Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Three hours until the execution!
The execution platform, the Three Admirals, the Giant Squad, and 100,000 officers—along with the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea positioned at the forefront of the military formation—and 50 large battleships surrounding the headquarters.
Every layer of defense was fully deployed.
Above the execution platform.
Ace knelt in the center, flanked by two veteran Marines.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Hero Garp.
Sengoku held a loudspeaker.
"I have an important announcement regarding the significance of executing Fire Fist Ace. Aside from being the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, he has another identity!"
"Fire Fist Ace's true identity is the biological son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! He carries the bloodline of sin!"
The entire battlefield fell silent!
The Marines were utterly horrified.
The revelation of the Pirate King's bloodline instantly shook the world, intensifying global attention on the war.
Time ticked away.
On the execution platform, a Den Den Mushi rang.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! We've detected a fleet led by Calamity Gurd—six warships in total, with an estimated force of over 2,000!"
"Continue monitoring!"
"Understood!"
The Den Den Mushi responded, then added, "There's another sudden development—the Gates of Justice have just opened."
"What?!"
Sengoku's expression darkened.
Another unexpected incident!
Gurd's forces would have to be tolerated for now. They likely had no intention of engaging the Marines, otherwise, they wouldn't have brought only 2,000 troops.
The Beasts' main forces were still in the New World, locked in battle with Red Hair.
As for the Gates of Justice, no matter how much he worried, there was no time to dwell on it—the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived!
Directly in front of the headquarters, over forty pirate ships emerged from the thick mist!
"The pirate armada has appeared!"
"They're the captains under Whitebeard's command!"
"Wandering Knight Thatch, Ice Witch Whitey Bay, Great Vortex Spider Squard..."
"These are all legendary captains renowned across the seas!"
The officers broke out in cold sweat.
Soon, four massive Whale Ships surged up from beneath the bay's surface, and Whitebeard and his commanders appeared together.
"My beloved son, are you alright?!"
"Pops!!!"
The war had officially begun!
In the distant sea, aboard the Groudon Ship.
"It's started!"
Gurd gazed at the battlefield, his expression solemn.
His subordinates gathered behind him, nervously asking, "Lord Gurd, can the Whitebeard Pirates win?"
"Win?"
Gurd glanced at them.
If even half of these New World pirates made it back alive, it would be a miracle. If rescuing Ace alone counted as victory, then there was a sliver of possibility.
Just a sliver.
Still, the decades of accumulated strength within the Whitebeard Pirates had forged an army of elites—even the Beasts would struggle to catch up in a short time.
It made him somewhat envious.
His "firepower deficiency anxiety" twinged painfully!
The waves began to churn, rapidly forming a colossal tsunami that surged toward Marine Headquarters. Without countermeasures, the tsunami alone could annihilate the entire base.
"What kind of power is this?!"
His subordinates trembled in terror, unable to believe their eyes.
Gurd watched the tsunami in awe.
A disaster of this scale could effortlessly wipe out an island—even a country—yet for Whitebeard, it required no effort at all.
Whitebeard had merely tapped into his ability to harness the raw might of nature!
"Huh… Could I do the same?"
Gurd stroked his chin in thought.
The essence of Whitebeard's ability was earthquakes, albeit conceptualized to such an extent that he could even create Seaquakes and Airquakes.
Though Gurd couldn't generate Airquakes, he could trigger earthquakes using the earth as a medium, which often resulted in tsunamis.
With enough practice and precise control over tectonic movements, replicating this scene might be possible—perhaps even creating an even larger tsunami.
He needed to find an uninhabited place to train!
"Ice Age!"
The colossal tsunami froze solid!
"Whew~~!"
The subordinates collectively sighed in relief.
Even from outside the tsunami's epicenter, they'd felt profound despair.
If that tsunami had crashed down, the consequences were unimaginable. Their instinctive fear of natural disasters made them desperately hope someone could stop it.
Fortunately, humanity could triumph over nature.
The bay was frozen by Aokiji.
With solid ground beneath them, Pirates and Marines clashed in close combat. Admirals and division commanders joined the fray, their intense exchanges a dizzying spectacle.
Everyone raised binoculars, fixated on the island's battle.
"What a huge giant!"
"As big as the Numbers!"
"It's Little Oars Jr.!"
When Little Oars Jr. appeared, the subordinates' excitement surged again.
Yet against countless elite fighters, Oars' massive size made him an easy target, and he soon fell.
Gurd shook his head disapprovingly.
Giants only exhibited terrifying destructive power in groups. Even someone as formidable as Little Oars Jr. had limited impact on a top-tier battlefield.
As prisoners rained from the sky, the battlefield descended further into chaos.
"Who are those guys?"
"Huh? Crocodile?"
"And the Knight of the Sea, Jimbei!"
"So many famous faces!"
The Impel Down prisoner brigade had arrived!
Gurd's gaze sharpened.
Events unfolded as predicted—Blackbeard would likely appear soon. But he wouldn't show himself until Whitebeard neared death.
Now, all that remained was waiting.
"Where's Luffy?"
Sanji scanned the battlefield through binoculars, relieved yet anxious at Luffy's absence.
If Ace died, he couldn't imagine how devastated Luffy would be.
Meanwhile, at Kamakka Kingdom.
The okama huddled around a Den Den Mushi, listening to Sabaody Archipelago's live audio broadcast without visuals.
"Ace's execution is underway!"
Luffy's mind reeled.
"Please give me a ship! I have to save Ace!"
"We've told you—it's impossible!"
The okama sighed in frustration.
Ever since learning of Ace's execution, the boy had been demanding to rescue his brother at Marine Headquarters. But Momoiro Island was too distant—there was no chance of arriving in time.
Exchanging glances, the okama nodded subtly.
In the next moment, they all pounced on Luffy.
"Mmph!"
Soon, Luffy lay unconscious.
The okama wore complicated expressions.
"This kid's already covered in wounds. He's been trying to set sail nonstop these past days without rest—he'll collapse if he doesn't sleep."
"Sigh... I really like him."
"Me too."
They understood Luffy's desperation and admired his loyalty. If possible, they'd gladly help him.
But it was truly impossible.
Even if they reached Marine Headquarters, the war would long be over.
The outcome wouldn't change.
"Lord Ivan has escaped from prison and is now on the battlefield!"
"Really?!"
Upon hearing the Queen's message through the Den Den Mushi, all the okama were instantly energized and immediately gathered around the communication device.
The Den Den Mushi continued broadcasting.
"Eh? Wait a minute! Isn't that the legendary Pirate who sailed with Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King - the great Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown, who's been living under an alias all this time?"
"Indeed, that would be me!"
The okama froze for a moment before collectively bristling with shock.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!!"
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