Reunion.

In the side of the pirates supporting Ace, there were many whom he knew.

Marco 'The Phoenix', the first division commander of the Whitebeard pirates.

He knew almost all of the other commanders too.

Third division commander 'Diamond' Jozu, Vista of the Flower Sword, etc.

Oden was not to be seen anywhere… Perhaps he had returned to Wano, to live there permanently? He had told Roger that he had been anointed as the Shogun of the land during their travels, though he had not the slightest interest in a stationary life. Oden had been full of life, thriving with each dance and smile.

Gol. D. Roger hoped that his dear friend Kozuki Oden was safe and good, although there was few in this world that could scratch a man such as himself.

Caught up in his own dream world, he shook his head to clear it of all the fuzziness. He had to concentrate now. Annihilate the Navy and rescue Ace. His son was of the utmost importance.

Suddenly, the ground started to rumble with a great sound. Any normal man would've thought that it was Whitebeard's earthquake, though the pirates and the Navy's higher officers knew better.

Consequent to the sound, large slabs of thick steel walls started to rise out from the ground. Each were as tall as to rival the height of the invading ships, except for the famous Moby Dick.

The thick walls completely surrounded the invading force of the pirates, and were a formidable obstacle to them.

With a start of panic, all the pirates started to bang at the wall with their weapons, but were unable to scratch the massive steel defensive barriers. Large cannons appeared from an opening in the walls, unfolding to show it's gleaming outer face. The walls entirely surrounded them, that is to say, except at one space.

The descendant of the great giant Oars who is said to have been able to pull apart an entire continent, Little Oars Jr, lay sprawled over one of the walls. That particular wall, unable to withstand the mass of the immense giant, and moreover getting damaged because of the blood leaking from the giant's body, stood not high but level with the ground.

While most lamented about the walls, some rejoiced that their old friend Oars had helped them even in his death.

Just as Roger started to leap for the purpose of breaking down the walls to reach the tower, Sengoku commanded.

" The situation may not be ideal, but begin regardless… Akainu!!!"

With that roar of a voice, Sengoku grimaced.

Below him, the Admiral Akainu's hand started to bubble. His arms, toned and tanned, started to turn red and blackish in colour, and began to transform into something frothy.

Magma.

The Fleet Admiral continued, his face no less grim and stern. "Melt the ice,… and take away from them their only foothold!"

Akainu of the Magu Magu no mi, raised his arms skywards, and his fists pulsed.

"Ryūsei Kazen'."

His arms, which seemed hot enough to melt iron in seconds, discharged a series of meteors, all in the same shape of his fist, only twenty times as bigger. Some were almost twice as big as that, but all would wreak chaos and destruction wherever they struck.

However, before the first meteor-like gigantic fist found it's mark, the Pirate King took action.

Gol. D. Roger glanced at the meteors, and unsheathed Ace from his sheath.

Not even a drop. Not even a drop of Haki was used in the act of disposing those burning fists of molten magma.

As the hand-like projectiles rained upon the rows of pirates, it was suddenly noticed, that most of them just disintegrated. Ninety nine percent of the pirates ran helter-skelter, each trying to find a place to hide safely.

Only the ten percent, the veterans and the elites, stood calmly to observe and then act.

Sudden waves of pure force spread out in arcs, directed at the meteors. Each was a bluish white crescent that was powerful enough to annihilate a Pacifista. So powerful that when the Pacifista learned of the attack's aggressive might, they would concede and become pacifists.

All the attacks aroused from the Moby Dick, and thus, everyone instinctively glanced towards the ship.

And it was at that moment, did the pirates beheld their King. A reunion of the greatest sorts.

One that would send cheers that would be heard in the Halls of Heaven itself.

With the smoky skies and the rumbling earth, when the pirates looked towards the behemoth-like Moby Dick, on it's top stood a man, with a halo of light surrounding him.

The light rays shone on him, and were produced from him. A truly magnificent effect, and a glorious entry for the Kaizoku-Ō.

All in all, even in a dilemma, the pirates had found a new glimmer of hope.

Though from that long a distance, many were unable to see the person clearly, and many more had not even met Roger, except for seeing his face in the bounty posters.

Everyone, every pirate and even every marine, knew his face from the bounty poster.

All pirates viewed it as something that they should idolise, and all marines look at it and think of him as someone they should stop, if any like him rise in the future.

Yet, the most surprised of all were two of them. The Strongest Man in the World, and the Hero of the Marines.

Garp, who seemed sad enough to be able to dry his eyes of water, now glanced upwards, his face the epitome of disbelief. He could sense it. He could sense the leaking Haki of him. He was able to perceive Roger. There was no doubt about it now. That smart idiot… He was slowly letting fractions of his Haoshoku Haki flow out, and thus conquer the hearts of the pirates. Well, 'conquer' was not the right word, though Garp was not in a position to riffle through his mind to find a word.

Garp of the Fist did not know whether to be happy or not. On one hand, his grandson would get rescued, and he would be able to see his wide smile again, and on the other, he would be failing as a marine, and his duty would disintegrate and fall into ashes.

Meanwhile, on the Marines' enemy ranks, Whitebeard stood still, a smile beginning to light up his face. He had not been this thrilled and full in a long time.

He impaled the ground with his sword's butt, and turned sideways to glimpse at his rival.

Muttering under his breath, he wore a confused chuckle. " Roger…? What in the world… How is he alive? And why did he not show himself before this…? That selfish bastard, his son is going to get executed and he arrives only a few minutes before it… What eccentric gall.. As always.."

On the execution platform, Ace held a mask of the greatest disbelief. His… His father? The Pirate King? No, his only father was Shirohige. That person who abandoned him and let his suffer, not that self-centred person. He blinked his eyes several times, each time trying to shake away the tears that started to form which made the objects go hazy. He could hardly make it out from here.

For a brief moment, Ace and Garp exchanged a glance. A very brief one, but one that carried immense meaning. A hundred messages had passed within those two only by them both looking each other in the eyes.

On the decks of the Moby Dick, Roger dramatically re-sheathed his sword. Flaunting his grace, he gave a hell of a large leap, and landed down below the ship's hull. As dust dissipated from the part where he landed, he released his Haki to flow more.

Red-gold glowing Haki, palely translucent and visible to only a few, was being emitted from his body like tendrils of lightning. Even those who could no see it, could sense it. And this was not even half of his power.

Already, the navy marines began to fall down, becoming dizzy. Each began staggering, and the weakest started to foam through their mouths.

Though the ranks of the pirates stood ever steadfast, because the Colour of the Supreme King can be directed, focused on only the enemy. It is told that the vice versa can also be done; It can be used to protect those allies of yours too.

But there is a limit to what Haoshoku can do. This was the Navy Headquarters, thousands of strong marines were present. When used on such a large population, with even the quality of the Pirate King, the Haki was not able to faze even a the lieutenant classes.

Though a relief was that most of the other inferior-ranked marines fell down flat on the ground, each having a snore with a different rhythm.

The lieutenants trembled on their feet, and the vice-admirals snarled as a sign of hostility.

With a deep yell, the marines surged forward once again, with roars and howls to up their fighting spirit. The clash of steel against steel resumed once again, and Roger calmly danced his sword, gliding through the files and slicing them.

The battle was just beginning.