The Red-Haired and Whitebeard pirate crews have already set sail from their respective territories.
CP agents, spread across the world, immediately relayed the intelligence back to the World Government, and then to the Marines.
Two Yonko crews were about to arrive at Marineford for an all-out war.
Immense pressure, like dark clouds, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
But the Marines would not fear, nor had they ever feared.
For the past eight hundred years, the Marines had endured countless trials even more severe than the present, yet until now, the Marines still stood firm.
In these eight hundred years, the Marines had been the pinnacle of existence on this Grand Line.
As it was for the past eight hundred years, so it would be for the next hundred.
Impel Down's defenses were now unprecedentedly strict.
To ensure that the Red-Haired Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates didn't launch a surprise attack, Impel Down's defenses were even stricter than before.
Zephyr, Kong, and Garp personally came to the Great Prison.
Even if the two Yonko pirate crews bypassed the Gates of Justice, they would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat within the Great Prison.
And the day after tomorrow was the execution day.
Garp had descended into Impel Down today.
He was there to retrieve his two grandsons.
To ensure absolute foolproofness, the Five Elders intended to transfer the two high-profile prisoners early, executing them a day in advance! They knew Whitebeard was nearing Marineford, and the Five Elders didn't intend to give him extra preparation time; they wanted to force Whitebeard to directly storm Marine Headquarters and receive the Marines' most extravagant welcome.
Heavy footsteps slowly approached.
Garp, with half his face shrouded in shadow, showed no discernible expression.
He sat cross-legged in front of his grandsons' prison cell, his voice deep.
"Time's up, Luffy, Ace."
"Grandpa..."
Luffy, his eyes still heavy with sleep, looked up at his grandfather sitting cross-legged outside the cell door.
He yawned, but spoke with surprising calm, "Is it today?"
"Ah, it's today. I won't save you," Garp said, crossing his arms and speaking in a deep voice.
"Not only that, but I'll also fight against those who try to save you... Don't blame me, this is the path you've chosen!" Garp's shoulders trembled slightly.
This man, who had never feared or given up hope even when facing a formidable enemy like Rocks, now felt only deep, dark despair.
He had his justice-Garp's justice, Marine justice! Even if it meant he had to escort his two closest grandsons to the execution platform, watching them die with his own eyes.
"What should I do, you brats... why didn't you live as I told you to!!!"
Garp roared, tears streaming down from the shadows.
Ace and Luffy could only stare blankly at their grandfather's single display of weeping.
In the shadows, Kong and Zephyr watched quietly.
Zephyr closed his eyes, while Kong's expression was very deep.
They both understood the inevitability of justice, and they understood the meaning of sacrifice even more.
The word 'justice' was not so simple as just saying it.
It meant responsibility and a heavy price...
This world was not black and white; more often than not, it was a clash of stances.
Even though he found it unbearable to exert such cruel pressure on his old friend, for the sake of justice, this was a necessary sacrifice...
Everyone has their own justice.
Zephyr's wife and daughter died at the hands of pirates, his entire crew of students were killed by Edward Weevil, and he himself lost an arm, yet despite all this, he still adhered to his justice of not killing.
Kong was like this, Sengoku was like this, Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru were also like this.
People yearned for pirates because of the unrestrained freedom on the high seas.
And the Marines, the arch-enemies of pirates, were the other side, the exact opposite.
The pure white cloak of justice on their backs was both glory and responsibility; it was a heavy burden that, when faced with a choice, became heavier than anything else.
Garp was a qualified Marine, an absolute Marine hero! Even bearing the burden of seeing his two grandsons die with his own eyes, he still carried it, solemnly fulfilling his responsibility as a Marine.
Great righteousness overriding personal affections is not something that's simply spoken.
Zephyr and Kong watched Garp leave Impel Down Level 6 with his two grandsons.
The shouts of the Straw Hats' companions gradually faded.
Zephyr clenched his left fist, looking at Kong, and said in a deep voice, "Why did you let Garp come?!"
"That's the Five Elders' order." Kong crossed his arms, closing his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "They don't trust Garp. They want Garp to prove that he still carries the heavy burden! Otherwise... they'd rather let Garp remain a hero forever."
Zephyr's expression froze for a moment, a chill seeping into his heart.
Only dead heroes are eternal heroes, unblemished idols.
The Five Elders had completely lost their patience with Garp; sending him and Kong was to monitor Garp, and if necessary... to directly intervene.
The Five Elders didn't trust Garp, not even the Marines.
They wanted to execute Ace and Luffy, not because they were pirates, but simply because of their fathers.
Kong left Impel Down, and a deep melancholy appeared in Zephyr's eyes.
This wasn't the first time.
He always firmly believed in his justice against pirates, but was the World Government, for which he fought... truly just?
...
The sight of a sunset is always so melancholic.
The sun, illuminating all things, slowly sets in the west, painting the clouds a reddish hue.
The twilight glow evokes a sense of wistfulness.
The Golden Lion's Sky Island floats above the sea of clouds, where the evening scenery is especially beautiful and particularly evocative.
Leaning against the palm of the giant robot, Shin, stripped to the waist, quietly watched the twilight, the light in his eyes fading with the setting sun.
Sunset is a natural law, but no one can stop the sunrise.
A new day will always come, and the rising sun will eventually sweep away this dim light.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter~
This originally very artistic atmosphere was suddenly broken by the sound of footsteps.
"Dr. Indigo, didn't I tell you to change your shoes earlier?" Shin looked at Indigo, who was approaching, displeased.
The atmosphere he had just created was instantly ruined by his footsteps.
Indigo said nothing, just walked up to Shin and spoke, "As you ordered, everyone has been sent down."
"Is that so? Good then." Shin smiled slightly.
There were many indigenous people on Gold Lion's Sky Island, all unfortunate souls who had been yanked into the sky along with the island by Gold Lion.
These people had helped Shin's factory significantly during this period, and now, it was time to give them their freedom.
As for the New Flying Pirates' crew members? Their only fate was to work overtime in the factory until death, and then be buried with this island.
"Speaking of which, this is our first official meeting, isn't it?"
Shin looked at Indigo with interest.
Having communicated with people through Prayers behind the scenes so many times, it felt quite fresh to speak to someone with his true body like this.
"What will happen to this island in the future?" Indigo asked, stepping on his shoes, somewhat melancholically.
That question was quite pointless.
Shin had already dismissed most of the innocent people, risking being traced back to his lair by releasing them.
The reason was simple, of course.
He no longer needed this giant sky island cluster; its mission as a base had ended.
"Doctor, you should find a good place to live in seclusion too. You've wasted twenty years on an illusory goal; it's time you took some time to enjoy life."
"My twenty years weren't wasted." Indigo said indifferently, "Following Shiki to cultivate these ferocious beasts, to destroy the East Blue, that was my life's goal. Everything I have is tied to this island. Even if Shiki leaves, I won't leave here."
"Heh, suit yourself."
Shin chuckled softly, stretched lazily, and said cheerfully, "One more day, the last day. When tomorrow's sun rises, it will be my last day in this One Piece world."
Tomorrow will be very lively, and very dangerous.
He will accomplish something earth-shattering.
From its roots, he will completely change this world.
Tomorrow, many people will die, and the lives of countless others will be changed forever, but Shin didn't feel any discomfort.
Perhaps his mentality had completely shifted; that ordinary life had completely bid him farewell, and what remained was perhaps just a standard evaluator.
"Tomorrow, perhaps, will be my last day here. No regrets, just pure exhilaration!!!"
He stretched out his hand, and a massive blue and white steel giant knelt on the ground, its towering face ferocious and cold, just like the name of its namesake, the Gundam Barbatos.
He faced the giant Gundam, spread his arms, and laughed joyfully.
"Who dares defy me, who possesses Bael!"
...
The next day, early morning.
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 13 Plaza.
People were packed tightly, thousands of them, watching the real-time live broadcast of the Marine execution projected by Den Den Mushi.
The same situation had occurred twenty years ago, at Roger's execution, where the whole world witnessed the departure of the Pirate King.
And today, the same execution would happen again, showing the entire world the consequences of defying the World Government and being an enemy of the Marines!
"To see such a grand spectacle right after arriving at Sabaody Archipelago, how wonderful!" Eustass Kid, captain of the red-haired Kid Pirates, sat cross-legged, watching the projected screen and laughing maniacally.
"Witnessing the departure of the world's strongest man is far more interesting than merely entering the New World."
He wasn't the only one with such thoughts.
The Supernova pirates who had arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, these new stars dubbed the 'Worst Generation,' all chose to remain on Sabaody Archipelago rather than seize the opportunity to enter the New World.
Perhaps entering the New World would be easy now, with the Marines caught off guard.
But none of these Supernova pirates chose to do so.
This would be the final battle of the world's strongest man.
No matter how alluring the New World was, could it compare to this Summit War, destined to be etched in history?
"...Why are all the results the same?"
A man with long golden hair shuffled a deck of tarot cards, his gaze blankly fixed on his palm.
His dull face was filled with deep confusion and incomprehension.
"Captain, what's wrong?" A crewmate next to him curiously peeked over.
The man, named Hawkins, held a tarot card in his palm, and the skeleton riding a white horse in armor symbolized the 'Death' card in the upright position.
The upright Death card signifies the end of something, a kind of bad change.
Death in tarot readings has always been misunderstood; it doesn't symbolize literal death, but rather the failure of a certain matter, and the unfortunate end of something.
The reversed Death card, on the other hand, represents a glimmer of hope, a revival, but this also doesn't necessarily mean a good thing, because only with thorough destruction can there be a possibility of new life.
Hawkins used the same divination several times.
He divined the Whitebeard Pirates, and the result was the Death card in reverse.
Strangely, the Marines yielded the same result.
And then he divined the World Government, and the result was the Death card in the upright position.
Finally, he divined the future direction of the pirates, and the result was...
the Death card in the upright position.
None of these were good results.
This was why Hawkins felt confused.
Basil Hawkins always trusted his divinations, and this strange result made him doubt the accuracy of his own divination.
After all, a result where everyone completely fails shouldn't logically occur.
When all the targets of a divination show such terrible outcomes, then who would be the sole beneficiary?
Click!
The projection Den Den Mushi set up in the plaza opened its eyes.
Beams of light converged from the eyes of these specially cultivated Den Den Mushi, forming a large projection screen in the air.
After a brief white screen, a clear image appeared before everyone, showing the scene at Marineford.
"This, this is too much!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
At Marineford, on the projection screen, as far as the eye could see, were Marine warships.
Densely packed Marines, like ants, filled the vast Marineford.
Warships in a continuous flow surrounded Marineford layer upon layer.
Several sturdy protective walls were already in place, and the walls of Marineford were lined with the most advanced artillery and weapons from Anaheim.
All Marines had completed their arms replacement; they were no longer using outdated flintlock muskets, but lethal large-caliber heavy assault rifles.
Many Marines even directly used Barrett-style anti-materiel sniper rifles as if they were flintlock pistols.
Seeing such a lineup, this strongest formation in the world that only the Marines could display, no one was optimistic about Whitebeard anymore.
The Four Emperors' crew of forty-three pirate ships sounded intimidating, but against such a Marine force, they appeared pitifully weak.
Not to mention those 'monsters' belonging to the Marines.
Sitting on the high platform, like the backbone providing confidence to all Marines present, were the three Admirals.
At the execution stand were the Marine's past monsters, and also, the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The tall queen with a giant snake wrapped around her, arrogance on her face, the world's most beautiful woman, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock.
The world's strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, carrying the massive black blade Yoru.
Bartholomew Kuma, holding a book and always silent, yet exuding a massive, invisible pressure.
Donquixote Doflamingo, dressed like a flamingo, with a malicious smile, the Heavenly Yaksha.
Jinbe the Knight of the Sea, dressed in a kimono, sitting upright with closed eyes, constantly radiating the aura of a martial artist.
Whitebeard Pirates' traitor, Marshall D. Teach, the grinning Blackbeard.
And finally, the steel giant kneeling on the ground, and the man leaning next to it, wearing an I-type helmet, the 1.9 billion bounty monster, Dawn Master Poltorto!
All No. 7 Warlords responded to this summons!
"Oh my, oh my, I thought at most... only five people would respond to this summons~"
No. 3 raised an eyebrow, looking with interest at the silent Jinbe and the maliciously grinning Blackbeard beside him, saying playfully.
"In the original Summit War, Jinbe was imprisoned in Impel Down for refusing to fight Whitebeard, and Blackbeard simply took the opportunity to sneak into Impel Down to release prisoners."
Without Blackbeard causing trouble in the middle, the Gates of Justice leading to Marine Headquarters wouldn't have opened.
And the fact that this treacherous guy was obediently staying at Marineford was very abnormal in itself.
"Ze hahahahahaha, how could I miss Pops' last moment, and such a massive war!"
Blackbeard laughed heartily, his missing two teeth making his smile a bit comical, but his eyes held an undeniable cunning and malice.
This guy... he definitely knows something.
No. 3 glanced at Doflamingo, who shrugged, indicating it had nothing to do with him.
"...Then, Mr. Teach must really 'enjoy' himself," No. 3 narrowed his eyes, smiling mysteriously.
"So, Mr. Jinbe, how did you make up your mind to fight against Whitebeard? I remember Fish-Man Island was under Whitebeard's protection, wasn't it?"
No. 3 turned his gaze to Jinbe, who opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Favor must be repaid, and Ace is also my friend, but due to my position, I have no choice but to stand here."
No. 3 paused for a moment, his smile becoming even more enigmatic.
"This 'due to my position' could mean many things... rather, the fact that Jinbe is here itself says a lot."
No. 3's gaze swept across the Warlords.
Mihawk remained seemingly uninterested, as if meditating, but his stance needed no further explanation.
Doflamingo, himself, and Blackbeard were all in the know.
Kuma and Jinbe's attitudes were ambiguous, but they were also informed.
Good heavens, besides the Empress who had no interaction with Luffy because the Daughter Island arc was skipped, six of the No. 7 Warlords here were all double-crossers!
"What are you looking at? If you look again, I'll dig out your filthy eyes!" Hancock, looked at by No. 3 with a strange gaze, scoffed, her face filled with disgust.
Who knew that as soon as she said this, the remaining six Warlords looked at her with a strange gaze.
It was a look of pity, like a group of smart people with one idiot, a group of old schemers with one naive simpleton...
Hancock's delicate face trembled slightly.
If she wasn't weaker than them, she would have directly made a move!
"Your Majesty Hancock, considering your Warlord status, please do your utmost to assist the Marines from now on," No. 3 said with considerable pity.
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