Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
The steel fortress that stood at the heart of the Grand Line had now entered its highest state of combat readiness.
At the entrance to the vast harbor, dozens of mainline Marine warships stood in a single row, every cannon aimed out to sea, their dark barrels gleaming coldly in the sunlight. From the harbor to the plaza, then on to Marineford's main city farther inland, three steel defensive barriers rose from the ground. Trenches, gun emplacements, and lookout towers stood densely packed. A hundred thousand elite Marines, dressed in white uniforms and carrying rifles, stood in orderly formations stretching from the port all the way to the foot of the Execution Platform, their ranks disciplined and their killing intent soaring.
At the center of the plaza, the Execution Platform built specifically for Ace's public execution was complete. The platform towered dozens of meters high, surrounded by elite Marine troops. Not even a fly could hope to approach easily.
Directly behind the platform, beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Fleet Admiral's Office at Marine Headquarters, Sengoku stood by the window, looking down at the Marine forces poised for battle, his brows tightly furrowed and his face livid.
Granny Tsuru stood beside him, holding a thick set of defense deployment maps, and spoke slowly. "Sengoku, all the defenses are in place. The fifty mainline warships in the harbor, the elites in the plaza, the Three Admirals' defensive positions, and the Pacifista unit's ambush positions have all been deployed according to plan."
Sengoku turned, sat down heavily in his chair, and rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice filled with exhaustion. "Tsuru, tell me honestly. Just how good are our chances of winning this battle?"
"Seventy percent," Granny Tsuru said evenly. "We have an overwhelming advantage in terrain, we've assembled