A massive dark shadow loomed high above the clouds, vast enough to blot out the light of the sky. From within it poured an oppressive aura that seemed to press down on the entire world.
"I... I can't breathe!"
"What is that thing?!"
"Is the sky falling?"
"We're doomed! This must be the World Government's wrath!"
Under the crushing pressure of that terrifying aura, the video Transponder Snail broadcasting Marineford suddenly stopped functioning.
At almost the exact same moment, every screen across the seas that had been broadcasting the battle of Marineford turned to flickering static.
The image disappeared.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Why can't I see Husband anymore?"
Shirahoshi paced anxiously in front of the screen, staring at the snow-filled display.
Her large hands trembled slightly as she stared at the static.
Even though the time she had spent with Rolan was not very long, he had already become her emotional anchor.
Whether she was sleeping or eating, Rolan's figure would unconsciously appear in her mind.
Yet Shirahoshi was obedient and considerate by nature.
She knew her own importance.
So when her sisters had argued about accompanying Rolan to Marineford, she had quietly stepped back and spoken gently.
"Husband, sisters, you can go to Marineford without worry. Shirahoshi will stay here and wait for you to return to Peach Garden."
She never fought or competed with the others. No matter what happened, she would endure it silently and resolve things herself.
Although she appeared sixteen years old, she was actually only fourteen.
How could feelings that deep be completely hidden?
Now that Rolan had suddenly disappeared from the broadcast again, she could not stop herself from worrying.
At that moment, Vivi reached out and gently held Shirahoshi's arm.
"Shirahoshi, don't worry. All the enemies at Marineford have already been defeated. It was probably Rolan who stopped the broadcast himself."
Vivi was the same age as Shirahoshi, but her life experiences had made her far more mature.
Even though she was worried about Rolan's safety as well, she refused to show panic in front of Shirahoshi.
"Is... is that really the case?" Shirahoshi asked softly, though the concern in her expression had not faded.
Issho nodded calmly.
"You must believe in Mr. Rolan. He is not someone who acts recklessly. Since he chose to confront the World Government at this moment, he must already have prepared for every possible situation."
Shanks burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Princess Shirahoshi, don't worry about that guy. There is nothing in this world that can threaten Rolan yet."
Hearing their words, Shirahoshi looked up at them.
The confidence on their faces eased her worries slightly.
Still, her gaze drifted back to the flickering screen.
She could only hope that Rolan's face would appear again.
Beside Shanks, Benn Beckman lightly nudged him with his elbow.
Shanks turned his head and met Beckman's eyes.
Neither of them spoke.
But after sailing together for so many years, they understood each other without words.
If a broadcast was deliberately stopped, the signal would normally be cut off completely.
The Transponder Snail would rest, and the screen would simply go black.
Static like this should not appear at all.
If the broadcast screen showed snow and distortion, it could only mean one thing.
The Transponder Snail had been overwhelmed by an extremely powerful aura.
Both Shanks and Beckman were far from simple-minded.
And Shanks carried the surname of the Figarland family.
If he wished, he could return to Mary Geoise and become a Celestial Dragon at any time.
Because of that connection, he knew something others did not.
The hidden power of the World Government was terrifyingly deep.
Even if Peach Garden were to confront it head-on, victory would be far from certain.
Because of that, both men came to the same conclusion.
Something huge must have happened at Marineford.
Unfortunately, they could not leave Peach Garden.
All they could do was silently hope that the Ion Tempest crew would successfully escape Marineford.
Far away across the seas, people everywhere stared at their suddenly disrupted broadcasts.
"What the hell? Why does the broadcast always stop at the most important moment?"
"Yeah! First it cut off earlier, and now again. Is Rolan treating us like idiots?"
"No, something isn't right. The broadcast screen has never turned into static like this before. Did something happen at Marine Headquarters, Marineford?"
"That's not a good sign at all."
In the New World, inside a dimly lit room, a giant albatross was pacing nervously back and forth.
In front of him stood a massive screen filled with flickering snow.
"The broadcast Transponder Snail must have been interfered with by some mysterious force! Otherwise this would never happen!"
He shook his bird head vigorously.
Then he turned around, grabbed a quill pen, and began writing furiously inside a notebook.
His confused voice quickly became excited.
"I have to rush these newspapers into print! These are all front page headlines!"
"Our World News Agency will definitely be the first to report this!"
"The papers are going to sell like crazy!"
Back at Marineford.
The aura emanating from the enormous shadow above the clouds grew increasingly overwhelming.
Even fighters with strength comparable to Admirals felt their bodies being suppressed.
Sengoku raised his head and stared at the sky.
He could clearly feel an enormous presence gathering above the clouds.
It was slowly accumulating power.
As if preparing to unleash a devastating attack.
With Sengoku's intelligence, he immediately realized that this thing must belong to the World Government.
But he had no idea what it actually was.
He had never heard of anything like it before.
The aura alone was already the strongest he had ever felt in his entire life.
More terrifying still, that aura was locking onto the entire island of Marineford.
A bad premonition surged in his chest.
He suddenly turned his head toward Garp.
At the same time, Garp was staring back at him with a shocked expression.
Garp pointed toward the sky.
"Hey, Sengoku, what the hell is that thing?"
Sengoku slowly shook his head.
"I don't know. But it must be something from the World Government."
Garp's expression became extremely serious.
With such an overwhelming aura, the attack it was preparing would certainly be devastating.
No one in the world should be able to withstand it.
Not even Rolan.
"We need to get everyone out of Marineford immediately!"
His voice carried rare urgency.
Sengoku nodded and immediately shouted toward the battlefield.
"All Marines, listen carefully! Board the warships immediately and evacuate Marineford! This is a direct order from the Fleet Admiral!"
Staff Officer Tsuru finally let out a quiet breath of relief when she heard Sengoku's command.
High above the battlefield, Whitebeard stared into the sky.
His face showed deep confusion.
He had no idea what that enormous object above the clouds was.
But something capable of releasing an aura powerful enough to suppress the entire world was obviously far from ordinary.
Could it be some kind of ultimate weapon controlled by the World Government?
Whitebeard could clearly feel it.
That terrifying aura was aimed directly at Marineford.
If it attacked, the destruction would cover the entire island.
No one would escape.
He slowly turned his gaze toward Rolan.
"Hey, kid," Whitebeard called out, his voice deep, "do you know what that thing is?"
Rolan was far too mysterious.
He often seemed as if he knew everything.
Whitebeard suspected that Rolan might understand what was happening.
Rolan calmly rubbed his chin while looking toward the sky.
"I don't know what it is," he said casually, his tone indifferent, "but we should leave as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling about this."
Whitebeard nodded.
He felt the same.
Then he turned toward the Whitebeard Pirates and raised his voice.
"My sons! Leave this island immediately!"
"Marineford won't exist much longer!"