It wasn't just in the Sabaody Archipelago.
All around the world, hundreds of millions of people kept their eyes fixed on the live broadcasts. It was impossible to ignore—the fate of an entire era was about to be decided.
A week had passed.
Now, there were only three hours left until the execution.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The vast plaza was silent, tense, like the air before a storm. The execution platform, still empty, rose as a grim symbol of the inevitable. But around it, the scene was entirely different.
One hundred thousand elite soldiers, arranged in impeccable ranks, formed a living wall of discipline and strength. Men and women hardened by the intense training at Marine HQ, prepared to fight to their last breath in the war to come.
Beneath the platform, five high-backed chairs remained momentarily unoccupied, reserved for the legends of the sea: the Shichibukai, who had yet to arrive.
Fleet Admiral's Office
BAM!
A sharp crash echoed as Garp slammed his fist violently onto the desk, knocking over a teacup and soaking a stack of documents.
"Is this really necessary?!" he bellowed, his voice heavy with frustration and helplessness.
In front of him, Sengoku the Buddha kept his arms crossed. His face was a cold, impassive mask, shaped by years of hard decisions.
"Don't talk nonsense, Garp," he replied firmly but without raising his voice. "You know better than anyone… this isn't just about the public execution of some random pirate."
Garp clenched his teeth, his fist still pressed against the desk.
"But... Ace... does he really have to die?!" His voice now sounded more like a lament than an accusation.
For a brief moment, Sengoku closed his eyes, as if searching deep within his soul for a justification that might ease his old friend's pain. But there were no words capable of softening that truth.
Silence.
Garp looked away, but his mind was far from the office, trapped in Luffy's last words, spoken a week ago like a confession he couldn't forget.
---
"My Devil Fruit isn't called the Gomu Gomu no Mi… it was renamed by the World Government, that's why it doesn't appear in the old Devil Fruit encyclopedia…"
"Its real name is the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika. A special fruit, named after a god."
"Grandpa… when the World Government finds out, they'll use everything at their disposal to capture me."
Pain gripped Garp's chest like an iron chain. He knew exactly what that revelation meant.
"I have no choice… the only way to survive is…" Luffy had stopped there, but Garp finished the thought in his mind.
To defeat the Celestial Dragons… replace them… and take the throne.
A thought he never imagined hearing from his own grandson.
(Luffy… you've set out on the same path as Dragon…) he reflected bitterly. The motivations were different, but the destiny seemed tragically similar.
---
Disoriented, Garp felt as if he were drowning in a sea of doubts. Confronting Sengoku in that moment was nothing more than an attempt to ease the confusion and pain consuming him.
"Sorry…" Garp muttered, avoiding his friend's gaze.
He turned and walked toward the exit, his steps as heavy as lead.
"Garp…" Sengoku called with a deep sigh, but didn't have the courage to stop him.
Then he looked at the Den Den Mushi on the desk, grabbed the snail firmly, and ordered:
"Prepare for everything… and inform all the Admirals!"
In the cold corridors of Navy HQ…
As he left the office, Garp crossed paths with an old acquaintance, who watched him with an ironic smile.
"The fist of a confused man can't even break a desk? You're getting weak, Garp."
The Vice Admiral looked up, surprised.
"Zephyr…"
There he was: an imposing man, with bronzed skin and a massive physique, his monstrous mechanical arm connected to his waist, filled with cables and gears. That artificial arm concealed a human-sized black prosthetic underneath. His eyes carried the weight of countless battles.
"This war doesn't need retired veterans like you..." Garp said with a faint, sad smile.
Zephyr, the legendary former Marine Admiral known as "Z" and the "Black Fists," let out a deep laugh.
"Marines can retire, Garp… but they never abandon their duty." Then he gave Garp a comradely pat on the shoulder. "I'm just here to watch the battle. But if things get ugly… well, this arm can still be useful."
He lifted the mechanical arm slightly, letting the gears creak softly.
"Though, honestly, I don't think that will be necessary. After all, the full combat power of HQ is gathered."
Garp shook his head, a melancholic smile on his lips.
"You don't understand… that's not what this is about."
Zephyr frowned.
"What do you mean?" he asked, curious.
"You saw Ace grow up… but in the end, a pirate is still a pirate. Even if we disapprove of the execution, the sins of the parents shouldn't fall upon the next generation."
Garp remained silent for a few moments, staring at the ground.
"No… it's not that kind of thing." Then he lifted his head and let out a sigh.
"Forget it… I'm heading to the front."
He took his hand off Zephyr's shoulder and began climbing the stairs, determined.
"You'd better go back and have some tea with Sengoku."
Zephyr stood there, watching him walk away with an expressionless but worried face.
"What's troubling him…?" he murmured to himself before turning and heading down another corridor.
Meanwhile…
Beneath the execution platform, above the palace wall, the Shichibukai began to arrive, one by one, like pieces being set on the final board.
And there, calmly seated, Luffy held Sengoku's teapot. He poured himself a cup as if he were at home, and took a sip with a carefree smile.
"Has the time finally come?" he murmured, looking toward the horizon where the sea met the sky.
"The strongest man in the world… is he really coming?"
Then, without standing up, he closed his eyes and let his Haki expand. Invisible and relentless, his will swept across the entire battlefield, through the air, penetrating the deep waters of the sea.
And there, in the depths, he heard a subtle but unmistakable sound.
"Ha… he's finally here." he whispered, with a smile mixing challenge and excitement.
The world held its breath.
The stage was set.
And the greatest war of the current pirate era was about to begin.
---
(End of the chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."