"Admiral Sakazuki has taken the field."
Heavy footsteps echoed from the stone stairs.
Sakazuki stepped forward, dressed in a wine red suit, a Marine cap resting firmly on his head, and an Admiral's justice coat draped over his shoulders. Without a word, he sat beside Enel, crossing his legs in the same composed posture.
It was a way of sitting that radiated authority, something only those at the very peak could display naturally.
An oppressive presence spread silently.
"Admiral Borsalino."
Moments later, Borsalino followed. Wearing his signature yellow striped suit and sunglasses, he lazily took the seat beside Sakazuki and crossed his legs as well, his expression relaxed yet unfathomable.
Then came the final figure.
"Marine Admiral Kuzan."
Kuzan settled into the fourth seat, his posture casual, but the cold aura around him unmistakable.
The four Admirals sat together like immovable mountains, their presence pressing heavily on the hearts of everyone watching.
Their appearance marked the true beginning of the war.
From behind the execution platform, slow footsteps echoed through the Den Den Mushi broadcast.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku emerged.
The Marineford plaza erupted into thunderous noise, the roar so loud it seemed to tear apart the clouds above.
Standing atop the execution platform, Sengoku looked down at the vast sea of Marine elites filling the plaza. He knew that at this moment, the eyes of the entire world were fixed upon him.
"Bring forth the criminal."
His voice was solemn and resolute, amplified across Marineford and broadcast live to every corner of the world.
No speeches. No embellishments.
Straight to the point.
"Clink, clink…"
The sharp sound of chains rang out.
Garp, looking as though he had aged decades in a single night, escorted Ace onto the execution platform alongside two executioners.
The world fell silent.
Countless gazes converged on the platform.
Absolute stillness.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for the arrival of the man who stood at the pinnacle of the seas.
Waiting even for remnants of the Pirate King's era.
At last, as the sun climbed toward its peak, the sea within Marineford's inner harbor began to churn violently.
A massive coated pirate ship slowly surfaced.
The Whitebeard Pirates had arrived.
The world erupted.
As the flagship emerged, countless other pirate ships followed, bursting through the waves one after another.
"Marco the Phoenix, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Diamond Jozu, Third Division Commander!"
"Thatch, Fourth Division Commander!"
"Vista!"
"Blamenco!"
"Rakuyo!"
"Namur!"
"All sixteen division commanders are present!"
"And the forty three allied pirate crews under Whitebeard!"
On the Moby Dick at the forefront, Marco and the other commanders stood in two rows, leaving a clear path down the center.
Footsteps echoed.
The heavy thud of a bisento striking the deck followed, each impact resonating like a heartbeat, suffocating all who heard it.
"Newgate… you have finally arrived."
From the execution platform, Sengoku stared at the towering figure appearing at the bow of the ship.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon Marineford.
"Gurarara…"
"Sengoku, it's been more than ten years."
Boundless Haki surged outward, stirring the air and shaking the sky. Whitebeard merely stood there, yet it felt as though the entire world revolved around him.
"All forces, be on full alert!" Sengoku roared. "Bounty, 5,046,000,000 Berries. The world's strongest man has arrived!"
"Gurarara!"
Whitebeard laughed wildly.
His fists clenched, veins bulging as a layer of white shock force spread outward. The air on both sides shattered like glass.
Cracks echoed endlessly.
Sengoku's eyes twitched as he shouted into the Den Den Mushi.
"Whitebeard possesses the power to destroy the world. He is a Paramecia type Tremor Tremor Fruit user."
"Ace."
Whitebeard retracted his fists and looked directly at the execution platform.
Ace was crying openly.
"Pops… everyone…"
His tears fell uncontrollably as he stared at the familiar figures lining the coastline.
Suddenly, the world trembled.
A massive pressure descended like a mountain.
A vast shadow swallowed the sky as enormous tsunamis surged upward, blotting out the sun. Walls of water rose endlessly, racing toward Marineford with apocalyptic force.
Fear gripped everyone.
"Is this… the power of the world's strongest man?"
"This is insanity!"
In the Warlords' area, several expressions turned grim.
This was power capable of ending civilizations.
"Whoosh."
A chilling cold spread instantly.
The temperature plummeted as Kuzan vanished from his seat, appearing midair. Facing the incoming tsunamis, ice rapidly formed around his hands.
"Ice Age."
Freezing air rolled outward.
The raging tsunamis were instantly frozen solid, transformed into towering glaciers that halted their advance.
The sea stood still.
"Gurarara… Kuzan, you're still just a kid."
Whitebeard stood atop the Moby Dick, gripping his bisento as he looked at Kuzan in the sky.
"Ice Block, Partisan."
Kuzan thrust his arm forward. A massive ice bird formed instantly, screaming through the air toward Whitebeard, freezing everything in its path.
Whitebeard did not move.
Blue flames erupted.
A pair of blazing wings unfolded in the sky, intercepting the ice bird head on.
"Marco the Phoenix."
"I can't let you do whatever you want, Kuzan."
Marco hovered in his hybrid form, azure flames flickering from his wings, his gaze calm yet resolute.
"Tch… troublesome," Kuzan muttered.
"Zoan type, Mythical Beast, Phoenix model," he said, his expression growing serious.
"Kill!"
As Marco and Kuzan clashed, Jozu and the others leapt from the Moby Dick, charging straight into the plaza.
The war had begun.
"Save Ace!"
"Annihilate the Marines!"
"Fire! Kill the pirates!"
"Justice will prevail!"
"You won't leave here alive!"
Battle cries collided violently.
Marineford instantly became a living slaughterhouse.
Cannon fire roared, blades flashed, screams filled the air. Blood sprayed like rain, severed limbs scattered across the battlefield, creating a hell of raw brutality.
Those watching the broadcast were horrified.
Especially civilians, who had never imagined war could be this cruel.
War was not combat.
War was death, bloodshed, and merciless destruction.
There was no retreat.
Only kill, or be killed.
Totto Land
Cake Island, Central Castle
Lucien sat on a luxurious sofa, watching the live broadcast from Marineford. He finished the red wine in his glass, a faint smirk curling at his lips.
His amethyst eyes reflected the chaos on the screen.
Napoleon rested atop his head, while Prometheus and Zeus floated calmly beside his shoulders.
This time, Lucien would act as Big Mom.
"We should depart."
"Yes!"
Behind him stood Katakuri and the Sweet Commanders, Daifuku, Oven, Mont d'Or, and Brulee.
"Enter."
Mont d'Or spread his hands as a massive book appeared. He flipped a page, revealing a castle within.
One by one, Katakuri and the others stepped forward, vanishing the moment they touched the page.
Paramecia type, Book Book Fruit.
An ability that allowed physical space to exist within a book, imprisoning those inside, untouched by time.
Mont d'Or carried an entire world with him.
"Perospero," Lucien said calmly, turning his head. "You stay on Cake Island. If support is needed, Brulee will contact you."
Brulee's Mirror Mirror Fruit would be invaluable if circumstances changed.
Perospero nodded.
"Yes."
Lucien stepped onto Zeus as the cloud expanded beneath him. Alongside Mont d'Or, he rose into the sky, disappearing into the distance.