High on the execution platform, four marines escorted Ace and Luffy, their hands tightly bound by Seastone handcuffs, towards the stage.
The dark passage and the stairs leading to the light seemed exceptionally long.
After all, even the most carefree person, walking step by step towards death, would eventually feel a sense of unwillingness.
"Luffy, do you regret coming to save me?" Ace suddenly asked.
"How could I? Hahahaha, no matter what, I would come to save you, Ace!"
Luffy, bound by Seastone, grinned, revealing his bright, slightly foolish smile.
"I just feel a little bad for Zoro and the others, Nami, Sanji, Robin, and Franky. Our journey is actually going to end here."
"Heh, you've always been so carefree." Ace closed his eyes and laughed softly.
Ace did not fear death.
A man with a heart for the sea should be prepared to die the moment he steps onto the deck.
"Old man..."
The first person Ace and Luffy saw when they stepped onto the execution platform was Garp, sitting cross-legged.
Even Luffy, as carefree as he was, put away his smile.
They could face their own deaths with honesty, but facing Garp, they only felt deep helplessness and guilt.
"Is it alright for me to sit here?" Garp turned to Sengoku next to him, picking his nose and chuckling.
"Did those five old geezers tell you to watch me, and to take me down if anything seemed off? Hahahahahaha, those old men really don't trust me."
"Garp..." Sengoku slightly frowned but said nothing.
At this point, warning Garp to control himself was unnecessary.
Garp choosing to sit here was already the greatest testament to his commitment to the justice of the Marine.
"...Sengoku and I, we always believed in your justice."
Zephyr looked at Garp and said in a deep voice, "You don't have to participate in this war.
You can leave... For you, this is too cruel."
"Hahahahaha, Zephyr, this is the only time you've been so gentle in decades."
Garp laughed heartily, his face as bright and cheerful as Luffy's, without a trace of shadow.
"But I can't, Zephyr. I have to sit here. Whether it's watching these two brats, Ace and Luffy, for their final journey, or standing my last watch, I have to finish my last job!"
Zephyr said no more.
He understood Garp's choice.
If he were standing there today, he would also uphold justice, but after that, he would also choose to leave the Marine.
The weight of the cloak of justice was too heavy.
The burden on their shoulders, the responsibility and justice, were like giant mountains.
Sengoku stepped forward, his white leather shoes standing at the front of the execution platform.
He looked down at the one hundred thousand marines below.
The dense concentration of elite marines symbolized the Marine's most vital backbone and future.
If this war failed, even if the possibility was very small, the Marine would be crippled and possibly even erased from the sea.
For Whitebeard, going to Marineford to rescue Ace was a gamble tinged with a death wish, but for the Marine, it was no different.
Marineford, where all elites were gathered, could not afford to lose.
If an accident occurred, such as the weapon Poltorto used to defeat Moria, everything would be over.
Thinking of this, Sengoku looked down at the Warlords.
To be honest, he was somewhat surprised that the World Government's mandatory summoning order had gathered all Seven of them.
Hawkeye and Kuma were expected, and while 'bad students' like Doflamingo and Hancock didn't listen to advice, they at least understood what absolutely needed to be done.
Leaving Poltorto aside, what puzzled Sengoku the most was Jinbe.
The Fish-Man's original intention for joining the Warlords was merely the 'racial diversity' touted by the Five Elders, and Jinbe's Fish-Man Island was actually under Whitebeard's jurisdiction.
Jinbe's character also didn't seem like the type to ignore loyalty for the sake of his country.
It should have been expected for such a person not to participate in this Summit War.
Jinbe, who was always generous and repaying kindness, was now standing on the side of the Marine.
Sengoku narrowed his eyes.
Perhaps this Fish-Man had his own plans, but... it didn't matter.
In the face of absolute justice, all schemes and tricks would be honorably crushed!
"I am going to make an announcement."
Seeing that the time was approaching, Sengoku stepped forward, raised the Den Den Mushi in his hand, and announced loudly to the one hundred thousand marines and the entire world:
"To everyone on the seas, and to those who anticipate world peace, today, before the execution,"
Sengoku's voice spread through Marineford via the Den Den Mushi and was relayed to every corner of the world via visual Den Den Mushi.
"I have something I must announce to everyone!"
"The significance of this execution is far more profound than just a shallow battle against the Whitebeard Pirates! This execution will bring an indelible contribution to justice and peace!"
Garp lowered his head, his clenched iron fists trembling slightly, the sound of his gritted teeth clearly audible.
"It's coming, it's coming!!!"
Morgans, Gran, and a host of others who knew what was about to happen stared excitedly at the visual Den Den Mushi screens.
"Fire Fist Ace! Straw Hat Luffy!!"
Sengoku turned around.
"State the name of your father!!"
Ace lowered his head and said nothing.
Luffy, instead, looked at Sengoku in confusion, asking curiously, "Father? Do I have one of those?"
Sengoku ignored Luffy's reaction.
He looked at Ace and roared loudly, "Tell the whole world, Fire Fist, who your father is! The name of your father, who symbolizes evil itself and brought endless chaos to this sea!!!"
"My father is Whitebeard! He is the strongest man in the world!!!" Ace roared hoarsely.
"No! Your father is not Whitebeard! Your father is the symbol of evil.
His sinful blood flows in your veins.
Since the moment you set sail, the flame of chaos has scattered from you across the world!"
Sengoku shouted, "Fire Fist Ace, Straw Hat Luffy, you are the descendants of the world's most evil and dangerous men! Your existence will only bring endless chaos to the world, leading to countless lost lives and broken families!"
"Fire Fist Ace, your father-is the sinful Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! Straw Hat Luffy, your father is the most dangerous man, the source of chaos in the sea, the leader of the Revolutionary Army who has accumulated countless blood debts, Dragon!"
Sengoku's roar spread through Marineford via the Den Den Mushi, and then, across the entire world.
Instantly, the entire world was in an uproar!
"Fire Fist is the Pirate King's son? How is that possible-did the Pirate King actually have a child!"
"That Straw Hat is the son of the leader of the Revolutionary Army? That makes sense, no wonder he was so lawless that he directly attacked Enies Lobby!"
"The Pirate King's son and the Revolutionary Army leader's son are being executed at the same time? No wonder, no wonder the Marine has set up such a massive arrangement!"
Those who had been skeptical about the Marine's extensive mobilization immediately understood.
It all made sense now!
Roger's son and Dragon's son.
One was a sworn enemy of the Marine, and the other was a major threat to the World Government!
The public execution of these two would be a huge deterrent to the entire sea! This is the fate of those who dare to defy the World Government and oppose the Marine!
"To judge children for the sins of their fathers, I do not believe this is justice."
On the Red Line, in a location not far below Mary Geoise, Issho Fujitora looked at the portable visual Den Den Mushi in his hand and said solemnly, "There are such cities, such rulers.
As long as the Celestial Dragons reign above the world for a single day, there is no justice to speak of!"
Koala, a Revolutionary Army executive, looked at the towering Mary Geoise above and said seriously, "Mr. Issho, I know you don't approve of our Revolutionary Army's actions. However, the emergence of a new order must be accompanied by the collapse of the old one. We cannot guarantee that the world after the World Government's collapse will be better, but at the very least, it will not continue to rot in this unchanging way."
"...You are very different from the Revolutionary Army I knew." Issho looked at the determined Koala and the others, praising them.
"I thought you were just a bunch of idealists, but it seems I was wrong. You truly have the resolve to shatter everything and rebuild the land."
"Perhaps you should also read this book~~"
Koala smiled sweetly, shaking the red book in her hand.
This was a gift from Poltorto, but in the estimation of their leader, Dragon, it was a true treasure far surpassing the three miniature nuclear bombs.
If possible, Dragon truly wanted to meet the author of this book.
The contents of this book, "A Guide to Slaying Dragons," were profound, clearly written by an experienced revolutionary.
In the past, the Revolutionary Army always strived to overthrow injustice, but they lacked a true guiding principle.
This is the case with any revolutionary organization; only after continuous setbacks, trials, and failures can a complete path be summarized.
Dragon and his comrades were fortunate to be able to draw upon the experience of a 'senior' who did not exist in this world.
The overall style of the Revolutionary Army quickly changed.
Just as Issho said, they were no longer naive, nor were they wavering.
Revolution is not a dinner party; it is destined to bleed, destined to be accompanied by death and sacrifice.
"Sabo and the leader are probably almost ready. I think we must also act quickly."
Koala looked at her pocket watch.
There was only one minute left until the agreed time.
It was time for them to make their move!
"Are you sure you don't want me to say hello first?" Issho slightly drew the sword at his waist and said lightly.
"No, let us fire the first shot to overthrow the World Government."
Koala smiled and took out the miniature tactical nuclear bomb obtained from Poltorto.
The safe range was four kilometers, and the destruction radius was five kilometers.
But for their group, running a thousand meters in a short time was not a problem at all.
"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up and start!!!!"
Tesoro looked at the flaunting Marine in the projection, his eyes bloodshot, his gold-ringed fingers tightly clenched over his heart.
Among the marines, a marine wearing a hat took it off, revealing golden short hair and a determined face.
He looked at the rocket launcher disguised as a standard Marine weapon behind him.
What he was about to do was neither just nor honorable, but-it had to be done!
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the exploration snails have detected a large fleet approaching underwater!!!"
Just then, a marine anxiously reported to Sengoku.
"Underwater-could it be that Whitebeard, that guy, used a coating to cross the Calm Belt!!!"
Sengoku's eyes slightly narrowed.
At the exact same time, Sabo and Koala simultaneously raised their individual tactical nuclear bomb launchers!
"For a tomorrow without oppressors!"
"For a blue and pure sea!"
The Aurora bloomed over Marineford and Mary Geoise!
Every 100 Power Stones gets 1 bonus chapters!