New World.
The Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, was cruising steadily under the power of its automatic propellers.
Over a dozen shipwrights were diligently coating the ship's surface with protective film to ensure a safe descent to the seabed and passage through Fish-Man Island.
This indicated that the Yonko Whitebeard's pirate crew was about to depart from the New World for the Grand Line.
On board, Marco, Jozu, Vista, Izo, and the others stared at the newspapers with expressions of utter disbelief.
Ray—someone that powerful—had been killed?
Was the World Government truly that strong?
As the commander of the First Division and the crew's strategic mind, Marco couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
If someone of Ray's caliber could be eliminated, it undoubtedly meant the World Government possessed hidden trump cards unknown to the Whitebeard Pirates.
With this thought, Marco approached Whitebeard. "Pops, do you really think Ray is dead?"
Whitebeard looked up and gazed into the distance.
"Marco, the newspaper claims the Celestial Dragons' forces annihilated the Straw Hat Pirates, correct?"
"Yes."
"That possibility exists. You must understand, the Celestial Dragons still have the Five Elders, the God's Knights, and the CP organizations—none of them are pushovers."
Recalling his youthful battle with Garling, Whitebeard's expression turned grave.
Those individuals truly possessed terrifying strength.
Earlier, when Whitebeard saw the news of Ray's death, he finally understood why Ray had sought him out and heal him.
Clearly, Ray had anticipated the fearsome power of their enemies.
Whitebeard concluded that Ace's execution was far from a unilateral action by the Marine Headquarters alone.
If that were the case, this operation of his would truly be a desperate struggle against overwhelming odds.
But... who gives a shit about that? He was Whitebeard!
He would never allow anyone to harm his children!
Even if they were the rulers of the world, what did it matter?
As these thoughts solidified, an overwhelming aura erupted from Whitebeard's entire being.
A terrifying Conqueror's Haki shot straight into the sky.
Ever since Ray had healed his hidden injuries using Tenseiga, Whitebeard felt his body had nearly returned to its prime condition.
'The Five Elders? God's Knights? The World Government? Since you seek to destroy my Whitebeard Pirates, I will make sure you pay a bloody price. And I wonder, what heavy price did you incur when you eliminated Ray?'
During their last meeting, Whitebeard had already sensed Ray's power; it was comparable to his and Roger's strength in their prime.
To eliminate such a strong man, the World Government must have suffered devastating losses.
'Kid, you've done me a great favor. If any of your Straw Hat Pirates survive, and if I make it out of Marineford alive, I'll protect them for you in the future.' Whitebeard knew perfectly well that even if Ray had been killed, he must have taken at least two of the World Government's top-tier fighter down with him.
This was Whitebeard's confidence in Ray, and in his own prime strength.
With this resolve, Whitebeard issued an order to all crew members aboard the Moby Dick.
"My Sons! Prepare the meat and ale! After the feast, we go to war!"
"┗|｀O′|┛ OOOOOOOOOOHHHH~~"
A thousand voices roared in unison, their terrifying momentum shaking the seas.
...
The Sixth Day.
One day remained until the Marines' decisive battle against the Whitebeard Pirates.
All available Shichibukai besides Blackbeard had gathered at Marineford.
Heavenly Yaksha - Donquixote Doflamingo.
Pirate Empress - Boa Hancock.
Gecko Moria.
World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawk-Eyes - Dracule Mihawk.
The four sat around the conference table.
"Fufufufu~ Out of seven Shichibukai, only five responded to the summons. Failures, traitors, latecomers. Fufufu~ How pathetic." Doflamingo laughed heartily at the sky, though it was unclear whether he was mocking the government or those failures.
Moria didn't catch the underlying meaning in Doffy's words.
He leaned back in his chair with a smug expression. "That government lapdog Kuma turning traitor was truly unexpected. Who knows where he's run off to—too cowardly to participate in such a monumental battle."
"Hmph, and you have the nerve to call him that? Failure!"
"What did you say?" Moria's face darkened at Hancock's taunt.
But the Pirate Empress paid him no mind, continuing casually, "Though being defeated by Luffy could be considered an honor for you."
When Hancock mentioned Luffy's name, her beautiful eyes filled with longing, completely ignoring Moria's feelings.
This infuriated Moria.
"Hancock, are you tired of living?"
Hancock, who had been fantasizing about married life with Luffy, suddenly changed her expression, her eyes radiating killing intent.
"It seems you wish to die beneath my feet."
"Big words! The only outcome will be me turning you into a zombie to play with as I please!"
"You're dead!"
Hancock erupted in anger, her long legs coated in Haki snapped towards Moria.
Moria also wrapped his fists in Haki, clashing with Hancock's feet.
The result: Moria, who stood more than three times Hancock's height, was sent flying back over ten meters.
His hands ached painfully as he hid them behind his back, trembling uncontrollably.
Clearly, Hancock had held back, otherwise Moria's hands would have turned to stone.
After the brief clash, Moria became subdued.
He couldn't afford to provoke Doflamingo.
He couldn't defeat Hawk-Eyes.
And now even the Pirate Empress was stronger than him!
'Damn it, am i the weakest Shichibukai?'
'No, that newly appointed Blackbeard should be the weakest.'
He, Moria, had challenged Kaido—there was no way he could be at the bottom!
After the farce, Fleet Admiral Sengoku entered the conference room.
"Everyone, we'll be engaging the Whitebeard Pirates tomorrow, so I'll keep this brief. This battle is crucial for the government and cannot be lost. You have all obtained the title of Shichibukai and enjoyed many privileges in peacetime."
"During this battle, I expect your full cooperation and coordination. Betrayal will result in the immediate revocation of your titles, returning you to being hunted by the Marines. Apologies for the harsh words, but these are facts. Please understand."
The four present reacted differently to Sengoku's words.
Moria, with his quick temper, felt his dignity had been challenged.
Doflamingo remained indifferent, eagerly anticipating the coming day.
Boa Hancock was in a daze, seemingly not having heard Sengoku's words at all.
And Mihawk, who rarely spoke, unexpectedly broke his silence to question Sengoku.
"Is Ray really dead? Is it true that the Straw Hat Pirates have been wiped out?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the other four present turned their gazes toward Mihawk.
Hancock certainly knew Ray was fine, but she won't talk about it.
Moria, on the other hand, looked delighted—he quite liked this news.
Doflamingo reacted differently.
His gaze fixed on Sengoku, trying to glean clues from the Fleet Admiral's words and demeanor.
Though Sengoku hadn't anticipated Mihawk raising such a question, he had prepared a response in advance—originally intended for Doflamingo.
"The information regarding Ray's death comes from the highest authority in the world. It is not to be questioned."
With that, Sengoku dropped the subject.
After briefing the Shichibukai on the tactical arrangements for the next day, he left the conference room.
But to Doflamingo and Mihawk, Sengoku's words carried significant implications.
In other words, the Marines had no actual knowledge of Ray's death or the annihilation of the Straw Hat crew.
Moreover, the Sabaody Archipelago had vanished—no witnesses or evidence remained.
So the reliability of this news was now in question.
Both of them hoped the Straw Hat crew still existed.
For Doflamingo, the Straw Hats were likely to stir up chaos in the world in the future, giving him more room to maneuver.
For Mihawk, he hoped Ray and Zoro were still alive.
They were the opponents he had long anticipated.
Having waited so long for them to grow stronger, it would be a shame not to cross blades with them at least once.
...
Slowly, time moved to the seventh day.
Early morning... as the rising sun broke over the horizon, warm sunlight gradually dispersed the darkness shrouding Marineford.
In the dawn's light, one hundred thousand elite Marines assembled here.
Dozens of Visual Den Den Mushi opened their eyes and began their work.
The battle that would shock the world was about to begin!