"Gentlemen, before the execution begins, I have one last announcement about the significance of today's public execution!"
On the execution platform, Marshal Sengoku's words drew the audience's full attention.
The 100,000 Marine elites of Naval Headquarters stood at attention, heads held high. Reporters and melon-eating spectators in Sabaody's live broadcast plaza leaned forward in anticipation.
Sengoku's gaze fixed on Ace.
"Portgas D. Ace, state your father's name!" he commanded in a low, commanding voice.
Ace's expression flickered for a moment, then he steadied himself.
"My father is Whitebeard," Ace said calmly.
"Wrong."
Sengoku's voice cut through sharply.
"No! My father is only Whitebeard! No one else!" Ace shouted, firm and resolute.
For a brief moment, confusion rippled through the Marines and the crowd in Sabaody. Whispers spread. What did this conversation mean? Who was Ace's real father?
Then, the truth that would shock the world was revealed.
"Twenty-two years ago, we searched tirelessly for the last possibility left by that man," Sengoku's voice boomed, "relying on fragmented intelligence from CP to investigate newborns and their mothers. For a long time, it seemed fruitless…
"But we finally discovered the truth. Your mother, Portgas D. Rouge, carried you for a full twenty months—far beyond what should have been possible. Her actions defied common sense, deceiving us and the entire world to ensure your survival.
"One year and three months after your father's death, a child was born who inherited the world's most infamous bloodline. Ace, you are the son of Gol D. Roger. You are the son of the legendary One Piece!"
Sengoku's roar carried across Marineford, revealing a secret hidden for two decades.
For a moment, silence engulfed all of Naval Headquarters. The broadcast in Sabaody's plaza went silent, too, as the world processed this revelation.
Then, pandemonium erupted.
"Is this true? The son of the One Piece?!"
"That Fire Fist Ace… he's the posthumous son of King Roger?!"
"The most feared bloodline in the world still lives!"
"Unbelievable! Fire Fist Ace was captured, and he inherited One Piece's legacy!"
"Hahaha, what a twist! The identity of the son of One Piece makes today's execution even more thrilling! Twenty-two years after One Piece's death, now it's his son's turn. What retribution!"
Across Sabaody, the melon-eating crowd erupted with a mix of shock and excitement.
"Hurry!"
"Move them! This is breaking news!"
"Fire Fist Ace, the son of One Piece, is front-page material!"
Global news agencies scrambled to cover the story, each racing to report the revelation that would shake the world.
At Marineford, Hero Garp closed his eyes, clenching his fists.
Atop the execution platform, Sengoku continued his address.
"Fire Fist Ace—today, your fate carries immense significance. Even if a full-scale war with Whitebeard erupts, we will see this through! Lords, prepare to fight!"
He raised his arms and shouted.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The 100,000 Marines roared in unison, their morale reaching its peak.
Suddenly—a shrill siren blared.
"Attention, all units! They're coming!"
Sengoku snapped to alert. Through the thin morning mist, a pirate fleet loomed on the horizon.
"Wandering Knight Doma, Lei Qing Maku, Brother Dekalban, Great Eddy Spider Squad, Ice Witch Pei… these are Whitebeard's captains! Each is famous throughout the New World!"
Marines on the coast shouted in shock. Just as the focus turned to these legendary captains, something even more astonishing occurred.
A massive shape emerged from Arcmoon Bay. A hill-like swell rose from the ocean, signaling the approach of something enormous.
"This… they're coming from an unexpected direction!" Hero Garp muttered, astonished.
"Their main ship has surfaced, prepared to break straight into the bay. Our formation is compromised!" Chief Staff Officer Vice Admiral He said, tense and measured.
Then—a loud boom.
The colossal whale ship, Moby Dick, broke the surface.
And not just one. A second, third… a total of four whale ships erupted from the ocean, leaving the audience breathless.
Finally, the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived on the battlefield.
Sabaody's live broadcast square exploded in excitement.
"Appearing… finally!"
"The Four Emperors' Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
"I didn't expect them to arrive like this…"
"The war is about to begin!"
Footsteps echoed across the Marine platform, drawing the attention of 100,000 elite Marines and spectators alike.
At the bow of the lead whale ship, a figure stepped forward—the old man known as the World's Strongest, the symbol of an era, the pinnacle of the post-Roger pirate age.
The crescent-like white beard, a symbol of his legacy, flowed majestically in the wind.
He was a living legend, from the days of the Rocks Pirates to the present.
Four Emperors Whitebeard—Edward Newgate—stood on the bow of Moby Dick.
A deep, heroic laugh echoed across the battlefield, shattering the tension of Marineford and even seeming to shake the clouds above.
"It's been decades, Sengoku… my beloved son is truly taken care of!"