Through repeated failures and setbacks, Dragon gradually grew and began to understand that man's true intentions.
Even now, he wasn't sure whether he or Kizaru was right. But this path—one that seemed impossibly difficult, one that no one had ever walked before—someone had to try.
It was that belief that carried Dragon forward, making him a thorn in the World Government's side and a symbol of hope for countless revolutionaries.
Yet, in Dragon's heart, the only true leader of the Revolutionary Army was the very man who had set him on this path—Kizaru!
–-—
"Even if we fail, so what? Don't forget, we've only grown stronger through our failures!"
Belo Betty's voice unconsciously grew louder, and her Fruit ability activated instinctively, causing Dragon's emotions to swell with intensity.
However, he quickly regained control. As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he had to maintain absolute composure. Even though he knew Betty meant well, he couldn't allow himself to be swayed by unnecessary emotions.
"Get some rest. We'll need your ability tomorrow."
Dragon patted Betty's shoulder. Her fruit wasn't just about morale—it could amplify even the smallest thoughts and emotions in a person's heart.
Without her, Dragon wouldn't dare count on the prisoners from Impel Down to fight the Navy to the death.
The outcome of a war was often determined by its strongest fighters, but without enough soldiers to hold the line, even the most powerful generals could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
"Heh, I can't wait!"
Betty chuckled. Among the five army commanders, she was the one who hated the Navy the most.
It wasn't just because of what had happened to her homeland—her comrades had all been slaughtered by Sakazuki. She had long been waiting to settle that score with Akainu.
---
Inside the ship's cabin…
Luffy and Sabo sprawled out on their beds, snoring away, trying to regain their strength for the battle to rescue Ace the next day.
If it weren't for Sabo, Luffy would've already charged into Marineford recklessly.
---
Meanwhile, in Marineford's prison…
Ace sat cross-legged in his cell, watching the faint glimmers of torchlight on the prison walls.
He prayed in silence—hoping that his father and crewmates wouldn't come to rescue him. Someone like him wasn't worth the risk.
---
The next morning…
A force of 100,000 elite Marines began assembling in Marineford's plaza.
They knew the terrifying enemy they would soon face, but neither the Headquarters elites nor the soldiers from various branches showed a hint of fear.
In less than two hours, all 100,000 troops had taken their positions—an astonishing level of discipline that only the best-trained Marines could achieve.
---
"Man… There are still hours until the execution. Why'd we have to gather so early?"
Despite the sea of disciplined soldiers, there were always a few outliers.
Giant Vice Admiral Vivian yawned, lounging lazily on a turret. Her slouched posture made her look like a female version of a certain laid-back admiral.
"Oi, Vivian! Straighten up! Don't forget—we're Vice Admirals!"
Another giant, Vice Admiral Lacroix, sighed in frustration.
With the exception of Jaguar D. Saul and Vivian, all of the Marine's giant Vice Admirals had been raised from childhood under Sister Carmel's Sheep's House program.
This made them fiercely loyal to the Navy, so seeing Vivian disregard discipline like this was unbearable for Lacroix.
It was like a perfectionist staring at a Go board completely filled with white stones—except for one single black stone in the center. The urge to fix it was unbearable.
---
"Quit nagging! If you don't like it, let's duel! Let Elbaf's War God decide who's right!"
Vivian snapped back, rolling her eyes.
Having followed Kizaru for so long, she had mastered his ultimate skill—playing dumb and acting shamelessly.
Whenever she was questioned in the Navy, she'd bring up Elbaf's War God. Whenever anyone argued with her, she'd demand a duel to settle it.
And considering her strength, there weren't even five Vice Admirals who could take her on.
The ones who could didn't want to risk offending her because of her Elbaf heritage.
Elbaf was, after all, the world's strongest military nation. Even with the World Government backing them, the Navy didn't want to provoke those giants.
Because of that, Vivian basically did whatever she wanted in Marineford. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku turned a blind eye out of respect for Kizaru.
And yet, in front of her fellow giants from Elbaf, she acted completely differently.
There, she was all about Navy regulations and following orders from the World Government.
Sure, the Navy didn't want to anger Elbaf's giants—but Elbaf's giants weren't eager to antagonize the Navy either.
By playing both sides, Vivian had turned herself into an untouchable figure within both factions.
Now, seeing her smug, duel-hungry expression, Lacroix's face turned green with frustration—but he didn't dare accept the challenge.
It wasn't just because of her Elbaf connections.
More importantly—he had no confidence he could actually win.
Vivian wasn't just arrogant—she was overwhelmingly strong. The average giant Vice Admiral wasn't even close to her level.
If they really fought, she'd wipe the floor with him.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out.
"The Seven Warlords! The Warlords are here!"
"Tch, those annoying guys."
"Still… They're on our side this time. Just bear with it."
The Marines didn't react much to the argument between the giant Vice Admirals. These hot-tempered behemoths not throwing punches right away was already a good outcome.
Instead, the Marines' attention was drawn to the approaching Warlords of the Sea. Normally seen as the shame of the Navy and the root of all evil, these Warlords were now standing on their side, leaving many Marines with complicated feelings.
They both feared and respected the Warlords' immense power, while also feeling relieved that, for now, those powers were on their side.
---
"Hee-hee-hee… So many Marines! And giants, too! Still, none of them compare to Oars. But with so many bodies around, there'll be plenty of first-rate corpses and shadows to collect once the battle starts…"
Moriah waddled to the frontlines, his greedy eyes scanning the Marine elites.
He knew his limits, though—picking off stragglers in a chaotic battle was one thing, but if he pissed off the Navy too much, even the title of Warlord wouldn't save him.
After all, as one of the veteran Warlords, Moriah had been beaten senseless more than once by a certain unnamed admiral.
If that admiral didn't care about promotions, he certainly wouldn't care about the World Government's opinion either.
In contrast, even someone as ruthless as Sakazuki had to let some criminals go just to climb the ranks and gain more power to eliminate pirates—an ironic contradiction.
---
"The world's strongest man… Whitebeard."
Hawkeye Mihawk's sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on the open sea beyond Marineford.
He wanted to witness Whitebeard's power firsthand—to understand just how vast the gap between them truly was.
---
"Fufufufu… It's about to begin—the battle that will decide who represents justice! Who will be the last one laughing? The Navy? The pirates? Or me? Either way, only the victor can claim to be justice!"
Doflamingo had already forgotten yesterday's unpleasantness.
Looking at the grand spectacle unfolding in Marineford, he let out a crazed, maniacal laugh.
---
"..."
Tyrant Kuma stood motionless, staring at the sea with his lifeless eyes.
Neither his body nor his expression showed any reaction.
No one knew what was on his mind—or if he even had the ability to think anymore.
---
"Ugh… When will this boring nonsense be over? I can't stand being in this place for even a second longer."
Hancock muttered to herself, uninterested in the events around her.
She wasn't like that necrophiliac creep with a corpse-collecting obsession.
She wasn't a battle-hungry swordsman eager to cross blades with Whitebeard.
She had no delusions about deciding the meaning of justice.
She couldn't care less about whatever was on that silent brute's mind.
The only thing she cared about was when the execution would end.
At this moment, aside from Ace, she was probably the only person here not hoping for the Whitebeard Pirates to show up.
She just wanted this over with—so she could return to Kizaru's side.
---
Execution Platform
Beneath the execution stand, the three Marine Admirals sat in a row, each on a specially prepared seat.
"So, uh… we're really gonna be sitting here for hours, huh?"
Kizaru leaned against the armrest lazily, resting his head on one hand.
Since they were far from the broadcasting Den Den Mushi, he didn't have to worry about being overheard by the worldwide audience.
"Three and a half hours until the execution. Just bear with it."
Kuzan muttered sluggishly.
Honestly, he thought this was a much better deal than standing for hours like Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Tch, mere hours? If it means wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates, I'd endure days and nights under the scorching sun without complaint!"
Sakazuki scoffed.
His tone was sharp, but given his personality, this was already remarkably mild.
"Ugh, this is so dull… Nami-chan, for lunch, I'll have miso ramen and charcoal-grilled beef ribs. White rum for my drink."
Bored out of his mind, Kizaru casually pulled out a small Transponder Snail.
There were still hours until the execution, and the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't arrive that quickly.
"Ah, make that two. I'll have sweet shrimp sashimi and sherry. Oh, and a latte would be great."
Before Sakazuki could object, Kuzan chimed in.
Since Kizaru would take the heat anyway, he might as well grab a free meal.
"Got it, Nami-chan? Sweet shrimp sashimi, sherry, a latte… Hmm, I'll add a banana-flavored ice cream for myself."
Kizaru made an OK gesture at Kuzan and relayed the order.
After a brief silence…
"…Fine. Get me a triple-spicy beef bowl."
Sakazuki finally spoke.
Despite being a hardline absolutist, he wasn't entirely rigid.
With the next Fleet Admiral position still up for grabs, he and Kuzan were subtly competing for the role.
He didn't expect Kizaru's support, but he also didn't want him siding with Kuzan.
So, as long as it didn't violate his principles, he was willing to make small compromises.
The problem was—his personality was so blunt and inflexible that Kizaru didn't even notice he was trying to be friendly.
"Sure. Want a drink?"
Kizaru asked as he was about to confirm the order.
Despite their differing views, he and Sakazuki never really had a bad personal relationship.
"…Vodka."
Sakazuki hesitated. Drinking before a battle was somewhat against regulations, but since both Kizaru and Kuzan had already ordered alcohol, he didn't want to stand out too much.
Like always, as long as it wasn't a matter of principle, Sakazuki wasn't as stubborn as he usually seemed.
Especially when dealing with Kizaru, who outranked him in strength, achievements, and seniority—he unconsciously lowered his stance a little.
"I think I snatched a nice bottle of vodka from Doflamingo before. Let's try it later."
Kizaru chuckled, instructing Nami to make arrangements. Then, estimating the timing to be about right, he finally activated the dimensional chat group's livestream function.
---
[Ding! Kizaru has started a livestream and invited @everyone to watch. Accept?]
[Accept / Decline]
The moment the notification popped up in the chat, the chaotic group members immediately swarmed into the stream.
[Kobayashi: First!]
[Random Passerby Trying to Hug Luo Feng's Thigh: I'm first!]
[Kobayashi: Haha! I got first! You lost!]
[Random Passerby: Damn it! My single-for-20-years hand speed actually lost to Kobayashi? I refuse to accept this!]
[Haibara Ai: Hey! Idiot dog, be careful! I'm still a minor! I might just report you as a pervert!]
[Random Passerby: Hmph! A sharp-tongued girl hiding under a child's appearance!]
[Fubuki: Guh… so many people!]
[Kobayashi: Waaa! There are so many people! Kizaru-san, how many people are in the plaza?]
[Kizaru: Hmm… about 100,000.]
[Haibara Ai: G-Giants?! Unbelievable! Based on their proportions, they must be nearly 20 meters tall!]
[Haibara Ai: The tallest existing animal is the giraffe, and it's only about six meters… Plus, these giants' builds are way too muscular—this defies biology!]
In the Detective Conan world, Haibara Ai sat at her lab table, completely dumbfounded.
She had long accepted that other worlds were full of absurdities, but seeing giants that outright violated biological common sense still left her struggling to process it.
[Random Passerby: Haha, dumbfounded, aren't you, poison-tongued girl? These giants are still considered small! There are two even bigger ones coming later!]
[Orochimaru: Heh… quite a spectacular scene. So you're just waiting for the enemy to attack? This formation is too tightly packed. If they get hit by a large-scale jutsu, the losses will be devastating.]
[Random Passerby: Don't worry. In Kizaru's world, people are built like tanks. Even near-death injuries heal in a few days, so regular attacks won't do much.]
[Orochimaru: Oh? No wonder Manda kept talking about that place…]
[Kizaru: Don't remind me. That gluttonous snake ate over twenty Level 6 Impel Down prisoners in one go. I can't afford to feed something with that kind of appetite.]
[Random Passerby: Damn… Most of those Level 6 prisoners had Devil Fruit powers, right? What a waste…]
[Xiao Mei: What are you guys talking about? Whoa! So many people!]
[Kobayashi: It's the newbie, huh? Kizaru-san is livestreaming a huge event from his world. Looks like they're publicly executing someone to lure in that guy's pirate crew.]
[Haibara Ai: This is ridiculous. I can't imagine what kind of pirate would require 100,000 troops to take down…]
---
Meanwhile…
In the Akame ga Kill world, Esdeath sat on her icy throne, watching the livestream with intense interest.
Seeing the sheer number of elite Marines gathered in Marineford, the war-hungry general's expression lit up with excitement.
Her war against the northern tribes hadn't officially started yet—she didn't want to scare off her prey before they walked into her trap.
But now, after witnessing Marineford's pre-battle tension through the livestream, she was getting impatient.
She wanted to fight strong enemies.
She wanted to revel in the thrill of slaughter.
She wanted to crush her foes beneath her boots.
---
[Esdeath: @Kizaru Darling, need any help?]
[Kizaru: Hmm… not for now. But if you really want to help, I can find you an opponent later.]
[Esdeath: Are they strong?]
[Kizaru: Not bad. He was a candidate for Admiral before, and now… I'd say he's gotten even stronger. Definitely Admiral-level.]
[Esdeath: Admiral, huh? I remember you are an Admiral, right, darling?]
[Kizaru: Yep. I'm one of the three Marine Admirals.]
[Esdeath: Perfect! Darling, don't take too long—I can't wait to fight this guy!]
[Orochimaru: Heh… If I can get his corpse afterward, I might be able to offer some assistance.]
[Esdeath: No need. I don't require help… But if you really want the body, give me 500—no, 1,000 dimensional coins!]
[Orochimaru: Heh, interesting. @Haibara Ai, interested in starting another research project?]
[Haibara Ai: NO! Not interested! I refuse all inhumane research projects!]
[Orochimaru: What a pity. You're wasting that genius brain of yours.]
[Fubuki: Get lost! Ai-chan, don't let this guy trick you. Orochimaru is not a good person!]
[Tony Stark: Hey, how could you guys not invite me to something this exciting? Stark Industries' biotechnology is top-tier too! @Orochimaru, I'll pay 1,000 dimensional coins—how about we share the research results?]
[Orochimaru: Add another 1,000 coins, and I'll give you half of the research materials as well. The results can be shared.]
[Tony Stark: Deal!]
---
[Esdeath: @Kizaru Darling, when do I make my move?]
[Kizaru: Hold on a bit. The guy hasn't shown up yet. No rush. Once he's exhausted from fighting a certain troublesome opponent, you can step in and finish him off.]
[Esdeath: Another opponent? Why don't I just wipe them both out at once?]
[Kizaru: Cough… No can do. That troublesome guy is technically on our side. Besides, even you wouldn't win against both of them at the same time.]
[Orochimaru: @Esdeath If it's convenient, gather some 'experimental materials' for me.]
[Tony Stark: Grab some extra while you're at it. If we can get a giant's DNA, I might be able to clone one.]
[Kizaru: Hey, hey, don't go overboard. You can take the pirate corpses, but leave the Marines alone.]
[Tony Stark: Got it, got it. We know the limits…]
---
Meanwhile, at the execution platform…
As Kizaru chatted with the group, Fleet Admiral Sengoku estimated the time and turned to Vice Admiral Garp.
"This is it, Garp… I already warned you."
Sengoku hesitated. If not for Ace's significant lineage, he wouldn't have wanted to reveal his old friend's long-kept secret.
"Do whatever you want. I'll be down below."
Garp turned away, avoiding eye contact with Sengoku. It wasn't hatred—just that he didn't want Sengoku to see the shame on his face.
Sighing, Sengoku stepped forward onto the execution platform and signaled the executioners to stand aside.
Through the massive worldwide livestream, he was about to declare to the entire world that Ace carried the sinful bloodline of the Pirate King!
Across the Four Seas, the Red Line, and the Grand Line, countless people sat glued to their screens and radios, watching the scene unfold.
To ensure the world witnessed the elimination of the Pirate King's bloodline, the World Government had spared no expense in setting up this global-scale broadcast system.
"It's starting…"
Kizaru narrowed his eyes.
In front of 100,000 Marines at Marineford, and under the watchful eyes of millions worldwide, Sengoku revealed Ace's true identity—
The son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
A child carried for an unbelievable one year and three months, born beyond the limits of human endurance—Portgas D. Ace.
°°°
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