"You're all my family..."
Whitebeard held Squard in his arms and spoke in a low voice, his tone gentler and firmer than ever before.
Held against Whitebeard's chest, Squard's face filled with remorse. The eyes that had blazed with murderous intent were now brimming with tears...
"!"
Then Whitebeard slowly stood up, his great blade gripped firmly in his hand. His gaze swept past the island blocking his path and settled on Sengoku, who stood atop the towering Execution Platform in the square...
"Honestly..."
"You haven't lost your touch... Sengoku... That was a fine move..."
Sengoku stared intently at Whitebeard without saying a word.
The pirates, still waiting for a clear answer, continued shouting at Whitebeard.
"Pops! Tell us it isn't true!"
"Gwah!"
"We've been sold out! Damn it!"
Whitebeard ignored them. Fury covered his aged face, and he let blood trickle from the corner of his mouth as he stared coldly at the people in the square.
"To say I sold out my own sons..."
Whitebeard's voice sank into a low growl, heavy with rage.
The muscles in his free arm suddenly swelled, and he punched hard to one side. Space shattered like a mirror once again, breaking apart the frozen tsunami Aokiji had created on one side of the bay. Countless enormous chunks of ice crashed into the sea!
"You've opened an escape route... for the pirates... You old fox..."
Sengoku's calm expression finally changed, and he voiced his admiration for Whitebeard's move.
Then Whitebeard threw back his head and roared.
"You're pirates! Decide for yourselves what to believe!"
In the square, the pirates who had been questioning Whitebeard stared in shock at the ice wall he had shattered.
"The ice wall's gone..."
"We can use this warship..."
"Now... we can escape whenever we want..."
"Pops..."
"It really