"Ace!"
Even before he appeared, a commanding voice boomed from the distance the deck of the Moby Dick.
Ace's eyes welled up instantly. "Dad!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A towering figure appeared at the bow of the ship, wielding a massive nodachi.
Clad in a white captain's coat, with a crescent-shaped white mustache curving upward the iconic mark of the living legend, once the strongest man in the world.
The man who had wielded the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Whitebeard. Edward Newgate.
"Kuraaa! Sengoku! Release Ace right now!"
From the high platform, Sengoku snorted coldly.
"Whitebeard, that is impossible!"
Whitebeard's eyes flashed with deadly intent.
"Then… let's fight!"
Without another word, he roared at his crew behind him.
"My sons! Will you just watch Ace be killed?"
"Go! Go and rescue Ace!"
"Yeahhhhhhh!"
"For Ace!"
"For the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Victory belongs to Whitebeard forever!"
A surge of excitement erupted among the pirates.
Even though Aokiji was holding back the incoming ships, he inadvertently created space for the pirates to land.
Wielding their weapons and filled with murderous intent, the pirates surged toward the execution platform.
Sengoku snorted coldly, raising his hand.
"Marines, obey orders! Advance!"
"For justice!"
"For Marineford!"
"Kill!"
The battle was on the brink of erupting!
As the number of pirates grew, a spark of insight appeared in Sengoku's eyes.
"Now! Initiate the encirclement!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
At his command, Marines surged in from all directions.
Countless hidden mechanisms sprang to life.
"Damn! Traps! Fall back!"
"Ahhh!"
"No! Retreat!"
Shouts erupted from all sides, catching the pirates completely off guard.
Whitebeard snorted.
"All captains, deploy!"
"Yes, Father!"
Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the other top captains, all renowned for their strength, joined the fray.
Sengoku's eyes swept toward the Seven Warlords below.
"You as well join the battle!"
Mihawk and the others inclined their heads slightly, then advanced without hesitation.
Vista immediately sought out Mihawk.
Both being swordsmen, Vista's target was clear.
"Come! Show me your swordsmanship!"
A spark flared in Mihawk's eyes as he drew his black blade, Yoru, from his back.
Vista wasted no words and swung his sword at Mihawk.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Marco soared into the smaller plaza.
Akainu coldly snorted.
"Leave him to me!"
With that, his foot slammed the ground, vanishing into the distance in an instant.
Ezra and Kizaru exchanged a glance, shrugged, and continued to observe the battle below.
"Ace! I'm coming to save you!"
Ace suddenly lifted his head. Marco was already close.
Just as hope surged in his chest, a cold voice rang from behind.
"Hellhound!"
"What?!"
Marco froze.
Akainu had appeared right in front of him, his fist burning with magma, striking Marco violently.
The Phoenix captain was sent hurtling back to the ground like a cannonball.
Akainu pursued relentlessly, his eyes locked on Marco, who was slowly rising.
"Damn you, Akainu!"
A murderous glint appeared in Marco's eyes as he charged again.
"You're far from done!"
Akainu's arms ignited into molten rock as they clashed.
"Father, we can't break through this encirclement! If this continues, we'll be worn down to death!"
As those words reached Whitebeard's ears, he was about to intervene when a massive figure appeared on the battlefield.
Whitebeard's body froze. He shouted urgently.
"小 Oz! You fool! Didn't I tell you not to fight?!"
Oz's sheer size made him a walking target, but he smiled at Whitebeard.
"Father! Today, I will save Ace! He's a good person!"
With that, he charged straight toward the encirclement alone.
On the high platform, Sengoku furrowed his brow.
"Quick! Stop him!"
Cannon fire rained down on Oz, but against his enormous body, it was utterly ineffective.
"Damn it! Doflamingo, act already!"
Doflamingo snorted.
Though he hated being ordered around by Sengoku, this was not the time to hesitate.
"Rokushiki Lines!"
Five shimmering, multicolored threads shot out, wrapping around Oz's right ankle.
A terrifying smile crossed Doflamingo's face. He yanked hard.
"Ahhhhh!"
Oz screamed in pain as his right foot was severed by the lines.
Moonlight Moria unleashed his shadow.
"Shadow Spear!"
A long spear formed from his shadow pierced Oz's chest.
"Oz!"
"Boss Oz!"
"Captain!"
Voices rang out everywhere.
Yet Oz did not stop moving.
Bleeding from his mouth, he struggled forward.
Finally, he fell just before the encirclement.
"No! Oz!"
Ace on the execution platform screamed in agony.
"It's all my fault… it's because of me!"
"Damn it! Damn it!"
His voice shook with rage and despair.
But in the chaos of war, aside from Garp, no one was paying attention to him.
The battle raged on.
The Seven Warlords were fully engaged.
Whitebeard's captains were risking their lives.
"Damn this encirclement!"
Marco dodged another magma punch from Akainu, eyes fixed on the Marines' formation below.
Then he saw it.
Oz's silhouette he had somehow crawled all the way to the encirclement!
"How… how is this possible?"
Marines shouted in disbelief.
With his last strength, Oz roared.
"This is the will of the Whitebeard Pirates! Damned Marines! Father! This is all I can do!"
"Yaaah!"
With a swing of his right hand, Oz smashed the encirclement before him, clearing a path to the small plaza.
"Charge!"
"Victory is within reach!"
"Rescue Ace! Go!"
The battlefield was set ablaze. The Summit War had erupted.