The sea around Crescent Bay was eerily quiet, the calm before chaos, when suddenly the surface of the water began to shimmer.
Pop, pop, pop
Bubbles rose, and in an astonishing instant dozens of pirate ships burst from the depths of the bay, appearing like ghosts on the surface.
"They've appeared!"
"That's the fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"So terrifying!!"
Sengoku's eyes widened as he stared at the emerging fleet, astonished. "Are all these ships coated and surfacing from under the sea?"
Marines immediately began identifying the ships and captains as they surfaced.
"That's Squard the Great Whirlpool Spider!"
"That ship belongs to Dorma the Knight!"
"Those are the Decalvan Brothers!"
"I didn't expect Uiyvan to come too. Wasn't he on Ganada Island? Why did he come?"
"Confirm Whitebeard's position immediately!"
"Forty or so ships, but the Moby Dick isn't among them!"
"Nor are any ships from the Rolan Pirates!"
From where he knelt on the execution platform, Ace watched the pirate fleet flood into the bay. His tone was a mixture of shock, self‑blame, and awe.
"Why?! You all came too?"
Ace knew many of the captains before him only by reputation, not personal connection. Yet here they were, rallying to Marineford not just as subordinates of Whitebeard but as allies ready for war. Their presence alone was enough to shake the heavens.
Nearby, Gekko Moriah seemed almost gleeful. "Hee hee hee, I feel like I see my zombie army approaching!"
Doflamingo looked up at the sky and let out a loud laugh, "Hehehehe, how exciting this is. Old Man Whitebeard, where are you?! Hurry up and show yourself!"
Sengoku's expression shifted, a sudden realization dawning on him. They infiltrated the bay from below…
Garp, watching the calm waters, added in a rare quiet tone, "He won't show up in the obvious place, right?"
Tsuru stood nearby, worry creasing her brow. If the Moby Dick surfaced within the bay itself, many of Marineford's defenses could be rendered ineffective.
Then, without warning, massive dark shapes began forming beneath the surface of the water within the bay. What looked like ocean swells grew larger and clearer by the second.
Bang
Bang
Bang
Suddenly, four colossal pirate ships burst from the water, crashing into the surface and revealing the unmistakable hull of the Moby Dick among them. Others, equally massive, appeared on either side.
"That's the Moby Dick! Whitebeard's ship!"
"Whitebeard has invaded the bay!"
"That's First Division Commander Marco! And Third Division Commander Jozu!"
"All the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates have arrived!"
"Look at that aura — it's crushing!!"
Marines stood in stunned silence, shock and disbelief rivaling the terror in their hearts at seeing the pirate fleet materialize from beneath the ocean's surface. Sengoku wiped cold sweat from his brow. "He managed to get this close without warning."
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps.
Thump, thump
Thump, thump
Thump, thump
Gulp after gulp, the Marines watched as the Moby Dick's bow came into focus.
When the movement stopped, a massive figure began to emerge from the front of the ship, silhouetted against the tension in the air.
This moment was broadcast to every corner of the world.
"W‑Whitebeard!"
"He actually appeared!"
"This war will tear the world apart."
"No one expected Whitebeard to dare breach Marineford itself!"
Whitebeard stood at the bow, surveying the execution platform where Sengoku and Ace waited.
"Gurarararara, it's been more than a decade since last we met, Sengoku," Whitebeard's voice boomed across the bay.
Sengoku stared back, feeling the powerful aura radiating from Whitebeard, far stronger than he had been led to believe after years of illness. Rumors of Whitebeard's weakened state were proven false; he stood before them with the strength of a true titan.
"Whitebeard!"
"Ace! My beloved son, are you alright?!" Whitebeard called, voice laden with unmistakable emotion as he looked toward Ace kneeling on the platform.
"Whitebeard!" Ace responded, his voice cracking under both guilt and relief. He knew the cost their collision course would have, but seeing Whitebeard there now, prepared to challenge the Marines for his sake, filled him with conflicting emotions.
Whitebeard's massive bisento appeared in his grip as he plunged it into the bow of the Moby Dick for leverage. He spread his stance, planted firmly, muscles coiled in anticipation.
With a roar that resonated like thunder, both of Whitebeard's fists struck outward into the air.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The force of the blows rippled through the atmosphere, seeming to fracture the air itself like splintering glass. Shockwaves spread outward, trembling through the sea and sky. Marines cried out in alarm, feeling the pressure shift beneath their feet.
"Sengoku, what is that power? It's shaking the sea itself!"
"It's the quake ability… Seaquake," Sengoku said, awe and fear rising in his voice.
"The water is receding… what is happening?!"
On the nearby warship carrying Luffy and his group, confusion erupted.
"What is Rolan doing? Why did he disappear at the crucial moment?" Luffy complained wildly from the bow of the ship.
Jinbe, calm and steady as ever, replied, "Rolan said he had urgent business to attend to."
"Ivankov," Luffy added, getting poked by the larger figure beside him. "What's with this Aura!? Is someone causing this?"
"This aura is likely caused by Old Man Whitebeard himself," Ivankov said, eyes wide.
Everyone on the ship felt the power wash over them like an unseen storm.
Jinbe frowned, "That must be Whitebeard."
"Yes," Ivankov concluded, "that power is on par with the strongest pirate alive."