Beneath the towering Giant Vice Admirals stood the five Seven Warlords of the Sea. Though they appeared small in comparison, the pressure they exuded was even more intense than that of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.
A Marine Captain spoke with excitent to those around him.
"Dracule Mihawk, Donquixote Doflamingo, Bartholow Kuma, Gecko Moria, and Pirate Empress Boa Hancock. Even the Warlords are on our side. There is no need to fear the Whitebeard Pirates."
His words quickly lifted morale among the surrounding Marines.
Below the execution platform, three seats were occupied by the Marines' strongest forces, the Admirals. Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu sat calmly, their presence alone acting as a pillar of confidence.
To the Marine soldiers, as long as the Admirals were present, even one of the Four Emperors could be confronted without fear.
On the execution platform, three figures stood out.
Portgas D. Ace knelt in the center, his body bound by Seastone restraints. Behind him stood Sengoku, the commander of this war.
Beside them, Monkey D. Garp sat in silence, his posture heavy with grief. As a Marine, he could only remain here and witness his grandson's fate.
Sengoku glanced at him and spoke in a firm tone.
"Garp, do not entertain any reckless thoughts. Rember your duty."
"I know. I will not act."
Garp waved his hand weakly. His gaze never left Ace.
After a mont of silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and strained.
"Ace, why did you not follow the path I prepared for you and beco a Marine? What am I supposed to do now?"
His voice trembled as the words left his mouth. The man known as the Hero of the Marines clenched his fists, tears falling despite his efforts to hold them back.
Ace lowered his head, his expression filled with pain.
"Old man..."
Sengoku looked away. Even he could not bear to watch his old friend suffer like this.
At the sa ti, Den Den Mushi had already begun broadcasting the scene across the world. Every mont of this war was being transmitted live.
Countless people watched in silence, fully aware that the outco of this battle would shape the future.
If the Whitebeard Pirates fell, the balance of the New World would shift. If the Marines lost, the authority of the World Governnt would be shaken.
After composing himself, Sengoku picked up a Den Den Mushi and began to speak.
"Ace, state the na of your biological father."
Ace replied without hesitation.
"My father is Whitebeard."
Sengoku's gaze sharpened behind his glasses.
"No. Your mother was Portgas D. Rouge. One year and three months after your father's death, you were born carrying the most dangerous bloodline in the world."
Ace's expression darkened as he listened. The secret he wished to bury was being dragged into the open.
Sengoku did not stop.
"Your father is Gol D. Roger."
The announcent spread instantly.
Shock rippled across Marineford and echoed through every corner of the world. The revelation left everyone stunned.
A nearby reporter dropped his notebook, his voice trembling.
"The Pirate King's bloodline... it still exists..."
His mind drifted back to the events of twenty-two years ago, when the Marines had slaughtered countless pregnant won in their search for Roger's child. Innocent lives had been erased in the na of absolute justice.
Yet despite everything, the child had survived.
Among the Warlords, Boa Hancock turned her gaze toward Ace, her thoughts montarily shifting.
'So he is not Luffy's real brother. I assud his father was Dragon as well.'
Across Marineford, excitent spread through the ranks of the Marines. The bloodline of the Pirate King had been captured. Today, his legacy would finally end.
Garp closed his eyes.
He rembered the mont Roger entrusted the child to him. Enemies they were, yet they had shared a bond that went beyond simple rivalry.
Roger... I failed you.
Sengoku's voice continued to echo through the broadcast.
"We discovered you two years ago. At the sa ti, Whitebeard took notice of you. In order to create the next Pirate King, he made the son of his rival into his own."
Ace imdiately protested.
"That is not true. I joined because I wanted to make Pops the Pirate King."
Sengoku's tone remained cold.
"That is your belief. The reality is that Whitebeard protected you for two years, preventing us from acting. If left unchecked, your potential would have allowed you to stand at the top of the seas.
That is why your execution today is necessary. Even if it ans war against Whitebeard, we will not hesitate."
The declaration reignited the Marines' confidence.
Then, suddenly, a communications officer rushed forward.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Gate of Justice has opened on its own. We have lost contact with the control room."
Sengoku's expression changed instantly.
"What did you say?"
The noise among the Marines gradually died down.
On the distant horizon, shapes began to erge through the mist.
One by one, massive pirate ships appeared, cutting through the fog.
Tension spread rapidly.
The fleet had already passed through the Gate of Justice.
Forty-seven pirate ships advanced together, forming the Grand Fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even the weakest captain among them carried a bounty exceeding one hundred million Berries.
These were the strongest forces of the New World.
Standing at the forefront of the fleet were renowned captains, figures whose strength surpassed that of Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals.
The war had begun.
User Comments
0 comments from readers