"Zehahaha, what an unexpected surprise!"
Inside a tavern in a certain kingdom along the Grand Line, Marshall D. Teach stared at the newspaper in his hand, his eyes gleaming with shock and uncontrollable delight.
Fire Fist Ace had been defeated by Donquixote Doflamingo and personally handed over to the Marines.
For Blackbeard, this news felt almost unreal.
Doflamingo's actions aligned perfectly with his own ambitions, giving him the uncanny feeling of encountering a kindred spirit. Ever since Ace had boarded the ship in the past, Blackbeard had sensed an intense hostility coming from him. It was the kind of hostility that could not be hidden, sharp and instinctive.
Back then, during a mission, Blackbeard had obtained the Devil Fruit he had coveted for decades. Without hesitation, he abandoned the Whitebeard Pirates and began gathering companions, steadily building his strength around the most fearsome Logia in existence, the Dark-Dark Fruit.
At the same time, he hunted down numerous pirates with bounties exceeding one hundred million Berries and turned them over to the Marines, eventually replacing Crocodile as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Recently, his original plan had been simple. Capture Straw Hat Luffy or Fire Fist Ace and use that as the final piece to set everything into motion.
Yet before he could even act, Doflamingo had already completed the plan for him.
It was nothing short of an unexpected gift from the heavens.
"Captain, it looks like someone has already started our plan for us," a voice said calmly.
Below Blackbeard sat four infamous figures, each one a notorious criminal in their own right.
Jesus Burgess, the Fighting Champion.
Van Auger, the Supersonic Sniper.
Doc Q, known as the Death God.
And Lafitte, the Demon Sheriff.
"Wehahaha!"
Burgess flexed his massive arms and burst into laughter, his muscles bulging as if he could not contain his excitement.
"I believe the Marines will summon you soon, Captain," Lafitte said as he adjusted his hat, his tone confident, as though he had already foreseen everything that would unfold.
"Zehahaha…"
Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed heartily. His mood could only be described as one where everything in the world seemed to be moving exactly according to his will.
Marineford, Headquarters Conference Room.
The atmosphere inside the room was heavy, thick with tension and the faint, choking smell of lingering smoke.
A glance around revealed that every person present was an elite Marine, Rear Admirals, Vice Admirals, and even all four Admirals were seated.
Each of them had a dossier placed in front of them, and the more they read, the more disturbed their expressions became.
Garp was present as well, sitting silently in his chair.
From time to time, eyes would drift toward him.
According to the intelligence laid bare before them, Fire Fist Ace had been raised by Garp. If Ace had merely been an ordinary pirate, even a division commander under Whitebeard, it might not have mattered.
But the true problem lay in the blood flowing through Ace's veins.
He carried the bloodline of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
That fact alone was enough to shake the entire world.
"Everyone, speak freely," Sengoku said, his expression unreadable as he scanned the room.
This time, Doflamingo had truly handed the Marines an enormous gift, one wrapped in danger. Sengoku could already sense it, the eyes of the entire world were now fixed firmly on Marineford.
The Marines had been pushed to the very front of history, like an arrow drawn tight against a bowstring.
"There is no need for hesitation," Sakazuki said coldly, not bothering to hide the righteous fury burning in his eyes. "Portgas D. Ace carries the most dangerous bloodline in existence. I propose that he be publicly executed under the gaze of the entire world."
Silence fell over the room once again. Even Sengoku raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sakazuki's suggestion aligned closely with his own thoughts, yet the implications were immense. One wrong step, and the Marines themselves could face annihilation.
Beside Sakazuki, Enel yawned lazily, picking at his ear with an uninterested expression, looking as though he had not slept well. Inwardly, however, he was deeply unsettled.
This was not how things were supposed to unfold.
Fire Fist Ace should not have fallen to Doflamingo.
More than that, his thoughts drifted to the mysterious crystal man, the one who had disrupted everything.
Nearby, Borsalino calmly filed his nails, while Kuzan leaned back with his hat pulled low, appearing half-asleep. Among the Admirals, only Sakazuki radiated unrestrained aggression.
"This would not only enhance the prestige of the Marines," someone added, "but also give us the opportunity to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates entirely."
"I agree with Admiral Sakazuki," another voice chimed in. "If Fire Fist Ace is truly the son of Gol D. Roger, then he must be eliminated, and it must be done publicly."
"Whitebeard is already old," a hawkish officer said coldly.
More and more voices echoed their agreement, firmly supporting Ace's execution.
"But what if Whitebeard does not come?" someone asked cautiously.
"That's impossible," another replied immediately. "Given Whitebeard's character, he will come."
"My concern is whether executing Fire Fist will provoke the other Emperors or the Revolutionary Army."
"The stakes are too high. One mistake and the Marines could fall with him."
"This requires careful consideration."
"Consider what?" a voice snapped back. "We have only one choice, and that is to fight."
"That's right. If we release Fire Fist under pressure, how will the world view the Marines?"
"Releasing him is impossible."
"Enough."
Sakazuki slammed his fist onto the table, his anger flaring as his gaze locked onto Sengoku.
At once, all eyes in the room turned toward the Fleet Admiral.
Garp, Tsuru, and the Admirals had remained silent throughout the meeting.
"Let's vote," Sengoku said, rubbing his forehead as he briefly glanced at Garp's expressionless face.
"Those who agree to the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, raise your hands."
Before the sentence even finished, Sakazuki raised his hand.
One after another, the hawks followed. Several neutral officers hesitated, glanced toward Garp, then slowly raised their hands as well.
Tsuru sighed softly, her eyes lingering on Garp. The Marines had no retreat left.
Soon, nearly every hand was raised. Even Kizaru, Aokiji, and Enel joined in.
Because from the very beginning, the Marines had already lost the option of backing down.
When Garp finally raised his hand, the atmosphere in the room shifted completely.
No one had expected it.
Justice had been chosen over family.
"The results of this meeting are recorded," Sengoku said heavily. "I will proceed to Mary Geoise. Meeting adjourned."
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Sengoku arrived at top speed.
"So the Marines support the public execution of Portgas D. Ace?" one of the Five Elders asked, his gaze sharp.
The others calmly reviewed the documents in their hands, far less agitated than one might expect.
"This is the only path left to us," Sengoku replied. "It is also an opportunity to deal with Whitebeard. If the execution proceeds, unexpected events are inevitable. We will require support from other World Government agencies if necessary."
"And your estimate of success?" another Elder asked, his hand resting on the hilt of Kitetsu.
"That depends on Whitebeard. If he ignores it, there is nothing we can do. But based on my understanding of him, he will come. My only concern is the reaction of the other Emperors."
"Then proceed," the Elders said decisively.
"I understand."
Sengoku bowed slightly and departed.
Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Luffy, who had been restless, suddenly brightened up, clutching the newspaper in his hands.
"Ace isn't dead!"
Tears streamed down his face as he laughed and cried at the same time.
Rayleigh drank his sake quietly beside him, his expression calm but troubled.
"Luffy," Rayleigh said, "are you certain the Vivre Card Ace gave you completely burned away?"
"Yes," Luffy nodded, wiping his eyes.
"That's strange," Rayleigh murmured. "If a Vivre Card disappears, the person should already be dead. Yet Ace is now being held in Impel Down."
He could not understand it.
Was the Vivre Card fake, or had Ace undergone some unknown change?
Emma sat on the sofa nearby, frowning deeply, the sense of unease in her chest growing stronger by the second.
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