Sabo froze for a moment after hearing that, then laughed softly.
"The leader's evaluation of him is really high."
Dragon said nothing.
He simply shook his head slightly and kept his eyes fixed on the screen.
On this day, the New World was unnaturally quiet.
Pirates and civilians alike raised their heads to watch the massive broadcast screens.
The presence of the Three Admirals filled pirates with unease, yet ignited excitement among civilians.
"This is the Navy!"
"The Navy is the strongest!"
The civilians reveled in this rare moment of pride and reassurance.
The pirates merely snorted in silence.
After all, the battle had not yet begun.
What if the Navy lost?
That thought lingered in their minds, and some even clasped their hands together in quiet prayer.
There were always scum in this world who wished for chaos to spread further.
In this era, most pirates were exactly like that.
It was an undeniable truth.
Only chaos could bring them wealth and status.
The scene shifted back to Marineford.
Sengoku and the others had already taken their seats on the high platform.
Below them sat the Three Admirals, and beneath that were the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Among them, the most excited was undoubtedly Doflamingo.
"Heh heh, a scene like this might only happen once in a lifetime. Don't you think so, Mihawk?"
Mihawk, who disliked associating with Doflamingo, still nodded unconsciously.
"Doflamingo, calm down a little. Save your strength. Once the fighting starts, you won't have time to recover."
Jinbe reminded him from the side.
Doflamingo nodded quietly in agreement.
Nearby, Gecko Moria stared at the soldiers below, a strange gleam flashing repeatedly in his eyes.
"Shihihihi… this time, my zombie army can finally be rebuilt again."
Hancock, however, was completely out of sync with everyone else.
She gazed lovingly at Ezra D. Vale above.
"Ezra looks so handsome today."
The moment she said that, Mihawk's mouth twitched, though he could not be bothered to respond.
Below them, one hundred thousand Marines stared intently toward the distant sea.
Beyond that horizon, the Navy's enemy would appear.
Sengoku glanced at the time.
"Six hours until the execution."
He turned his head toward Garp.
"Garp, go to the execution platform. In the very end, go and spend some time with him."
Garp's body stiffened.
He looked at Sengoku, his voice hoarse.
"Is that allowed?"
He feared it might damage the Navy's image.
Sengoku sighed.
"It's fine, Garp."
Garp nodded slightly and strode toward the execution platform.
Behind him, Sengoku watched quietly and murmured,
"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."
Garp soon arrived beside Ace.
"Grandpa?" Ace looked up at him.
Garp nodded and sat down cross-legged.
For a moment, Ace did not know what to say.
Garp spoke slowly and earnestly.
"I once wanted you to join the Navy because I was afraid this day would come."
"Even though you're not my biological grandson, after all these years, that no longer matters."
Hearing Garp's words, Ace lowered his head deeply.
Garp continued,
"You and Luffy never listened to me when you were young. You both said you would never be caught by the Navy."
"And yet in the end, the one who should be caught still was."
"It's only been a few short years since you set sail…"
Garp's voice was filled with exhaustion.
Ace finally looked up, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa."
Garp shook his head.
"You don't need to apologize to me. In the end, it's because I failed to teach you properly."
After their conversation ended, Sengoku stepped onto the execution platform.
"Garp, I'm about to make the announcement."
Garp paused, then nodded in silence.
As the tension peaked, Sengoku faced the video Den Den Mushi and spoke loudly.
"Many of you may not understand why we are making such a spectacle of publicly executing the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Today, I will tell the entire world why!"
"Portgas D. Ace. Or perhaps I should call him Gol D. Ace."
"He is the son of the Pirate King who was executed years ago, Gol D. Roger!"
"The blood of Roger flows through his veins!"
The moment Sengoku finished speaking, the world was shaken.
An uproar erupted everywhere.
For an instant, it felt as though time itself had stopped.
"The Fleet Admiral just said he's Roger's son?"
"No way!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
A few seconds later, the entire world exploded with shock.
A massive headline.
A revelation that shook the world.
Beside Ace, Garp's eyes were filled with loneliness.
On the high platform, Kizaru waved his arms exaggeratedly.
"My my, Ezra, did you already know this?"
Ezra shrugged.
"Does it really matter?"
Akainu's eyes were already filled with killing intent.
He could barely suppress the absolute justice burning inside him.
The expressions of the Seven Warlords below were complicated.
Mihawk, after a brief moment of surprise, quickly returned to calm.
No matter whose son Ace was, he was already in the Navy's hands.
Hancock's attention remained fixed on Ezra.
Jinbe was deeply shaken.
"So he really is Roger's son…"
Doflamingo wore a manic grin.
"Now this is interesting. News like this will drive the Whitebeard Pirates insane."
"Fufufufu… I really can't wait."
Just as the crowd was still reeling, the harbor suddenly erupted with roaring waves.
The sea churned violently.
"They're here!"
All eyes turned toward the port.
A massive pirate ship burst from beneath the water like a breaching whale.
The Moby Dick.
And it was not alone.
More ships emerged from beneath the sea, one after another.
At last, an enormous pirate fleet filled the harbor.
The Whitebeard Pirates had arrived in full force.
In the next instant, countless cannonballs fired from the ships.
Their target was the area around the execution platform.
Sengoku's expression changed.
"Defensive formation!"
As his order rang out, the Navy retaliated immediately.
Both sides exchanged heavy fire.
Yet the Whitebeard Pirates continued to draw closer to the harbor.
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
"Aokiji. Stop their ships."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral."
Aokiji instantly moved.
He placed both hands on the sea's surface.
"Ice Age!"
Crack. Crack.
In an instant, the waters of the harbor froze solid, halting the Whitebeard Pirates' advance.
Aokiji exhaled a breath of cold air and returned to the high platform.
The war had officially begun.