บท 127: Chapter 127 - Marineford
"Hold up, now I'm confused. What happened?" Yoruichi questioned, her sable eyes studying the subtle changes flickering across Ryu's face.
"Well, remember how I made Garp convince Sengoku to send a couple of Vice Admirals after Blackbeard? Well, they found him... Only they did so after he won a battle against Ace. As a result, they used the chance to capture both of them. Since I was the one that suggested the idea, it's my responsibility to get Ace out," Ryu explained as he folded the newspaper.
"Then why don't you just teleport him out or something?" Yoruichi asked as the puzzled lines etched on her face softened, giving way to a comical tilt of her head.
Ryu's answer came along with a smirk of mischief dancing on his lips. "Because that wouldn't be fun. If I'm doing a jailbreak, I'm doing it in style. Also, Mihawk will be there, so you'll be able to have your rematch," His enthusiastic grin then lit up his face, the twinkling mischief in his eyes.
Hearing Ryu's explanation, Yoruichi rolled her eyes, but the playfulness in her gaze betrayed her amusement. She crossed her arms under her chest, her foot tapping a rhythm on the sea floor. "Let me guess, you want to flex on everyone there? ...You know what? I can get behind that. Just let me fight with Mihawk before you cause him to enter a state of shock," Yoruichi demanded as a toothy grin spread on her face.
"Ha! That's what I'm talking about. Let's continue training for a bit, though. There are two weeks until the execution, and you haven't mastered your new sword style yet," Ryu replied excitedly, rubbing his hands together with an expression that sent chills down Yoruichi's spine.
---
Two weeks had passed since the declaration by the Marines - the public execution of the notorious pirate Portgas D. Ace. This message rippled through the Grand Line, sparking both dread and anticipation in equal measure.
Marineford was eerily silent and as still as stone. It was the calm before the storm. No one had any delusions about this execution going smoothly, it was just a matter of time before Whitebeard showed up.
Marines, from the lowest foot soldiers to the highest-ranking officials, were gathered in impressive formations, strategically spread out throughout the fort. Everyone feared what was about to come, but they didn't know that in the following hour, Whitebeard would be the smallest of their problems.
Portgas D. Ace, locked in seastone shackles, was on the execution platform beside his partner for the execution, Marshall D. Teach. Unlike Ace's accepting expression, Blackbeard's mortified face spoke volumes about his emotions. This wasn't part of his plan, this was never supposed to happen! Why did the Marines suddenly send their elites after him?! He didn't know.
The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Even the sea surrounding Marineford seemed to hold its breath in anticipation, its usual waves subsided to a disturbing tranquility. Then, in the silence, a Marine lookout in the highest tower squinted into the misty distance, his heart pounding in his chest. "Ships... ships on the horizon!" His cry sliced through the stillness like a gunshot.
An instant ripple of nervous murmurs spread through the Marine ranks, faces paling as the reality of the situation sank in. Yet discipline held firm, and nobody broke ranks. "Get ready for battle!" Sengoku yelled out as the giant artillery cannons on Marineford aimed their guns toward the incoming ships.
The Marines held their breath as the dozens of ships emerged from the mist. An armada of such size that it almost masked the horizon.
"How many?!" Sengoku yelled at the lookout as he ground his teeth. "43 in total, each a famous captain in the New World! Whitebeard called in the best of his allies!" The lookout announced.
"But sir, Whitebeard isn't in that group!" The lookout called down, grabbing Sengoku's attention. "What?! Where is he, then?" Sengoku murmured in a stressful voice as the water inside Marineford's bay began to bubble and gush around.
The sea's chaotic movements turned more violent by the minute. It was as though the sea itself was agitated, churning and frothing like a storm about to unleash its fury. Suddenly, with a deafening sound that shook the very foundations of Marineford, an enormous ship erupted from the depths, spraying water high into the air.
The Moby Dick, Whitebeard's infamous ship, loomed over the Marines in all its awe-inspiring majesty. It was a colossal vessel, its white cachalot figurehead seeming to pierce the sky, blocking the sun for a second. The ship was encased in a clear bubble-like substance, a protective coating that shimmered in the sunlight before popping and disappearing into the air.
A wave of awe swept through the crowd, a collective intake of breath that was immediately silenced by the sight of three more ships bursting from the water's surface. These were smaller, yet no less impressive, their blue whale figureheads gleaming under the morning sun.
As the water settled, all eyes were drawn to the figure at the helm of the Moby Dick. Standing tall and formidable was Whitebeard. Whitebeard no longer had any medical equipment around him as he stood tall and noticeably healthy. Additionally, the weapon in his hands sent shivers down the Marine's collective spines. Just looking at it, even the Admirals realized that a single hit from the weapon was more than they could afford. Their gazes hardened as they realized that things went off-plan.
Whitebeard's gaze was fixed on Ace, his eyes displaying a fierce determination as he prepared for the conflict that was to come. His arrival, in addition to his fleet, set the stage for an event the likes of which had not been seen before.
"Pops! Why did you come!? I went against your orders, I went rogue! You don't have any reason to fight, go away!" Ace shouted as his face distorted into a panicked expression.
"Why should I go away? So what if you went against my order, so what if you went rogue? Does a father need a reason to fight for his son?" Whitebeard replied as he gripped his weapon tightly, pulling it back for a swing.
"Aokiji, Whitebeard can't be allowed to swing that weapon!" Sengoku called out, instinctively feeling the power contained in the weapon.
Before Sengoku could even finish his sentence, Admiral Aokiji, also known as Kuzan, had already made his move. The air around him dropped to freezing temperatures, and with a swift movement, he attempted to encase Whitebeard in ice, hoping to stop him before he could cause serious damage.
However, Whitebeard was far too powerful for some ice to stop him. He swung his Naginata with overwhelming force, releasing a shockwave that shattered Aokiji's encasing ice before it could even form. The force of the blow created a gust of wind so strong that it blew away the Giant soldiers, who were standing far away, into the air.
"Aokiji, do you really think you can stop me with such tricks?" Whitebeard's voice was like thunder as he roared, echoing across the battlefield. The force of his words alone sent shivers down the spines of those present.
Meanwhile, Aokiji got up gracefully from his chair, ice climbing up his arm. Though he wore a calm demeanor, he felt chills at the sheer power of Whitebeard's swing. An attack from him, one of the three strongest fighters in the Marines, was blown away effortlessly by a casual swing from Whitebeard. The reports on his diminishing strength were false, the man before him was anything but sickly.
"Let's take it slow, Whitebeard. No need to hurry," Aokiji's voice was as cool as the ice he manipulated. Raising his hand, he prepared to launch another attack, only to freeze in his tracks when a low chuckle filled the air.
The chuckle was followed by a voice as cold as his powers. "You want to take it slow, huh? When my son's life is at stake? You know, I didn't do a real test run on my new naginata, let's change that." With those words, the atmosphere around Whitebeard changed. His aura flared as he took a stance, preparing to strike with his naginata once more.
Aokiji frowned, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with his Devil Fruit powers. The calm before Whitebeard's attack was eerily similar to the eye of a storm, a fleeting moment of tranquility before destruction ensues.
As Whitebeard swung his weapon, the sea surrounding Marineford roared, almost in sync with his action. A gigantic shockwave ripped through the air, followed by a tsunami that suddenly rose as if it was summoned from the depths, the sea itself aiding Whitebeard's attack. With a mere swing, Whitebeard had managed to unleash an attack akin to a natural disaster.
Aokiji acted fast, manifesting a massive ice wall to absorb the attack. But the raw power of the shockwave shattered his defense, throwing him backward and leaving a wake of destruction in its path as it devastated the lower rank Marine soldiers that were torn apart by its force. But the shockwave was only one part of the attack. As it dissipated away after creating mayhem, the tsunami arrived at the fort.
In a panic, Aokiji waved his hand frantically, trying to freeze the giant wave over before it crashed against the already devastated landscape, but it wasn't fast enough. This tsunami held way more force than it was supposed to. Not to mention its height and speed, it resisted Aokiji's attack!
Thinking quickly Akainu joined the fray, sending out a barrage of magma fists hot enough to evaporate the water, followed by Kizaru that shot countless laser beams that tore the tsunami apart, tearing away at its structural integrity. With their combined power, the Admirals managed to stop the wave. But not without damages.
"... Just what did that damned brat forge me?" Whitebeard stared in shock at his weapon. Never in his wildest dreams did he think such a thing was possible with a mere swing. It was as if he was holding an ancient weapon in his hands!
"Whitebeard, what the hell is that!?" Sengoku called out, trying to assess the situation.
"Gurararara! Just a gift from a friend," Whitebeard smiled wildly as he gripped the Naginata tightly.
"Don't let him swing that thing again, attack!" Sengoku ordered as the Marine soldiers let our a collective war cry, charging forward.
And with that, the battle of Marineford had officially begun. A clash between one of the most powerful pirates in the world and the World Government was underway, promising to shake the very foundations of the world.
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