Doflamingo was still tense, but he finally calmed down after being threatened by Vice Admiral Tsuru. She had been hunting him down since he first became a pirate, and he was terrified of the old lady. He knew that if she really got angry, the consequences would be catastrophic.
However, a nagging feeling of unease still lingered in his mind. He had contacted Law earlier to confirm that Law had released Diamante and the others, but something just felt off. Law was a schemer; could he really have been deceived so easily? What if he had another trick up his sleeve?
Doflamingo's face darkened as he thought of the Op-Op Fruit. That fruit should have been his, but Rosinante had ruined everything by giving it to the dying Law.
Now, Rosinante was acting rebellious and even trying to avenge his death! "I want to see what else you can do," Doflamingo muttered to himself, falling into a tense silence.
Seeing this, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru turned to other matters. As for the Warlords, they would be called to the front lines once the war began.
As soon as Sengoku and Tsuru left, Blackbeard made an excuse to go to the bathroom. He secretly led his crew to the port, where they stole a Marine warship and managed to pass through the Gates of Justice without issue.
When Sengoku received the news, he slammed his fist on the table in a rage. He knew Blackbeard was untrustworthy, but he couldn't believe he had the audacity to do something like this at Marine Headquarters.
But with the great war on the horizon, Sengoku couldn't be bothered with a small fry like Blackbeard. He decided to let him run for now and settle the score later.
Time flew by, and only three hours remained until Ace's execution. All the residents of Marineford had been evacuated, and the elite Marines were fully armed, forming a tight circle around the execution platform.
A large number of cannons were positioned around the bay, and a fleet of fifty warships waited in the waters. The atmosphere was a mix of anxious tension and nervous excitement. For many of the Marines, this was the first time they had experienced a battle of this magnitude.
On the front lines, the five Warlords stood side-by-side. Sengoku had no intention of letting them hide in the back; he wanted them on the front lines, fighting the Whitebeard Pirates directly. The lives of Marine soldiers were far more valuable than theirs.
The three Marine Admirals slowly made their way to their designated positions closest to the execution platform. Their presence was meant to prevent the Whitebeard Pirates from flying in to snatch Ace, and seeing them there instantly boosted the morale of the Marines.
"Look! The three Admirals are here!" a sailor yelled, his voice filled with pride.
"Admiral Akainu, Sakazuki! Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino! And Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan!" another shouted. "They're all powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit users. The Whitebeard Pirates won't stand a chance. With a hundred thousand Marine elites and the help of the Warlords, we're sure to win!"
Their enthusiastic chatter spread through the ranks, and morale soared. Sengoku was pleased and was about to address the troops when he received several pieces of alarming news.
"What?! The surveillance warship was destroyed, and the Whitebeard Pirates have disappeared?!"
"The Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff Sabo broke into Impel Down? And he's working with Buggy, Ivankov, Jinbe, and Crocodile to escape?!"
"And that bastard Blackbeard actually went to Impel Down? Is he asking to die?!"
Sengoku was furious. So many things were going wrong even before the execution had begun. The Whitebeard Pirates' disappearance was the most troubling of all; it meant that Whitebeard could appear from anywhere at any second.
Was the current battlefield layout even sufficient? And how did the Revolutionary Army get involved in all this? Sengoku still didn't care much about Blackbeard, thinking of him as a mere nuisance. He put a hold on all these matters for now and began walking toward the execution platform.
On the way, he saw Garp and looked at his old comrade with sympathy before his gaze hardened with resolve. "Garp, I'm going to tell them everything," Sengoku said. "Don't stop me."
"Do whatever you want," Garp replied, a bitter expression on his face. "There's no point in hiding it now anyway."
Vice Admiral Tsuru chimed in, "Don't be sad, it's not your fault."
Garp let out a bitter laugh. "Hahaha! Women can be so gentle at times, Tsuru."
Sengoku continued his walk and climbed the steps to the execution platform. Ace was already kneeling there, and the two executioners stood ready with their swords.
Sengoku ordered them to stand down and had a Den Den Mushi brought to him. His actions confused everyone present and those watching the live broadcast, who couldn't figure out what the Fleet Admiral was doing.
Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi, took a deep breath, and began to speak. "Before we proceed, there is something I must reveal to everyone. It concerns the true significance of Portgas D. Ace's execution today. Ace, tell them your father's name."
Ace shot a defiant look at Sengoku. "My dad is Whitebeard!"
"No!" Sengoku bellowed.
"There's nothing to argue about! Only Whitebeard, no one else!" Ace yelled back.
Sengoku shook his head and continued, "Back then, we launched a massive search for the child that man might have left behind on some island. With the little information CP had, we investigated every newborn and soon-to-be-born baby.
We searched every island and every mother, but we found nothing. It's no wonder, as your birth was the result of a conspiracy by your mother, who paid with her life to deceive our eyes and the eyes of the entire world!"
Ace's eyes widened. "On an island in the South Blue called Baterilla, your mother, a woman named Portgas D. Rouge, performed a feat beyond common sense. She kept you in her womb for twenty months!"
Ace listened, his pupils shrinking in disbelief.
"And then she gave birth to you and died from exhaustion on the spot. One year and three months after your father's death, the baby who inherited the world's most evil blood was born. That baby... was you!"
"You can't possibly not know who your father is! He's the Pirate King, Gold Roger!"
As soon as Sengoku's words rang out, the entire world seemed to fall silent. Then, the crowds at Marine Headquarters and Sabaody Archipelago erupted in disbelief.
Everyone was shocked. No one could have imagined that Roger, the Pirate King, had a son who was still alive twenty-two years after his execution. The news spread like wildfire, with reporters rushing to make it the headline of the day.
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