Far off, a red sun slowly climbed above the horizon.
The Naval Headquarters at Marineford was bathed in red light. Located within the Great Maelstrom, this massive fortress was one of the three cities at its center. By now, a hundred thousand elite Marines had gathered there, fully armed and ready for battle. Every one of them was an officer wearing a white coat of justice.
Only a few hours remained until Portgas D. Ace's public execution.
To prepare for the Whitebeard Pirates' inevitable assault—or, more accurately, the super-war that was certain to break out—Fleet Admiral Sengoku had gathered a hundred thousand elite soldiers at headquarters, ready and waiting. Three Admirals, fourteen Vice Admirals, several Rear Admirals, and a number of the Seven Warlords of the Sea were also stationed there. The lineup was impressive, and their preparations were thorough!
Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates and the forty-three pirate crews under their command had brought dozens of ships back from the New World. Those ships, along with a host of powerful pirates—the rock-solid pirate family—had begun appearing in the waters around Marineford. From time to time, they made their presence known, tugging at the already taut nerves of the Marines.
Fortunately, although the storm had nearly gathered strength, there was still a little time before it truly broke. For now, both sides remained relatively restrained. Neither had yet thrown caution to the wind and launched into an all-out battle, even though both knew they were bound to fight sooner or later.
This was only a temporary calm. What was coming would come, just as surely as the sun would rise high into the sky. No one could stop it.
So no matter how peaceful things seemed right now, everyone knew that a storm that would shake the whole world was about