The Marine Headquarters at Marineford looked more like a crescent-shaped island. Cradled within the crescent was a natural deepwater harbor, which also served as the port. The island's mountainous back was topped by a Marine fortress that resembled a Japanese castle keep, while watchtowers, lighthouses, and gun emplacements were scattered across the surrounding high ground.
Between the Marine fortress and the port lay the town where Annie and Luffy were hiding. It had originally been home to the families of the Marines stationed at Marineford. Several large polygonal forts and circular fortresses were scattered throughout the town, linked to the Marine fortress by elevated, walled passageways. They divided the residential districts and also served to defend both the town and the headquarters fortress.
On top of that, the entire crescent-shaped island had been reinforced, forming a tall, massive, and sturdy wall that encircled it.
The wall was covered with cannons of all sizes, heavy guns, and large mechanical turrets. Even the tallest masts on the largest Marine warships didn't reach as high as the wall!
For this era, its defensive and retaliatory capabilities were unparalleled. It was a sea fortress that could never be taken!
At least, no enemy approaching from the sea could breach it. And that was without even considering the existence of the Gates of Justice.
Yet even with a fortress that could never be taken, Fleet Admiral Sengoku still felt its defenses weren't enough to face the Whitebeard Pirates. So, in addition to evacuating every resident from the island and gathering a full hundred thousand elite Marines, he had fifty large warships stationed around Marineford, on high alert.
With less than three hours until Ace's public execution, Luffy was in a room on the third floor of the pastry shop, staring out the window toward