Chapter 349: Preparations at Marineford

At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, an unprecedented event was unfolding—the gathering of six of the Seven Warlords of the Sea in one place.

The town of Marineford, primarily inhabited by the families of Marines, had already been evacuated after receiving emergency warnings. Now, they had taken refuge at the temporary Marine outpost in the Sabaody Archipelago, watching the events at Marineford unfold through live broadcast screens.

This event was far more momentous than even Wright's promotion to Admiral. The Navy had chosen to broadcast the execution of the three division commanders, including Marco, to the entire world—a spectacle that, in truth, was merely a prelude to their true goal: the war against the Four Emperors, Whitebeard.

Reporters from all over the world swarmed to the Sabaody Archipelago, eager to be the first to capture breaking news. Meanwhile, the world's largest neutral city, Gran Tesoro, utilized its massive screens to livestream the war to the entire golden metropolis.

As the world's foremost media mogul, Morgans no longer needed to squeeze through crowds in the Sabaody Archipelago. Instead, he was comfortably seated in an exclusive VVIP suite in Gran Tesoro, watching the broadcast alongside Tesoro himself.

"Hahaha… The Navy is going all in this time! Big news! The biggest news in the world is about to be born!"

Morgans sipped on a cup of premium tea, surrounded by an assortment of recording tools. With his speed and intellect, coupled with Gran Tesoro's state-of-the-art communication systems, no one could match his ability to break news at lightning speed.

"What do you think? Will the Navy claim a decisive victory, a costly victory, or outright defeat?"

The Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro, leaned back on his luxurious sofa, a cigar in his mouth, observing Morgans' unusually ecstatic demeanor. Having spent time with the old bird, he knew such excitement was a rare sight.

"Oh? It seems His Excellency, the Golden Emperor, has great confidence in the Navy's chances."

Morgans' sharp beak parted as his keen eyes gleamed with excitement.

"The Navy will not lose this war."

"But how they win... I can't guarantee that. After all, Whitebeard has returned to his prime!"

Tesoro chuckled darkly. "But the Navy has Admiral Wright—his healing abilities alone will significantly reduce their casualties."

"…And let's not forget the presence of Admiral Fujitora."

Morgans shuddered slightly, recalling the terrifying strength of Issho.

"That man is undoubtedly of Admiral-level power! What's more shocking is that only a select few within the Navy even know of his existence!"

"Whitebeard will suffer a major setback—even if he's at his peak. And even without factoring in Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Hero of the Marines Garp, the Navy still has five Admiral-level combatants!"

"But… Whitebeard is still Whitebeard. Who knows just how fearsome he is at full strength?"

"That's why I can't say for certain whether it'll be a decisive or costly victory."

"I think the Navy will achieve a decisive victory."

Tesoro took a deep drag from his cigar.

"Don't forget, the Navy has also summoned the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Even if they don't fight wholeheartedly, they'll still be able to stall several division commanders."

"And besides, would the Navy have chosen to confront Whitebeard at Marineford unless they were absolutely confident?"

"Hmph… Power dynamics aside, war is unpredictable. Let's just watch and see."

Morgans' sharp eyes sparkled with exhilaration.

"No matter how this war unfolds, the Navy's victory seems inevitable—but every moment of this battle will be one for the history books!"

...

With three hours remaining until the execution, Marco, Vista, and Izo had already been brought to the execution platform, their wrists tightly shackled with Seastone cuffs.

As pirates, they had long accepted the possibility of death. However, today, their lives did not belong solely to them. They were bait—used to lure the great whale, Whitebeard, into the Navy's trap.

Marineford's crescent-shaped bay and the entire island were surrounded by fifty warships. Countless heavy artillery lined the shores.

The Marines had gathered their elite forces from around the world—among them were renowned officers and battle-hardened soldiers. With a total force numbering 100,000, even commissioned officers and warrant officers were nothing more than cannon fodder.

In this war, captains were the backbone, while commodores and rear admirals formed the core combat force. Only those at the vice admiral level and above could truly pose a threat to Whitebeard's main crew.

At the forefront of the Marine forces, acting as key players capable of shifting the tides of battle, stood five of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Beneath the execution platform, four massive chairs were arranged in a row—seats reserved for the highest combat force of Marine Headquarters: the four Admirals.

Admiral "Akainu" Sakazuki, Admiral "Kizaru" Borsalino, Admiral "Aokiji" Kuzan, and Admiral "Orange Horse" Wright.

The five Warlords present were "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo, "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma, "Thunder God" Enel, "Hawk-Eye" Dracule Mihawk, and the "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock.

Seated in the center, Enel picked his ear and scanned his surroundings.

"Oi, oi… what's going on? Where the hell did Blackbeard run off to?"

"..."

Beside him, Kuma stood silently, clutching his Bible. By now, his mind had been submerged beneath the control of the Pacifista program—observing the battlefield as a mere spectator.

"Fuffuffuffuffu…"

Doflamingo glanced at Kuma's unresponsive body. To his knowledge, Kuma had completely lost his consciousness—this was the World Government's ultimate decree to Dr. Vegapunk.

Mihawk and Hancock showed little interest in the conversation, prompting Doflamingo to speak up.

"That guy? He's probably off stirring up trouble somewhere… Fuffuffuffu. Forget about him. Jinbe the 'Knight of the Sea' isn't here either, is he?"

"Che… I was hoping to see what the so-called most 'special' Logia fruit, the Yami Yami no Mi, was like."

Enel rolled his eyes, saying nothing more.

In the Admirals' seating area, Wright smiled faintly. Hours ago, Marineford had already lost track of Blackbeard's whereabouts.

Thus, Sengoku realized—what Wright had predicted had indeed come to pass.

After informing Magellan, Sengoku stopped concerning himself with Blackbeard. The real priority lay in Marineford. So far, there had been no sign of Whitebeard's fleet.

At Impel Down, if Blackbeard wanted to go, he could go. Sengoku had no intention of allowing him to return to Marineford.

However, what Sengoku hadn't anticipated was that Blackbeard wasn't the only guest at Impel Down.

"What did you just say?! The clown Buggy has escaped from Level One?! You didn't even check if he had any Devil Fruit abilities when you detained him?!"

In Impel Down, Chief Warden Magellan roared into a Den Den Mushi. Unlike his past self, Magellan now exuded confidence and authority—thanks to Admiral Wright's assistance, it had been years since he was plagued by digestive issues.

Within Impel Down, Magellan was invincible.

Yet, even he wasn't thick-skinned enough to remain composed when scolding his subordinates while suppressing the urge to rush to the bathroom.

Buggy had managed to slip past the guards for quite some time. With the power of the Bara Bara no Mi, and without the interference of a reckless Luffy, Buggy had successfully bided his time.

And now, at Impel Down, the first wave of unexpected guests had arrived.

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