In the first half of the Grand Line, the residents here were equally tense, praying, hoping, but regardless of their emotions, they all wished for the Marines to be the final victors. To them, Whitebeard’s death signified the sign of peace.
Under the World Government’s propaganda, they firmly believed that pirates like Whitebeard were the root of all turmoil. Even in nursery rhymes, Whitebeard was just a demon, an unstable element on the sea.
At the same time, a large number of journalists had already gathered on Sabaody Archipelago, waiting for firsthand news of the war.
But the most nervous of all were the Marine soldiers at Marineford. This was, since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, the first true full-scale war between Marine Headquarters and an Emperor of the Sea.
The civilians of Marineford had already been evacuated, and the plaza was packed densely with Marine soldiers. Amidst the order was a trace of clamor—even though they were all elites from around the world, it was inevitable that they would feel nervous.
As the three Admirals appeared before the execution platform, the Marine soldiers felt a bit more confident—though no one could tell what the Shichibukais were thinking.
By now, Kuma had already undergone full modifications, becoming an emotionless Pacifista, standing in place like a war robot. Hawk Eyes waited for the world’s strongest man to appear, while the most bored one was Hancock.
“Ah, I wonder what Sister Olga is doing right now. Just looking at these men makes me feel disgusted.”
“Snake Princess, you are speaking your thoughts out loud.”
“Shut up! Of course, I know that. But I don’t care about such things. Jinbe, don’t think that just because of that relationship, you can speak to me so casually. Though you’re not as disgusting as the others, you’re still a man.”
At the moment, Hancock was standing at the edge because she didn’t want to be too close to those men. Due to New Fishman Island, Jinbe had interacted with her a few times, making him slightly more tolerable to her.
Seeing that Hancock wasn’t planning to speak to him, Jinbe sat down cross-legged by himself. He was simply confused by this war and just wanted someone to talk to.
“Fuffuffuffu, let’s not make the mood so tense. Everyone must have their own reasons for coming here, right?”
“Kishishishi, of course. A lot of strong shadows will be born here, won’t they? Let more strong ones die! The corpses of the dead, the shadows of the living—those are what I truly want.”
Doflamingo spoke with hidden meaning, but Moria, who had been hiding out in the Florian Triangle like an otaku, didn’t catch on and instead responded eagerly.
Doflamingo didn’t mind and continued speaking to himself.
“Speaking of which, what about the guy who replaced that crocodile b*stard? It was supposed to be a mandatory enlistment—so why are there only six of us?”
Only a few hours remained until departure, yet Blackbeard was still nowhere to be seen. Doflamingo remembered seeing him back in Mariejois. If Blackbeard were to back out at the last moment, he would be truly disappointed.
Doflamingo’s small talk didn’t continue for long, as Sengoku’s speech soon interrupted their whispered chatter. With the revelation that Ace’s father was Roger, the seas were hit with its first wave of shock.
……
On the eve of the execution, Whitebeard’s fleet successfully entered the bay. Prior to this, the Marines had already lost track of the Whitebeard Pirates’ movements. Any surveillance ships they dispatched were sunk immediately, leaving Sengoku with no choice but to wait.
The war arrived as expected, and for the moment, everything was still proceeding according to Sengoku’s plan. The biggest deviation began with the appearance of Little Oars Jr.
This time, he came to rescue Ace on Whitebeard’s orders, to save his good brother. As a descendant of Oars the Continent-Puller, Little Oars Jr. had a simple and honest nature, and got along well with Ace, but he was not as desperate as in the original timeline.
Ace hadn’t gone to Wano Country, nor had he learned how to weave straw hats from the Amigasa Village. Without that layer of sentiment tied to the gifting of the hat, their friendship was slightly weaker.
But this actually posed a bigger problem for the Marines. A Little Oars Jr. who didn’t listen to Whitebeard’s advice in his rage was vastly different from a Little Oars Jr. who advanced in an orderly manner under Whitebeard’s command.
As the war began, the actors’ performances also began to show. The six Shichibukai had, so far, collectively swung their blades just once—other than that, they had made no further moves. If not for the fear of going too far, Jinbe probably wouldn’t have even bothered to stand up.
Taking advantage of Oars’ cover, a large number of pirates successfully broke through into the bay. The Marines’ plan was now set into motion—the steel walls which they had constructed not long ago, rose into place. Because Little Oars Jr.’s body wasn’t there to create an opening, the gap in their encirclement was completely sealed.
Conversely, Squard, who had been misled by Akainu, failed to stab Whitebeard in the back. Thanks to a relatively healthy body, Whitebeard was able to use Haki to block the blade.
……
“Even if you’re a foolish son, I still love you… Squard, whether you choose to believe me or the Marines, that’s up to you.”
Whitebeard did not vent his anger on Squard. Given the current situation, it seemed the Whitebeard Pirates were unable to break through the Marines’ Encircling Wall. Whitebeard was preparing to act personally, but just as he jumped down from the Moby Dick, a sudden change occurred in the sky.
A streak of light tore across the sky, directly crossing over the Marines’ Encircling Wall, carving a deep trench into the plaza, leaving a human-shaped crater at the end.
If that streak of light wasn’t eye-catching enough, then the enormous dragon circling through the clouds certainly was.
Flame clouds coiled around its limbs—at this moment, Kaido had already left Hydreigon’s body, grabbing onto the Flame Clouds as he thrust his head out from within the clouds, his face alight with fervor as he gazed down at the chaotic battlefield below.
“Worororo, Newgate, you’re still the same as ever. Even the most foolish subordinates—you still tolerate them to this extent.”
“Kaido…”
The sudden appearance of Kaido in the sky seemed to disrupt everyone’s thoughts. Even the battle on the ground paused momentarily. Both Whitebeard and Sengoku watched the figure in the sky with intense wariness.
No one knew what this madman was here to do.
“Worororo! What a lavish war you’ve got going on here! In that case, let me… add some fuel to the fire! Blast Breath!”
Blazing flames spewed from Kaido’s mouth. As he swung his dragon head, the fire surged across the ice surface, heading straight toward the execution platform. Pirates from the Whitebeard Pirates and Marines from Marine Headquarters alike were all within Kaido’s range of attack.
And the ultimate point of impact… was the crater that had been blasted open earlier by an unidentified flying object.
The indiscriminate attack made everyone present think he was a lunatic. But in the very next moment, they realized—they had still underestimated Kaido.
“Damn it, father!
“This is your idea of a ‘cool entrance’?
“Who plans something like this?!”
“Cough cough… cough…”
Amidst a fit of coughing, Yamato climbed up from the crater, completely ignoring the surrounding Marine soldiers, and pointed furiously at Kaido in the sky.
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