The mayor of Water Seven, Iceberg, was personally overseeing the construction of the new residential area.
All the shipwrights and artisans had been dispatched to the designated zones, working at full speed to build new houses.
Even the jobless members of the Franky Family were given work by Iceberg, which helped to put Franky's mind at ease. The entire city of Water Seven was bustling with energy.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat and Heart Pirates were ready to set sail, having prepared all the necessary supplies. But just before they could depart, Ikki suddenly called everyone together.
"Luffy, everyone, I'm afraid we can't leave right now," Ikki said, his expression unusually serious.
Everyone was surprised, as it was rare to see Ikki look so grim.
"Mr. Ikki, what happened?" Luffy asked.
Ikki pointed to Luffy's straw hat. "Luffy, take out the Vivre Card Ace gave you."
Luffy didn't hesitate, pulling the Vivre Card out from a secret pocket Nami had sewn into the hat to keep him from losing it. When he took it out, everyone froze. Those who had seen it back in Alabasta felt a sudden, terrible premonition.
"Hey, Luffy," Usopp said cautiously, "is it just me, or is this Vivre Card a lot smaller than it used to be?"
"It's not your imagination," Zoro confirmed. "It was the size of a palm before, but now it's only the size of a thumb, and it looks like it's still shrinking!"
It was indeed much smaller!
Luffy's eyes shot up to Ikki. "Mr. Ikki, is Ace's life in danger?"
Ikki nodded but then looked directly at Tashigi. "Tashigi, from now on, your undercover identity is exposed. It will be assumed that we discovered you and have you under our control. You can't contact the Marines anymore."
Tashigi was stunned. What was happening so suddenly?
Sanji lit a cigarette. "So, it's related to the Marines."
Trafalgar Law's brow furrowed in thought. "Could it be that Fire Fist was captured by the Marines? That seems unlikely. To capture Fire Fist, they would need an Admiral-level force. Besides, the Marines would also have to consider Whitebeard's feelings. If they killed Fire Fist, the world's strongest man would be enraged, and a war would break out…"
Law's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He now understood why Ikki was so serious. A major war was about to begin!
Tashigi also understood and remained silent. Her role as an undercover Marine was known to the crew. While it was a running joke before, now that a real conflict with the Marines was on the horizon, her position had become incredibly sensitive.
Ikki had exposed her identity now to save her from a difficult choice. By making it seem like she was being held against her will, she wouldn't be betraying the Marines by not reporting, nor would she be betraying the Straw Hat crew. It was his way of protecting her.
However, Tashigi was still torn. On one side was the righteous Marines she admired, and on the other were her partners whom she had sailed with for so long. She didn't know which path to choose.
"Um, who is this 'Ace'?" Franky asked, raising his hand.
"Ace is Luffy's older brother and the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates," Chopper explained.
"What?! Luffy's brother is the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?! Is he really in trouble?!" Franky's eyes went wide.
Not just Franky, but everyone on the ship was in a state of disbelief.
Ikki took out a Den Den Mushi and quickly dialed a number. A voice answered.
"Hello? Hello! Damn it, you little brat Ikki, I'm not in the mood to talk right now, so you better have a good reason for calling," Garp's voice came through, sounding weary and less boisterous than usual.
"Master, I want to ask about Ace," Ikki said, getting straight to the point.
The Den Den Mushi went silent for a moment as Garp seemed to struggle with what to say. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "It looks like you already know. Yes, Ace has been sent to Impel Down, and the Marines are now discussing a public execution."
Public execution?! Everyone's eyes went wide with shock. Garp's words were so staggering that no one could process them at first.
Luffy rushed to the Den Den Mushi. "Grandpa! What's going on with Ace's public execution?! How is Ace now?!"
Garp's voice was filled with exhaustion. "Luffy, this is the situation. It's all your fault! Why didn't you listen to me and become a Marine? Why did you have to become a pirate instead?"
"Grandpa…"
Luffy could feel the pain and frustration in Garp's voice. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He didn't regret being a pirate, but he loved Garp deeply—he was his grandfather, after all.
"This matter is still being debated, but you'd better not get involved. I have to go now!" Garp said, hanging up the Den Den Mushi in a hurry.
A heavy silence fell over the Going Merry. Everyone was still reeling from the news. Luffy's brother, Ace, the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, was going to be publicly executed. This was huge. No wonder Ikki had said they couldn't leave yet. How could anyone sail with a clear mind under these circumstances?
Ikki put the Den Den Mushi away and carefully chose his words. "I noticed something was off when we ran into the Blackbeard Pirates before, so I asked someone to check up on Blackbeard and Ace.
Not long ago, I got word that Ace was caught by the Blackbeard Pirates. After handing him over, Blackbeard was given Ace's old position as a Warlord. As for the public execution, the Marines are still deliberating, but the possibility is very high. Luffy, everyone, a war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates is about to break out!"
Ikki had anticipated this ever since Blackbeard's crew mentioned him becoming a Warlord. He had later received confirmation from Dragon that Blackbeard had completed the handover, and Ace had been sent to Impel Down.
Even Dragon was shocked at how suddenly the event had unfolded. He couldn't believe the Marines would risk the wrath of Whitebeard to execute Ace, but the evidence was undeniable.
Ikki sighed to himself. He hadn't expected things to progress so quickly. The Straw Hats' sailing speed was relatively slow. Other Supernovas had probably already coated their ships at Sabaody Archipelago, while the Straw Hats were just arriving at Water Seven. But that was fine. The route was clear: from Water Seven to Enies Lobby, then directly to Impel Down, and from there, to Marineford.
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