The Battle Begins: Beach Landing
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Guns and cannons roared like a forest! White-clad figures stood as pure as snow!
A massive crescent-shaped fortress, fifty modern warships, countless artillery batteries, and one hundred thousand elite naval troops! In addition, distinguished naval officers and generals drawn from various regions.
And five famous 'Shichibukai': Kuma, Doflamingo, Hawk Eyes, Empress, and Mara~~
There were also three Admiral Execution Platform: Kizaru and Akainu, who were sitting with their toes crossed and legs down in an "Admiral's sitting posture," and Aokiji, who had his hands on his knees.
I'll break your legs for being so unsociable!
Finally:
"Celestial Dragons?"
"What are those disgusting creatures doing here?"
"Perhaps he's an executioner sent by the Holy Land, hehe~~"
"Hopefully, the battle scenes won't scare us so much we wet our pants. After all, we're a prestigious family of World Noble..."
That guy... isn't he from the Straw Hat crew?
No, it might just be that they look alike.
Smoker, who was smoking two cigars in the crowd, shook his head. Celestial Dragons... Even fairy tales wouldn't dare to write something like that.
A variety of undisguised expressions of disgust reached his ears, but Roman, seated on the execution platform, ignored them all, resting his chin on his hand and feigning sleep. Although his physical strength hadn't been depleted, the series of remote control operations had taken a toll on his mental energy...
Absolutely no one could have imagined that someone would actually sleep and recharge in such a tense and conspicuous place.
(__*)Zzz
???
After glancing at Roman, who insisted on coming to watch the execution but started sleeping on the Execution Platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wondered to himself: Could this guy be in cahoots with Garp?
Ace, who had only glanced at Roman before Guotou, was forced to kneel on the ground, his heart filled with mixed emotions as he faced his impending death.
Anger? Because I'm not as skilled.
Alas? He is not afraid of death;
Sad? Not really;
It seems... I'm starting to regret it.
I don't care if I die, but I'm still worried about Luffy. Grandpa, I'm sorry to disappoint you... and Dad, we didn't get to see you become the 'King of the Pirates'.
"Ace, reveal your identity..."
When Sengoku began to reveal Ace's identity as Pirate King Roger's son, Roman had already fallen into a deep sleep.
"Roman,"
Seeing Luffy hesitate to speak, the White Knight, arms crossed Guotou.
"Ace is alright for now. The battle at Marine Headquarters hasn't even started yet."
"That's not what I meant. What I meant was... never mind,"
Luffy patted his Straw Hat and grinned, regaining his usual cheerful demeanor.
Thanks.
"Saying 'thank you' would be too formal,"
Luffy grinned as the White Knight Luffy goodbye.
"But all I can say is 'thank you'."
Strictly speaking, this is Luffy's 'personal matter'. —Ace is indeed Luffy's brother, but he has absolutely no connection to the Straw Hat crew. Whether it's helping Vivi or rescuing Robin, it's because they are his adventure partners, something everyone agrees on.
Moreover, this time it went against the Straw Hat crew's usual 'style' of doing things, namely:
We will not be enemies with the navy!
Although they fly the pirate flag, the Straw Hat crew is different from other true pirates who use the heads of civilians and marines to increase their 'bounties'. They avoid the marines whenever possible, even though they are far stronger than them.
Otherwise, could Smoker really possibly chase after the Straw Hat crew? Are you kidding me? That guy who turns Logia into a 'debuff'...
"Just keep going straight ahead."
The White Knight pointed to the Gate of Justice that was slowly opening in front of him.
"I will protect your back."
"That's right, a little Straw Hat ~~"
von Clay, who was twirling around with a wine glass next to him, gave a thumbs up.
"I'll help you too! — Because we're friends~~"
This is a world where people would truly go to great lengths for their friends.
Although it's 'foolish,' it's something countless men aspire to.
"They're here!!"
"Enemy ship spotted—"
"On alert! All personnel prepare for battle!"
Amidst the various slogans and commands from the Marines, Marineford instantly came to life! Bullets were loaded, turrets rotated, and it was like a ferocious beast that had stood up, its fangs and sharp teeth undisguised.
On the sea directly opposite Marineford, at least forty large five-masted or even seven-masted sailing ships, each with its own unique style and flying pirate flags, were slowly approaching.
"Watch out, it's a pirate crew under Whitebeard!"
"'The Great Vortex Spider' Squard, 'Thunder Lord' McGuy, 'Ranger Knight' Doma, 'Ice Witch' Whitey Bay ..."
One by one, renowned captains from the New World stood proudly at the bow of their ships, directing their pirate vessels slowly toward Marineford. As for their objective:
Even you guys...
Seeing that all of Whitebeard's pirate crews had gathered, Ace was momentarily speechless...
Is it excitement, shock, or frustration?
"There are 43 ships in total, but Whitebeard's flagship, the 'Moby Dick,' has still not appeared, and his combat captains are nowhere to be seen!"
?!
At that moment, the Three Admirals below the Execution Platform changed their expressions, because they had already 'heard'—
Rumble~~~~
In the harbor of Marineford, the seawater bulged high like mountain peaks! As a massive amount of seawater was pushed aside, four enormous warships emerged from the seabed with a roar.
"It's the Moby Dick!"
"Whitebeard is here!"
This was a massive warship, as large as an aircraft carrier, with a prow resembling that of a whale. Behind it were three smaller ships, belonging to Whitebeard's main force.
"Gurala la la—"
The man standing proudly at the bow of the ship had a striking crescent-shaped beard, stood 6.6 meters tall, was shirtless, and wore a captain's coat. In his hand he carried a large Big Saber taller than himself, the Supreme Grade Swords - Murakumogiri. Although he was 72 years old, the old man's robust physique remained as strong as ever!
He looked at Ace on the Execution Platform and smiled with confidence and affection.
"My beloved son, are you alright...?"
"Dad!!!"
Ace's desperate shout brought Roman, who was 'sleeping' beside him, back to his senses. He opened his dark-circled eyes and looked down at the harbor below the platform, where a towering man stood on the largest ship.
Whitebeard!
It's finally here, so—
Sitting up straight, Roman looked intently at the soaring killing intent rising below! Let me see what the world's top combat power looks like, and by the way:
Compare it to the powerful figure seen in those eyes.
"Um?"
Whitebeard's gaze fell upon the Execution Platform, where a boy in a white suit and a bubble hood sat. In this world, only:
Celestial Dragons!
Is this the little guy?
In an instant, Whitebeard recognized from the other party's aura that this was the master of the puppet that had given him the 'information' earlier.
Gurararara~~ You actually managed to subdue Celestial Dragons who betrayed your side, could it be that 'you' have really appeared?
Joy Boy...
Pity.
With just a glance from afar, Whitebeard saw in Roman a complete disregard for Ace. Combined with the words of his white puppet earlier, it was clear that Roman's intervention wasn't due to Ace at all.
In other words, it's someone else?
I really want to see that man before I die, the one Roger spoke of who could change the fate of this sea...
"Dad!!"
The shouts from his son on the other side brought Whitebeard back to his senses. Ace looked at the man he respected most, and his brothers-in-arms, who had stepped into the Navy's trap without hesitation for his sake, and anxiously shouted back to the other side.
"Everyone... it was clearly me who ignored your warnings and ran out on my own!"
"Why can't you just let me fend for myself?!"
"It's because I acted without authorization that I ended up like this..."
Faced with Ace's heartfelt words, Whitebeard simply gave a calm reply.
"Wrong,"
"I asked you to go."
?!
"You're lying, you clearly stopped it back then—"
"I was the one who sent Ace to chase after Teach —right, Marco?"
"Right!"
A group of people emerged one after another from behind Whitebeard; they were his direct subordinate captains: 'Phoenix' Marco, 'Diamond' Jozu, ' Flower Sword 'Vista...
"Oh, I heard that too. Dad told you to go after Teach."
The middle-aged man with a golden punk hairstyle, a dagger at his waist, and Whitebeard Pirates tattoo on his chest nodded.
"Yes, I heard it too."
"Me too····"
"Me too!"
As the group of people behind him nodded, the Whitebeard squatted down slightly, raised a clenched fist, and his muscle fibers, like steel cables, were stretched to their limit, like a fully drawn bowstring!
As he activated his Devil Fruit ability, a sphere of intense white light, seemingly encompassing all colors, instantly formed on Whitebeard's fist; just looking at it seemed capable of shattering anything! Then:
"The Sengoku!!"
With a roar, Whitebeard unleashed a powerful punch, accompanied by a ball of light!
Click!
In an instant, the air itself shattered like glass under Whitebeard's fist. The void before his fist, like a sponge deformed and thinned by a punch, churned up! Ripples spread through the air, and a massive white 'whirlwind' roared towards the Marines, as if it would pierce through Marineford a single blow!
As the gust of wind swept through, numerous cracks appeared out of thin air. A naval captain, unfortunate enough to be caught at the edge of one of these cracks, cried out in agony as a thin crack grazed his left shoulder and right leg, causing blood to spurt out instantly! He was nearly cut in half at the waist and was forced to retreat in a critical condition.
The cannons, touched by a few tiny, thread-like cracks, instantly shattered into piles of scrap metal, turning the steel—which previously could only leave a white mark on bullets and swords—into tofu! The entire naval formation seemed to be torn apart by an invisible behemoth, its path pointing towards:
?!
This punch was clearly aimed at the Execution Platform!
This move of unleashing a powerful attack right from the start caused even Akainu and Kizaru, who were sitting with their legs crossed, to change their expressions. Aokiji next to them also suddenly stood up, and the three of them raised their palms and aimed them at the shockwave.
Armament Haki - External Release!
Click click click click click!
Amidst the intense, teeth-grinding friction, the invisible vibration seemed to have struck an unseen shield and abruptly stopped, leaving the three Admiral speechless.
"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of logic is it to send out the 'King' as soon as a war starts?"
"Oh my, so vigorous for his age, how terrifying..."
Look—
While the Whitebeard Pirates the Marines sprawling in disarray with a single punch, they didn't seize the opportunity to charge. Instead, their four warships quickly moved towards the left side of the island, appearing as if:
"How is this possible?!"
Sengoku was shocked. He had deliberately set a trap for the Whitebeard Pirates in the middle. Instead of rushing to their rescue, they were first looking for a foothold to the side?
I wonder if our Aokiji can freeze the ocean so easily?!
"Aokiji, freeze them!"
Faced with the hasty order issued by the Sengoku, Aokiji reached out and grabbed at the harbor from afar.
Ice Age!
Click click click—
Amidst the continuous freezing sounds, the entire harbor instantly turned into a sheet of ice, but the Whitebeard merely curled the corners of his mouth slightly upward.
So eager to trap us? Just as that kid's intelligence suggested.
"Activate the paddle wheels and force a landing!"
As rows of 'paddle wheels' appeared beneath the four warships, with the superhuman strength of the crew and the immense force of George and others who jumped down to 'push the ships,' they somehow managed to break free from the ice and charge toward the narrow gun emplacements on the left side of the island.
"Ace, my son!"
"Wait a moment, we're coming to rescue you right away!"