Bad News Arrives! The World's Top-Tier War!

And ever since they had lost contact with Ace.

The atmosphere aboard the Moby Dick had been heavy as lead.

Everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates was worried about news of Ace!

Marco was foremost among them. The unease in his eyes was even heavier than yesterday. He leaned on the ship's rail, gazing into the distance speechlessly.

Beside him, Jozu, Vista, and the other division commanders stood at his side. They seemed calm on the surface, but in their hearts, they had long since been frantic with anxiety!

Ever since Ace had lost contact, every minute, every second, had become torment.

Chen Ye stood not far behind them. He did not try to comfort them, nor did he ask any more questions.

He knew better than anyone that what was coming would arrive soon!

Just then, a piercing and urgent birdsong broke the deathly silence.

Everyone suddenly looked up.

A newspaper bird was flapping its wings with all its might, staggering over from the distant horizon.

It flew very low, with great difficulty, as if its wings were bound with all the malice and heaviness in the world.

"It's a newspaper bird!"

"Quick! Get it over here!"

A crew member rushed to the ship's side, leaped high, and snatched the newspaper from the bird's leg.

He impatiently unfolded the newspaper. The instant his gaze fell on the front page, his whole body seemed to be struck in the chest by an invisible sledgehammer.

His face turned pale as paper in an instant.

His pupils violently contracted from extreme fear.

"No... this... this isn't true..."

He trembled, his lips quivering, yet he couldn't speak a single word.

Plop.

The newspaper slipped from his powerless hand.

The sea breeze rolled up the newspaper, sending it fluttering across the deck like a black butterfly.

No one picked it up.

Everyone's gaze was fixed firmly on that newspaper, fixed on the giant photo that had flashed past yet was incredibly clear.

Marco moved.

His figure turned into blue flames, appearing beside the newspaper in an instant, and he grabbed it in his hand.

The next second, all his flames seemed to freeze.

In the photo.

That man who had always shone as dazzlingly as the sun, that Ace, embodiment of flames, was now kneeling on both knees.

Around him were wound loop after loop of cold, heavy seastone chains, and his former radiance had been replaced by humiliation and unwillingness.

Behind him stood an unusually tall man with a mouth full of rotten teeth, grinning as he let out a silent and rampant laugh.

Marshall D. Teach.

Blackbeard!

Above the photo was a headline printed in the thickest, blackest, most glaring font.

Every single word was like a poison-tipped dagger, fiercely piercing everyone's hearts present!

["Fire Fist" Ace Defeated! Blackbeard Teach to Be Promoted to Shichibukai!]

[Whitebeard Pirates Second Division Captain to Be Publicly Executed at Marine Headquarters Marineford One Month from Now!]

Dead silence.

The deck fell into an unprecedented dead silence.

The wind stopped.

The waves stopped.

The world seemed to have had the pause button pressed.

Everyone's breathing seemed to have stopped at this moment.

They saw it. Everyone saw it.

A crew member's long sword fell to the deck with a clang.

A cadre gritted his teeth tightly, blood seeping from his gums, yet he did not notice at all.

Jozu's diamond-formed arm let out an overburdened creak, as if it could crack at any moment.

On Marco's face, there was no longer any trace of his usual laziness and composure.

His face twisted with absolute fury. Blue flames danced wildly over his body, but they gave off no trace of warmth—only bone-chilling killing intent.

"Teach... that bastard..."

His voice came out one word at a time, squeezed through the gaps between his teeth.

Chen Ye closed his eyes.

It was here.

It had come after all.

He took a deep breath. When he opened them again, only cold determination remained in his eyes.

He did not look at the newspaper. Instead, he turned his gaze toward that mountain-like figure who had not said a single word from beginning to end.

Whitebeard sat on his throne, unmoving.

A son, trembling, presented the newspaper before him.

Whitebeard slowly reached out his hand and took the newspaper.

His movements were slow and steady. Those hands capable of overturning the world were not trembling in the slightest.

He looked at the photo, at the miserable state of the son he had treated as his own being defeated by Teach.

He looked at the lines of text declaring his death.

Time was infinitely stretched at this moment.

The entire world seemed to be waiting for this man's reaction.

Crack—!!!

An extremely crisp bursting sound suddenly exploded!

The giant wine bottle in Whitebeard's hand was not crushed. Instead, in an invisible wave of energy, it was instantly shaken into the finest powder!

He slowly stood up.

Rumble!

The entire Moby Dick, this legendary giant ship, let out a painful groan and suddenly sank downward!

A terrifying presence beyond words soared upward from Whitebeard!

It was not the deliberate release of Conqueror's Haki.

It was a sea emperor's purest, most primal, most uncontrollable rage!

Centered on the Moby Dick, the surrounding sea raised enormous waves, as if even the sea were terrified into submission by the wrath of the "World's Strongest Man"!

The air on the deck turned as thick as mercury. Everyone felt as if a mountain had been pressed onto their chest, making even breathing unbearably difficult.

They looked at their pops in horror.

Those eyes, usually filled with a gentle smile, now held only burning magma and endless storms!

"Marco."

Whitebeard's voice rang out, low and hoarse, yet carrying an authority that could make heaven and earth change color.

"...Here, Pops." Marco's body tensed as he responded in a low voice.

"Jozu."

"Here!" Jozu roared in response, his voice like a bell.

"Vista."

"Here!" Flower Sword was drawn half an inch, and the ring of the blade was filled with killing intent.

Whitebeard's gaze slowly swept over the face of every son on the deck, over the flames burning in their eyes as well—flames called vengeance.

Finally, he raised his head and looked toward the endless ocean that led to Marine Headquarters.

His voice, like rolling thunder, resounded through the clouds and pierced the entire sea!

"All hands, hear my order!"

"Gather all our sons! Gather all fleets!"

He paused, and that voice containing endless killing intent turned into a declaration of war against the entire world!

"We are going to..."

"Start a top-tier war in the world!"