Whitebeard is Here

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Doflamingo chuckled. "Oh ho... Now this is some shocking news."

Even Gecko Moria showed interest. "His biological son survived? That's nothing short of a miracle! I thought everyone connected to Roger was executed back then!"

"About two years ago, when you emerged with the surname of your mother, under the banner of the Spade Pirates, going into the sea with your amazing strength and speed, we finally realized—Roger's bloodline hadn't ended!"

"At the same time, Whitebeard noticed it too. To nurture you as the next Pirate King, he didn't hesitate to bring the son of his former rival aboard his ship."

"That's not it!! I joined to make Pops the Pirate King..." 

"That's what you believe, isn't it? But in truth, the only reason we didn't act recklessly was because Whitebeard was protecting you!"

"If left unchecked, your potential would inevitably place you at the pinnacle of the next pirate era!"

Which is why taking your head here today holds such great significance!"

"Even if it means escalating into an all-out war with Whitebeard!"

"Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh—!!!"

All the marines raised their weapons and shouted in unison.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Urgent report! The Gate of Justice has opened without any orders being issued! We've lost contact with the control room!"

A marine officer reported from the rear.

"What?!"

Sengoku's expression darkened. How could such an incident happen at this moment?

Akira understood immediately—Blackbeard must have made his move.

Suddenly, Akira sensed something. He turned to Sengoku and said, "Fleet Admiral, the enemy has arrived."

Sengoku was taken aback. Where were the enemies?

"They're here—!!"

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" The lookout personnel shouted urgently.

Sengoku raised his head to look into the distance. A fleet of pirate ships had already sailed into view, right in front of Marineford.

"Where did they come from?!"

"It's a massive pirate fleet!!!"

"Thunder Lord McGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, the Great Maelstrom Spider Squard! These renowned figures are all captains who've shaken the New World!"

Sengoku shouted nervously, "Where's Whitebeard?! Confirm his location immediately!"

"A total of 43 ships! But there's no sign of Whitebeard or his division commanders! Still, these are undoubtedly pirates under Whitebeard's flag!"

"Shall we open fire?"

"Hold for now! Whitebeard must be nearby! He's up to something! Maintain strict surveillance of the sea!"

…

The marines remained on high alert, their eyes darting nervously to every movement. While the notorious captains were dangerous, the most terrifying presence was still the man known as the world's strongest—Whitebeard.

"Fufufufufu! This is too exciting! I can't hold back anymore! Come on, Whitebeard!!" Doflamingo shouted gleefully.

Gecko Moria, equally eager, thought to himself—If he could collect Whitebeard's corpse and shadow during this war, it would be the ultimate jackpot, compensating for the loss of his years of hard work.

Blub... blub...

Bubbles began surfacing in the waters of the inner bay near Marineford.

Sengoku's heart sank at the sight. "No… it can't be..."

Soon, a shadow emerged beneath the bay's surface.

SPLASH—!!!

"The Moby Dick has appeared!!!"

Four massive ships erupted from underwater and landed on the sea. Leading them was Whitebeard's infamous flagship, the Moby Dick.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

A figure stepped onto the deck, each step heavy, as if weighing on everyone's hearts.

Clunk.

The figure stood at the bow, his large naginata planted beside him.

He was a giant of a man, with a sailor's headband, a bare chest, and a white coat draped over his shoulders. The most striking feature was the crescent-shaped white mustache on his face.

Sengoku's expression grew grim. "Whitebeard..."

"Gurararara! It's been decades, hasn't it, Sengoku?"

"My beloved son, are you doing well? Gurararara!!"

"To think he's gotten this close! Our plans have failed!" Sengoku's face turned sour.

According to his strategy, the moment Whitebeard's fleet appeared, the marines were to unleash full-scale bombardment. Even if they couldn't eliminate them all, it would significantly weaken them. But Whitebeard had already thrown those plans into disarray by appearing right at their doorstep.

"Hold on a little longer, Ace!"

"Pops!!!"

Ace couldn't suppress his emotions as he saw his father, Whitebeard, arriving with such overwhelming force to rescue him.

Whitebeard, though calm on the surface, was boiling with rage inside.

He crouched slightly, crossed his arms in front of his chest, then swung his fists to either side.

CRACK!!!

Rifts appeared in the air.

"What?! The atmosphere cracked?!!"

"A Sea Quake!!!"

As Whitebeard's long-time adversary, Sengoku instantly recognized the technique.

The space itself seemed to warp, the entire Marineford island trembling violently—though it settled quickly.

"Pops… everyone… It's my fault. I ignored everyone's warnings and acted on my own! Why didn't you just let me perish?! It's because of my recklessness that you're here…"

Ace shouted emotionally. He couldn't bear that Whitebeard, whose health was already deteriorating, had come to save him.

Whitebeard interrupted him. "No, son… I told you to go."

"Liar! Don't lie to me! You clearly tried to stop me back then…"

"I told you to go. Isn't that right, Marco?"

"Oh, I heard it too! You've endured a lot, Ace!"

"In this sea, everyone knows! Anyone who harms our crew won't live to tell the tale!"

"Anyone who hurt you will pay, Ace!!"

"Wait for us!! We'll save you soon!"

"Prepare to die, MARINES!!"

 "…"

The pirates roared with battle cries, vowing to destroy Marineford, kill the Admirals, and take down the Fleet Admiral.

Aokiji frowned. "What a troublesome bunch."

Akainu crossed his arms. "It's too late for words now."

Kizaru muttered, "This is so annoying~~."

He remembered how much Uchiha Akira and Uchiha Shisui had irritated him in the past. And now, even these stray dogs—who would normally flee at the sight of him—had the audacity to invade Marineford and shout openly. They were only this bold because of Whitebeard's reputation. Without him, these pirates wouldn't even warrant attention.

"Kyahaha! We've got the Seven Warlords, the full might of Marine HQ, three Admirals, and 100,000 soldiers here. Whitebeard, how are you planning to take us down with your measly 40 pirate ships?" Gecko Moria jeered excitedly.

"Fufufu! This is exhilarating!" Doflamingo grinned, his bloodlust barely contained. After all, this could be the war where he took Whitebeard's head.

Suddenly, a deafening rumble shook the ground.

"What's that tremor?!"

The ground beneath Marineford quaked violently, making it hard for people to stay on their feet. On both sides of the base, the surrounding ocean rose dramatically, forming two colossal waves, each over a thousand meters high, surging toward Marineford.

"It's a tsunami!"

"So massive!"

Sengoku's expression darkened. "Don't think that just because we have the numbers, we're guaranteed victory! We could be the ones facing the end here. That man… he possesses the power to destroy the world itself!"

"War… has begun."

---

The sight of the enormous waves made it clear to everyone that the battle between Marine HQ, the Seven Warlords, and the Whitebeard Pirates had truly started.

"...Run!!"

"It's a tsunami!!"

Shisui, standing nearby, was visibly shocked. "What a massive tsunami!"

He couldn't fathom the kind of power that could trigger such an enormous tidal wave.

Akira calmly explained, "It's the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. It allows him to create massive vibrations. That was a seaquake he just triggered."

Even though he'd seen it in the anime, witnessing such a force in person was an entirely different experience.

"What monstrous power! So this is the stuff of legends! Fufufufufu!" Doflamingo laughed in delight.

Meanwhile, the Marines were stricken with terror, their faces pale.

"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard roared with laughter.

In response, Aokiji leaped from his chair, his body covered in ice. "Ice Age!"

He unleashed a wave of freezing energy, extending ice spears from his palms that struck the oncoming tsunamis. The massive waves froze instantly, solidifying into colossal walls of ice towering over Marineford.

"It stopped!"

"We're safe!"

The Marines let out sighs of relief. If those waves had crashed down, who knew how many would've survived.

Whitebeard shifted his gaze to Aokiji. "Aokiji, huh… You've grown into quite the troublesome one, haven't you?"

Aokiji retaliated with a barrage of icy spears. "Ice Spikes!"

Whitebeard responded with a simple punch into the air.

Crack!

The ice shattered, and Aokiji's body crumbled into pieces before dropping into the sea below.

In an instant, the freezing cold spread across the bay, solidifying the water and immobilizing the pirate ships. The Whitebeard Pirates were now trapped, unable to retreat.

"Fire the cannons!"

"Destroy the Moby Dick!"

Explosions echoed as countless cannonballs rained down on Whitebeard's flagship and the three other pirate ships beside it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Perfect, now we've got a solid foothold!"

"Attack! Show them what we're made of!"

"Push forward! Don't stop!"

The pirates charged toward Marineford, while the Marines responded in kind.

"Marines, engage! Hold them at the walls!"

The gates of Marineford opened, releasing waves of soldiers who clashed with the pirates in a chaotic battle.

Amidst the fighting, the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates emerged, facing off against Marine Vice-Admirals.

Sengoku watched grimly. "It's begun at last…"

This wasn't just a battle for Marineford—it was a fight for the survival of the Marine itself. If they lost, the world would descend into chaos, and the credibility of the World Government would crumble. Nations might withdraw their allegiance, leaving the world in turmoil.

But if they succeeded in defeating Whitebeard, the Great Pirate Era would end.

The Marine had staked everything on this gamble.

"Uchiha Akira, it's your turn!"

Sengoku turned to Akira.

Akira raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "What? Isn't the main character supposed to show up last?"

He'd planned to observe for a while longer, but Sengoku was already demanding action.

Sengoku's face darkened. "Do you think this is a joke? You signed a contract and took the money!"

Akira waved dismissively. "Fine, fine. It's just a bit of cash, no need to be so stingy."

"'A bit of cash'?! That was 5 billion!" Sengoku roared. The nerve of this brat! The government had offered Whitebeard's bounty of 5 billion, and Akira demanded the same amount upfront. If it hadn't been approved by higher-ups, Sengoku wouldn't have agreed to such a ridiculous deal.

Akira nonchalantly picked his ear. "Yeah, 5 billion. Got it. I'll fight like it's worth 5 billion. Don't worry—I'll make it worth your money."

With a light push off his toes, Akira soared into the air, drifting toward Whitebeard.

The battle between Akira and Whitebeard was about to begin.

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