Whitebeard was constantly monitoring the situation at Oars' location.
Based on the current circumstances, Oars had successfully deceived everyone.
Pierced through the throat by Shichibukai Moria's shadow spike and bombarded by various cannons, the giant lying on the ground appeared to have completely lost mobility.
Even Whitebeard could no longer sense his life force.
This was what Oars had told them—feigned death.
Now, there were two passages leading into the plaza.
One was naturally created by Oars with his own body.
The other was formed when Kizaru was kicked away by Marco, exploding from the impact.
Massive numbers of soldiers from the Giant Squad were concentrated before both passages.
Their ranks ranged from the lowest being Rear Admirals to the highest being Vice Admirals. Standing straight with serious expressions, they appeared determined to defend these two passages with their lives.
Even as the terrifying Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders and subordinate captains drew closer, they showed no signs of retreat.
Whitebeard stood at the highest point of the Moby Dick.
Watching the smoothly advancing battle, he felt something was amiss.
From the beginning until now, only three of the Shichibukai had taken action.
All other high-level combatants were observing from the rear, only deploying some elite soldiers and Giant officers to engage them.
Were they looking down on him too much?
This question arose in Whitebeard's mind.
Unusual occurrences always hint at hidden schemes.
Whitebeard and Marco, who also harbored suspicions about the Marines, simultaneously deduced two possibilities.
They tacitly thought of two potential scenarios.
First: To allow the surrounding Visual Den Den Mushi to capture sufficient footage for creating news about the Marines crushing the Whitebeard Pirates.
Like the current scene, there would always be photos that could be used for propaganda.
[The Marines can stop the Whitebeard Pirates' elites with only mid-to-low level combatants!]
[Marine soldiers fear neither death nor the vast disparity in power, bravely facing the enemy; all to create a brighter future for ordinary people!]
[This is the Marines' justice!]
These and other news headlines could help portray the Marines in a positive light.
This possibility certainly existed, but it shouldn't be the main reason.
As long as the Marines won the war, such news could be pieced together afterward.
Therefore, the second possibility seemed more likely.
The second possibility was: A trap!
Luring the enemy deeper.
And this crescent-shaped bay was perfectly suited for an encirclement and annihilation battle.
The five-kilometer diameter ice surface was surrounded by Marine forward bases and artillery positions.
Now, all members of the Whitebeard Pirates had entered this crescent-shaped bay.
But such an encirclement plan seemed too simplistic.
Any decision-maker with half a brain would recognize the possibility of being surrounded when looking at Marineford's map.
...
As the battle continued, only ten pirate ships carrying crew remained behind the Moby Dick.
They were the contingency plan Whitebeard and Marco had prepared in advance; their purpose was to prevent complete encirclement.
Even so, the distance between these ten ships and their frontline comrades had grown too large for effective support.
Marco, flying in the air, frowned. If the Marines planned an encirclement, they should have started by now.
Why hadn't they begun yet? Any further delay would render over half of the artillery batteries useless.
...
On the Navy's side, however, the three Admirals had all returned to their chairs beneath the execution platform.
The three of them gazed calmly at the battlefield below.
The pirates had already advanced nearly halfway across the five-kilometer-wide ice field.
The Navy soldiers fought while retreating, seemingly at a significant disadvantage, but the actual casualty count remained within controllable limits.
After another ten minutes, only one hour and thirty minutes remained until Ace's execution.
The Whitebeard Pirates had pushed the battlefield to the front third of the ice field.
At this point, the density of the Navy's 50,000 active forces below was increasing. A retreat-oriented strategy was no longer feasible.
It was time for a head-on confrontation.
Akainu glanced at Sengoku. "Begin, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. We must play our part to the fullest."
Sengoku, standing on the execution platform with his hands behind his back, nodded in response to Akainu.
"Alright. Sakazuki, deploy the elite Vice Admirals and the two Admiral Candidates to the battlefield."
Akainu adjusted his naval cap, revealing a confident yet dangerous smile.
"Understood."
...
Within a minute, the Navy's top fighters were deployed on a large scale.
Ten elite Vice Admirals and twenty regular Vice Admirals all entered the ice field battlefield below.
In addition, there were already fifty Rear Admirals present on the field.
Their presence restricted the movements of many captains and most division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Especially when facing elite Vice Admirals like Momonga, Yamakaji, and Doberman; only the division commanders could hold their ground, while captains of the subordinate pirate crews struggled to resist.
After several positional adjustments, the only ones still able to advance were "Diamond" Jozu and "Flower Sword" Vista.
...
As for the battlefield below the Rear Admiral level, although the Navy soldiers launched a counterattack with the help of the Vice Admirals, they were still at a disadvantage against the fiercely aggressive pirates.
At that moment, hundreds of extremely fast-moving figures joined their ranks.
Among them were Smoker, Tashigi, Hina, and others.
They were all masters of the Rokushiki, and many of them were Devil Fruit users.
This group represented the Navy's reserve talents of the current era.
As long as they survived, they would become the next generation of high-ranking Navy officers.
Their arrival suppressed the ordinary officers and other pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even among the Whitebeard Pirates, most had not mastered Haki.
As ordinary individuals, they struggled greatly when facing Rokushiki masters and Devil Fruit users.
But there was no other way—those who could use Haki were mostly intercepted by the Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals.
In such an environment, Smoker became the center of attention, defeating anyone he encountered.
Even when occasionally facing one or two pirates who could use Haki, he could overpower them with his superior physical skills.
Tashigi's months of rigorous swordsmanship training paid off, as she repeatedly achieved merits after joining the battlefield.
However, many could still threaten her, and without Smoker's assistance nearby, she would have surely been injured.
Hina's cage ability held a significant advantage on this battlefield.
With high density and large numbers, she could trap many enemies at once, releasing allies while confining foes.
Moreover, Hina herself was highly capable.
Both she and Smoker possessed the combat prowess of regular Vice Admirals, though they had not yet accumulated enough achievements for the rank.
Deploying these two against ordinary pirates was simply overwhelming.
...
With the mobilization of the Navy's elite fighters, the Whitebeard Pirates' offensive progress was significantly hindered.
Marco observed the scene below and shifted into contemplation mode.
Since the Navy had dispatched experts to block their path, it was unlikely they would activate any traps in the short term.
Hovering in the air, Marco stroked his chin thoughtfully before shouting to the remaining crew.
"Jozu, Vista, break through their lines!"
Upon hearing Marco's command, Diamond Jozu, the 3rd Division Commander, activated his ability and charged fiercely toward the Giant Vice Admiral blocking the passage.
Flower Sword Vista, the 5th Division Commander, unleashed massive sword slashes aimed at the Giant Vice Admiral.
At a glance, the Whitebeard Pirates still maintained the upper hand on the frozen battlefield below.
They still had their captain Whitebeard, Marco, Jozu, and Vista remaining unengaged in combat.
But this advantage was an illusion.
For at the very moment Jozu and Vista were about to breach the Navy ranks, two Navy figures appeared, firmly blocking their advance.
Seeing the two coming to their aid, the Navy soldiers cheered excitedly, shouting their names.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi!"
"Vice Admiral Chaton!"
With the appearance of the Admiral Candidates, swordsman Vista's dual blades clashed with swordmaster Momousagi's renowned sword.
Jozu's diamond body grappled with Chaton's earth giant form.
In the four-way battlefield, ice fragments flew everywhere, creating a hundred-meter radius where no one could approach.
...
Under these circumstances, the Whitebeard Pirates only had two remaining members who could be mobilized.
First Division Commander Marco and their captain, Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
Meanwhile, all available Navy forces were positioned in the inner plaza: 50,000 elite soldiers.
Over a dozen Navy Vice Admirals, including the two legendary Vice Admirals—Garp and Tsuru.
50 Rear Admirals.
And most terrifying of all— Three Admirals.
One Fleet Admiral.
And overseeing everything from the rear, the former Navy Fleet Admiral, current Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's Armed Forces: Kong.
The disparity was staggering.
It was truly terrifying!