"Could it be…?" a voice murmured across the crowd.
"No way, Whitebeard has no reason to personally intervene," another replied.
"Fire Fist Ace showing up is possible, but Whitebeard himself?" they whispered in disbelief.
"He's really here," someone said in awe.
As the towering figure stood at the bow of the great ship, the stunned silence around them shattered.
No one ever expected Whitebeard to appear in person.
"Did the Revolutionary Army strike a deal with Whitebeard?" one wondered.
"Maybe Fire Fist asked him for help," another suggested.
"But where is Fire Fist Ace? Why hasn't he appeared yet?"
Confusion rippled throughout the world.
From the ship's bow came a booming laugh.
"Gurararara…" Whitebeard stood there holding his massive bisento, his voice firm and confident.
"They've finally arrived," he declared.
Far above the battlefield, Dragon exhaled in relief at seeing Whitebeard's silhouette. With Whitebeard here, the tide of war could finally shift. He wasn't certain the Whitebeard Pirates would show up, but now that they had, the course of the battle had irrevocably changed. After this war, he resolved to approach them about a formal alliance.
Meanwhile, the Marines' faces darkened, worry overtaking their features. The Revolutionary Army allied with the Whitebeard Pirates was no small threat, one that could plunge the Marines into disaster if they were careless.
"Newgate actually came," Vice Admiral Garp muttered gravely as he watched the harbor.
Tsuru's expression mirrored his concern, and Sengoku looked so pale he almost seemed ill.
Everyone on the frontline and around the world believed the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived to assist the Revolutionary Army against the Marines. It wasn't just because of the bond between Ace and Sabo, but now a bond of legitimate mutual assistance.
"Gurararara~" Whitebeard's laughter echoed again.
"Sengoku, Garp, it's been a long time," he called out, gripping his bisento as his greatcoat swayed in the wind. He looked more spirited than ever before, as if reborn.
"Let's do this!" he shouted toward the battlefield without waiting for a response from Sengoku or Garp.
In an instant, Marco, Jozu, Vista, and all sixteen division commanders leapt into action, vanishing from the ship and racing toward the fray.
"Attention, the Whitebeard Pirates are engaging," a Vice Admiral announced solemnly.
Fossa, captain of the 15th Division, advanced with overwhelming presence. Marines readied their swords, but Fossa simply passed through, ignoring them entirely, rushing forward to the frontlines.
Other captains behaved similarly. Curiel, Kingdew, Harta, and the rest charged deep into battle without hesitation. Those watching could only gape in disbelief.
Rumble shook the earth as a powerful collision occurred.
Ethan stepped back uncertainly as Jozu stood before him, his body hardened like diamond. Blamenco and Atmos flanked Jozu, clearly surrounding Ethan.
Nearby, Vista, Thatch, and Izo closed in on Emma.
Other Whitebeard commanders targeted remaining members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Marco even knocked Luffy aside before launching his next attack.
The battlefield fell deathly silent, all eyes locked on the Whitebeard Pirates in shock.
"Are you attacking the wrong targets?" Nami cried, holding her Clima-Tact tightly as she faced Harta.
Robin, Franky, and Brook were also cornered by captains.
"What is happening?" someone yelled.
"The Whitebeard Pirates are attacking the Straw Hats!" another shouted.
"Weren't they supposed to help the Revolutionary Army?" people questioned in confusion.
"Isn't Ace the brother of both Straw Hat and Sabo?" they wondered, unable to make sense of the sudden chaos.
"Chopper!" came a bitter scream as Chopper was pinned to the ground, impaled by Blenheim's sword, blood splattering everywhere. He had no strength to fight back against the overwhelming power.
"The enemies are too strong," Zoro declared grimly as he tried to intervene, but a single strike from Fossa forced him back.
Nami unleashed her strongest attack, Thunderbolt Tempo, but Harta, captain of the 12th Division, walked through the electric surge as though it meant nothing. He stabbed Nami in the shoulder, then placed his small weight atop hers, calling out demon blood as it soaked into her wound.
"Bastard! You did this to Nami?!" Luffy screamed, bursting from rubble.
Azure flames curled downward as razor-sharp claws sliced the air with immense force. Luffy's eyes blazed red. He dodged and punched Marco squarely, sending him slamming into the ground with a thunderous crack.
Atop the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's right fist, encased in a pressure bubble of haki, launched a devastating blow toward Luffy. Atmospheric force shattered under the impact as a massive shockwave surged forward.
Luffy froze with rage.
But then Marco descended from the sky toward him again.
"Kill!" someone shouted, reigniting the chaos.
Elsewhere, Dragon fought Kizaru and Silver Dragon alone. At the sight of Whitebeard, his face twisted with frustration.
"They don't even acknowledge us," Dragon growled before Silver Dragon's kick sent him crashing deep into the ground, a crater forming around him as blood trickled from his mouth.
Dragon's lips moved, his resolve hardened.
Behind Silver Dragon, Kizaru thrust Ama no Murakumo into his back without warning, but the strike was parried.
Silver Dragon planted his feet, lightning rippling as his halberd met Kizaru's blade and he countered with a sweeping blow, sending Kizaru crashing into the earth in a blazing explosion.
Crowds watched in stunned silence.
"What is Admiral Kizaru doing? Why would he ambush Silver Dragon?"
"I saw it! Kizaru stabbed him in the back! If Silver Dragon hadn't reacted in time, he might be dead!"
"He's a traitor!" Sengoku shouted, watching in disbelief.
Across the battlefield, resentment boiled. Many Marine personnel recoiled in shock at what they had all witnessed: a revered Admiral betraying the Marines right before their eyes.
Sengoku's voice thundered with fury, "Borsalino, you traitor!" as he surged forward fueled by betrayal and rage.
Akainu, locked in combat with Hercules, glared with crimson eyes.
The Marines' sacred pillars had cracked, and their greatest wounds were those inflicted from within.