When the Four Emperors Whitebeard was betrayed by his trusted subordinate, the entire world fell into stunned silence.
Somewhere upon the raging seas.
"You stupid old man!!!"
A furious roar echoed across the heavens and the ocean alike. In an instant, dark storm clouds swallowed the sky, torrential rain poured down, and violent winds tore across the sea's surface.
"How could you suffer such a low level injury?!"
Amid the enraged bellow, towering waves rose like walls, lightning tearing through the overcast sky again and again.
Boom!
Crack!
A massive, terrifying dragon coiled through the clouds, its body obscured by thunder and rain as it released furious roars filled with unrestrained rage.
"Rooooar!!!"
...
"Mamamama~~~ Whitebeard, you self righteous fool!"
On a small island sea region that was once filled with laughter and celebration, the atmosphere had turned chillingly quiet.
The land was covered with mountains of food, banquet tables stretching endlessly, and pirate ships were docked densely along the shore.
"Gulp, gulp…"
A towering figure stared at the projection screen before her while shoveling food into her mouth. Her voice was cold and sharp as it echoed across the island.
"All disobedient children must be punished. Only then will they learn to obey!"
She let out a low laugh.
"You were stabbed in the back by your own son because you indulged them too much in the past!"
...
As her words fell, the sea itself seemed to quiet.
The surrounding pirates lowered their heads instinctively, not daring to make a sound.
Everyone could feel the fury simmering within one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, known to the world as Big Mom.
Even the waves, which had been crashing joyfully moments before, stilled as though bowing to her anger.
...
Beneath a fluttering flag bearing a skull marked with three claw scars.
"Did Squard betray Whitebeard?"
A voice filled with disbelief rang out among the pirates.
"Tsk, it's obviously a Marine scheme!"
"Gulp, gulp…"
At the center of the group, a red haired man paused mid drink. He tilted the bottle, letting the remaining wine spill across the deck as he looked toward the projection screen.
He sighed softly.
"It seems there won't be another chance to drink together."
In this world, there was now one less man he could laugh and drink with as an equal.
...
Marineford.
The war continued without pause.
On the execution platform.
"Pops!!!"
Ace's entire body trembled as he stared at the blood trickling from the corner of Whitebeard's mouth. The blade that pierced his chest belonged to Whirlpool Spider Squard, once a trusted member of the family.
...
The Navy Hero Garp watched his longtime rival and friend fall victim to the Marine's scheme. After decades of battles fought on opposite sides, he slowly closed his eyes.
...
Fleet Admiral Sengoku fixed his gaze on Whitebeard aboard the Moby Dick, his thoughts racing.
Whether the Whitebeard Pirates would collapse depended entirely on Whitebeard's next move.
If he killed Squard in a fit of rage, the pirates would be consumed by suspicion and fear. Hatred would spread, captains would turn on one another, and under the Marines' carefully crafted persuasion, they might even surrender or kill each other outright.
But even if Whitebeard chose restraint, if he tried to explain with words alone, it would not be enough.
That blade did not only pierce his chest.
It pierced trust itself.
Doubt would remain in the hearts of his sons.
Did Whitebeard truly intend to sacrifice them to save Fire Fist Ace?
No one could say for certain.
And once suspicion took root, it could never be fully erased.
Even Whitebeard's bond with the Pirate King would be twisted into proof of betrayal.
In this way, the Whitebeard Pirates' honor would be destroyed from within, and even future generations would never be able to raise that flag again.
"This is the Marine's true method of strangulation," Sengoku thought coldly.
"To erase the Four Emperors' legacy from the inside."
A ruthless glint flashed across Sengoku's face as he stared at the towering yet wavering figure of Edward Newgate.
"Enjoy the last moments of glory, Whitebeard."
"Tsk tsk…"
In the distance, a young man named watched the scene unfold with a faint smile, shaking his head lightly.
"Those who play with schemes rarely have clean hearts."
...
...
On the Moby Dick, blood dripped steadily onto the deck.
"Squard, you…"
Before the eyes of the entire world, Whitebeard slowly straightened his massive frame, gripping Murakumogiri as he glared down at the pirate who had stabbed him.
"…You understand what you've done, don't you? Raising your weapon against your own Pops?"
Whoosh!
Whitebeard raised his arm and swung it down with terrifying force.
Whitebeard was enraged?!
"My life is yours!"
Squard shut his eyes tightly, neither dodging nor resisting.
His heart had already died.
From the moment Akainu fed him that lie, the Squard who believed in his Pops and his family was gone.
If his death could awaken the other captains, if it could save them from falling into this trap, then it was worth it.
"Even if you are a foolish son…"
Instead of a devastating quake infused strike, Squard felt warmth.
A chest that beat weakly, yet steadily.
A voice gentle beyond belief.
"…I still love you."
...
...
Across the world, countless people stared in shock.
Whitebeard was embracing the traitor.
The projection froze on that single moment, Whitebeard pale and kneeling, holding his son close.
"It stopped?"
"The broadcast is frozen?!"
Click.
The screens around the world went black.
...
People stared at their reflections, confused and unsettled.
"The broadcast… it's gone."
"So did Whitebeard really betray his crew?"
"No one knows… it ended too soon."
...
"Fortunately, the Den Den Mushi was frozen."
On the execution platform, Sengoku finally exhaled.
"That was far too dangerous."
He narrowed his eyes as Whitebeard shattered the frozen barrier of waves with a single motion.
"You really are troublesome, Whitebeard."
"I… I was deceived?"
Squard collapsed to his knees, staring blankly as Whitebeard stood and stepped forward, blood still flowing from his chest.
"I stabbed my Pops?"
His gaze fell on the blood soaked blade in his hands.
"What did I do… what did I do?!"
A scream tore from his throat as he flung the weapon away, clutching his head while tears streamed down his face.
"I'm so stupid!"
...
Today is the day I die.
Whitebeard looked toward the execution platform calmly, gripping Murakumogiri planted beside him.
"Then I'll charge one last time for my children."
"Do you need my help?"
A relaxed, smiling voice sounded beside him.
"Hm?"
Whitebeard turned, frowning slightly.
Standing there was a man he had never seen before, his expression calm and unreadable.
Shirogai Yamikuro.