Chapter 49: The War at Marineford Begins

Early the next morning, the Navy was fully prepared.

This battle had assembled one hundred thousand people, all representing the Navy's elite forces.

Marineford's port could barely contain them all, with the personnel packed densely throughout the area.

"Is this kind of battle really just to deal with a single pirate crew?"

Fugaku gazed at the endless sea of Navy uniforms, unable to believe how so many people had been gathered merely to confront one group of pirates.

He had experienced the Third Shinobi World War and led the Uchiha on the frontlines of battle.

Yet even he felt surprised by these numbers.

After all, the ninja world had never possessed such massive forces.

"Their captain…that man has the ability to easily destroy entire islands, and once quality reaches a certain threshold, quantity becomes meaningless."

Yami remained remarkably calm at this moment.

Every system task demanded success.

This was his only path forward.

"Follow the plan, and remember, your first priority is ensuring your own safety."

Yami continued his instructions.

He had coordinated with the Navy to position Fugaku, Shisui, and the others on the wall near his location, where they would use support attacks against the pirates.

Staying away from the core battlefield, such arrangements would naturally face no Navy objections.

"Yes, clan leader."

Fugaku and the others responded in unison.

The group then separated and departed in different directions.

Behind Yami flowed a white cloak very similar to the Hokage's mantle.

The bottom displayed flame patterns, but instead of featuring the faces of previous Hokage on the back's center, it bore the Uchiha clan emblem.

‘They call it the second defensive line, but we're actually right next to the shoreline with just a few cannons in front…’

‘The execution begins in thirty minutes. We'll just blend into the chaos and wait for Blackbeard to appear.’

Yami was escorted to his assigned area.

Each Shichibukai stood in a line approximately twenty to thirty meters apart.

Seeing his position, Yami felt somewhat exasperated, though not surprised.

How could the Navy truly trust the Shichibukai they'd revealed their arrangements to in advance?

No wonder they'd mentioned possible last-minute changes.

The live broadcast had already begun, with Ace being escorted from prison toward the execution platform.

After a brief wait, Ace appeared with his hands secured in Seastone shackles, forced to kneel on the execution platform.

Sengoku and Garp emerged behind him, then separated as Sengoku approached the platform.

"There's something I must convey to you first regarding Portgas D. Ace, to understand the significance of this man's death here today…"

"Ace, tell everyone your father's name."

Sengoku stepped forward and spoke through a loudspeaker Den-Den Mushi.

The Navy personnel below looked toward the execution platform with puzzled expressions, uncertain about what was happening.

"My father is Whitebeard!"

Ace replied with defiant volume.

However, Sengoku immediately rejected Ace's answer.

"At that time, we sought the most evil baby in the world, and that was you."

"Your father is the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!"

After Sengoku delivered these words, absolute silence fell across the battlefield.

Everyone, including those watching the live broadcast through screens elsewhere, displayed shocked expressions.

Even the Shichibukai and other observers turned their heads in surprise, staring at Ace on the execution platform.

Only Yami squinted his eyes, focusing on the distant gap in the bay.

Although he felt deeply interested in saving Ace, he had people he absolutely had to protect.

Sengoku continued describing how they had located Ace.

The reporters covering the live broadcast frantically scribbled notes in their notebooks, preparing to write immediate news reports and capture the first wave of public attention.

"They've appeared."

Soon after, the sailor responsible for telescope observation spotted a large fleet of pirate ships and shouted directly.

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

The Vice Admiral commanding the port gave immediate orders.

All artillery batteries rotated and aimed at the lake-like harbor in the port's center.

‘So that's the world's strongest, how powerful must he be?’

Itachi stood on the wall, observing the Navy's prepared formation below, finding it difficult to imagine what kind of existence could warrant such measures.

Shisui and the others kept their eyes fixed on the pirate vessels.

They too felt curious about what manner of person this would be.

After all, few people in this world could survive a hostile encounter with Whitebeard.

‘It's in the sea.’

Shisui was the first to notice something wrong with the water.

Other Uchiha clan members also detected the anomaly.

Only Rob Lucci, Kaku, and the others failed to observe anything unusual.

The coated Moby Dick surfaced from the ocean depths.

This unexpected appearance shocked everyone present.

"Gurararara"

"I haven't seen you in years, Sengoku."

Whitebeard slowly walked onto the ship's bow, and no one spoke during the process.

Shisui and the others focused their attention on the old man, attempting to perceive the source of his fearsome reputation through their Sharingan.

But there was nothing, just a wild, carefree smile on his face.

Sengoku regarded this enemy with solemn gravity, but as the Navy's supreme commander, he would not retreat.

"My beloved son, are you alright?"

Whitebeard continued.

He appeared relaxed and confident, as if the hundred thousand troops before him were merely a swarm of ants.

Not a single Navy soldier in the audience spoke.

They all stared at this man with visible nervousness.

"Incredibly strong…"

"I've never witnessed such overwhelming presence from anyone else."

"Perhaps only the legendary God of Shinobi, the First Hokage, possessed such a commanding aura."

Fugaku spoke with utmost seriousness.

When he had initially agreed to participate in this war, he hadn't taken it too seriously.

After all, he had experienced battlefield combat before.

But now, seeing this man in person, he felt grateful that their mission involved dealing with other enemies rather than confronting him directly.

‘Complete the mission, assist the clan leader, and don't interfere in other matters’

Shisui echoed these sentiments.

The surrounding Marines had already been controlled by the Uchiha through genjutsu to prevent problems and reduce complications.

This allowed everyone to speak together as a group while all attention remained focused on Whitebeard, with no one paying attention to them.

"Gurararara."

"Just wait a moment, Ace."

Whitebeard looked at Ace and smiled with affection.

Just like addressing a child from his own family who had gotten into trouble.

"Pops!"

Ace's lips trembled, then he shouted without any restraint.

Whitebeard planted Murakumogiri on the ship's bow, then clenched his fists and crossed them to gather power.

Then he struck hard in both directions.

The atmosphere itself cracked under his assault.

Explosions erupted on the sea surface around Marineford, and the ocean surged upward.

The rising seawater's level directly exceeded Marineford's wall height by more than two or three times.

"Is this the world's strongest power?"

Yami’s party felt shocked by this dramatic change.

Although they had expected him to be formidable, they had never imagined such overwhelming force.

"The strongest indeed."

On Yami's side, watching Whitebeard do this attack, his blood began to boil with excitement.