"Whoooosh!"
Strong winds swept across the skies above Marineford. An inexplicably oppressive air spread, and marines stationed throughout the base turned their eyes toward the Inner Bay.
The Shichibukai were recognized by the world as another major organization alongside the marines and pirates, and were also sanctioned plunderers appointed by the World Government to maintain the balance of power at sea.
Every one of them possessed tremendous strength, with reputations and standing that ranked among the highest in the world.
Their arrival naturally drew plenty of attention.
"Every Warlord Conference turns into a circus."
"Either barely anyone shows up, or those who do cause endless trouble for the officers receiving them."
"What kind of uproar will their arrival cause this time?"
"Surely not? This is Marine Headquarters, packed with elite marines. How would these former pirates dare throw their weight around here?"
"They wouldn't openly make enemies of us, of course, but a certain amount of provocation and troublemaking is practically guaranteed!"
In Marineford's plaza, the marines watched the first Warlord to arrive, their eyes flickering as their hearts grew heavy.
"I never expected him to be the first one here this time!"
"Dracule Mihawk. I heard he became a Warlord after reaching some sort of agreement directly with the Five Elders."
"He's never had any interest in Warlord Conferences."
"This time, we're going up against the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard. Even he couldn't sit this one out, could he?"
Quiet discussions filled the air without pause.
River led the way, with Freya following behind him. They glanced toward the Inner Bay as they quickened their pace toward the headquarters building.
As time passed, the Coffin Boat soon approached the harbor.
Once the boat beneath Dracule Mihawk's feet came to a stop, he slowly rose, his hawklike eyes sweeping to