The concert hall within the Grand Tesoro was exceptionally massive.
Inside, there were nearly 100,000 seats and every single one was occupied, not a single spot left empty.
The enthusiasm of the crowd was palpable, their faces brimming with excitement, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the Soul King.
Even before the show began, some were already chanting his name.
"Soul King Brook, we love you!"
"Your enchanting voice has me utterly mesmerized!"
"Soul King, Soul King!!"
"…"
At the center of the concert hall stage, a spotlight suddenly illuminated the platform.
A grand red curtain appeared before the audience.
Instantly, the previously noisy chatter fell into complete silence.
The next moment, the massive red curtain slowly parted and under the ever-changing lights, a tall golden stand-up microphone came into view.
"Ah! That's the Soul King's signature microphone!"
"Just seeing this is enough to satisfy me!"
"…"
The mere sight of the microphone had already elevated the atmosphere to a new peak.
The fanatical fans seemed almost bewitched. They were frantically shouting Brook's name.
"Bone!"
A voice rang out at that moment.
It was the voice of the Soul King!
As the voice echoed, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of the stand-up microphone, its silhouette barely visible in the darkness.
But this did nothing to dampen the audience's enthusiasm. Immediately, regardless of age or gender, everyone began wildly waving their support items.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The crisp sound of metal from a drum set suddenly filled the air, marking the official start of the concert!
Whoosh!
The entire venue erupted into an unprecedented roar!
With Brook appearance, the concert reached its climax. Some fans were even waving their underwear, shouting crazily.
"Soul King, my underwear is pink!"
"Soul King, my underwear is red!"
"Soul King, my underwear is…"
"…"
Amidst the fans' fervent cheers, a spotlight suddenly focused on the very center of the stage.
Standing in front of the tall microphone was a figure.
He wore a noble crown, had a thick, explosive mane of black hair and was dressed in a black tuxedo with an orange scarf around his neck.
His lower half was clad in tight, orange-red pants adorned with floral patterns and beneath this attire was none other than a skeleton.
It was none other than the Soul King: Brook, the Humming Skeleton.
Brook grabbed a guitar and with a swift motion of his skeletal claws, he struck the metal strings of his shark-headed guitar, producing a sharp, metallic sound.
Instantly, the atmosphere in the venue was set ablaze.
"Yo ho ho ho!!"
"Let's party until we're nothing but bones!!!"
***
Meanwhile, in the most luxurious box within the Grand Tesoro, a bald man lounged casually on a sofa, reading a newspaper.
The headline featured news about Shiki, Whitebeard, and Kaido heading to Marineford.
"Damn it! These paparazzi and clickbait headlines are everywhere!" Bob shook his head, unable to suppress an internal rant.
Just then, tap, tap, tap!
The sound of footsteps echoed as Doflamingo slowly approached Bob from the entrance.
He respectfully said "Boss, they have arrived!"
"Mm" Bob nodded, crushing the newspaper in his hand into powder.
"Let them in. Next, it's time to head to Marineford."
***
Time flew by and during this period, the World Government was fervently preparing Marineford.
People from all over the world—whether they were Marines, pirates, nobles, or commoners—had their attention entirely focused on Marineford, the headquarters of the Marine.
Four days! Three days! Two days! One day!
Five hours before the execution at Marineford.
Since no one was certain when Whitebeard, Shiki, or Kaido would arrive, the Marine had already evacuated all the residents around Marineford the day before the public execution of Ace.
The streets surrounding the Marine headquarters, usually bustling with activity, were now eerily silent.
Not a single pedestrian could be seen on the roads.
The massive fortress, shaped like a seagull, was densely packed with gun ports and cannon holes.
These openings had been hastily carved out by the Marine over the course of five days. Behind each port, heavy weaponry was stationed.
On the surrounding fortresses, thousands of heavy cannons were lined up, encircling the entire stronghold!
Under the blazing sun, the dark muzzles of these cannons gleamed with a chilling light.
In the sky, seagulls with video Den Den Mushi hung around their necks circled above Marineford, especially near the execution platform of the fortress.
Some news coos were also hovering at higher altitudes.
Like the seagulls, they too had video Den Den Mushi hanging from their necks. Their primary focus was the entire Moon Bay.
Two days prior, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had contacted Morgans, the head of the World Economic Times, to arrange a worldwide live broadcast of this battle.
With the involvement of the Five Elders, they were brimming with confidence for this grand war.
They were ready to, in front of the entire world, capture all these pirates in one fell swoop. They aimed to elevate the prestige of the World Government and the Marine to an unprecedented level.
They wanted the world to witness just how powerful the Marine had become over the past forty years, using this grand war to wash away the shame of the God Valley Incident.
Through this war, they would declare that justice would always prevail!!
Meanwhile, through the connection of the video Den Den Mushi, the scene at Marineford was projected onto news screens across the world.
People from over three hundred countries and countless islands stepped out of their homes to watch the live broadcast on nearby news screens.
Although the trigger was the public execution of a pirate named Ace, everyone knew this would be a massive war.
A battle that would determine the fate of the Marine and the pirates.
Such a spectacle might not be seen for generations.
Thus, no one had the interest to engage in anything else at this moment. For a time, even criminal activities were overshadowed by this grand war.
People silently watched through the screens, their attention fully absorbed by the events unfolding at Marineford.
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