Beckman slowly took a puff from his cigar: "There he is again, in that same state."
Shanks merely gently stroked the hilt of his Gryphon sword at his waist.
On the horizon, dark clouds were gathering; he recalled Roger's dying words, remembered Luffy, whom he met in Foosha Village…
And the truth about the "Will of D.," buried in history.
"Let's go!" Shanks suddenly turned, his red cape burning like flames in the setting sun, "Stop this war that will plague the world!"
…
A deafening cheer suddenly erupted on the deck of the Moby Dick.
Marco held up a newspaper, his hands trembling with excitement, Blackbeard Teach's photo on it was very eye-catching: "Pops! Look at this! That bastard Teach is going to be publicly executed by the Marines!"
His laughter startled the seagulls perched on the mast, "And Ace, that kid, personally sent him in!"
*"Bang!"*
Whitebeard's sake bowl slammed heavily onto the deck, sake splashing onto Teach's photo on the newspaper. The world's strongest man slowly grinned, his laughter echoing across the sea like muffled thunder:
*"Gurararara…* Well done, Ace!"
The entire ship shook violently with his laughter, and unnatural ripples appeared on the sea surface. Jozu's diamond body reflected the dazzling sunlight: "Should we gather all the pirate crews under our command? They must all be…"
"No need." Whitebeard slowly stood up, grabbing the Supreme Grade Blade Murakumogiri beside him; the jewel-encrusted hilt hummed in his palm, "I'm sure those kids… are already on their way."
Marco also let out a sigh of relief: "This time, I can finally personally deal with that traitor!" The flames of revenge danced in his eyes, "Thatch's revenge…"
Whitebeard suddenly fell silent, his massive body casting a shadow on the deck. All the commanders unconsciously held their breath. They knew that whenever Pops showed that expression, it meant someone was about to suffer greatly.
"Notify everyone, head to Marine Headquarters!" Whitebeard's voice suddenly became incredibly clear, completely unlike his usual sickly state, "Bring Ace home, and while we're at it…."
His naginata struck the ground heavily, and Conqueror's Haki soared into the sky, tearing a rift in the clouds.
"Clean house!"
…
Marine Headquarters,
On the horizon, masts stood like a forest.
Pirate ships from all four seas gathered in this sea area by unspoken agreement, their flags adorned with various skull symbols.
The Marine observation post soldiers discovered in horror that in just one day, over two hundred pirate ships had gathered in the waters surrounding Marine Headquarters, and this number was still growing at an alarming rate.
Although they were all watching from a distance, the purpose of these guys was obvious.
"Report! The 'Giant Axe Pirate Crew' from West Blue has appeared outside the cordon!"
"North Blue's 'Cute Pet Pirate Crew' spotted on the east side, all observing from a distance!"
"Damn it! Even 'The Trickster' Dufresne is here!"
Inside Marine Headquarters's communication room, emergency Den Den Mushi screamed one after another.
The staff officers looked grimly at the sand table; the black chess pieces representing the pirates had completely surrounded Marine Headquarters's outermost cordon.
Yet they wouldn't cross the cordon. When the Marines moved to apprehend these guys, they simply ran, refusing to engage!
"These lunatics…" Vice Admiral Momonga wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Do they intend to collectively storm the execution platform?"
The port's defensive fortifications were being urgently reinforced.
Five hundred of the latest cannons were deployed around the execution platform, with Vice Admiral Strawberry personally in command.
"All hands to battle stations!" Sengoku's voice resounded throughout Marine Headquarters via broadcast, "Any pirate approaching the execution platform without permission—kill on sight!"
Meanwhile, among the pirate groups, a festive atmosphere was spreading.
On the pirate ships outside Marine Headquarters, strong liquor and a fervent atmosphere permeated the decks.
"Carnival Baron" Jem stood at the bow of his flagship, decorated with streamers, wearing an exaggerated tall hat, holding a gold-encrusted wine glass, and shouted to dozens of surrounding pirate ships:
"Folks! Open your eyes!" He violently smashed the wine glass onto the deck, glass shards glittering in the sunlight, "This is an even more shocking moment than Roger's execution! The bloodline of Rocks!"
The band behind him suddenly struck up a frantic march, and the crew pushed barrels of fine wine to the center of the deck.
"That monster who made the World Government tremble forty years ago!" Jem jumped onto a wine barrel, dancing a drunken jig, "Today, we are going to witness the final end of a legend!"
The surrounding pirate ships erupted in deafening cheers.
"Place your bets, place your bets!" A one-eyed pirate slapped a wooden crate, "Bet on whether Whitebeard will appear! Bet on whether Kaido will cause chaos at the execution ground!"
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit cell on the lowest floor of Marine Headquarters's prison, Teach was suspended in a "spread-eagle" position by chains made of special alloy.
The heavy shackles dug deep into his flesh, but his bloodshot eyes gleamed with a mad light.
*"Zehahahahaha…"* A hoarse laugh echoed between the stone walls. Teach listened to the faint clamor from above, "Listen to that commotion… The Fleet Admiral's grand display… The Emperors' fleets…"
He painfully twisted his neck, looking at a sliver of light filtering through the vent, "My funeral… is even grander than Roger's back then…"
Suddenly,
He struggled violently, the chains making a grating sound: "Ace! Do you see this?!"
His roar vibrated through the cell,
"This is my worth! *Zehahahaha… Cough, cough…*" Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but his laughter grew increasingly insane.
…
Water 7, nearby waters,
On the azure sea, the Thousand Sunny was cutting through the waves. The iconic fountain silhouette of Water 7 was clearly visible, its huge water column refracting colorful light in the sunlight.
"Hey! News Coo!" Nami waved to the sky, a coin accurately dropping into the News Coo's pouch, and the latest newspaper floated down. Nami reached out and caught it.
"Let me see what's new…" Her voice abruptly stopped, her pupils slightly contracting, "This is…"
Ron took the newspaper, the front page emblazoned with a shocking headline:
**"Marines to Publicly Execute Blackbeard Teach in Three Days"**
In the accompanying photo, a blood-soaked Teach was bound with Seastone chains, looking utterly miserable.
"Oh?" Ron raised an eyebrow slightly, a playful curve forming on his lips, "Ace works fast."
Luffy stretched his neck to lean closer, the brim of his straw hat brushing Ron's cheek: "Isn't this that… Blackbeard Teach?"
He poked Teach's photo on the newspaper, "Why does he look like he's about to die?"
....
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