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Chapter 32: Convergence at the Gate of Justice
The world reeled from the twin shocks. The capture of the "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh was a monumental event, a blow to an era's legacy. But the announcement of Portgas D. Ace's impending public execution was a lit fuse thrown into a powder keg. Everyone, from the lowest street urchin to the highest throne, understood its meaning.
It was more than an execution; it was a gauntlet slapped across the face of the world's strongest man. Edward Newgate's creed was no secret: his crew was his family. To harm one was to declare war on all. By giving two weeks' notice, Marine Headquarters wasn't being courteous—they were broadcasting a challenge. They were drawing a line in the sand of Marineford and daring Whitebeard to cross it.
In his shadowy chamber in Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo laughed, the sound sharp and unhinged. "Fufufufu…! The excitement is reaching a fever pitch! Marine Headquarters versus the Whitebeard Pirates! Do those old celestial fossils finally think their time has come?" He watched two of his "puppets" enact a bloody duel for his amusement, their strings glinting in the dim light. "And perhaps they're right. The birth of the fourth Admiral, a stunning debut victory… Marine's morale is at a peak. They hold the perfect bait in Ace. On paper, their victory is assured!"
His grin widened, a slash of pure madness. "But 'on paper' means nothing when the paper is about to be torn apart by the Gura Gura no Mi! Whitebeard is the variable that breaks all calculations! What price is the World Government willing to pay? How much of Marineford are they prepared to sacrifice? The normal rules don't apply here anymore!"
Panic and feverish speculation spread like wildfire. In taverns and royal courts, on Marine bases and pirate ships, the only topic was the coming war. Civilians trembled at the thought of such titans clashing. Low-ranking Marines felt a cold dread mix with their sense of duty—they would be the first lines of that sacrificial wall. The very structure of the world seemed to groan under the coming strain.
In the first half of the Grand Line, within the unique, government-controlled sea current that linked Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marine Headquarters—the "Marine Highway"—three warships cut through the water with relentless speed.
On the lead ship, under the shade of a mast-mounted parasol, Admiral Levi ignored the tense atmosphere. He reclined in a deck chair, a newspaper held loosely in one hand. The headline screamed about Ace's execution. His eyes scanned it, his expression as placid as the artificially calm sea around them. Ahead of schedule, he thought idly. They're leveraging Rayleigh's capture to maximize psychological impact. Predictable.
A delicate porcelain cup entered his field of view, followed by a small plate of expertly crafted pastries. He accepted them without looking up. "Vice Admiral Gion, your coffee is commendable, and your confectionery skills are a genuine surprise. I didn't take you for the domestic type. This sudden uptick in hospitality… do you have an ulterior motive?"
Gion, standing beside him with her arms crossed, gave him a withering look. "Was my treatment of you before so terrible?"
"Not 'good' is a fair assessment," Levi replied, taking a sip. The coffee was, indeed, excellent.
She sighed, the stiffness in her shoulders easing slightly. It was a strange, tense camaraderie born of shared, overwhelming power. "I was thinking… if you have a moment to spare… could you… surround me with one of those pillars of light? The ones that feel like Conqueror's Haki?"
Levi finally glanced at her, a faint eyebrow raised. "Oh? Eager for training, are we?"
Gion flushed slightly. She had felt it—the crushing spiritual pressure during the Sabaody operation. While agonizing, battling against it had stirred something within her own Haki, grinding against it like a whetstone on a blade. It was an unorthodox, borderline disrespectful request to make of an Admiral, but the potential for a breakthrough was too tantalizing to ignore. "You… you could tell?"
"I can perceive the strain on your spirit. It's obvious." He set his cup down. "But not in broad daylight. It draws too much attention from the crew. We'll do it tonight."
"That… would be acceptable. Thank you," Gion said, surprised he had agreed so readily. A small, professional respect was forming amidst her deep-seated frustration with his cynicism.
"THE GATE OF JUSTICE IS OPENING!" a communications officer shouted.
The colossal, white-walled gate, a symbol of absolute authority, began to part before them. It opened just wide enough to admit the warships, a sliver of darkness beckoning them forward. Beyond it lay their destination: the massive, foreboding hexagonal structure of Impel Down, the world's greatest prison, rising from the mist of the Calm Belt.
The perfect signing bonus, Levi thought, a spark of genuine interest cutting through his habitual detachment. The Reiatsu points from Sabaody had been substantial. What would a fortress of despair and trapped souls yield?
"Bring the prisoners to the deck," Levi ordered, standing up. "It's time for them to see their new home."
As the prisoners—the Supernovas and a stoic Rayleigh—were marshaled on deck, Gion's sharp eyes caught movement from another vector. A Marine ship, not using the high-speed current but navigating the normal, treacherous waters of the Calm Belt, was approaching the gate from a different angle.
"That's Admiral Sakazuki's vessel," Gion noted. Then she saw the figures on its deck. The hulking, confident form of Marshall D. Teach. The rigid, magma-fueled presence of Sakazuki himself. And between them, bound in seastone, head bowed but spirit defiant—Portgas D. Ace.
The two Marine ships drew parallel for a moment as they both aimed for the gate.
It was then that a voice, fueled by sheer, desperate shock, rang out across the narrowing gap of water.
"HEY!! ACE! YOU GOT CAUGHT TOO?!"
Monkey D. Luffy, pinned between two Marine guards but straining with all his might, stared at the other ship, his eyes wide with horror.
The cry acted like a lightning bolt. On Sakazuki's ship, Ace's head snapped up. His eyes, previously fixed on the grim walls of Impel Down, found his brother's face. A jolt of anguish and fury ripped through him, greater than any pain Blackbeard had inflicted. "LUFFY?!"
Sakazuki's glare was volcanic, shifting from Luffy to the deck of Levi's ship, where he took in the shocking sight of all eleven Supernovas and, standing with quiet dignity despite his bindings, Silvers Rayleigh himself. His jaw tightened. The reports were true. The scale of Levi's success was staggering.
Blackbeard grinned, his missing teeth on full display. "Zehahaha! The little brother too! What a family reunion! Fate is a funny thing, ain't it?"
For a long, silent moment, the two ships of captured destiny floated side-by-side before the mouth of hell. The architect of the new era's chaos, and the man who would burn the old one down, regarded each other across the water. The prisoners—the future and the past—were now all here, converging at the Gateway to Justice, their paths leading down into the same abyss, for vastly different reasons.
Levi met Sakazuki's gaze, gave a slight, meaningless nod, then turned his attention back to the imposing facade of Impel Down. The check-in point awaited.
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