On the scaffold.
Portgas D. Ace was awaiting his execution.
Besides the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the three admirals were also present.
They sat in their seats just below the execution platform, like an indestructible wall, preventing any enemies from approaching Ace.
Draped in cloaks of justice and wearing their Navy uniforms, they exuded power. In terms of appearance, demeanor, body shape, and height, they were much more normal than the Seven Warlords, like ordinary humans.
"Although the three admirals were of average size, their auras seemed to overshadow those of the Seven Warlords."
"The Navy's highest combat strength! Some of the most powerful people in the world!"
"Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji!!"
"All of them possess the power to destroy the world."
In the Sabaody Archipelago, the people watching the broadcast cheered at the sight of the admirals.
Their appearance cast a heavy shadow over Whitebeard's impending attack, but it also gave many people a sense of relief.
Suddenly, another figure appeared beside Ace on the execution platform. This person was also wearing a cloak of justice and a navy hat with a seagull emblem. He had round-framed glasses and a long beard tied into a braid. His presence was even more shocking than the appearance of the Seven Warlords or the admirals.
"That's..."
"The Admiral of the Navy..."
"Buddha Sengoku!!!"
"Marshal!!!"
The people of Sabaody went wild.
The top fighters of the Navy Headquarters had all gathered.
Marshal Sengoku was seated right next to Ace!
Even if Whitebeard had ten lives, how could he save Ace now?
People's sense of security soared again.
"Sengoku is from the same era as Whitebeard. His strength is by no means inferior. If Whitebeard dares to come, he'll be sent back with no chance of return."
"Seeing Marshal Sengoku makes me feel relieved!"
"We're safe!!"
"The Navy will definitely win a great victory!!"
People cheered.
Behind Sengoku stood a figure that went largely unnoticed. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding the spotlight, staying low-key. Additionally, due to the camera angles focusing on the lower part of the platform, his position wasn't captured.
Few people realized it was Garp the Fist.
"Garp, I'll make the announcement now," Sengoku said, slightly turning his head.
Garp, standing behind, appeared indifferent and replied, "Whatever you want."
With that, Sengoku stepped forward to the front of the execution platform, standing beside Ace. He held a Den Den Mushi, and his voice rang out across Marineford.
"Portgas D. Ace, publicly executed at Navy Headquarters, with the whole world watching, carries great significance."
At those words, many were confused.
Great significance?
Isn't this just the execution of a Whitebeard Pirate officer?
Why would an admiral say such a thing about executing a mere subordinate of one of the Four Emperors?
If it had been Whitebeard himself, that would have made more sense.
Could Ace be hiding a deeper secret?
Everyone pricked up their ears.
Those who knew the truth stayed silent, grim.
Meanwhile, far away at sea, a tall figure listened closely to the broadcast through the Den Den Mushi.
It was none other than one of the Four Emperors, Kaido.
"Are they about to reveal Ace's true identity?" Kaido thought, observing the situation. "Once that's exposed, Ace will be executed soon, and Whitebeard will show up. Once Whitebeard arrives, I'll make my move and cause chaos at Marineford."
"It's almost time to set off."
With that, Kaido transformed into a massive azure dragon, flying towards Marineford on a cloud of flames.
Back on the execution platform, Sengoku turned to Ace and asked pointedly, "Ace, what's your father's name?"
Ace was caught off guard.
Everyone knew who his father was—Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
Who wouldn't know that?
Confused, Ace replied, "Whitebeard..."
"Wrong," Sengoku corrected, his voice sharp.
The realization dawned on Ace.
It all made sense now.
Why was he, a mere officer of one of the Four Emperors, being executed in such a grand spectacle at Marineford?
There had been many pirates before, but none had received such an "honor."
Why him?
Sengoku's question about his father provided the answer.
The Navy wasn't just executing Portgas D. Ace, captain of Whitebeard's Second Division. They were executing the son of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
That's the real reason.
Sengoku was about to announce to the world that they had captured and were about to execute the child of Roger, the man who once ruled the seas.
But Ace didn't want to admit that Roger was his father.
To him, Whitebeard was his only true father.
"My father is Whitebeard, only Whitebeard!!!" Ace roared.
But it was no use. No one believed him.
Sengoku pressed on, "Back then, we scoured the entire world for a child born around that time, but we couldn't find him..."
"We couldn't, because the child's mother sacrificed her life to hide him from the world."
"In the South Blue, on an island called Baterilla, lived a woman named Portgas D. Rouge."
"She kept her child in her womb for over twenty months!"
"One year and three months after his father's death."
"That woman, using every ounce of her strength, gave birth to her child, dying in the process."
"The child, born with the world's most dangerous bloodline."
"And that child... is you, Ace."
"Your father is..."
"Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King!"
Buddha Sengoku revealed the real reason behind Ace's public execution.
It wasn't because Ace was a notorious pirate.
It wasn't because he was the captain of Whitebeard's Second Division.
Those titles alone weren't significant enough for the Navy to conduct an execution on such a grand scale.
The true reason was his bloodline.
The Navy intended to extinguish the last spark of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, before the whole world!
This is why the execution was of such great significance.
This is why it was being broadcast across the globe today!
...
As Buddha Sengoku revealed this earth-shattering truth, a heavy silence fell over Marineford.
Everyone turned their gaze to the figure on the execution platform in utter shock.
The bloodline of Pirate King Roger still lived on!?
This revelation shook the very foundation of their beliefs.
Meanwhile, Garp, standing silently, hung his head.
For he was the one who had accepted Roger's final wish:
To take care of Roger's son.
And with all his heart, he had raised him as his own grandson.