167 With the Justice System

"Boom——"

The clash of Conqueror's Haki between Whitebeard and Sengoku was like two invisible ancient beasts colliding head-on in the very center of Marineford's bay.

The sky wailed.

The sea trembled.

Invisible shockwaves tore the atmosphere apart, shattering the clouds into fragments before dragging them back down to the ocean, raising towering waves.

Yet right in the eye of this storm, on top of the execution platform—

"Step—"

Hawke stepped forward.

A force just as overwhelming, yet sharper and colder, a crimson aura, quietly poured out of him.

Unlike Whitebeard and Sengoku's Haki that swept across the battlefield, Hawke's aura formed a barrier, locking down the execution platform with absolute precision.

Whitebeard, bounty five billion four hundred and sixty million Belly, equivalent to 504,600 Justice Points.

And that was only him alone.

Behind him stood more than a dozen Division Commanders, forty-three Captains, and fifty thousand elite pirates...

This was a Justice Points feast on the scale of millions.

That was why Ace had to die here and now, under the eyes of the entire world, right in front of his father—executed by the Marines!

Only then could Whitebeard's fury be fully ignited.

Only then would the entire Whitebeard Pirates fight to the bitter end, with no retreat!

"Haa——"

"Rear Admiral Hawke..."

The two executioners felt the crushing mountain pressing on their souls vanish in an instant.

Their bodies regained sensation, and instinctively they turned to Hawke before them.

Hawke turned his head slightly and nodded.

"Proceed with the execution."

"Yes!"

Clang—

The two executioners bent down and picked up the execution blades that had fallen to the ground.

Their trembling arms, under the domination of Hawke's will, steadied completely.

Once more, they raised the blades high overhead.

The gleaming edges reflected a chilling light beneath the sun.

"!!!"

On the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates staring at the execution platform had their pupils shrink to the extreme!

"Stop——!!!"

The immortal bird—Marco—let out a shriek so sharp it distorted, a desperate roar.

His wings beat fiercely, his body transforming into a streak of blue fire tearing through the sky as he hurled himself at the platform!

The speed was so extreme it left a blazing trail in the air!

"Dammit——!!!"

At the bow of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's face twisted under the weight of pure fury.

The muscles in his arms bulged, veins like coiling dragons surging beneath his skin!

His naginata was wrapped in a blinding white aura, a force that could shatter anything. The very air fractured inch by inch around the blade, crying out in cracking shrieks.

He swung toward the towering execution platform—

With one mighty slash!

The quake force shattered the atmosphere itself, unleashing an invisible shockwave that tore toward the platform!

But... it was too late!

Crack——!

Crack——!

Two crisp, bone-snapping sounds rang out.

Not loud, yet like thunderbolts, they exploded in the ears of every single person across the world.

In that moment, time itself seemed to slow to infinity.

On every live broadcast across the world—

Everyone saw it. The two blades, raised high, fell at the same instant, slicing down cleanly.

Two heads flew high into the air.

One belonged to "Fire Fist" Ace. His face still carried lingering worry for his brother, regret toward his family, and a faint trace of unspeakable relief.

The other was "Blackbeard" Teach. His face was twisted with terror of death, resentment at his capture, and extreme unwillingness as his ambition crumbled into dust.

Blood, like twin crimson fountains, gushed skyward from their headless bodies.

The scorching hot spray drenched the execution platform, dyeing it a horrific shade of scarlet.

"..."

Silence.

The entire world fell into utter silence.

On Sabaody Archipelago's plaza, every pirate stood frozen in place, their expressions locked in eternal horror.

The arrogance on Kid's face evaporated completely, leaving only emptiness.

Law's hand gripped the hilt of Kikoku so tightly that veins bulged across his knuckles.

The Marines...!!!

They actually did it!!!

Before the eyes of the entire world, before Whitebeard's eyes, they executed his adopted son. They executed the Pirate King's son!

They executed the son of the ruler of the old era!

But now... that man was about to erupt!!!

...

Marineford.

The blazing blue phoenix in mid-air froze.

The quake force glowing white on the naginata dissipated as soon as it was swung.

"Haa——"

Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.

His massive, mountain-like body swayed violently.

He stared at Ace's headless corpse collapsing.

He stared at the head rolling onto the ground.

His pupils widened in an instant—then contracted sharply.

Hope. Honor. Bonds. Future...

Family!!!

All of it, cut off completely in that one sound—crack!

"Ah... ah..."

His mouth opened, and from his throat came meaningless, beast-like wails.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH——!!!"

A monstrous aura, overflowing with boundless grief and raging fury, exploded from his body!

The seas surrounding Marineford trembled violently!

"Marines——!!!"

"I'll bury you bastards with Ace!!!"

Whitebeard raised his massive arms toward the sky above Marineford and pulled down fiercely!

Crack-crack-crack-crack——!

The very atmosphere splintered like glass, dragged apart into countless titanic cracks!

Destruction had begun!

"..."

Beneath the high platform, on the three seats representing the Marines' ultimate might—

Three figures slowly rose.

"Hmph——"

"Finally... it's time to act!"

Akainu stood up, his crimson suit billowing despite the still air, molten magma blazing across his body, warping the air.

The curl at the corner of his lips carried sadistic satisfaction.

"Remnants of the old era should be burned away completely!"

With hands in pockets, he strode step by step toward the plaza's front line. Every step left a charred footprint behind.

"Yo~"

"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit... how scary~"

Kizaru also rose, lazily stretching with his hands raised above his head, his expression as perverse as ever.

But beneath his sunglasses, the golden light in his eyes only grew sharper.

"Whitebeard, you intend to... destroy Marine HQ?"

His finger twitched, and a golden laser of concentrated light quietly formed.

"That won't be allowed, you know~"

"Well..."

Aokiji stood up in silence, his breath misting into visible white frost.

Centered on him, the temperature around plummeted to freezing.

"Angry, huh?"

"Then... I'll just freeze it all."

The icy fog spread out from under his feet.

The three Admirals of Marine HQ had all entered the battlefield!