"He actually joined forces with the Navy? Damn it, I knew he'd abandoned us long ago!"
"This war is one huge conspiracy—a conspiracy between Ace and the Navy!"
"And we risked our lives like fools to come here and save him."
"His father was Roger, Pops's enemy. How could he ever be on our side?"
Chaotic voices rang out through the air over Marineford.
Ace's expression twisted in pain. He clenched his fists, but had no idea how to refute them.
For a moment, the situation became bewildering. The Marines looked astonished, never having expected such a twist in the Summit War.
"Is Fire Fist Ace one of us?"
"Hard to say. With Admiral Xia Le's way of doing things, it's entirely possible."
"But he's Roger's flesh and blood!"
"So what? How many former pirates serve under Admiral Xia Le? Besides, being Roger's flesh and blood doesn't make him Roger."
The Marines were buzzing with speculation too, all watching curiously, eager to see the drama unfold.
"Won't you say anything, Ace?"
"Then let me say it for you!"
Sengoku took over.
This had been part of the plan all along. Once revealed, it would utterly crush the pirates' morale and determine the war's final course.
"Portgas D. Ace."
"No, to be precise, it should be Gol D. Ace!"
"Besides being Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, he held another secret identity before this Summit War began."
A smile appeared on Sengoku's lips.
He considered this a brilliant move by Xia Le, surpassing every move that had come before it.
"That identity was..."
"An Apprentice Marine in the Science Unit under Admiral Xia Le of Marine Headquarters!"
Those words threw the entire battlefield into an uproar.
"Traitor!!"
"A Marine? He's actually a Marine too!"
"Ace, you deserve to die!"
The pirates' curses rose