"I... I never knew Ace was Roger's son," Squard stammered, his expression twisted with grief. "To think I actually became good friends with him..."
"Since you wanted Ace to become the Pirate King, why did you keep us in the dark!? If it were anyone else being executed today, would you have still come to save them?"
Pant... pant... Having spat out his piece, Squard seemed to brace himself for the inevitable. He slowly lowered his long blade. "Come then. To have landed a single strike on you is already a miracle."
He closed his eyes, waiting for death to claim him. He felt no regret; in his mind, he had done this to protect his crew and his comrades.
Beside them, Marco remained silent. He was paralyzed, caught between his duty and a profound sense of sorrow as he looked at his "Pops." He knew the truth: under normal circumstances, a man of Whitebeard's caliber could have dodged a strike even from someone so close.
But Whitebeard's body was failing him.
At seventy-two years old, having survived countless legendary battles, his body was a map of hidden scars and lingering ailments. Even on ordinary days, he required a phalanx of IV drips just to stay stable. He was old. The most undeniable proof was his diminished mobility; his reflexes were no longer the lightning-quick instincts of his youth.
Slowly, Whitebeard stood up. He looked directly at Squard and reached out a massive hand.
Cold sweat trickled down Squard's brow. He gritted his teeth, determined not to flinch even if he were crushed to dust.
However, what met him was not a death blow, but a warm, overwhelming embrace. It was a sensation he couldn't find the words to describe.
"Even a foolish son is still my son... and I love you nonetheless," Whitebeard said, pulling Squard tight against his chest.
"Squard, how ridiculous is it to make a son pay for his father's sins? What has Ace ever done to you?"
"Think of everything you've been through together, the hardships you've overcome as a crew. What did Ace do wrong?"
"Why should he have to bear the weight of a previous generation's hatred?"
"Ace isn't the only special one. You are all my sons."
Squard's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Memories of his time with Ace flooded back, and a crushing sense of guilt took hold.
"Akainu, was it? He's the one who led you into this darkness..." Whitebeard stood tall, a self-deprecating smirk touching his lips. "I must say... you've still got your edge, Sengoku. You played me like a fiddle."
"To say I would sell out my sons' heads!" Whitebeard dropped into a low crouch and slammed his fists outward toward the flanks.
CRACK!
The two massive ice walls encasing the bay shattered instantly.
"He cleared a path for the pirates to retreat!" Sengoku shouted in surprise.
"The ice is broken..." The pirates trapped within the walls froze for a second before erupting in joy. Now, they had the freedom to advance or retreat as they saw fit.
"As pirates, you choose for yourselves what to believe! Any of you ready to put your lives on the line—follow me!" With that, Whitebeard leaped from the Moby Dick.
BOOM! His massive frame hit the ice, sending shockwaves through the harbor. He leveled his great blade, Murakumogiri, and unleashed a mighty swing.
The shockwave-laden strike tore a path through the Marine ranks, sending hundreds of soldiers flying.
"It really was a lie! I knew Pops would never sell us out. Those damn Marines and their dirty tricks!"
"Think about what Squard did... he actually hurt his own father. How agonizing must that be for him!?"
"Damn the Marines! Everyone, follow Pops! We're saving Ace!"
Morale soared as the pirates' doubt turned into a white-hot fury. Seeing that Whitebeard's few words had not only repaired the damage but ignited an even greater fighting spirit, Sengoku's expression darkened further.
Luffy watched the revitalized Whitebeard Pirates and snapped back to attention. This was no time for daydreaming.
"Kishishishi... Straw Hat..." A tall, bizarre figure with a long neck and a stitched face blocked Luffy's path.
"Moria! Another troublesome one," Luffy muttered, his face grim. He didn't have a second to waste.
"It's perfect timing. I'll take your shadow and use it to reanimate Oars. Kishishishi... Zombie Army!" Moria thrust his hands out, and the ground began to crack. One by one, rotting corpses crawled from the ice. "GET HIM!"
A swarm of zombies lunged at Luffy. He mowed them down by the dozen, but their numbers were immense, and they stood up the moment they were hit. Luffy found himself bogged down, unable to break through.
SPLASH! A massive jet of seawater swept across the battlefield, soaking the zombies to the bone. They collapsed instantly, purified by the salt.
"Moria, your zombies are still weak against the sea, aren't they?" "First Son of the Sea" Jinbe shouted, leaping from the water to land beside Luffy. He turned and nodded. "Luffy, go on ahead. I'll handle things here."
"Thanks! I'm counting on you!" Luffy didn't hesitate, sprinting forward.
Watching from the side, Sabo smiled proudly. Luffy really has grown up. His brother was surrounded by allies willing to cover his back. Two Warlords—the Empress and Jinbe—had already stepped up to help him. What Sabo didn't know was that the Empress's relationship with Luffy was... special. They were people who had "shared clothes," so to speak.
Heh... heh-heh... Who knows? She might be my sister-in-law someday.
BOOM!
Yet another figure blocked Luffy's path.
The Warlord, Bartholomew Kuma.
It's Kuma, Sabo thought, feeling a sense of relief. Since it was Kuma, there shouldn't be anything to worry about; Kuma surely knew of Luffy's parentage.
Pew! Pew! Pew! A relentless barrage of laser beams cut through the air toward Luffy.
Sabo was stunned. He was about to move to intervene, but someone else beat him to it.
"Hey! Kuma! You're taking this too far!"
Ivankov rushed up to Kuma, whispering urgently in his ear. The only response she received was a point-blank laser blast that nearly took her head off.
"Hey! Regardless of your position as a Warlord, you can't fire a lethal laser at your old friend!"
Before she could finish her sentence, another volley of beams forced her back.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ivankov: "!!!"
Left with no choice, she began her legendary "Hellish Newkama" dance to dodge the onslaught. They didn't realize that the Kuma standing before them was now a mindless Human Weapon, stripped of every shred of emotion.
On another part of the battlefield, Squard watched the carnage, clutching his head and screaming, "Why!? Why hasn't the fighting stopped!?"
"According to the 'deal,' shouldn't there be a ceasefire!?"
"It was all a lie... I attacked Pops for a lie! What have I done!?"
Marco watched him quietly. He understood Squard's agony, but that didn't mean he was happy about the betrayal. However, if Pops had forgiven him, Marco would swallow his anger and direct it where it belonged: toward the "Just" Marines.
He walked over to Squard. "Will crying fix this? Pick up your weapon. If your heart is full of regret, take it out on the enemy."
Without another word, Marco transformed and flew back into the fray.
Looking at his blade, Squard's tears flowed freely, his heart full of unspoken gratitude. The Whitebeard Pirates never turned their backs on a family member who made a mistake. No one blamed him; they all knew the true culprit was the enemy.
Steadying his heart, he stood up and returned to his crew. In that moment, he swore a silent oath: he would give everything he had to the Whitebeard Pirates until his final breath.