Since the emergency assembly order was issued, the Navy fortress standing at the peak of the Grand Line had transformed into a high-speed war machine.
One by one, warships bearing the Seagull flag arrived from across the world, docking densely in the harbor. Their cannons bristled, pointing skyward.
Amid this atmosphere of tension, an unassuming merchant ship, guided by a special pass, slowly made its way to the central dock, the highest-security zone.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Chief of Staff Tsuru had been waiting there.
Creak.
The cabin door opened.
A cold chill spread outward first.
Kuzan stepped into view.
Two squads of the Navy's elite followed closely behind, escorting two figures bound in heavy Sea-Prism Stone shackles as they descended the gangplank.
Clink.
The chains dragged across the deck, sharp and grating.
At the front was Ace.
But Sengoku's gaze went past him, locking onto the person behind.
The figure kept his head down, black hair in disarray hiding his face.
"Marshall D. Teach," Sengoku said slowly, his voice deep and commanding.
"Sometimes, you don't realize something until you check. And when I did, it startled me."
"The bloodline of Rocks D. Xebec… still exists in this world."
Ace whipped his head around, stunned, staring at the silent man behind him.
He had heard that name from his father when he had been drinking.
A tyrant darker and more chaotic than even the Roger era, a legend his father had once served.
And this unremarkable man, who betrayed his crewmates for the sake of a Devil Fruit, was of that very bloodline?
Teach remained silent, head still lowered.
But beneath the shadow of his black hair, his eyes were wide as copper bells.
Discovered?!
How could this be?
He had hidden this secret for decades. How did the Navy find out?
He had dared to hope, thinking he might at most be thrown into Impel Down. Survive, and there would be a chance to rise again.
But now…
The Fleet Admiral had just unveiled his heritage. Could he even survive this?
All of his decades of restraint, the fruit he had coveted, his dream of ruling the seas…
It was all over.
Sengoku snorted coldly.
"Take them down."
The soldiers advanced, dragging the shocked Ace and the despairing Teach to the deepest cells in headquarters, reserved for the highest-level criminals.
Sengoku turned to Kuzan.
"Good work, Kuzan."
"Eh…"
Kuzan scratched his head.
"Compared to Sakazuki stationed in the New World and Borsalino constantly running around, I just conveniently caught two small-time pirates."
Sengoku laughed, patting Kuzan on the shoulder.
"These two pirates are key to the balance of the seas. Rest well. War is about to begin."
Kuzan nodded and turned away.
During the war, Hawk will return.
He wondered how Robin, who had followed Hawk, was faring now.
At that moment, another warship slowly entered the headquarters' harbor.
At the bow stood the Navy's Chief Instructor, Zephyr.
He had brought the rookies trained at G-3 to Marineford.
Per Sengoku's orders, the five Hawk-class Vice Admirals remained stationed at G-3.
That base was now the Navy's true foundation, and any failure would be unacceptable.
From the shadows of the dock, a figure emerged. Garp.
Zephyr saw his old friend and greeted him.
"Garp!"
Garp asked bluntly,
"Did you bring him?"
Zephyr nodded and sighed.
"I told him Ace was about to be publicly executed. The kid caused a huge scene. I had to knock him out and lock him in the ship's cell. He should be awake by now."
"Thank you, old friend," Garp's hoarse voice replied.
Zephyr patted Garp on the shoulder. After a long pause, he only let out a sigh, a thousand words condensed into that single sound.
Garp said nothing more. He walked onto the ship, heading straight to the cell deep inside.
Inside, Luffy sat on the floor, still bearing the bruises from being knocked out.
Garp entered.
Luffy's eyes shot up as he saw his grandfather. His pent-up anger and confusion erupted instantly.
"Grandpa! You're a Navy hero! Why?!"
"Why didn't you save Ace?!"
"Why?!"
Garp roared,
"I want to ask you the same thing!"
"Why were you so disobedient?!"
His eyes were bloodshot as he jabbed a finger at Luffy's nose.
"If you had just obeyed back then!"
"Not listened to those foolish words about pirate freedom!"
"If you had become excellent Marines!"
"Then I'd dare anyone on this sea to lay a finger on either of you!"
"Who would dare?!"
Garp took a deep breath, his voice heavy with sorrow and resolve.
"But you didn't. You chose to be pirates, choosing to oppose justice."
"Therefore, you must pay the price for your choices."
"Death… is the price Ace must pay."
Luffy froze, stunned by his grandfather's agonized decisiveness.
Silence fell over the cell.
After a long moment, Garp took a Navy uniform from his pocket and tossed it inside.
"Put it on."
"You can still see Ace one last time."
In the deepest cells of Marineford, two rooms faced each other.
Ace was locked in one, shackles heavy.
In the shadowed cell opposite, Teach curled up on the floor.
Clang.
The iron door opened.
A tall figure stepped inside.
Ace lifted his head. When he recognized the visitor, his pupils constricted sharply.
Garp, usually smiling cheerfully, now looked as hard and immovable as stone.
Behind him stood a boy.
The boy wore a Navy uniform, clutching his iconic straw hat tightly in his hand.
Ace's mind went completely blank.
Seeing his brother chained, Luffy's panic overpowered all reason. He lunged at the cell.
"I'm here to save you! We'll break out together!"
"Break out?"
Ace stared at Luffy, a wave of absurd despair rising within him.
This was Marineford, the absolute heart of the Navy!
Bang!
Garp's iron fist struck Luffy on the head.
Stars flashed in Luffy's eyes as he collapsed.
Garp walked straight to Ace's cell and sat down in silence.
After a long pause, his voice finally broke the quiet.
"Ace, this is my fault."
No boldness, no heroics only exhaustion and regret.
"I shouldn't have let you go to sea back then."
"I was busy chasing pirates and neglected raising you."
"It's because of me you walked this path of no return."
Ace remained silent, biting his lip.
Garp inhaled deeply. His tone shifted, icy and resolute.
"Ace, the era has changed."
"Even if you weren't caught this time, you would die in the future."
"The moment you chose to be a pirate, bearing Whitebeard's name, your fate was sealed."
"The Navy now is not the Navy you once knew."
"Everything… is beyond change."
Ace's eyes widened, confusion and dread flooding them.
"Grandpa… what do you mean?"
Garp rose, his towering presence enveloping Ace.
"It means the Navy has fully unleashed its power."
"Every pirate on this sea will die."
"First in line, the Four Emperors the Whitebeard Pirates will be completely wiped out here at headquarters!"
Ace's pupils dilated to their maximum.
"!!!"