Sabaody Archipelago – Public Square
Over ten thousand spectators and reporters had gathered here, nervous yet exhilarated, watching the live broadcast from Marineford.
What was unfolding there was the most magnificent war of the era—
A feast of violence so rare it might only happen once in a century.
The clash of the strongest against the strongest dazzled the eyes and stirred the soul.
Devil Fruit users fought with every kind of ability imaginable, creating a spectacular display.
The appearance of the Iron Pirate, General Franky, sent the men in the square into a frenzy.
The sudden arrival of the Pacifista shock troops shook the crowd, then riled them up further.
But it was the overwhelming destructive power of the Fifth Emperor Luffy's group that once again made hearts race.
To be alive in this era—
To witness this war firsthand—
was a blessing for everyone here.
But…
Blessings often came with danger.
The outcome of this superwar between Marines and Pirates would decide the course of the era.
As civilians, they naturally hoped the Marines would win decisively, bringing an end to the age of chaos Roger had unleashed.
But with the arrival of the Straw Hats and the Impel Down escapees, the war had grown impossible to predict.
Even as they enjoyed the rare visual feast, many couldn't help but silently worry for the Marines.
The war raged on.
Then, at a certain moment—
The reporters filming the battlefield suddenly stopped their work.
"What's wrong?"
"Something's… changing!"
Confusion spread across their faces.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, look—originally, the Vice Admirals fighting the New World captains, and those blocking Whitebeard's division commanders… now they're all heading toward the Straw Hats!"
"It's true! Even Admiral Aokiji is on the move!"
"No matter how you look at it, this distribution of forces makes no sense."
"What are the Marines thinking? Are they going to just let the Whitebeard Pirates storm the square and rescue Fire Fist Ace?"
The square erupted into noisy debate.
From the outside, the change was obvious, but those in the thick of battle hadn't yet noticed.
Capone Bege narrowed his eyes.
"As expected of the legendary tactician Sengoku… this is to force Whitebeard into a choice."
Urouge nodded.
"Whitebeard wants to break through with the Straw Hats as the focal point. The Marines pin them down, while over on the square side, Kizaru and the three legends on the execution platform hold the line. It's the strongest possible defense."
Drake's eyes flashed with resolve.
Bonney bit her thumb, glaring at a certain figure on the live feed without blinking.
Marineford – inside the square
From the execution platform, the whole battlefield was visible.
Ace turned to Garp beside him. "Hey, old man… what are you Marines trying to do to Luffy and his crew?!"
The chains on his back clinked with his agitation.
"This…"
Garp's expression hardened.
He might act carefree most days, but he wasn't stupid—far from it.
A veteran of countless battles, his instincts for shifts in the tide of war were razor sharp.
He locked eyes with Sengoku.
"Sengoku… after all these years, you're really not going to give me even a little face?"
"This is war," Sengoku replied coldly. "A decisive battle that will shape the era and the future. Don't forget your position, Garp—don't forget the justice on your back."
---
"Fufufufu… fufufufu!"
A laugh rang out from atop a mountain of corpses.
Shichibukai "Heavenly Yaksha" Doflamingo stood there, grinning wildly.
"Pirates are evil? Marines are justice? Those ideas have been redefined countless times! The values of those who've never known peace, and those who've never known war, are worlds apart.
"Only those who stand at the top decide good and evil! And here, now—justice will win? Of course! Because only the victor is justice!"
His twisted monologue was cut short by the urgent purupurupuru of a Den Den Mushi.
Scowling, he answered.
"Doflamingo, we have a new mission for you," came the voice of a high-ranking World Government official.
"A mission? No, this is a deal," Doflamingo corrected.
"Hmph… call it what you like. Forget about Gecko Moria for now. Your top priority is to eliminate Monkey D. Luffy!"
"Complete this mission, and you'll receive ten times your usual fee."
"Oh?"
Doflamingo frowned. His instincts told him there was more to this than met the eye.
The Straw Hats' performance so far had been notable, sure—but not enough to warrant such extreme orders from the Government. There had to be a hidden reason.
"Before I take the job, can you tell me why you're so interested in this boy?"
"Don't ask. Just answer—will you do it or not?"
Doflamingo grinned. "A deal this profitable? Of course I'll do it!"
The line went dead.
Doflamingo swept his gaze across the battlefield. He understood the Marines' plan—and after accepting the Government's order, he no longer believed they simply meant to pin down the Straw Hats for a pincer maneuver on Whitebeard.
No… the Marines truly intended to annihilate them.
He looked from the Fifth Emperor Luffy to the battered pre-timeskip Luffy.
When picking fruit, you choose the softer one to crush.
Elsewhere, another Shichibukai had also chosen his target.
On the frozen bay, the Thousand Sunny still floated, defended by Jinbe, Chopper, and the others.
But as time passed, they noticed something strange—the Marines were attacking with only low-ranking officers now. The heavy hitters were gone.
From the crow's nest, Usopp's panicked shout rang out:
"Jinbe! All the strong Marines are moving toward Luffy's position!"
Nami's heart tightened.
Robin's face paled.
"If that's true, it's really bad…"
Chopper pulled out three Rumble Balls, ready to transform.
Brook readied his blade.
Jinbe fell into deep thought—only for dark clouds to suddenly blot out the sky.
A mocking voice rang out:
"Ahihihi… Jinbe, you still have time to worry about others? Better worry about yourselves first!"
Shichibukai Gecko Moria arrived with a massive army of zombies, surrounding the Thousand Sunny in a tight ring.
"Moria!!!"
Jinbe's eyes narrowed in recognition.
"Shichibukai Gecko Moria!"
Nami's eyes went wide.
"Ahhh! Zombies!"
Chopper cried out in reflexive fear.
"Calm down, Chopper. As far as the Moria 'instance' goes, we already cleared that boss two years ago," Robin reassured.
"No, no, no… Wait a second, Moria—what are you doing here? Looking to lose to us again?" Usopp shouted.
"Ahihihihi… hahahaha…"
Moria's laughter was cold and dark, steeped in a grudge carved deep into his soul.
"Right now, the main force of the Straw Hat Pirates is nowhere in sight. You think you can stop me? That debt from over a month ago—I'll collect it all today!"
"You don't need to look anywhere else, Moria," Jinbe said firmly. "If it's you we're dealing with, I alone am more than enough!"
"Hah?"
Moria found it absurd—unthinkable—that the dignified Knight of the Sea Jinbe, a former Shichibukai, had actually joined a rookie pirate crew.
"Doesn't matter. If you intend to stand against me… then you can die with them!" Moria snarled.
With a swipe of his hand, he stole the shadows of nearby Marine elites, crushing them between his fingers.
"Shadows Asgard!!!"
The Paramecia Shadow-Shadow Fruit's ultimate technique activated.
Moria's body swelled rapidly, absorbing the shadows until he was the size of a giant.
"Power gained from outside sources is nothing in the end. True strength comes only from training yourself," Jinbe said evenly.
He had seen this very scene two years ago during the Summit War, when he stopped Moria from attacking Luffy and broke him with two moves of Fishman Karate.
This time, though the battlefield was different, fate had brought Moria before him once again.
Jinbe calmly raised his right hand, Armament Haki coating his palm. Two years ago, he had crushed Moria effortlessly—now, it would be even easier.
But just before he struck—
"Wait, Jinbe! Leave Moria to us!"
Nami's voice rang out, steady and determined.
She raised her Sorcery Clima-Tact high.
Overhead, the skies above the Sunny darkened further.
"I understand," Jinbe replied, lowering his hand and leaping back onto the ship.
"Thunderstorm Weather — Lightning Strike!!!"
With a sweep of her weapon, Nami called down Zeus, now transformed into golden thunder.
Crack! Boom!
The bolt smashed into Giant Moria, stunning him stiff, his eyes rolling white for a moment.
But the Shichibukai wasn't finished yet. He shook it off, rage twisting his features.
"Straw Hats! I'll never forgive you!!!" he roared, swinging a massive claw toward the Sunny.
And then—
Without warning, a towering thousand-armed demon giant appeared behind him.
The giant's many hands clamped down, locking every key joint in place.
"Demonio Fleur—"
Robin's arms crossed, activating the move she once used to defeat Black Maria.
"Gran Jacuzzi Clutch!!!"
The demon giant heaved, inverting Giant Moria's entire body.
"A—aaagh! It hurts—stop—!"
This time, Moria couldn't endure it. With his joints snapping under unbearable pain, his eyes rolled back completely, the shadows he had absorbed spewing from his mouth.
Shichibukai Gecko Moria—defeated!
"Boss, that Nicole Robin just choked out Gecko Moria… can you believe that?"
Daz Bones stared in disbelief, his face etched with shock.
"Hmph. It's just Moria. Not worth mentioning… but that woman, Nicole Robin… interesting," Crocodile muttered.
"Yohohoho! As expected of Miss Robin! I am truly blessed to once again witness that graceful form—ah, such hospitality from a lady, even though I have no eyes to see!" Brook chimed in cheerfully.
"Moria, don't think we're the same rookies you fought back then. We're the crew of a Fifth Emperor now!" Usopp boasted.
"That's right! That's right!" Chopper echoed.
"Hahaha! Truly reliable!" Jinbe laughed heartily.
His gaze shifted past Moria toward the most chaotic part of the battlefield.
Seeing how the fight was developing, the tension in his chest eased—Whitebeard had already devised his counter to the Marines' strategy.
A few minutes earlier…
While Moria was attacking the Sunny, aboard the Moby Dick—
"Father, are you really going to pass up this perfect opportunity?" asked Rakuyo, 7th Division Captain.
"We've finally fought our way into the bay—Ace is within reach!" said Izo, 16th Division Captain.
"No! Don't you see? The Marines deliberately let us through. Right now, Ace and his friends are taking our place as the target of the Marines' killing intent!" Marco warned gravely.
"What?!"
The Whitebeard Pirates who hadn't realized this were stunned.
"Gurarara… This is war, boys. Don't get hung up on a single moment's gain. Our mission hasn't changed from the start—now we go cover that Straw Hat brat!" Whitebeard ordered.
"And send word to Squad—don't rush into the bay. First, assess the warships carefully!"
"Yes!" the captains answered.
Moments later—
"Father! We can't contact Squad!" Marco reported urgently.
"Is that so? Then have the Decalvan Brothers relay the message," Whitebeard replied calmly.
Then he lifted his head toward the execution platform, locking eyes with his old rival.
"Sengoku—whatever you're planning, I won't let you have your way."
From the platform, Sengoku met his gaze evenly.
"Whitebeard… I've known exactly how you'd respond. This is the result I wanted all along."
Pulling out a crimson Den Den Mushi, Sengoku spoke:
"Sakazuki—how's the preparation?"
"All set. Just waiting for the signal," Admiral Akainu replied confidently.
Now—
On the frozen bay, Squad of the Maelstrom Spider Pirates walked silently toward the Moby Dick.
From the Sunny's crow's nest, Usopp's eyes flashed red as he focused on a crack in the icy battlefield, near a wrecked warship.
Bubbles rose steadily from below…
Something was about to emerge.
"Room—"