The damp, cold air of the underground prison clung to the walls.
Tap. Tap.
Ezra D. Vale walked steadily toward the deepest cell.
Inside, Ace had already regained consciousness.
When he saw Ezra standing outside the bars, his eyes flickered.
"Uncle Ezra… I'm sorry," Ace said quietly.
"I still got caught."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he slowly lowered his head.
Ezra sighed and sat down cross-legged across from him.
"See?" Ezra said calmly.
"I told you not to become a pirate."
Ace shook his head.
"Uncle Ezra… this is the one thing I have never regretted."
Ezra raised an eyebrow.
"You do not regret it?" he asked.
"Ace, do you understand the consequences of this?"
"What consequences?" Ace replied faintly.
"At worst, I lose my life."
Ezra shook his head.
"It is not that simple."
"You are forgetting who you are right now."
"You are the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Ace's body stiffened.
It finally hit him.
"Uncle Ezra… you mean the Navy plans to target Pops?"
Ezra nodded slightly.
"We intend to use this opportunity to completely eliminate the Whitebeard Pirates."
Ace froze, then burst into laughter.
"Uncle Ezra, you have to be joking," he said.
"That is the Whitebeard Pirates."
Ezra looked at him steadily.
"Do I look like I am joking?"
Ace's laughter stopped abruptly.
"You are serious?"
"Are you really going to war?"
Ezra shrugged.
"At this point, there is no other path left."
He continued calmly.
"And do not think about escaping or sending word."
"If Whitebeard learns you have been captured, he will never abandon you."
"Why?" Ace asked sharply.
"I am just a division commander."
Ezra shook his head.
"Ace, you still do not understand."
"This is a promise Whitebeard made with someone."
"What promise?" Ace pressed.
Ezra remained silent.
Even the Navy was not meant to know about the agreement between Whitebeard and Roger.
If Ace spoke carelessly in front of Sengoku, Ezra would be forced to explain things he had no intention of revealing.
Better to say less than risk saying too much.
"That is enough," Ezra said at last.
"Our conversation ends here."
"You will be transferred to Impel Down shortly."
Without hesitation, Ezra stood and turned away.
Ace remained seated in silence.
Whether it was regret or guilt, only he knew.
Time passed.
Ezra's warship arrived at Impel Down without delay.
"Admiral Flame," Magellan said, already waiting at the entrance.
Ezra nodded and gestured for the soldiers behind him to bring Ace forward.
"Warden Magellan, this is the official order."
Magellan accepted the document with both hands.
"Thank you for your hard work, Admiral Flame."
After reviewing it, Magellan spoke again.
"I understand Fleet Admiral Sengoku's intent."
"Portgas D. Ace will be imprisoned in Level Six, the Eternal Hell."
Ezra nodded.
"Then I leave him to you."
Ezra watched as Magellan and the guards escorted Ace inside.
He did not linger.
The warship immediately set course back to Marineford.
By then, Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru had nearly finalized their strategy.
A full Navy assembly was about to be convened.
Preparations for the coming war had officially begun.
Not long after Ezra returned to Marineford, Sengoku summoned him to the conference chamber.
When Ezra entered, he found Kizaru, Akainu, and nearly every Vice Admiral already present.
"Ezra, sit over here," Kizaru said lazily, pointing to an empty seat beside him.
Ezra did not hesitate and took the seat.
His gaze swept across the room.
Momonga. Onigumo. Doberman. Strawberry. Many familiar faces.
Ezra nodded politely to those he recognized.
Sengoku checked the time, then cleared his throat.
"Everyone," he said solemnly,
"I assume most of you do not yet know why you have been summoned."
His eyes scanned the room.
"The Navy has decided to declare war on the Whitebeard Pirates."
The room erupted instantly.
"What? Why so suddenly?"
"Why target Whitebeard of all people?"
Sengoku raised a hand, signaling for silence.
"This is the situation."
He then explained Ace's capture in detail.
However, Ace's true lineage was deliberately withheld.
That revelation would be saved for the execution itself, used to shake the entire world.
The meeting lasted the entire morning.
By the time Sengoku finished assigning roles, his voice was hoarse.
"Do you all understand?" he asked.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral," the room responded in unison.
"Very well. Meeting adjourned."
One by one, the officers left.
The internal decision had been made.
Soon after, Sengoku contacted Morgans.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Morgans said eagerly.
"Do you have big news for me?"
Sengoku sighed faintly, then nodded.
"Release this headline."
"The public execution of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander."
"Portgas D. Ace."
Morgans inhaled sharply.
This was nothing less than a declaration of total war.
A true world-shaking headline.
"I understand!" Morgans said excitedly.
"I guarantee the news will spread across the seas today!"
The call ended.
Within hours, the World Economy News Paper's seagulls took flight.
The news swept across the world like a storm.
In Wano, a subordinate rushed before Kaido.
"Governor Kaido! Major news!"
"The Navy is going to war with the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Kaido's drinking horn paused midair.
His expression turned serious.
"Explain it clearly."
King reported everything he knew, producing the newspaper as proof.
"Governor," he asked carefully,
"should we interfere?"
Kaido considered it.
"You mean… ally with Whitebeard and wipe out the Navy in one strike?"
"Yes."
Kaido fell silent.
The idea had merit.
"Do not mobilize everyone," Kaido said finally.
"Send a portion of our forces to Whitebeard's territory."
"If Whitebeard falls…"
"We take his land."
"Yes, Governor."