Three days later. Alteila Island was a place of breathtaking natural beauty, with its sprawling mountain ranges and lush forests. Its inhabitants lived a peaceful life, untroubled by pirate raids, because the island served as the base for the Whitebeard Pirates, led by the world's strongest man.
This tranquility was shattered by the arrival of an uninvited guest: the newly appointed Emperor, Marshall D. Teach, known as Blackbeard. Though titled a "Fifth Emperor," he was effectively the fourth, as Whitebeard had not been seen for two years. The island's residents feared the legendary pirate had succumbed to injuries sustained during the Paramount War.
Following that war, Fire Fist Ace and his brothers, Vale D. Drake and Monkey D. Luffy, had also vanished from the public eye. While many believed the legend of the four brothers had ended, Sabo of the Revolutionary Army remained active. However, rumors of their demise were recently dispelled when Luffy set sail and defeated the Warlord Doflamingo.
Due to Drake's two-year seclusion, the timeline had now reached the aftermath of the Dressrosa incident. Doflamingo was being escorted to Impel Down by four Marine warships. Meanwhile, Apoo—rewarded for his role in dealing with the Kidd Pirates—had been stationed at Ge Isle by Kaido, only to be recently eliminated by Ace.
At sea, a fleet of ten pirate ships emerged, sailing toward Alteila Island. On the shore, Marco and the Whitebeard Pirates watched their approach with somber expressions.
"Marco... it has been two years," Vista remarked calmly, despite the overwhelming force before them.
The crew had anticipated this day, knowing that only the lingering fear of "Pops" had kept enemies at bay for so long.
While the Whitebeard Pirates knew their leader was alive, the rest of the world remained skeptical.
Blackbeard had spent these two years slowly consuming Whitebeard's territory, moving cautiously until today, when he finally launched a full-scale assault.
Blackbeard was convinced Whitebeard was dead. He believed any medicine used to temporarily restore the old man's health during the war must have had fatal side effects. Furthermore, Blackbeard knew Whitebeard's protective nature; the fact that the old man hadn't intervened after two years of provocations and the killing of his subordinates and civilians proved he was no longer with the crew.
"Zehahahaha!" Blackbeard stood at the front of his lead ship, laughing manically.
His ship featured large logs on its sides, resembling a primitive raft, and flew the flag of three skulls.
Unexpectedly, the former Marine Admiral Aokiji stood behind him, looking ahead with cold indifference.
Burgess, who had once been defeated by Aokiji, was also present among the fleet.
The vast armada was commanded by figures like Shiryu of the Rain, Van Augur, Avalo Pizarro, and Laffitte, each eager to witness the fall of the world's greatest pirate crew.
"Yes, two years," Marco said with a free-spirited smile. "This will likely be our final battle. Teach's strength and influence have grown beyond our reach. Today, let us fight once more for the glory of the Whitebeard Pirates!". The division commanders smiled in agreement, ready to shed blood for their "family".
"Fire!" Marco ordered.
Whitebeard's forces unleashed a barrage of cold, heavy cannon fire.
"Zehahaha... quite merciless," Blackbeard laughed as shells rained down.
On his command, the Blackbeard Pirates countered: Van Augur sniped incoming shells out of the air, and Burgess used a massive air pressure wave from his swinging arms to incinerate clusters of projectiles.
The Blackbeard fleet returned fire, locking onto the shore.
"Close in!" Blackbeard commanded. As the ships approached, Vista leaped forward, unleashing a powerful cross-slash with his twin blades toward the lead vessel. The Whitebeard Pirates cheered, knowing Vista's slashes could easily cleave a warship. Vista held nothing back, fully aware that without a Yonko-level combatant, their chances of victory were slim.
Blackbeard remained unperturbed and glanced at Aokiji. "It's your turn". Without a word, Aokiji stepped forward, created a staff of ice, and plunged it into the sea. He hoisted a gargantuan block of ice from the depths, intercepting Vista's cross-slash in a massive explosion of force.