"Fire Fist Ace, who is your Father?"
The moment the question was asked, a ripple of confusion spread through the Marines. At such a critical juncture, why bring this up now?
Ace lifted his gaze to Sengoku. For an instant, a trace of unease flickered in his eyes—but his voice remained steady.
"My father… is Whitebeard."
"No," Sengoku replied calmly, almost gently. "Your father is not Whitebeard."
"No—!" Ace roared, his emotions finally breaking through. "It can only be Whitebeard! No one else!"
Sengoku paid no heed to Ace's outburst, his voice sinking into a heavy, reflective tone.
"Back then, we were desperate," he continued. "Desperate to erase every trace of that man's bloodline from this world. We searched relentlessly, fearing what might be left behind."
"According to intelligence from CP, the chances were slim—but we left nothing to chance. We investigated every pregnant woman and every child about to be born on that island."
"…And yet, we found nothing."
Sengoku paused, then spoke again, each word striking like a hammer.
"That was because your birth was purchased with your mother's life."
"She deceived us. She deceived the entire world."
"On a small island in the South Blue—Baterilla—your mother, Portgas D. Rouge, displayed an endurance beyond human limits. She carried you in her womb for twenty months."
"And when you were finally born, she exhausted the last of her strength… and died."
Ace's eyes trembled violently. Rage, grief, and disbelief churned together as he struggled instinctively against the iron chains, making them rattle loudly.
Nearby, Garp's fists tightened.
Sengoku continued, his voice slow and merciless, each sentence driving another blade into the old hero's heart.
"One year and three months after that man's death, the child who inherited the most hated and dangerous bloodline in this world was born."
"That child… was you."
"Fire Fist Ace."
"Your biological father is the Pirate King—Gold Roger."
"Which is why your execution today carries extraordinary meaning."
The words fell.
And the world shook.
For a heartbeat, Marineford fell into dead silence.
The bloodline of the Pirate King still lived.
Even the Shichibukai standing at the front of the plaza were visibly stunned. None of them had expected Fire Fist Ace to be Roger's own flesh and blood.
Before the shock could settle, a sharp alarm pierced the air.
From the lookout tower came a hurried report:
"Attention! Directly ahead of Marineford—multiple ships under the Whitebeard Pirates have been detected! Confirmed sightings include Bohemian Knight Doma, Ice Witch Whitey Bay, Thunder Lord McGuy, and Maelstrom Spider Squard! Total count—forty-three pirate ships!"
In an instant, the Marine soldiers' nerves snapped taut.
…They've come.
Sengoku clenched the den den mushi in his hand, his voice carrying absolute authority.
"Where is Whitebeard?"
"Has Whitebeard himself—or the flagship Moby Dick—been sighted?"
A brief pause followed.
"…Negative. The Moby Dick has not yet appeared."
Sengoku's expression darkened slightly.
Whitebeard's absence did not reassure him.
If anything, it only deepened his unease.
He frowned deeply, muttering under his breath, "What exactly is that old man Whitebeard planning…?"
As the words left his mouth, the surface of Crescent Bay suddenly erupted.
One massive bubble after another surged up from the seabed, breaking the stillness of the ocean and instantly drawing the attention of every marine present.
Sengoku's expression darkened further. He had already grasped Whitebeard's intention.
"…An attack from the place we least expect?" Chief of Staff Tsuru said grimly.
The next second, her suspicion was confirmed.
With a deafening roar, the Moby Dick burst forth from beneath the sea—followed closely by two auxiliary ships identical in form. The three colossal pirate vessels tore straight through the Marines' original formation, surfacing directly in the heart of Crescent Bay.
"They've come!"
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"That's the Moby Dick!"
"All fourteen division commanders are here!"
Shock rippled through the Marine ranks.
No one had imagined that Whitebeard—a Devil Fruit user—would dare launch a surprise assault from underwater, bypassing the outer defenses and emerging right in the center of Marineford's formation.
Even Garp's expression hardened.
"We've been played… Who would've thought Whitebeard would attack like this?"
"Damn it!" Sengoku cursed, irritation flashing across his face. "They surfaced directly in Crescent Bay!"
Tsuru, however, remained calm, her eyes sharp as she assessed the battlefield.
"In that case, the warships stationed outside Marineford are now meaningless. But the Whitebeard Pirates are completely surrounded."
"If we strike from all directions at once—"
"Finally…" Marco scanned his surroundings, his pulse quickening. "It's exactly the same as the anime."
His expression hardened.
'Next, I need to kill as many Marines as possible—and fast.'
'Only by growing stronger here will I have even the slightest chance of changing the fate where the old man and Ace die…'
With that resolve burning in his chest, Marco immediately activated Level Detection, scanning the Marine side:
Sakazuki — Logia: Magma-Magma Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Admiral–Emperor Level
Kuzan — Logia: Ice-Ice Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Admiral–Emperor Level
Borsalino — Logia: Glint-Glint Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Admiral–Emperor Level
Monkey D. Garp —
Estimated Strength: Admiral–Emperor Level (Peak: Strong Admiral–Emperor)
Sengoku — Mythical Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Daibutsu Form
Estimated Strength: Admiral–Emperor Level (Peak: Strong Admiral–Emperor)
Portgas D. Ace — Logia: Flame-Flame Fruit
Estimated Strength: Weak Emperor's Second-in-Command Level
Dracule Mihawk —
Estimated Strength: Admiral–Emperor Level
Donquixote Doflamingo — Paramecia: String-String Fruit
Estimated Strength: Weak Emperor's Second-in-Command Level
Boa Hancock — Paramecia: Love-Love Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Captain Level
Bartholomew Kuma — Paramecia: Paw-Paw Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Captain Level (Peak: Weak Emperor's Second-in-Command)
Gekko Moriah — Paramecia: Shadow-Shadow Fruit
Estimated Strength: Captain Level (Peak: Weak Emperor's Second-in-Command)
After quickly scanning the key figures, Marco felt the pressure deepen.
The gap between the Whitebeard Pirates and Marineford… was terrifying.
Then—
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound of weapons striking the ground echoed across the bay.
Both Marines and pirates swallowed instinctively, tension thick enough to suffocate.
Slowly, a colossal figure stepped forward.
Marco's gaze locked on him instantly, and the system updated:
Edward Newgate — Paramecia: Tremor-Tremor Fruit
Estimated Strength: Strong Admiral–Emperor Level (Peak: Weak King Level)
Marco wasn't surprised in the slightest.
This was Whitebeard—the strongest man in the world. The living legend who had held that title for over twenty years after Roger's death.
Whitebeard looked toward the execution platform, his massive form radiating overwhelming presence. His eyes found Ace.
And then—
"Gurarararara!"
His laughter thundered across Marineford.
"Are you alright, my dear son?"