Day and night turned, and another two days of sailing passed after Reiner and the others left Amazon Lily.
Only three hours remained until the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, an event watched by the entire world.
Marineford was surrounded by a full fifty warships. The island's terrain resembled a disk with a bite taken out of it, and its entire perimeter had been turned into defensive fortifications.
Cannons stood loaded and lined up in neat rows facing outward, while the soldiers around them watched the sea nervously.
The gap directly in front of Marineford formed a crescent-shaped harbor, where not a single ship was currently docked.
Beyond the harbor lay the central plaza, a surging sea of white packed with one hundred thousand elite Marines drawn from every corner of the world!
Officers wearing capes of justice could be seen everywhere, and commanders capable of holding down an entire branch base were as common as grass!
Gulp~
"Three hours left, and there's still not a single ship in sight."
"At this point, Whitebeard isn't going to bail on us, is he?"
"Who the hell knows? Better if he doesn't come."
The soldiers were deeply uneasy. Every one of them held their breath and stared intently at the sea, their palms already soaked with cold sweat as they gripped their weapons.
Even with such a formidable force at their disposal, they did not dare lower their guard in the slightest.
Meanwhile, live footage from Marineford was being broadcast to the outside world through several Video Transponder Snails.
At the Sabaody Archipelago, just a stone's throw from Marine Headquarters, vast crowds of civilians, pirates, and reporters packed the public squares.
Regardless of who they were, everyone looked up at the three large screens broadcasting live overhead, showing the waters outside