"The Calm Before the Storm: A Gathering of Pirates and Admirals"
Kara stood alongside the other Vice Admirals, while over 100,000 soldiers lined up in the lower area, waiting nervously.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea stood opposite the Vice Admirals.
Ace, the Thunder Fist, wore an eager expression. Jinbe, the First Son of the Sea, kept his fists clenched, silently hoping that Whitebeard would fall in this war. Boa Hancock, visibly irritated, wished she could be near Kara"especially since Momousagi was allowed to be"while flashing a mocking smile. Kuma, the Tyrant, held his Bible with a completely emotionless face. Gecko Moria grinned wickedly, observing the full might of the Navy. Hawkeye looked bored, and the last one, Blackbeard, had a twisted expression of frustration and anger.
And it wasn't surprising. When the Shichibukai were assigned to the mission, the Navy had left several soldiers to keep watch on them. It wasn't that they were forbidden from doing anything, but rather that every move they made would be reported.
At first, they all complained about having Marines nearby, but the very next day, Kara had shown up with an interested smile and said that if they didn't want to be watched, she would have to stay close instead. All of them quickly accepted the surveillance. Of course, Hancock stayed with Kara, so she didn't even need to vote.
Even Ace knew that if Kara spent too much time nearby, it would be painfully annoying for everyone.
Kara had to return to Marineford to take care of tasks assigned to her by Sengoku.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard grew increasingly irritated with the constant monitoring, even considering killing the Marines and escaping. What he didn't expect was that every surveillance unit had to report their position every 30 minutes, and if they failed to send their message, their Shichibukai status would be revoked. That would trigger the intervention of the Vice Admirals at Marineford, who weren't far off.
Blackbeard felt like this was all targeted at him, as if they knew he was planning something. And if he had died, it would have proven him right"since the others weren't being monitored nearly as closely. In fact, they chatted casually with the Marines. In Hawkeye's case, they treated him like a delivery guy.
"You know, if you got along better with the women chasing after Kara, your life would be a lot more relaxed," said Ace, glancing at Hancock with a teasing grin.
"Shut up. Even if you're my brother-in-law, no man will ever tell me what to do," Hancock snapped back in annoyance.
"Wow, what a temper. And here I was thinking of sharing photos of Kara as a little kid," Ace said mockingly.
Hancock's eyes widened in shock. "Photos of Kara as a little girl?" she asked quickly. "Ahem. Then this queen shall allow you to speak as if we were allies," she added, trying to regain her composure.
"Oh, I'd like to see what she looked like back then," Jinbe commented, joining in.
"Aaah! You too, Jinbe?! Are you trying to become my rival?!" Hancock shouted, her anger flaring again.
"Of course not. I'm just curious," Jinbe replied quickly, defending himself.
Meanwhile, Gecko Moria showed his disdain but kept his behavior in check"he didn't want to get attacked by the crazy woman before the war even started.
Ace pulled out a photo album and began showing it to Jinbe and Hancock, laughing as he told the stories behind each picture.
"Actually, I found these photos when I was looking for a weakness to defeat Kara when we were kids. You'd be surprised how useful they are," Ace said with a chuckle. "That's why I keep them with me"as anti-Kara protection."
He then showed a photo of Kara, around seven years old, being held by Garp while her head was full of bumps.
"The village chief said this was the first time Kara tried to escape the island riding a giant bird," Ace explained.
"She's so cute!" Hancock exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "If we had a daughter, would she look like her?" she asked, her face lighting up with emotion.
"I don't know how humans work, but for fish-men, we need a..." Jinbe began to say, before Ace cut him off.
"You might not want to finish that sentence unless you want her to kill you," Ace warned nervously, as the others looked over at Hancock lost in her fantasies.
"Hey, what are you guys looking at?" came a familiar voice behind them. It was Kara, approaching while eating a skewer, followed by Zoro, Chopper, and Uta.
Kara had taken them out for a stroll, even though the other Vice Admirals had tried to stop her. Naturally, most of them preferred she go far away, knowing it only took a spark for her to go wild.
She had then dragged Zoro along without giving him a chance to refuse. Afterward, she headed to the support section where Chopper and Uta were, both of whom looked very nervous.
"Aah, you damn bastard! I told you not to show that everywhere!" Kara shouted as she tackled Ace, and the two began fighting just like in the old days.
Meanwhile, Uta, fascinated, had picked up the album and was flipping through it with great interest. Chopper leaned over to look with her. Zoro wasn't too interested, but something in the atmosphere kept him on alert.
He walked over to Hawkeye and gave a respectful nod. Now that he had mastered Observation Haki, he could feel the veteran's overwhelming presence. He still felt weak in comparison, but his desire to surpass the great warriors had never been stronger.
"I can now see a glimpse of your abyss of power. But that doesn't mean I'll give up. One day, I'll defeat you," Zoro said with a fierce and determined look, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Hawkeye observed him with a slight, interested smile, sensing Zoro's growth since their last encounter. "We'll see, boy. Never underestimate the power of experience," he replied calmly, keeping his gaze forward, never losing focus.
Uta, brimming with childlike curiosity, pointed to a picture and asked, "Why is Grandpa Garp lying on the ground in this one?"
The question was answered by a proud voice, making everyone turn around quickly. Garp appeared in a rush, wearing a wide grin.
"Hahaha! That was the first time Kara tried to cook for her grandpa!" he said cheerfully, with the same carefree attitude he was known for.
"Grandpa Garp!" Uta exclaimed excitedly, running toward him and giving him a heartfelt hug.
"Hahaha, looks like you're all having fun, but Sengoku sent me to shut you up. You're bothering everyone," Garp said with a teasing grin, raising his hand in greeting.
Meanwhile, Kara and Ace were still fighting, creating a rain of sparks and destruction all around them. It was a battle that seemed endless, and the energy from both fighters filled the air, overflowing any sense of control.
"Didn't you hear me, you idiots?! You're disturbing everyone!" Garp shouted, interrupting the fight with his booming voice. Without wasting time, he dove into the center of the brawl and got between Kara and Ace, separating them with a simple shove.
"Stupid meddling old man," Kara growled with a frustrated expression, trying to land a punch on Garp, but quickly finding herself forced into a temporary alliance with Ace to deal with the old man.
Meanwhile, Sengoku, who was about to step onto the stage, covered his face with his hands, clearly tired and annoyed by their behavior. The nearby vice admirals sighed, watching the chaos Kara had stirred up. Though they didn't want to admit it, they knew that Kara and her family's antics helped the soldiers relax, showing that even the highest powers in the Navy didn't take the war too seriously.
"ALL THREE OF YOU, STOP IT AND RETURN TO YOUR PLACES WITH THE OTHERS!" Sengoku ordered firmly as he headed to the stage, his tone deep and commanding.
Garp grabbed Kara by the shoulders and dragged her along while Zoro, Uta, and Chopper returned to their positions, their eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Here we are, one big family of troublemakers," Aokiji remarked as he walked toward his seat next to Kizaru and Akainu.
"Hmph, a bunch of careless fools," Akainu muttered, his face hardened with irritation.
"Ooh, looks like they're having fun even in times of crisis," said Kizaru with his usual indifference, completely unbothered by the chaos around him.
Meanwhile, the marines watched the three admirals take their seats, filled with excitement and nerves. The air was thick with tension, and everyone knew the war was about to begin.
Sengoku made a gesture to begin the broadcast, signaling that the prisoner was ready to be presented.
"We all know why we're here today. It's for the execution of one of the commanders of the infamous pirate Whitebeard, known for doing whatever it takes to rescue his men and treat them like sons," Sengoku said through a loudspeaker, his voice booming across the island.
"Today, we will show that the Navy does not fear the so-called Emperors of the Sea, and that no criminal pirate will be forgiven," he continued, with the eyes of every marine locked on him, inspired by his words.
"And if Whitebeard comes to rescue his man, we will show the so-called strongest man in the world the true power of the Navy," Sengoku concluded, as the marines shouted in support, saluting the Navy flag with determination.
As Sengoku spoke, Kara, bored, began to mess with a vice admiral's hairstyle, but suddenly stopped and looked toward the Gate of Justice.
"Looks like the little soldiers are already here," she said with a mocking smile, causing the other vice admirals to quickly go on alert. They knew Kara had sensed the approaching pirates.
"By the way, did you remember to warn Sengoku about me?" Kara asked with a mischievous look.
"Don't worry, I took care of it," Strawberry replied calmly, his face serious.
At that moment, a marine rushed up to Sengoku, visibly concerned, and handed him an urgent message.
"Sir, the Gate of Justice has been opened, and we've lost contact with the one in charge," he reported quickly.
Sengoku's gaze sharpened, and his expression turned grim.
"So they're already here," he muttered, signaling to a man behind him, who quickly ran off.
Pirate ships were advancing at full speed, while the Navy's warships positioned themselves, ready to meet them with cannons aimed.
The water in the center of Marineford began to bubble strangely, surprising everyone. Cannons turned in that direction and began firing, unleashing devastating attacks.
A powerful force surged from the depths, destroying cannonballs in its path, and shot upward, warping the clouds as it rose.
Three massive pirate ships appeared, though one of them looked on the verge of collapse. The war was about to begin.
"Looks like it didn't work," Kara said, smiling with a mix of amusement and sarcasm.
Suddenly, the ground shook with each step. Everyone looked up"and there he was: Whitebeard. Every step he took echoed like thunder, the very atmosphere trembling with the force of his presence.