In the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, and their enormous fleet had finished assembling.
But now, just as they were about to leave the New World, they were forced to halt.
They had no choice. Ahead lay the waters bordering Gern's territory, G-10.
To leave the New World and reach Marine Headquarters at Marineford, they practically had to take one of the crucial routes to Fish-Man Island controlled by G-10.
This was the payoff of the strategic groundwork Gern had laid during his aggressive expansion years ago.
Whether you entered the New World or left it, he controlled your passage!
Normally, as long as they caused no trouble, they could pass after paying one or two hundred million Beli!
But now that Ace's execution had been announced, the Whitebeard Pirates dared not gamble.
For the moment, G-10 stood like an invisible barrier before Whitebeard's fleet.
The atmosphere on deck was tense.
Third Division Commander "Diamond" Jozu slammed his fist against the railing with a heavy crash and roared, "Pops! What are we waiting for? Let's fight our way through!
It's only G-10! Can they really stop us from saving Ace?!"
"Jozu!" Marco immediately cut him off. "Calm down! This isn't 'only G-10'!
Our priority is saving Ace. If we start an all-out war with G-10 here, never mind whether Gern himself joins the fight-
Just his inner circle of 'Calamities'-Hawk-Eye, Bullet, Snake Princess, Enel, Kuma... any one of them could force us into a bitter battle!"
"Besides, if they tie us down, we might... suffer devastating losses before we even reach Marineford. We might even..."
Marco paused, then voiced the possibility none of them wanted to consider, yet all had to face.
"Every last one of us could die here! Then saving Ace would be out