"Fire Fist, what's wrong with you?" Sengoku asked flatly, glancing sideways as he noticed the change in Ace's expression.
"Nothing."
Ace suppressed the questions and the shock swirling in his mind. Suddenly, his heart felt inexplicably lighter. If... if it's really Sabo... then...
Clang!
"Who exactly are you?" Mihawk frowned. He truly couldn't fathom why this Marine was so determined to obstruct his path.
"Hey! What are you doing!?" A nearby Marine, seeing the "officer" tangled in a stalemate with Hawk-Eye, stepped forward to interrogate him. However, a sudden flash of steel claimed the soldier's life before he could finish.
The battlefield was a kaleidoscope of shifting loyalties; in a war of this scale, many participants had unknown origins, and their motives and allegiances were often unclear.
"Marine over there, listen to my command! If you do not cease at once, you will be handled as a traitor and a spy," Sengoku declared solemnly, his eyes fixed on the obscured figure of Sabo.
Sengoku made a snap judgment. This man had remained silent this entire time; he was likely an infiltrator or a spy. But Sabo completely ignored him, continuing his high-level exchange with Mihawk.
"Hawk-Eye, you are authorized to execute him on the spot! He is undoubtedly an infiltrator!" Seeing that Sabo had no intention of responding, Sengoku narrowed his eyes and issued the order.
Mihawk's brow furrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing his mind. Can't you see we're locked in a stalemate, or are you just trying to waste my time?
Despite his inner thoughts, his expression remained unchanged. He was called "Hawk-Eye" because he was always as ruthless and composed as a bird of prey. Or rather, he was simply too proud to complain.
Although Sabo's intervention had caused a stir, it hadn't shifted the overall momentum of the battle. The presence of a single traitor or spy was a minor variable in the grand scheme of the war.
Fighting Mihawk hadn't been Sabo's original intent; he was here to protect Luffy. His gaze constantly flickered toward his younger brother, his heart pounding like a roller coaster. Luffy, who had yet to master Haki, was a walking target of vulnerabilities.
Against a Logia user, Luffy was practically helpless. Case in point: Smoker had nearly pinned him down moments ago. Fortunately, someone had intervened. Sabo's eyes widened when he saw the rescuer.
The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock!
His heart leaped into his throat again. That's one of the Warlords! But instead of an attack, it seemed as though the Empress had specifically come to Luffy's aid. Before Sabo could process this, a cold glint of steel lunged for him.
Clang!
He parried the strike in a rush. Realizing there was no killing intent behind Mihawk's blade, he breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Hey. You're Sabo from the Revolutionary Army, aren't you?"
Mihawk's casual remark sent a jolt through Sabo, though he quickly regained his composure. He hadn't bothered to hide his face, and after clashing for so long, it wasn't surprising that a man of Mihawk's caliber had recognized him. Sabo smiled but said nothing. He didn't care about being exposed anymore; he had no intention of staying hidden.
In fact, Sabo had already decided that by the end of this war, the world would know that Luffy had his brothers standing behind him.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm just curious," Mihawk said, casually swinging his massive blade. "Along with Ivankov over there... is the Revolutionary Army officially entering the fray?"
"Oh?" Sabo raised his eyes, a sharp light flickering within them. A proud smile touched his lips. "It's for my brother!"
"Brother?" Mihawk tilted his head, slightly perplexed.
"You'll see soon—" Sabo suddenly froze, his head snapping toward the Moby Dick in disbelief.
He saw a figure appear on the deck behind Whitebeard, who should have been standing alone. A terrible premonition gripped his heart. He shouted urgently to Izo, "Is that Squard!?"
He pointed toward the man standing directly behind the Emperor.
"What?" Izo and Vista both froze. They turned to see Squard, the man they had just been discussing, standing right behind their father.
"Squard! What is he doing there!?" Recalling Sabo's earlier warning, a wave of cold dread washed over Izo and Vista.
"Marco! Stop Squard!" Izo screamed at the top of his lungs.
Marco was the only one with the speed to make it in time, but even he froze for a split second at Izo's desperate cry. By the time he reacted, it was too late. Squard drew his long blade and thrust it violently into Whitebeard's chest.
The blade tore through Whitebeard's torso without resistance.
The entire battlefield went silent. Every eye was glued to the Moby Dick, staring at the Strongest Man in the World, now impaled.
"POPS!" Countless Whitebeard pirates screamed in agony and shock.
The scene of the stabbing was broadcast directly to the Sabaody Archipelago. In the plaza, the jaws of the onlookers practically hit the pavement.
"Whitebeard... has been stabbed..."
"How... how could this happen...?"
"This is a massive scoop! Notify headquarters immediately!"
"Squard!" Marco transformed into the Phoenix and flew to Whitebeard's side, roaring at the traitor. "Do you have any idea what you've done!?"
At this moment, the eyes of the entire world were fixed on the Moby Dick.
"Stop playing innocent!" Squard spat, panting heavily as he threw his hands out. "As the First Division Commander, there's no way you were in the dark about the plan!"
"Don't think I don't know what the Whitebeard Pirates have done." He gathered his courage and screamed at the allied fleet, "Everyone, listen!"
"Our 'Father' Whitebeard has already made a deal with the Marines! The Whitebeard Pirates and Ace will be spared, but the rest of us allied crews are meant to die here at Marineford!"
Silence fell over the bay. Marines and pirates alike were stunned.
"What is Squard talking about?"
"He's saying Pops betrayed us..."
"Haha... that's impossible. Pops would never betray us." Though the words were spoken, a seed of panic began to sprout. What if?
Boom! Boom! Boom! The Pacifistas continued their relentless bombardment, showing no mercy.
"AAAAARGH!"
The allied pirates realized they were being slaughtered. Because of the frozen ice walls, they were trapped in a dead end, subjected to a ruthless, one-sided bombing.
"Pops! Tell us it isn't true! Pops, say something!" The allied pirates outside the bay wailed in grief and doubt.
Whitebeard sank to one knee, crimson blood leaking from his wound, his face pale.
Squard lowered his blade, catching his breath before continuing. "Pops, when you found me, I was all alone. Do you know why I was alone?"
"My entire crew was slaughtered by Roger!" He screamed the words, his voice raw with a desolation few could comprehend.
This was the world of pirates—a place of sought-after freedom, yet one riddled with lethal danger. But a true man has things he must and must not do; a real man chases his dreams despite the peril. And for a pirate, this sea was the dream.