirate behind him knelt.
Not one suggested turning back.
Whitebeard's expression darkened.
Powerful.
Undeniable.
"This is the captain's order. Raise the sails.
We depart."
Meanwhile in Marineford, Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, and countless officers also watched Blaine's video with grim faces.