"We can't let Teach continue acting recklessly!"
Aboard the Moby Dick, the towering figure of Whitebeard finally stirred.
Until now, he had stood like an unmoving mountain—observing, enduring.
But Teach's actions were spiraling beyond control.
Artificial Devil Fruits.
Mythical beasts.
Mass production.
If this continued, the balance of the battlefield would tip irreversibly.
Whitebeard's eyes darkened.
If he didn't act soon…
They might truly lose.
Before he could move—
The battlefield shifted again.
The Pacifista
Rows of towering figures emerged.
Cold.
Identical.
Expressionless.
The Pacifista.
Weapons engineered by Dr. Vegapunk, modeled after Bartholomew Kuma, and armed with laser technology derived from Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi.
Each unit possessed:
Kuma's monstrous durabilityLaser weaponry replicating Admiral-level firepowerDestructive capability surpassing warships
Dozens of Pacifista sealed the crescent harbor exit.
At the same time—
Aokiji raised a colossal ice wall, locking the Whitebeard Pirates inside.
A perfect encirclement.
Then—
Pew.
Pew.
Pew.
Laser beams erupted.
Unlike Kizaru's precise piercing shots, these detonated on impact—combining speed with explosive force.
The harbor turned into a furnace of light and blood.
Pirates were blasted apart.
Ships shattered.
Even Marines caught in the crossfire fell screaming.
Whitebeard's expression hardened.
"So, you don't even hesitate to sacrifice your own men?"
He raised his voice, shaking the sea itself.
"Don't falter! Break through them in one charge!"
His words restored some cohesion.
But—
The true blade was already poised behind him.
Among the allied captains stood Squard, the captain of the Spade Pirates' allied crew—known as the "Great Vortex Spider."
His mind had already been poisoned.
Earlier—
He had been confronted by Akainu.
Akainu had not killed him.
Instead, he had whispered.
"Whitebeard has already made a deal.
Your 43 allied crews… in exchange for Ace's life."
Squard already carried resentment.
Long ago, his comrades had died at the hands of the Roger Pirates.
And now—
The son of Gol D. Roger was the reason they were risking annihilation?
Under pressure.
Under fear.
Under manipulation—
His resolve shattered.
Squard stepped forward.
Spoke passionately.
Declared loyalty.
Whitebeard watched with tired pride.
Then—
A blade flashed.
It pierced through Whitebeard's chest.
Blood spilled across the deck.
The giant staggered.
Fell to one knee.
Gasps echoed across Marineford.
Time froze.
"Squard…"
Marco roared.
He abandoned his clash midair, ignored Onigumo's pursuit, and dove back to the Moby Dick in blue flame.
He smashed Squard down.
"Why?!"
Squard screamed back:
"You knew my hatred for Roger!"
"You still chose to save his son!"
"Akainu told me everything! You traded us for Ace!"
The accusation rang out.
Suspicion spread like wildfire among the allied pirates.
Pacifista lasers continued to blast through flesh and steel.
Retreat was sealed by ice.
Fear mounted.
"Did he… betray us?"
"Dad, say something!"
"Father—!"
Whitebeard listened.
To their doubt.
To their fear.
To their trembling voices.
He understood.
This was the Navy's true strategy.
Not brute force—
But fracture.
Exploit hesitation.
Turn sons against father.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then—
He stood.
Even with a blade through his torso.
He pulled Squard into an embrace.
"What a foolish son…"
"I know you hate Roger."
"But should a son pay for his father's sins?"
"Has Ace ever betrayed you?"
"Have we not endured countless battles together?"
His voice trembled—not with weakness, but emotion.
"Since the day we met at sea… you were my family."
"It isn't that Ace is special."
"If it were any of you—"
"I would come."
"You are all… my sons."
Silence fell.
Squard collapsed into tears.
Whitebeard did not strike him.
Did not condemn him.
Even stabbed—
Even betrayed—
He still chose love.
Across the battlefield—
Marines watched in stunned silence.
Pirates wept openly.
Even hardened veterans felt something twist in their chests.
This was why the Whitebeard Pirates were feared.
Not for power alone.
But for bonds.
And far in the distance—
Teach watched.
Smiling faintly.
Because now—
The war had entered its most dangerous stage.
Not weapons.
Not Devil Fruits.
But belief.
And belief—
Was far more explosive than any laser.
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