Marineford, Marshal's Office
Chaos simmered beneath the surface of Marineford's highest command.
"Sengoku, why? I refuse to accept this!" Garp's voice was uncharacteristically grave, his usual brash laughter replaced with a hardened edge.
Sengoku, seated behind his desk, exhaled wearily. "This isn't merely the execution of a pirate, it concerns the justice of the entire world. I implore you to understand."
Garp's face, usually open and jovial, was now tight with conflict. He had known Sengoku for decades, enough to understand the weight of his words. Ace was no ordinary pirate. His lineage alone made him a symbol that resonated across the seas.
Executing Ace publicly was meant to be a deterrent, a statement that even the fiercest blood could be broken under the World Government's justice. It was intended to bolster confidence in the Marines and stabilize a world riddled with unrest since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
Garp stared at Sengoku for a long moment, tension writ into every line of his face, then turned and exited without a word. His hands were balled into fists, knuckles as pale as bone.
Sengoku watched him leave and muttered under his breath, "You bear a part of this burden as well, Garp. You are a Marine sworn to justice, yet you shared in the birth of Portgas D. Ace."
Garp paused, silence lingering on his lips, but he continued walking without responding.
In another office within Marineford
"Just one Whitebeard, is it truly necessary for them to be this nervous?" a lithe man quipped, feet propped upon a desk. His head was bulbous like a spring onion, and his impatience was unmistakable.
"You dare speak of strength without knowing your own limits?" mocked another, seated atop the desk with a pink feathered cloak and red glasses.
They were among the six summoned Shichibukai who had gathered at Marineford. Present were:
Hawkeye Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman
Donquixote Doflamingo, heir of a fallen royal family
Bartholomew Kuma, user of the Paw‑Paw Fruit
Gekko Moriah, once defeated at Thriller Bark
Zane Bambu, the towering Chop‑Chop Fruit user known as Bamboo Pole
Irirus, the temptress wielder of the Tease‑Tease Fruit
Doflamingo sneered at Moriah. "Who gave you the courage to open your mouth?"
"Hee hee hee, let my zombie army show you a lesson then," Moriah growled, rising with undeniable bravado.
Nearby, a nervous Marine junior soldier trembled at the sight, but before he could protest, Irirus advanced toward him.
"This is none of your concern," she purred.
The Marine's eyes instantly glazed with infatuation, hearts gleaming. Streams of red vitality flowed from him into Irirus, leaving his body shriveled like a dried husk.
Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded from the doorway. "Making a spectacle at Marineford, are we? Pirates will be pirates."
The room turned to see an elderly woman with pure white hair standing in the entrance. Draped in a Vice Admiral's coat she was Tsuru, Chief of Staff of the Marines.
"Oh, Granny Tsuru," Doflamingo drawled, immediately ceasing his theatrics.
Moriah snorted and sat back down.
Tsuru's reputation was known throughout the seas. A user of the Wash‑Wash Fruit, she could cleanse foes as if they were garments, leaving only purified thought in their wake. Many pirates regarded her with dread.
"I did not summon you here to bicker and torment our soldiers," Tsuru said before Irirus, her voice composed yet sharp.
Irirus merely flicked a crimson smile back at her.
Marineford Plaza, Crescent Bay
Marineford stood like a fortress amidst Crescent Bay's cerulean waters, nearly fifty colossal warships anchored in protective formation.
In the central plaza, tens of thousands of Marines stood in rigid formation. The echo of discipline was matched only by the sense of tension that hung in the air.
At the front stood the six Shichibukai. Behind them, towering figures of the Giant Vice Admirals loomed. Further still, the massive execution platform awaited its grim purpose.
Though tens of thousands of Marines gathered, not a single idle sound broke the silence.
Then came footsteps, deliberate and ominous.
Thump, thump, thump.
An oppressive force radiated across the plaza, deafening in its weight.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Marines swallowed hard, eyes widening.
"Th‑those are the Admirals!"
Three forms appeared, walking slowly toward the chairs set before the execution platform.
It was Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru, the Marineford Admirals.
In an instant, the plaza erupted.
"We have the three Admirals on our side, Marineford's strongest!"
"We have nothing to fear from Whitebeard!"
"Let's go!"
Officers on the warships barked orders, directing soldiers to prepare cannons and fortify positions.
"Do not underestimate him!" a commander yelled. "Our opponent is Whitebeard! Stay sharp!"
The air bristled with anticipation, every soul on Marineford braced for the storm that was about to descend.