The command tower's main hall blazed with light.
Sengoku stood atop the highest step, the massive Marine banner billowing behind him.
In front of him stood Akainu, his uniform immaculate, his presence radiating heat as if molten magma burned through his very blood.
"Tomorrow!"
Akainu's voice cracked like thunder, shaking the beams of the hall.
"We stand on the brink of the fiercest war in pirate history! Whitebeard and his wretched remnants dare to spit upon Marine justice, daring to snatch back the son of the Pirate King!"
His fist slammed into the podium, splintering the wood. ""But mark my words! Justice will not be sullied! The walls of Marineford will be stained with their blood! We will show the world that those who defy the Marines… have only one fate, death!"
"Justice! Justice! Justice!"
The soldiers roared in unison, the sound shaking loose dust from the rafters.
They gripped their rifles tightly, eyes blazing, even knowing they faced "the strongest man in the world," not one of them flinched.
In a shadowed corner, Kizaru lazily waved a folding fan, his face the same unbothered mask as always.
To him, the soldiers' shouts sounded no different than the lunch bell at the mess hall.
Only when Akainu barked, "Strengthen the prison guard detail, Ace must not be rescued," did he lift his eyes slightly, glancing around as if confirming something.
"Borsalino!"
Sengoku's voice rang out, calling him by name. "Tomorrow, you'll be in charge of the aerial defenses! The moment you spot a Whitebeard ship, intercept immediately!"
"Got it~" Kizaru replied lazily, flicking his fan.
"But y'know, that old man Whitebeard's quake-quake fruit… he can shatter the sky, can't he? Though I'll do my best~"
Sengoku said nothing more. He was long used to Kizaru's half-hearted attitude, as long as he didn't nap at a critical moment, that was enough.
When the meeting ended, the soldiers marched out, full of zeal, to make their final preparations for war.
Kizaru trailed behind the others, ready to slip away to the mess hall for some hot tea from Sanji, but at the door, he ran into Renzo, strolling in half-awake.
"Yo~ Rear Admiral Renzo~ didn't sleep through the meeting this time?"
Kizaru waved his fan with a grin. "Akainu just gave the most dramatic pep talk ever, you sure you don't wanna listen in?"
"What for?"
Renzo yawned, eyes still drowsy. "I'm only in charge of the prison and the kitchen."
He held up a rice ball. "Tuna filling. Sanji made it. Wanna bite?"
Kizaru was about to say yes, but Akainu's furious roar echoed from afar.
Probably just realized two senior officers had wandered off again.
"Eh...forget it~" Kizaru waved both hands. "I'd better hide in my office before he melts someone alive. I'll bum food off you tomorrow~"
Renzo didn't respond. He just turned and headed back toward the watchtower.
Night deepened over Marineford. The lights grew brighter, but none reached the lazy calm in Renzo's eyes.
Renzo recalled Sanji's worried look. A faint smirk curved his lips.
Tomorrow would be troublesome, sure. But as long as he guarded what needed guarding, kept the mess hall from being blown up, kept intruders from reaching the prisoner, and let Kizaru and Akainu handle the rest, it didn't sound that bad.
....
Marineford dawned without sunlight.
A ceiling of lead-gray clouds pressed low over the island, the sea wind sharp and cold.
At the center of the square rose the execution platform, forged from seastone and steel, towering dozens of meters high. Heavy chains coiled around its pillars, and atop it, Ace had been secured in place.
Below, ranks of Marines stood in formation, rifles raised, their bayonets glinting beneath the gloomy sky like a field of cold stars.
To the left of the platform, the five Warlords of the Sea stood along the stone steps, a mismatched line, each lost in their own thoughts.
Boa Hancock crossed her arms, her eyes sweeping coldly past Doflamingo beside her. The heels of her boots clicked softly against the stone, her every movement radiating imperious disdain.
Dracule Mihawk rested a hand on the hilt of his black blade, Yoru, his gaze fixed far beyond the Marine lines, toward the horizon, as if waiting for a worthy opponent.
And Doflamingo… toyed idly with his near-invisible threads, a sly grin twisting his lips behind his sunglasses. His eyes glimmered with malice as he occasionally glanced toward the three Admirals.
"Fufufufu… such a grand lineup. If that old man Whitebeard dares to show up, then he might really fall."
His voice, mocking and loud, drew a sidelong glance from Mihawk, but no reply.
The Warlords were allies in name only. Each had their own motives; none intended to fight for the Marines' sake.
Below the platform, the three Admirals stood like mountains, their presence alone enough to make the air itself vibrate.
On the left, Akainu stood rigid, his uniform perfect, cap pulled low to hide the fire in his eyes.
The air around him shimmered, faint waves of heat distorting the air, and even the stone beneath his boots seemed to glow faintly red. The sheer pressure of his aura made nearby soldiers unconsciously take a step back.
His hands clasped behind his back, his gaze locked on the horizon. The words Absolute Justice seemed branded into every breath he took.
To the right, Aokiji leaned lazily against an ice pillar, hands in his pockets, cap tilted back.
A thin layer of frost coated the ground around him, creeping outward in delicate veins, the air itself freezing with every passing breeze.
He looked relaxed, but behind those half-lidded eyes was a razor focus, ready to turn that calm chill into a storm of glacial power at a moment's notice.
In front, Kizaru Borsalino stood in the shadow of the platform, gently waving his folding fan.
He neither radiated heat nor cold, but each movement of his fan left faint golden sparkles in the air, traces of his glint-glint fruit's light.
The three Admirals' auras mingled, molten heat, biting cold, and piercing light, forming an invisible barrier that blanketed all of Marineford.
The soldiers below were drenched in sweat, but looking at those three immovable figures, a strange sense of courage stirred in their hearts.
'With the Admirals here, no matter how strong the pirates… Marineford would not fall.'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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