"It's been years, hasn't it, Sengoku!"
Whitebeard stood like a mountain on the deck, looking at Sengoku beside Ace as he slowly spoke.
"Whitebeard!"
Meeting his old rival again after so many years filled Sengoku with emotion.
"Is my dear son all right?"
"Pops!"
"Why did you come?!" Chained to the Execution Platform, Ace looked at Whitebeard and the entire Whitebeard Pirates who had arrived. His eyes grew damp, and he couldn't help shouting:
"I acted on my own! That's why I ended up like this!"
Ace knew that his public execution was bait the Marines had set to lure out the Whitebeard Pirates, all to wipe them out!
Having put the entire Whitebeard Pirates in danger because of himself, Ace wished he could die right then.
"No! I told you to go!"
Whitebeard called back to Ace.
"Pops..."
Tears now filled Ace's eyes. Pops hadn't blamed him for his willfulness, and his firm determination to rescue him left Ace overwhelmed with guilt and deeply moved.
"Ace! Just wait! We're coming to save you!"
"How dare you treat Ace like this! Marines! Prepare to die!"
Every pirate under Whitebeard's command was defiant and unruly, showing not a trace of fear before the countless Marines.
Slowly, Whitebeard clenched both fists, then grabbed fiercely at empty space.
Crack!
The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit erupted, shaking cracks into the surrounding space.
Rumble! Rumble!
Accompanied by tremendous rumbling, heaven and earth began to shake. The shaking grew ever more intense, becoming a violent earthquake.
"What's going on? What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
"Why is there an earthquake?"
The Marines immediately fell into chaos.
"Everyone, calm down! Stay alert!"
The Marine Vice Admirals shouted, trying to maintain order.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
An immense, dark shadow loomed over them, and everyone looked