"Ace!"
"Sorry for the wait. You haven't suffered, have you?"
The familiar voice echoed in his ears. Ace trembled, tears shimmering in his eyes, and shook his head fiercely.
"You shouldn't have come!"
"This was all my mistake! The entire Whitebeard Pirates shouldn't have to pay the price for me!"
Whitebeard burst out laughing. "Gurarararara!"
As his laughter faded, a solemn, earnest look appeared on his face.
"What nonsense are you talking about, my son!"
"We're family!!!"
He paused, then let out a long breath, raised the shaft of his Naginata, and slammed it into the ground.
Thud!
A ripple spread outward, and his words carried with it, echoing throughout Marine Headquarters.
"Don't worry!"
"I'll get you out right away!"
"The Marines alone can't stop us!"
As his deep voice rang out, his towering body slowly sank. His knees bent slightly, his waist followed, and his thick arms curved inward as though embracing something. He clenched his fists, veins bulging along his arms.
"I'll make them understand that there's a price to pay for provoking the Whitebeard Pirates!"
His chilling, commanding voice rang out, and a fierce wind swept through that very instant.
Suddenly, he swung both arms. The tendons along them snapped taut like springs as his fists hammered the air on either side.
A sight that made everyone in Marineford blanch unfolded.
Crack!
The unmistakable sound of shattering reached everyone's ears. Before their eyes, fine cracks spread outward, branching like the limbs of a tree.
Immediately afterward, with the Moby Dick at its center, the sea surrounding the Whitebeard Fleet surged upward with a thunderous roar. It swirled and churned, rising hundreds of meters in an instant.
Rumble!
The deafening roar echoed in everyone's ears, leaving countless people stunned.
"The World's Strongest Man has made his move!"
"He's