High above Marineford, flashes of light filled the sky.
Click! Click! Click!
The cameras of the World Economic Journal whirred nonstop. Morgans himself, wings spread wide, nearly trembled with excitement as he snapped shot after shot.
"This is history! The greatest history!" the albatross president of the Journal shouted in exhilaration. "Even the clash between Golden Lion and Pirate King Roger back then cannot compare to this war!"
Behind him, his young secretary Ally approached with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Mr. Morgans," she said softly, "news has just arrived. The Marines have cut off the live broadcast to the world."
Morgans blinked, then erupted into laughter. "Hahaha! Fools! They've realized the goddess of victory has abandoned them. This is a blessing for our paper! If the world can no longer see, then our intelligence will become unique, unparalleled! Hahaha!"
He sipped his coffee, feathers rustling as he leaned out with his camera once more, determined to record every moment of the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Sengoku stood grimly at the rear of the execution platform. His teeth ground together, fists trembling as he surveyed the chaos.
The hundred thousand Marines he had painstakingly gathered were crumbling under the relentless assault. Worse still, his carefully laid plans had been shattered by a single man—Thorne Ashveil.
At the start of the war, Ashveil had done the unthinkable: infiltrating Impel Down and unleashing the monsters of Level Six. Now, those world-class criminals stood united with Whitebeard's forces, striking fear into Marine ranks. Sengoku's face darkened. The foolproof strategy he had crafted was ruined, and instead of victory, he had dragged Marineford into catastrophe.
Snatching up his Transponder Snail, Sengoku barked into it, voice hard with desperation.
"Shichibukai! If you don't act now, when do you plan to?"
On the battlefield, Ashveil himself pressed forward, his every step shaking Marine morale. The grunts that dared approach him collapsed instantly, felled by the crushing weight of his Conqueror's Haki. Their eyes rolled back as they fell unconscious, unable to withstand his presence.
From the shadows, Gekko Moria gathered his power, swelling with rage. Shadows swirled around him, condensing into the shape of a massive spear.
"Shadow Spear!" he bellowed.
The towering weapon hurtled toward Ashveil, its black mass swelling until it filled his vision.
"Clown," Ashveil said coldly, not even slowing his stride.
The Shadow Spear slammed into his Haki barrier, the air rippling faintly as the darkness shattered like brittle glass, dissolving under the sunlight.
Moria's eyes widened, horror creeping across his face. Sweat poured down as he realized the gulf between himself and Ashveil.
"Damn it... this kid is a monster," he muttered, trembling lips urging, "Hurry, help me! He's too strong!"
Ashveil smirked faintly, gaze sweeping toward the Shichibukai gathered nearby. His voice was calm, almost playful.
"Yes... why aren't you acting yet, Warlords of the Sea?"
The words ignited something.
Dracule Mihawk's eyes glimmered with sharp light. He gripped the Black Blade Yoru and spoke with an eager grin. "I've been waiting for this chance, Ashveil."
On another side, Donquixote Doflamingo licked his lips, his grin stretching wide. "Fufufufu! In this war, I choose to stand with you, Ashveil."
With a twitch of his fingers, five razor-sharp strings shot forth, lashing across Moria's chest. Flesh tore open, blood spraying as the strings carved down to the bone.
"Wha—?!" Moria's voice cracked in disbelief. "You... betrayed the Marines?!"
"Fufufufufu... Betrayal? No. I am justice itself," Doflamingo cackled.
"You're insane, Doflamingo!" Moria stammered, staggering back. His mind raced. Why would Doflamingo side with Whitebeard? Didn't Kaido, Doflamingo's ally, hate Whitebeard? Nothing made sense.
Before he could recover, a blur of long legs and heels struck him.
"Perfume Femur!"
The deadly kick from Boa Hancock slammed into Moriah's abdomen, flesh instantly turning to stone where the blow landed. He collapsed, gasping in pain.
"You too... Empress Hancock?" he groaned, staring up in shock.
If Doflamingo's betrayal could be explained by self-interest, Hancock's defection was incomprehensible. Amazon Lily thrived under Marine protection. Why betray them now?
Hancock raised her chin, long hair cascading like silk, her beauty radiating across the battlefield. "I am beautiful beyond reason. Whatever I do will be forgiven. Since they fight to save Ace, Luffy's brother, then I too shall fight with them."
Her declaration rang clear, leaving Moria choking on despair.
"Fufufufu! To scorn him so utterly that even your contempt becomes divine!" Doflamingo mocked, laughing at Moria's downfall.
Meanwhile, Mihawk swung Yoru, his black blade gleaming. A sharp slash cut across the sky, intercepting a Pacifista's energy blast before it could annihilate Whitebeard's first division.
The Pacifista, designed in the image of Bartholomew Kuma, turned its lifeless gaze upon Mihawk.
Mihawk's lips twitched, his voice low with regret. "The Tyrant Kuma... reduced to a machine. What a waste of a man."
Without hesitation, he swung again. A black arc of energy sliced through the air, cleaving the Pacifista's head clean off. Sparks crackled as wires burst, the machine convulsing before erupting in a fiery explosion.
The battlefield shook from the blast, smoke rising high.
The betrayal of the Warlords had begun, and Marineford would never be the same.
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