"That enormous green castle… it's all made of plants?!"
"It's gigantic! Why did something so unbelievable suddenly appear?!"
"Look at that strange red flower on top of the wall—there's someone standing on it!"
"My god… did that man create this entire wall?!"
"Who is he? He looks so strange!"
The massive green wall filled nearly the entire broadcast screen.
It was so huge that it looked as though it might burst out of the display itself.
Yet even through the screens, the audience could clearly see—
on the crimson flower blooming at the top of the wall—
stood a man with strange markings on his face.
Many younger viewers began speculating about his identity.
Was he a savior of the pirates?
Or perhaps a secret weapon of the World Government?
But among the viewers were also people who had lived through the God Valley Incident.
At that moment, their hearts churned violently—just like the raging ocean displayed on the screen.
Rōmu.
The instant they saw his face, they recognized him.
Even though more than forty years had passed—
that face…
that man who once fought the Navy's main forces alone…
He was still alive?!
Hadn't the Navy declared that he died during the God Valley battle?
"That's Rōmu!"
"It's really Rōmu!"
Among the viewers were several elderly men with gray hair.
Their eyes were glued to the screen, filled with disbelief.
Scenes like this were happening all across the world.
Wherever people were watching the broadcast—
that same name was spreading like wildfire.
Among the old pirates who had actually participated in the God Valley battle and survived—
the excitement was even greater.
So Rōmu hadn't died after all.
That meant the truth of God Valley might be completely different from what the world had been told.
"What? That's Rōmu?"
"That's the same Rōmu Marshal Sengoku mentioned earlier?"
"The man who fought nine top fighters at once?"
"Didn't Sengoku say he died in the God Valley battle?"
"Then why is he suddenly appearing at Marineford now?!"
Younger viewers were stunned.
They recalled Sengoku's earlier explanation.
The man who had stolen the Heavenly Tribute, killed Celestial Dragons, and publicly displayed their corpses.
The man who defeated former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr.
The man who had fought against Kong, Garp, Sengoku, and other top fighters all by himself during the God Valley battle.
And now—
the elderly viewers were saying that this man—
who should have died forty years ago—
had returned?
He survived a battle against nine of the strongest fighters in the world?
Was he even human?
"You must be mistaken! The God Valley battle happened over forty years ago!"
"But look at the man on the screen!"
"Exactly!"
"A monster like that should have three heads, eight legs, ten arms, and be fifty meters tall!"
"And his face should be covered in scars or pockmarks!"
"Even if not, he should at least look like an old man like Sengoku!"
Many young viewers struggled to believe it.
After all—
look at the strongest figures today.
Whether Marine admirals or pirate legends—
every one of them bore the marks of time.
Yet the man on the screen looked far too young.
"You ignorant fools!"
An elderly man suddenly shouted.
"That man is Rōmu!"
"I would never forget that face!"
The man's voice trembled with emotion.
The tattered Marine uniform draped over his shoulders revealed his past identity.
Very quickly—
the truth spread across the world through the words of people like him.
Even though some still doubted it—
most viewers were beginning to believe.
The young man standing atop the towering plant wall—
was the very same Rōmu whom the Navy had declared dead.
Because only someone who could survive a siege by the Navy's strongest forces—
could create a miracle like this.
But the shocked audience wasn't limited to the civilians watching the broadcast.
The Marines present at Marineford were just as stunned.
Marineford
Along the fortress walls of Marine Headquarters—
nearly one hundred thousand Marines stared at the massive green plant wall rising from the sea.
And at the man standing upon the crimson flower.
Their expressions turned grim.
They gripped their rifles and weapons tightly.
Sweat dripped down their faces as they stared ahead.
"Who is that man?"
"Is he a pirate? Why does his pressure feel stronger than the Four Emperors?"
"This aura… it's not something a human should possess!"
"I've never heard of someone like this on the seas!"
The moment the ocean began churning earlier, the Marines had already prepared for battle.
But the sight before them was beyond imagination.
The sea had split apart.
A gigantic wall tall enough to overshadow Marineford had risen from the water.
And standing upon that wall—
was a man whose presence alone felt like that of a king.
The oppressive aura pressing down on them made it difficult to breathe.
Even when facing Whitebeard, they had never felt such suffocating pressure.
At this moment—
they felt like ants standing beneath a god.
The only thing giving them the slightest sense of security was the weapon clutched in their hands.
"What should we do now?"
"Do we open fire?"
"If all of us attack together, maybe we can bring him down!"
"Don't act recklessly! Wait for orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Admirals!"
The Marines swallowed nervously.
Some of them wanted to attack immediately.
Because if this pressure continued—
their fighting spirit might collapse before the battle even began.
But they couldn't act without orders.
So they turned their gazes away from the mysterious man—
and looked toward the Marine commanders near the execution platform.
Then suddenly—
their expressions changed again.
Because they realized something shocking.
The Marine commanders weren't issuing any orders.
Instead—
they were staring at the man on the towering wall.
Their faces filled with disbelief.
Shock.
Recognition.
As if…
they already knew exactly who he was.
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