Impel Down, Infinite Hell.
Inside the cold and deathly silent cell, Garp pushed down his grief and stood up.
That moment of grandfatherly vulnerability had been buried once more beneath the hardened armor of the "Hero of the Marines."
Ace looked up at him, eyes still brimming with tears.
"Just wait, Ace."
Garp's voice returned to its usual booming steadiness, but this time, it carried a weight of resolute finality.
"I… will do everything I can."
Those words—half a promise, half a farewell.
Before Ace could respond, Garp turned without another glance and strode away with firm, decisive steps.
Each footfall echoed through the prison like it marked a turning point in history, growing fainter until it vanished completely into the darkness.
Ace sat there, staring blankly in the direction Garp had gone. All that remained was the cold bite of his shackles… and the thunderous pounding of his grandfather's heart after those final words.
'Everything you can…? Old man… what are you going to do?'
And once again, Level Six returned to silence.
At the edge of the horizon, a sliver of light appeared.
Dawn had arrived.
A pale beam of light pierced through the darkness above the sea.
In the waters before the Gate of Justice, along the sea route from the New World to Marineford, all was deathly still.
Yet just beneath that towering gate—a symbol of absolute authority—massive shadows had already slipped past the defenses, unseen.
It was a vast fleet, composed of dozens of Whitebeard's allied pirate crews!
Each vicious-looking pirate ship, adorned with their captain's unique emblem on the prow, sailed forth like ancient sea beasts risen from the abyss. Their black flags fluttered silently in the salty breeze.
Their numbers were so overwhelming that from the sky, they appeared as a moving black continent, surging wordlessly toward Marineford, the heart of the Marines.
The Emperor of the Sea had dispatched his vanguard.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Beneath the Execution Platform, in the central plaza, one hundred thousand elite Marines stood in perfect formation—silent as the grave.
Sunlight reflected off polished armor and cold steel, glinting like blades of ice.
The Warlords of the Sea stood or sat at the front of the square, each with their own air about them.
The "World's Greatest Swordsman," Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, rested his hand on the supreme-grade blade Yoru, eyes closed in meditation.
The "Heavenly Yaksha," Donquixote Doflamingo, wore his chilling, signature grin.
The "Pirate Empress," Boa Hancock, tilted her head arrogantly, sneering at everything around her.
The "Tyrant," Bartholomew Kuma, stood silently with a Bible in hand, eyes blank, as if he were a lifeless machine.
Gecko Moria let out a shrill, eerie laugh—"Shishishishi!"—his bloated figure lurking in the shadows, scanning the Marine ranks with greedy eyes like he was choosing which shadow to steal.
Blackbeard was absent, and so was Jinbe, who had already betrayed the government. But Teach, ever the schemer, had already set his plans in motion.
The Three Admirals—Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu—sat atop their massive Admiral Thrones just below the Execution Platform.
The whole of Marineford resembled an iron-clad beast, bristling with weapons, lying in wait for the inevitable clash.
Creak—
The heavy gates slowly opened.
All eyes turned to the center stage. All Den Den Mushi broadcasting worldwide focused in.
A single figure was dragged into view.
Fire Fist Ace.
His upper body was bare, riddled with deep and brutal wounds. His hands were cuffed behind his back in specially made Seastone shackles.
Two executioners with long blades flanked him, guiding him to the raised platform.
Clang!
The cold chains locked him firmly into place.
In that moment, the eyes of the world converged on him.
This man… was the spark that would ignite a war destined to shake the world to its core.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Inside Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King, sat alone at the bar with a glass of whiskey in front of him.
He didn't drink it. He simply stared at the large screen projection cast by a Den Den Mushi on the wall.
It was the image of Ace, being dragged up the Execution Platform.
The bar was a chaotic mess of noise—pirates and bounty hunters buzzing in shock and disbelief.
But Rayleigh sat detached from it all.
In the depths of his cloudy eyes, there was no tension—only a quiet, amused anticipation.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the "surprise" that Lucian Thorn had promised.
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku stood before the large glass window, gripping a Den Den Mushi tightly. His expression was grim.
"Fleet Admiral! Report confirms—Whitebeard's entire allied fleet has breached the Gate of Justice and is heading this way at high speed!"
"Understood."
Sengoku hung up, face darkening.
"That bastard Whitebeard… he really came."
"Send the order! All hands, Level One Battle Readiness! Prepare to engage!"
"Yes, sir!"
The command spread instantly.
The entire Marineford froze to the core.
Every Marine, every officer, turned their gaze toward the Gate of Justice.
Seconds ticked by.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
But the anticipated tide of pirate ships… never came.
The sea remained eerily calm.
"What's going on?"
Even the three Admirals beneath the platform frowned.
Sengoku's brow furrowed tighter, an ominous feeling gnawing at his heart.
'Whitebeard… what are you up to, old fox?'
While every eye was focused on the open sea before them…
None noticed the crescent-shaped bay—Marineford's pride and supposed stronghold.
Beneath its calm waters… massive shadows were rising.
They were like sea monsters awakened from the abyss, silently breaking through every defense—heading straight for the Marine heartland.
Suddenly—
At the lookout tower, a Marine tasked with monitoring the inner bay caught sight of something beyond belief.
His binoculars fell with a clang.
All color drained from his face. His pupils shrank to the size of pinheads in terror.
His mouth opened wide, throat straining to scream—but only a panicked wheeze escaped.
Then—
A shriek ripped from his lungs, echoing across all of Marineford.
"Enemy… Enemy attack—!!"
"They're in the bay! The enemy is inside the bay!!"
That shout spun the heads of every Marine, including Sengoku and the three Admirals, toward what should've been their most secure zone.
And then—
Fwooooosh—!
The still waters of the crescent bay erupted into chaos, huge bubbles surging violently to the surface!
A second later—
One ship.
Ten ships.
Dozens of vessels coated in giant bubbles burst through the waves like sea monsters from the underworld!
At their lead—
The enormous whale-shaped flagship known the world over—
Moby Dick!
From the lookout, the Marine collapsed to his knees, drained of all strength. With his final breath, he let out a cry of despair:
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
"They… they came from underwater!!!"