Thick fog suddenly appeared beyond the square at Marineford. Then pirate ships emerged from it, one after another.
"All hands! Prepare for battle!"
The sudden appearance of the pirate fleet made every Marine tighten their grip on their weapon.
The dark barrels of the Coastal Defense Cannons all swung toward the entrance. Up in the lookout tower, a Marine Soldier peered through a telescope at the pirate ships across the water, his face filled with fear.
"Doma!"
"McGuy!"
"The Decalvan Brothers!"
"Squard!"
The sight of captains renowned across the seas left the Marine Soldier in the lookout tower trembling so badly he could barely speak.
Forty-three pirate ships slowly surfaced, facing an enemy force several times their size.
A suffocating tension spread through the air at Marineford.
"Where's Whitebeard? Has anyone spotted him?"
The Marines searched frantically for Whitebeard. Until he appeared, the tension would not ease.
"Ahahaha... Now this is interesting! I can hardly contain myself!"
Doflamingo roared with excitement. There was no trace of nerves on his face, only bloodthirsty zeal.
Beneath the waters outside Marineford's square, clusters of bubbles suddenly rose to the calm surface. As gurgles sounded one after another, every expert present realized what was happening.
At the center of the crescent-shaped square, rings of white ripples spread across the still water. Then a ship wrapped in a colorful bubble burst from the depths, leaping high above the surface before everyone's eyes.
"The Moby Dick is here!"
The Marines along the shore gaped in shock at the ship rising from the sea.
Three more ships of the Whitebeard Pirates broke the surface after the Moby Dick and entered the bay.
In the lookout tower, the Marine Soldier with the telescope immediately turned his gaze toward the three newly arrived pirate ships.
"First Division Commander Marco, Third Division Commander Diamond Jozu... all fourteen commanders are aboard!"
The Marine Soldier shouted in shock at the sight before him.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A rapid series of metallic strikes rang out from the Moby Dick.
Across the battlefield and around the world, everyone held their breath and fixed their eyes ahead.
"Gurararara... It's been decades since we last met, hasn't it, Sengoku?"
At the bow of the Moby Dick, a towering figure climbed to the top of the ship under everyone's expectant gaze and looked confidently toward the Execution Platform.
The man wore a white cloak and held Murakumogiri. He was Edward Newgate, one of the Four Emperors of the New World.
"Whitebeard!"
Sengoku glared at the man below through gritted teeth, deep wariness showing in his eyes.
"Is my beloved son all right?"
Whitebeard looked ahead, utterly composed. The forces arrayed before him did nothing to shake him, and his voice rang with boundless confidence. It was as though he faced not the full might of the Marines, but some unknown pirate crew.
Meanwhile, at the Gate of Justice, Jiang Lin watched Buggy whipping up the crowd from the bow of the ship and sighed helplessly.
"Come to think of it, Whitebeard should have shown up by now."
Jiang Lin walked toward the bow and gazed through the thick white fog into the distance.
At the far end of the fog, Whitebeard gave Ace a faint smile. He crossed his arms before his chest as if embracing someone, then straightened and launched his attack.
Whitebeard spread his arms and struck the air on either side of his body. Fine cracks appeared at his fists, then spread rapidly, disturbing the surrounding sea.
Columns of water shot skyward, climbing higher and higher before the stunned Marines.
"A tsunami!"
Whitebeard's power raised towering walls of water on both sides of Marineford. The sheer enormity of it left every Marine Soldier gaping in terror.
"So it's here?"
Jiang Lin watched the sea retreat, excitement spreading across his face.
"What's happening? Ah—"
The violently receding water, coupled with the immense force behind it, sent the entire warship hurtling backward like a car thrown into reverse.
Not long after the tide pulled back, an even fiercer current seized the retreating warship and dragged it toward Marineford at greater speed.
Towering waves surged in from the distance, bearing down on the square where the Marines stood. Their overwhelming force made everyone present realize one thing.
"The war had begun!"
The call of a new era had sounded, and the drums of war had begun to beat. In this vast conflict, Whitebeard and Sengoku, the Marine Admirals and the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders—all had taken their places on the board. Whatever the outcome, this war would reshape the world in ways no one could predict.
The towering waves seemed to dance to the battle song. Water piled upon water, climbing ever higher until the surges reached their peak above Marineford's square.
Rumble!
The mass of seawater bore down with overwhelming force, plunging every Marine in the square into terror.
Just as the tsunami was about to unleash its full power, a figure vanished from a golden seat and appeared high in the air.
Thick pillars of ice shot out from midair, driving into the tsunamis on either side.
"Ice Age!"
Aokiji spoke softly. Biting cold poured from his body and raced along the ice pillars, freezing the water before it could crash down. The chill radiating from the imposing Ice Walls reached the ships below, drawing waves of cheers.
"Aokiji! You little brat!"
Whitebeard looked up at the sky, his brow furrowing slightly.
"We... we're saved!"
In the Marine ranks, countless soldiers stared in terror at the frozen waves overhead. If Aokiji had not acted in time, nothing could have stopped the tsunami.
"Ice Saber!"
As soon as Aokiji froze the tsunami, he attacked Whitebeard.
Crack!
Whitebeard met the attack with a fierce punch into the air, shattering the ice spear Aokiji had launched.
As the ice spear broke apart, Aokiji plunged toward the water inside the bay. Biting cold spread from his body, instantly freezing the entire bay.
Every ship docked at Marineford was now unable to move.
"Attack!"
"Attack!"
As the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates launched their attacks, the war watched by the entire world began in earnest.