Chapter 203: Whitebeard Arrives!
Just as Rhodes predicted.
When Sengoku revealed that Ace was the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, the entire assembly at Marineford erupted in uproar.
Doflamingo and the other Shichibukai were equally shocked.
The reporters broadcasting live from Sabaody Archipelago stood dumbfounded, their notebooks slipping from their hands to clatter on the ground.
"The Pirate King's son..."
"This guy must be incredibly dangerous—he must be eliminated here and now."
The Marines whispered frantically amongst themselves.
"He's actually the Pirate King's child..." Hancock, standing nearby, covered her mouth in astonishment.
Even though Amazon Lily remained isolated from the outside world, the name of Pirate King Roger still resonated across the seas.
"The most evil bloodline..."
Hearing this declaration, Rhodes shook his head calmly. How could bloodline constitute a sin? Weakness was Ace's true crime.
In this world where strength commanded respect, weakness itself was the original sin, and victory determined justice.
If Ace possessed sufficient power, this scenario would never have materialized.
Just as the entire harbor buzzed with turmoil, a Marine rushed to the execution platform and urgently reported to Sengoku:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The Gates of Justice have opened without authorization, and we've lost contact with the control room!"
"What?!"
Sengoku's expression darkened, and he immediately turned toward the sea.
Simultaneously, countless others noticed the commotion and followed his gaze toward the distant waters.
Through the mist, a massive fleet of pirate ships emerged, their overwhelming presence rivaling that of the assembled Marines.
The Whitebeard Pirates had arrived!
"Doma the Guerrilla Knight, the Decalvan Brothers, Squard the Whirlpool Spider... these are all pirate captains who've shaken the New World!"
"Forty-three pirate ships in total, but Whitebeard and his division commanders are nowhere to be seen!"
The Marine Headquarters battle alarm blared to life, and every heavy cannon swiveled toward the fleet in the bay.
The Marine elites swallowed hard, gripping their weapons with white-knuckled intensity.
Standing on the execution platform, Ace gazed at the distant fleet and clenched his teeth.
"Where's Whitebeard?" Hancock couldn't help but straighten up, asking softly.
"Underwater."
Rhodes's voice remained calm, yet the Seven Warlords and Marines behind him heard it clearly. Everyone's expression changed as they whipped their gazes toward the harbor.
Almost instantly, the water directly before Rhodes began churning violently, massive bubbles erupting to the surface.
Glub... glub... glub...
Then, with a tremendous explosion of water, the Whitebeard Pirates made their grand entrance—the Moby Dick and three escort vessels rising dramatically from beneath the waves!
CRASH!
As the four massive ships surfaced, their coating shattered upon contact with air, revealing the figures aboard.
"That's... Marco, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates! All fourteen division commanders are present!" the observation officer reported urgently, tension thick in his voice.
At this moment, Marine Headquarters felt stifling, oppressive, suffocating.
No dark clouds marred the sky, yet the atmosphere felt crushing—as if an enormous boulder pressed against everyone's chest, unbearably heavy.
It was the calm before the storm—a stillness waiting to be violently shattered.
Neither side attacked; they simply maintained their tense standoff.
This atmosphere alone could shake the minds of ordinary people, potentially rendering them unconscious.
And in this suffocating tension, a distinctive clanging sound suddenly echoed from the Moby Dick.
Under the nervous, expectant, and awestruck gazes of everyone present, a towering figure slowly ascended the steps of the Moby Dick, appearing before the eyes of the world.
This was Rhodes's first time seeing Whitebeard in person.
Even from such distance, Rhodes felt an intense pressure emanating from this elderly man.
He sensed that fighting Whitebeard might genuinely be fatal.
Judging from appearance alone, Whitebeard scarcely seemed over seventy years old—his powerful, bulging muscles exuded explosive strength, and no one could doubt his formidable power.
"Are you really going to fight him?" Hancock asked with genuine concern, aware of some of Rhodes's intentions.
Rhodes smiled. "If I miss this opportunity, I'll definitely regret it later."
Hancock bit her lip but didn't try persuading him further. She was intelligent enough to understand what she should and shouldn't say.
At this moment, Whitebeard, carrying his bisento, walked step by step to the bow, gazing calmly at the strongest lineup the Navy could assemble, showing absolutely no fear.
"Gurarara! It's been decades, hasn't it, Sengoku?"
His gaze swept across the assembled Naval officers, not even pausing on the three Admirals, landing directly on Sengoku atop the execution platform.
"Whitebeard..." Sengoku's expression darkened slightly, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "To think you'd advance this deep into our territory."
"My beloved son—is he alright?"
With that declaration, Whitebeard slammed his bisento aside, then crossed his arms before him and thrust them outward to either side.
CRACK!
The air itself exploded with a deafening buzz, fragmenting like shattered glass.
The shockwave caused countless people to lose their footing, nearly toppling over.
Many Marines witnessing such power for the first time displayed expressions of absolute terror and horror.
"What is this?! The atmosphere is cracking apart!"
"Damn it! The water level—it's dropping abnormally!"
Under the watchful eyes of all Marines, the sea surrounding Marine Headquarters began sinking rapidly, and the already oppressive atmosphere grew even heavier, as if water could be wrung from the very air.
Simultaneously, the cracks in the atmosphere generated circular waves across the ocean's surface, spreading outward from both sides of Marineford.
"A seaquake... he's shaken the entire ocean," Sengoku declared grimly from the execution platform, witnessing this display.
After several tense moments, the sea calmed down, seemingly indicating that Whitebeard's attack had produced no effect.
But Rhodes knew a massive tsunami would soon strike.
And this was merely the opening salvo.
Whitebeard certainly wasn't naive enough to believe a single tsunami could destroy Marine Headquarters—it was simply a demonstration of power.
"Pops... everyone... I ignored all your warnings and ran off on my own—why won't you just let me face the consequences?!" Ace erupted emotionally, then lowered his head in remorse, knowing that regardless of this war's outcome, the Whitebeard Pirates would suffer devastating losses.
"No. I told you to go."
Just like in the original timeline, Whitebeard forcibly shouldered Ace's responsibility.
Whatever mistakes Ace made, he remained family, and as long as he didn't betray that family like Blackbeard had, Whitebeard didn't care.
The captains serving under Whitebeard shared his attitude, always treating Ace as genuine family.
"Ace, wait for us! We're coming to rescue you right now!"
"Let's have a feast together afterward!"
"Prepare to die, Marine Headquarters!"
Marco and the other division commanders surged with power, shouting thunderously, their collective momentum reaching its absolute peak.
Almost simultaneously, the entire Marine Headquarters trembled violently. The Marines immediately displayed expressions of abject horror, whipping around to look in all directions.
Then they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Two colossal tsunami waves—reaching toward the heavens and stretching across the earth—roared inward from left and right, threatening to sandwich the entire headquarters between them and devour everything whole!
At this moment, the entire watching world recoiled in horror!
Even through the video transmission, viewers could feel the suffocating power crashing down, shaking their very souls.
(End of Chapter)
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