"Kneel down!"
The Marine soldiers behind him yelled impatiently once again.
But this time, there was no fear or nervousness in their tone—only an air of arrogance.
It seemed that under the gaze of everyone, they wanted to display their righteous and brave side.
Ace, noticing the change, couldn't help but laugh.
Instead, he sat down neatly.
However, his behavior did not satisfy the Marine soldiers executing him.
"Who told you to sit? Kneel down!"
Facing the soldier's command, Sengoku stood on the sidelines, watching coldly.
Ace turned his head and smiled at the Marine soldier. The shadow cast by his smile under the sunlight made the grim expression on his face clear.
"Talk more, and I'll kill you."
That simple, weightless statement made the Marine soldier's body stiffen as a chill ran up from the soles of his feet.
For a brief moment, he truly felt the presence of death.
Sengoku frowned and snorted.
This halted the near-farcical moment that nearly exposed Ace ahead of time.
The executioner tightened his grip on the blade in his hand, glaring fiercely at Ace. He silently swore that he would make his strike just a little darker, causing more pain for the man who dared to threaten him.
Ace, indifferent to the hostile eyes behind him, instead surveyed his surroundings with deep thought.
Next to the execution platform stood Sengoku, who commanded the proceedings.
Below, the three Marine Admirals stood as guards.
Beyond them, the Marine Vice-Admirals led their troops, blocking the landing area in the bay.
From the bay to the execution platform, there remained a distance of several hundred meters. If no unforeseen events occurred, this would be the most challenging part of the journey for the Whitebeard Pirates to break through.
Around the inner bay, Marines were densely stationed, poised to attack at any given moment.
Even so, many more Marines remained stationed in the rear, awaiting the command to strike... with more than 100,000 troops, the entire square couldn't hold them all.
Ace soon noticed a clearing, though.
Several figures stood there, making the surrounding Marines unwilling to approach.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Sure enough, they're all old acquaintances," Ace thought inwardly. He then raised his head to the sky before shifting his gaze toward the calm inner bay, thinking:
"If all goes as expected, they should appear soon."
...
...
At this point, there were just over three hours remaining until Ace's execution.
...
...
South Blue.
It was lightly raining.
"There's just over three hours left—will Whitebeard really come?"
Someone in front of a fruit stand asked with uncertainty.
"Who knows, but can he really show up? Even Whitebeard is quite old now!"
A customer paying for his goods couldn't help but voice his concerns.
The vendor beside them sighed with emotion, saying, "It's been years since I last saw his name in the big news."
...
...
East Blue.
In a vast ranch.
"That's a pirate from ages ago. How could Marine headquarters possibly lose?"
The shepherd cracked a long whip against his shoulder.
Hearing this, an elderly bald man with tattoos stood opposite him, with lingering fear in his eyes. He said:
"No matter who wins, the casualties will be massive."
He then took a deep breath.
"It would be better if he didn't show up—if only the execution could be carried out smoothly, that would be best."
The smoke he exhaled drifted with the wind, and the surroundings fell silent.
...
...
North Blue.
Snow fell heavily, turning the scene into a wintry landscape.
"Hey, boss, bring the wine!" The drunkard, shivering in the cold, pounded forcefully on the door.
Moments later, the tavern owner stormed out.
"Who's in the mood to do business in this weather?! You don't even know how massive a war is about to break out in the world?"
"Go back, go back! If the world still stands tomorrow, I'll open the shop again!"
The tavern owner impatiently shooed the man away.
...
...
West Blue.
In a renowned restaurant.
Boom.
A well-known pirate slammed his weapon on the table.
"Don't compare him with an ordinary old man. He hasn't aged at all."
"Just a year ago, we gave up on the thought of survival the moment we saw that man sitting there."
Compared to the looming war, the wine in his hand felt tasteless.
...
...
Grand Line.
"Is Whitebeard really such a terrifying pirate?"
A voice responded with a knowing smile,
"Even the children know it—they often sing while skipping rope…"
"Pirate Whitebeard, scarier than ghosts."
On the cliffs, devout nuns were praying.
"God, where is this world headed?"
...
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
Families of the Marines who were originally in Marineford were relocated here for safety. People anxiously followed the public execution's progress through the large screens set up around Sabaody in the refuge zone.
As the countdown ticked away, more journalists and photographers flooded the area, prepared to deliver updates to the world instantly.
Marineford.
A communication soldier cautiously approached Sengoku and reported in a trembling voice,
"R-report to the Marshal, we still can't deploy the surveillance ships. They're being sunk every time they set sail… We can't track Whitebeard's movements."
Sengoku clenched his fists and muttered under his breath.
"It's infuriating!"
"Notify everyone to increase their vigilance, and report back the moment there's any information!"
For the Whitebeard Pirates who had vanished from their radar, Sengoku's fear was evident.
They were a gang of uncontrollable outlaws.
Tensions in Marineford escalated with each of Sengoku's orders.
It was now less than three hours before the looming execution.
...
...
Elsewhere.
Luffy and his crew, having successfully escaped from prison, made their way past the Gate of Justice with help from the courageous Bentham.
Jinbei took the helm himself, navigating with full speed ahead.
"Ace—"
"I'm coming—!"