"No matter what mistakes I make, you will forgive me, because I am the most beautiful!"
A flawless figure appeared at the entrance of the conference room, instantly drawing every eye toward her. A large group of Marines followed behind, their gazes practically overflowing with infatuation.
"Fufufu, the world's most beautiful woman."
The arrogant declaration earned a faint glimmer of amusement from those present. Reports were one thing, but seeing her in person was something else entirely.
With Boa Hancock's arrival, only one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea remained absent.
The room gradually settled. Some sat back on the sofas, others leaned against the conference table, each occupied in their own way. Yet despite the casual postures, two unmistakable gazes remained fixed on Hancock.
They were shameless, unhidden looks of fascination, openly appraising her beauty.
Hancock showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Her expression remained cold and proud as her eyes swept across the room.
"Have you stared enough?" she said disdainfully. "You insects."
"What a fierce temper," one voice replied lazily.
"I really want to turn you into a zombie," Gekko Moriah added, reclining against the sofa with a crooked grin.
"Fufufu, women should rely on strong men," Donquixote Doflamingo said, his sunglasses hiding his eyes as his gaze lingered on Hancock's long, pale legs.
"You will not be the first man to die by my hand," Hancock replied coldly.
Neither provocation nor mockery caused her to falter. She stood her ground without the slightest hint of weakness.
"A rose with thorns," Moriah muttered with a chuckle.
The tension eased slightly as the two realized this was nothing more than verbal sparring. After all, the woman before them was no ordinary pirate.
Time passed slowly.
Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes.
Aside from Jinbe, Bartholomew Kuma, and Dracule Mihawk, who all remained composed, irritation gradually crept onto everyone else's faces.
"The meeting time is nearly here," someone said with clear annoyance. "Who exactly is the last one? Putting on such airs."
They had already waited far longer than expected, yet the final participant still had not arrived.
Was this some kind of deliberate show of superiority?
"Creak."
The door to the reception room finally opened.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku entered, accompanied by Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Kuma calmly closed his book. Mihawk opened his eyes, his sharp gaze cutting through the room.
"Why are you trash so quiet?" Sengoku said bluntly as he walked past Hancock, Moriah, and Mihawk without sparing them a glance. "This silence doesn't suit your reputations."
He took his seat at the head of the table.
"Fufufu, not everyone is present yet, but Fleet Admiral Sengoku arrives so promptly," Doflamingo said as he crossed his legs.
"There's no need to wait for Marshall D. Teach," Sengoku replied coldly. "We will begin."
His gaze swept across the room before settling on the assembled Warlords.
"You all know why you have been summoned," he said. "I will not waste words on you. In tomorrow's war, I do not want any of you causing unexpected trouble. If you do, the consequences will be severe."
None of the six took his warning seriously.
Some glanced away indifferently, some adjusted their nails, and others closed their eyes as if resting.
With only a few sentences spoken, Sengoku stood and left. Before exiting, he cast one final icy glance at Doflamingo.
As the sun rose and set, dawn finally crept across the horizon.
On this day, Marineford became the focal point of the entire world.
Today marked the execution of the Pirate King's bloodline, an event with implications unlike any before it.
From early morning, people across the globe gathered to watch the live broadcast.
Marineford was packed as far as the eye could see. The Marine had committed an overwhelming force, greater than ever before. They were holding nothing back.
Fifty thousand elite Marines stood ready, while nearly seven hundred thousand additional Marines had been mobilized for the war.
The sheer scale alone was enough to make one's legs tremble.
More than ten thousand Pacifista units were fully deployed.
At every port, countless cannons and fortifications had been constructed. From above, Marineford looked like an iron fortress, armed to the teeth.
This was no ordinary battle.
This was a war destined to be etched into history.
As the broadcast began, Marineford was revealed to the world.
Shock. Awe. An indescribable sense of pressure.
Viewers everywhere stared in disbelief, mouths hanging open.
Mountains of steel and humanity merged into one, nearly a million soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder. The atmosphere alone was suffocating.
"Is this really Marineford?"
"This is unbelievable. There must be at least a million people there."
"This is terrifying. We underestimated the Marine."
"They are going all in. This war is beyond imagination."
"It's the execution of the Pirate King's bloodline. They're not just facing Whitebeard, but possibly the Revolutionary Army and surviving legends from the Roger Pirates."
"So this is the Marine's true strength."
"Terrifying."
"Do you think the Whitebeard Pirates will come?"
"With Fire Fist Ace involved, if any of Roger's crew are alive, they will appear."
"Who knows? The Pirate King has been dead for decades."
"With this lineup, even a Yonko could be wiped out."
"I wouldn't be surprised if other World Government agencies intervene."
Across the Four Seas, the Grand Line, the New World, Loguetown, the Sabaody Archipelago, and countless other islands, people of every race watched in stunned silence.
Marineford was divided into formations, its oppressive presence reaching even through the screen.
Over one hundred Vice Admirals stood at the forefront, justice coats fluttering behind them, expressions grim and resolute.
"Vice Admiral Onigumo."
"Yamakaji."
"Bastille."
"Doberman."
"Momonga."
"Strawberry."
"And Admiral candidates Momousagi and Tokikake."
"There are so many Vice Admirals. Even Admiral candidates are present."
"The Marine truly intends to win."
"They want to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace is only bait."
"This is incredible. Let it begin already."
As the Vice Admirals took their positions, several figures stepped onto the execution platform stairs.
"The world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk."
"The world's most beautiful woman, Empress Boa Hancock."
"Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma."
"Knight of the Sea Jinbe."
"Heavenly Yaksha Donquixote Doflamingo."
"Gekko Moriah."
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"So the Marine summoned all of them."
"Marshall D. Teach isn't here."
"The one who replaced Crocodile?"
"That's right."
As the world focused on the Warlords, Moriah and the others glanced toward the elevated platform beside the execution stand.
Four seats stood empty.
"They're coming," someone murmured.
The camera shifted.
At last, a man wearing a justice coat took the first seat.
"The Marine's strongest Admiral, Silver Dragon Enel."
The world fell silent.
Long silver hair, a pristine silver suit, and tired azure eyes. He yawned casually, as if the weight of the coming war meant nothing.
Pirates watching the broadcast felt a chill run through their spines.
Ordinary citizens gazed at him with reverence.
Enel crossed his legs, propped his chin on one hand, and calmly surveyed the battlefield below, his expression utterly indifferent.
===
If you want to read more, there are up to 80 chapters available on patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph