"Zehahaha, what an unexpected surprise!"
Inside a tavern in a certain kingdom along the Grand Line, Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, stared at the newspaper in his hands. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of shock and unrestrained delight, as if fate itself had just handed him a priceless gift.
Fire Fist Ace had been defeated by Donquixote Doflamingo and personally handed over to the Marines.
To Blackbeard, this news was nothing short of perfection.
Doflamingo's actions aligned so closely with his own ambitions that it felt as though he had encountered a kindred spirit. Ever since Ace had boarded his ship in the past, Blackbeard had sensed an unmistakable hostility from him. Ace had never trusted him, not even for a moment.
Then, during a routine mission, Blackbeard had stumbled upon the Devil Fruit he had coveted for years. Without hesitation, he betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates, seized the Dark Dark Fruit, and began carving his own path. He gathered companions, expanded his influence, and wielded the terrifying power of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruit.
At the same time, he hunted pirates with bounties exceeding one hundred million Berries and delivered them to the Marines, steadily building his reputation until he replaced Crocodile as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Recently, Blackbeard had been planning to hunt either Straw Hat Luffy or Fire Fist Ace to advance his grand scheme.
Yet before he could even lift a finger, Doflamingo had already completed the most crucial step for him.
It was an unexpected windfall, so perfect that it felt as though the heavens themselves were backing him.
"Captain," a voice spoke up from below, "it seems someone has already started our plan for us."
Seated beneath Blackbeard were four infamous pirates, each radiating menace.
Jesus Burgess, the Fighting Champion.
Van Auger, the Supersonic sniper.
Doc Q, the Death God, astride his sickly horse.
And Lafitte, the Demon Sheriff, calmly adjusting his cane.
"Wehahaha!" Burgess flexed his massive arms and laughed loudly.
"I believe the Marines will summon the captain soon," Lafitte said softly, adjusting his hat. His tone was calm, as though he were merely stating an obvious fact.
"Zehahaha…" Blackbeard laughed again, deep and unrestrained. At this moment, his mood could only be described as divine favor.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters, Conference Room
The atmosphere inside the vast meeting hall was heavy, thick with tension and the lingering smell of smoke. Even breathing felt oppressive.
A single glance revealed that everyone present was an elite of the Marines. Rear Admirals, Vice Admirals, and even the Admirals themselves were seated around the long table.
Before each of them lay an intelligence dossier.
And the longer they read, the more horrified their expressions became.
Monkey D. Garp sat among them in silence, his posture rigid. From time to time, subtle glances were cast in his direction.
The reason was simple.
According to the intelligence, Fire Fist Ace was not merely a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He was Garp's adopted grandson.
More importantly, flowing through Ace's veins was the bloodline of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
That revelation alone shook the entire room.
"Everyone," Sengoku said at last, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the gathering, "share your thoughts."
This time, Donquixote Doflamingo had truly handed the Marines an enormous and dangerous gift.
Sengoku knew very well that the eyes of the entire world were now fixed on Marineford. The Marines had been pushed to the very front of history, like an arrow drawn tight against a bowstring.
"There is no need for hesitation," Sakazuki said coldly, his voice sharp with righteous fury. "Portgas D. Ace carries the most evil bloodline in history. I propose that he be executed publicly, under the eyes of the entire world."
The conference room fell into an eerie silence.
Even Sengoku's brows twitched slightly.
Sakazuki's suggestion aligned with Sengoku's own thoughts, yet the implications were immense. One wrong move could drag the Marines into total ruin.
Nearby, Enel yawned and casually picked at his ear, appearing lethargic, as if he had not slept enough. Yet inwardly, he was far from indifferent.
Something was wrong.
This development did not follow the path he remembered. Fire Fist Ace should not have fallen to Doflamingo. And more than anything else, Enel's thoughts lingered on that mysterious crystal man mentioned in the reports.
Beside him, Borsalino calmly filed his nails, while Kuzan leaned back with his hat pulled low, seemingly half-asleep. Among the Admirals, only Sakazuki burned with open intensity.
"This will greatly enhance the Marines' prestige," someone said, "and it will also give us a chance to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates."
"I agree with Admiral Sakazuki," another voice followed. "If Fire Fist Ace truly is the son of Gol D. Roger, then he must be eliminated, and he must be eliminated publicly."
"Whitebeard is already old."
One by one, the hawkish officers voiced their support.
"But what if Whitebeard doesn't come?"
"That's impossible. Based on Whitebeard's character, he will definitely come."
"My concern is whether the other Four Emperors or the Revolutionary Army might intervene."
"The scale of this is enormous. One misstep and the Marines themselves could be wiped out."
"This requires long-term consideration."
"Long-term consideration?" someone snapped. "There is only one path left to us, and that is war."
"If we release Fire Fist under pressure, how will the world view the Marines?"
"Releasing him is out of the question."
"Enough."
Sakazuki slammed his fist against the table, the sound echoing through the hall. His furious gaze locked onto Sengoku.
At once, every eye in the room followed.
Garp, Tsuru, and the Admirals had remained silent since the meeting began.
"Let us vote," Sengoku said, rubbing his temples. His gaze briefly flicked toward Garp's stoic face, and unease churned within him
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