"…Pops…"
Hearing Whitebeard's words, Ace's chest tightened painfully. Not only did Whitebeard refuse to blame him—he had come all the way to Marineford for his sake. That overwhelming affection stirred guilt, gratitude, and anguish all at once within Ace's heart.
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard laughed loudly, his booming voice shaking the air itself. "You still look lively, kid! Ace, just wait—Pops will come and get you back in no time!"
Then his gaze shifted, locking onto Sengoku. His tone hardened, carrying an authority that brooked no resistance.
"Sengoku, if my sons make mistakes, it's for me to discipline them. It's not the Marines' place to interfere!"
Sengoku's expression darkened. "Whitebeard…"
Whitebeard's eyes turned cold, sharp as frost.
"Hmph. Seems the world's been too peaceful. You've forgotten what it means to fear me."
"Well then—let me remind you."
He lowered the massive blade in his hand and drew back his arms. With a violent swing of both fists, he struck outward—as if shattering invisible glass.
Crack.
The air itself fractured.
"What—what's happening?!"
"The sea—it's moving!"
"Is this the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit?!"
"An earthquake…?!"
Many Marines were witnessing Whitebeard's power for the first time. Marineford trembled violently as massive waves surged upward along both sides of the bay. Warships rocked wildly, the sea twisting in fury before gradually settling down several minutes later.
"…It stopped."
The Marines finally let out shaky breaths of relief.
Ace stared at Whitebeard, at the Whitebeard Pirates, and at the forty-three pirate ships assembled for him. Pain tore through his chest.
"Pops… everyone… why did you come to save me?" Ace shouted, his voice cracking. "This was all my fault! My arrogance! My stubbornness! I ignored everyone's advice and brought this on myself! Why risk everything for a hopeless idiot like me…?!"
"No."
Whitebeard's gaze was steady, piercing through the distance between them.
"I told you to go, son."
Those words only deepened Ace's guilt. His voice rose in protest.
"Stop lying! You clearly stopped me back then! This was all my—!"
"I told you to go."
Whitebeard's voice dropped, heavy and absolute.
"I told him to go, didn't I, Marco?"
Marco immediately understood Whitebeard's intent. He nodded firmly.
"Yes. I heard it too, Ace. You've been through a lot these past few days. Everyone on the sea knows what happens when someone provokes the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Don't worry," Marco continued calmly. "We're taking you home."
"That's right!"
"Just wait, Ace!"
"The Marines will pay for daring to provoke us!"
"Prepare yourselves, Marines!"
The Whitebeard Pirates roared with unshakable confidence.
Hearing them, Ace's regret only deepened. Ever since Blackbeard defeated him, he had already known—he should have listened to Pops. And now, to spare him from self-blame, Pops and his brothers were shouldering the responsibility themselves.
'This battle is going to be brutal…' Marco thought.
As a transmigrator, he knew just how terrifying the Marines truly were. In the original timeline, Ace's rescue had only succeeded due to Luffy's sheer recklessness—and Ace's death had been the result of his own impulsive choice.
Marco leaned closer to Jozu and spoke in a low voice.
"Jozu, later we'll switch positions. You go protect Pops."
Jozu blinked in surprise. "Me?"
Marco nodded. "And while you're doing that, keep a close eye on Squard. His former crewmates were killed by Roger—and Ace is Roger's son. If the Marines manipulate him…"
"That could be dangerous for Pops."
"What? Squard?" Jozu's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible! He's followed Pops for over twenty years!"
Marco's expression remained grave.
"Regardless—stay alert. Promise me that."
Jozu clenched his fists and nodded heavily.
"…I understand."
During the Marineford War, Whitebeard would suffer three devastating injuries.
The first came even before he truly stepped onto the battlefield—Squard's blade, which pierced Whitebeard's chest and gravely wounded him.
The second followed shortly after entering the plaza. Whether it was the earlier wound aggravating his old ailments or sheer misfortune, Whitebeard was struck clean through the chest by Akainu and then immediately swarmed by dozens of Marine officers.
The final—and most fatal—blow came when Akainu unleashed his Hell Hound, tearing away all of Whitebeard's internal organs.
Of these, Squard's betrayal was the easiest to prevent. A bit of vigilance would be enough.
That was precisely why Marco had singled out Jozu.
Once the battle began, Marco would be charging headlong into the fray, hunting Marines to rapidly accumulate attribute points. He wouldn't be able to remain by Whitebeard's side at all times. In his absence, Jozu needed to serve as Whitebeard's shield.
As long as Squard's blade could be stopped—and Whitebeard avoided that initial injury—his combat strength would far surpass what it had been in the original timeline.
After that, only one man truly warranted caution.
Akainu.
Among the three Admirals at Marineford, only Akainu fought without restraint. Aokiji and Kizaru, by comparison, held back far more than they let on.
"Even if it's just a precaution," Jozu laughed heartily, pounding his chest, "Pops' safety comes first. Leave it to me!"
In truth, the division of roles had already been roughly decided long before their arrival. Marco himself had originally volunteered to remain behind and protect Pops. Why that responsibility had suddenly been passed to him now, Jozu didn't fully understand—but he didn't question it either.
Protecting Whitebeard was an honor.
At that moment, murmurs rippled through the Marine ranks.
"The sea… it's receding!"
"And by a lot!"
Before anyone could react, Marineford began to shake violently. The seaquake Whitebeard had triggered earlier was finally revealing its true face.
"What is that?!"
"…A tsunami?!"
Horror spread as Marines realized that on both the left and right sides of Marineford, two colossal waves—hundreds of meters high—were roaring toward the bay.
Seeing Whitebeard casually summon such apocalyptic force, Sengoku's expression grew heavy.
"Don't assume victory just because we outnumber them," he declared coldly. "Against this man, numbers mean nothing."
"He wields the power to destroy the world itself."
The message was clear.
This battle would be fought with no retreat—only forward.
At the same time, Sengoku's words ignited the Marines' fighting spirit, forcing them to confront the reality before them.
Marco stared at the towering waves, his breath catching.
"…So this is the true power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
Up close, it was far more terrifying than anything the anime had shown. For the truly powerful, there might be ways to resist or escape.
But for the weak—
Such a catastrophe could only mean one thing.
Despair.