Everyone present froze. Who could have imagined that someone as powerful as Whitebeard would have his chest pierced so easily by his own son?
Every captain under Whitebeard looked terrified. They knew the condition Pops was in, and that stab could well be fatal.
But one man smiled: Akainu. Even he had not expected the plan to work so well. He had only intended to shake the Whitebeard Pirates' morale.
On the Sabaody Archipelago, the less composed reporters dropped what they were holding and stared blankly at the only remaining screen showing the battlefield.
The others were not the only ones shocked. Even Squard, the man who had stabbed Whitebeard, was stunned that he had succeeded. Yet the hand gripping his sword trembled for reasons he could not explain.
Squard slowly pulled out his long sword with its red hilt, took two steps back, and began to pant.
Whitebeard's brow twitched. He did not understand why his own son had ambushed him.
"Squard."
Marco flew behind Squard and knocked him down in front of Whitebeard with one punch.
"Why did you do this? Answer me, Squard."
"Sh-shut up. Weren't you the ones who forced me to?"
Marco seized Squard by the head and pinned him hard against the ground.
"You—do you even know what you've done? You—"
Before Marco could finish, a thud came from beside him. He turned to see Pops struggling to stay on his feet, down on one knee.
Marco let go of Squard and rushed to Whitebeard's side to support him.
"Pops, if you keep pushing yourself, your body will—"
Whitebeard raised a hand to stop Marco. This was a battlefield. He could not fall.
Marco hurried into the Moby Dick's cabin. A dozen seconds later, he reappeared holding a glass vial filled with emerald-green liquid.