Naval Headquarters.
The sudden arrival of Blackbeard and his crew sent ripples through the silent battlefield.
Just as it seemed the Blackbeard Pirates were about to seize victory—
—a colossal slash of overwhelming sword energy tore across the sky.
The strike crashed down like divine judgment, sweeping through everything in its path and knocking everyone—Blackbeard included—off their feet.
The moment the dust began to settle, all eyes turned toward the source of that terrifying power.
When the figure finally stepped into view, Blackbeard and his men erupted in fury.
"Damn you, Pluton Rayleigh!" Blackbeard roared. "My target is the Marine Marshal! Why the hell is a pirate like you saving the Marines?!"
Blackbeard Teach's voice cracked with anger.
"It's not right to strike someone who can't move, Blackbeard," Rayleigh replied evenly, his tone calm yet cutting.
He took a step forward, the edge in his voice turning colder. "Then again, trying to reason with a man who'd slaughter his own crewmates is like playing a tune for cattle. Honestly—" his eyes narrowed, "—the main reason I'm here is that I can't stand looking at that smug face of yours."
But there was another reason—one Rayleigh didn't mention aloud.
From Uta and Brandish, he had already learned that everything happening here was part of Sugisawa Yuuto's arrangement.
Before they even regained consciousness, Yuuto had given Brandish a single command: no one was to destroy this battlefield.
Since this was Yuuto's will, Rayleigh naturally had to act.
"Damn you, Rayleigh, you old bastard! You're just like a lamp in a toilet—shedding light where it's least wanted!" snarled the Evil King, Avalo Pizarro.
"Even if you're a legend from a bygone era, do you really think you can take all of us on alone? Foolish old man," sneered the Devil Sheriff, Lafitte.
Shiryu of the Rain's gaze was icy as he slowly drew his blade, the cursed sword Thunderstorm. Its edge gleamed with bloodthirsty light.
"It was only your sneak attack that worked before," Shiryu said coldly. "You won't get that chance again. Since you insist on stepping up— I'll cut you down first."
At that moment, Sabo stepped forward. "Luffy! Ace is with you!" he called out, handing Ace to the Straw Hat captain.
"Karasu, Morley, Lindbergh—assist me!"
"Understood!"
"No problem!"
"Right behind you!"
The three Revolutionary Army commanders moved in perfect sync, flanking their Chief of Staff as they advanced together.
"Wahaha~! Even with the Revolutionary Army, it's still five against ten! We've got the advantage!" the Fighting Champion, Jesus Burgess, laughed triumphantly.
"No," came a deep voice that cut through the tension.
It was Crocodile, the former Warlord of the Sea.
"I never promised to side with you or these fools," he said coolly. "The moment we escaped Impel Down, our alliance ended. From now on, I act on my own."
"Thief hahahaha! Suit yourself!" Blackbeard laughed, unconcerned.
Five against nine. The odds still favored Blackbeard's crew. And beyond that—
—they still had a certain monster waiting in reserve.
Crocodile said no more. His form dissolved into sand as he drifted toward the frozen bay.
His eyes flicked briefly toward Sugisawa Yuuto, standing aboard the magic-powered ship. Memories he'd long buried stirred unbidden, and his body trembled ever so slightly.
He crushed the impulse that surfaced in his heart and turned his gaze instead toward Whitebeard, standing proudly on the deck of the Moby Dick.
But before Crocodile could make a move—
A strange rumbling echoed from beneath the thick ice.
"Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot!"
Boom! Boom!
Explosions shattered the frozen bay as high-pressure water bullets burst upward, tearing through the ice—and through Crocodile's sand form.
"Fish-Man Jujutsu: Sea Current Shoulder Throw!"
A massive surge of seawater erupted, slamming Crocodile back and blocking his path entirely.
Through the crashing waves emerged a towering figure—the whale shark man known as the "Knight of the Sea," Jinbei.
"Crocodile! I won't let you harm Father Whitebeard!" Jinbei bellowed, his voice steady and resolute.
He had once been imprisoned in Impel Down for opposing the war, only to escape during Blackbeard's raid. Ever since, he had followed the currents straight here—to the very heart of Marineford.
The sight that awaited him left him speechless, but there was no time to dwell on shock. Whatever chaos had unfolded, his duty remained unchanged.
"Jinbei, you bastard! You're really going to stop me?" Crocodile snarled, dark veins bulging around his eyes.
"Fish-Man Island owes an unrepayable debt to Whitebeard," Jinbei declared firmly. "And Chairman Sugisawa Yuuto has also done much for us. Princess Shirahoshi is now a member of Fairy Tail. For both their sakes—I will never let you pass!"
The battle of the former Warlords was about to begin.
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
Clang!
The clash of steel rang out.
The battle between the Blackbeard Pirates and Rayleigh had begun.
Shiryu of the Rain lunged with murderous intent, his cursed sword flashing. Rayleigh met the blow head-on—his Haki bursting forth as he countered, knocking Shiryu back with ease.
"Wahhh~!" Lafitte cursed, tension rising. His swan-like wings unfurled, and he soared into the air.
Caw! Caw!
A storm of black crows filled the sky.
Karasu, the Logia-type commander of the Revolutionary Army's Northern Division, unleashed a flock of soot-born ravens that swarmed the battlefield, launching indiscriminate attacks on the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Damn pests!" Blackbeard growled.
BZK!!!
Darkness exploded outward as Blackbeard activated the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Gravitational shadows clawed toward the heavens, locking onto Karasu and dragging him down. Blackbeard grinned, intent on devouring the Logia user whole.
"Nani?!" Karasu's expression twisted in panic as he felt his body pulled helplessly toward the vortex of darkness.
At the last instant—
The ground rippled like water.
A massive wall of earth rose from the square, slamming down between Karasu and Blackbeard.
It was Morley, commander of the Western Division of the Revolutionary Army.
With the power of the Push-Push Fruit, the earth itself bent to her will, reshaping like clay under her hands.
"Thanks, Morley!" Karasu gasped in relief.
"Don't worry," Morley grinned, giving him a wink. "We're comrades!"
Swish!
Obscured by the earthen wall, Sabo leapt skyward in a blur of motion.
With a roar, he brought down a Dragon Claw Fist from above, striking an unsuspecting Blackbeard square in the head.
BOOM!
The impact drove Blackbeard into the ground, the entire plaza shaking violently as cracks spidered across the stone.
"Honestly… at this rate, we'll never complete the Chairman's orders," Brandish muttered on the magic-powered ship, frowning in frustration.
"Then let's send them to the Singing World," Uta suggested softly.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Brandish asked, glancing over.
"For now… I'll be fine."
Brandish nodded and raised her hand. With a wave, she activated a sound barrier.
Moments later, Uta's song echoed through the sky—pure and haunting, a melody that rippled over the chaos of Naval Headquarters.
And in that instant—
—the entire world fell silent.