Chapter 42

Under the Titans' rule, there were five Shichibukai. Although they seemed small compared to the Titans, their strength surpassed that of the vice admirals.

"Mihawk 'Hawk Eye', Doflamingo 'Heavenly Demon', 'Kuma the Tyrant', Moria 'Shadow King', and Boa Hancock 'Pirate Empress,'" a marine colonel passionately exclaimed to his comrades. "Even the Seven Warlords have become our fighters, so we have nothing more to fear from Whitebeard's Pirates!"

These words, full of fighting spirit, instilled confidence in the surrounding soldiers.

Under the gallows stood three chairs occupied by the fleet's most powerful admirals: Kuzan, known as 'Aokiji', Borsalino, known as 'Kizaru', and Sakazuki, known as 'Akainu'.

These admirals were considered the pillars of the Navy. In the soldiers' eyes, as long as these three were on duty, the Four Emperors had nothing against them.

On the gallows, there were three figures: Ace, shackled with sea prism stone and kneeling, and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Buddha Sengoku.

Beside Ace, immersed in solitude, sat Garp, the hero of the Navy. His status had granted him the right to spend the last moments with his grandson.

Even though Sengoku knew Garp would not dare to act recklessly, he still issued a serious warning:

"Garp, don't let yourself have any misguided thoughts. Remember your allegiance."

"Alright, I won't do anything foolish," Garp replied with a dismissive wave. He just wanted to talk to his grandson.

They sat silently together as Garp quietly spoke:

"Ace, why didn't you want to become a marine like I said? Look where we are now ?"

In Garp's voice, there was growing sadness. He gritted his teeth, struggling to hold back tears. The iron-willed man, who had never cried in front of anyone, shed tears for his family.

Seeing how upset his grandfather was, Ace could only bow his head in shame.

"Grandpa..."

"Ace..."

Sengoku, also unable to bear seeing the old friend's grief, just turned away to avoid witnessing his suffering.

From this moment, the Navy organized a live broadcast through the Den Den Mushi. Every minute, every second of this war was meant to demonstrate the full might of the Navy to the world.

Viewers around the globe watched their screens with tension, not wanting to miss a moment of the impending war.

After all, this war would decide the fate of the world's future. If Whitebeard lost, the balance of power in the New World would shift. But if the Navy won, the order established by the World Government would collapse...

After some time, Sengoku composed himself, took the Den Den Mushi, and announced what had already been decided:

"Ace, tell me the name of your biological father."

"My father is Whitebeard."

Sengoku, hiding his eyes behind his glasses, revealed the truth with a serious tone:

"No. Your mother's name is Portgas D. Rouge. The child, born a year and three months after your father's death, carries the most cursed bloodline in the world." It's you.

Ace's face twisted in horror. He was even getting anxious. The secret he had so carefully hidden was about to become public knowledge.

Sengoku, without hesitation, continued:

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

This news swept through like a whirlwind, shaking everyone present as well as those behind the screens. Everyone stared at Ace in shock.

One of the reporters, who had planned to capture the entire war on record, dropped his notes to the ground. Before he could collect himself, his companion, Nan Nan, said:

"The blood of the Pirate King is still alive..."

In the eyes of the middle-aged reporter, there was only shock, as he couldn't believe that after the massacre 22 years ago, the son of the Pirate King was still alive.

22 years ago, to obliterate the Pirate King's bloodline, the fleet dispatched immense forces to the island where the Pirate King's wife lived and killed all pregnant women. Better to kill a thousand innocent than to let one slip away.

Thousands of pregnant women perished. Back then, he was just an inexperienced youth. In the name of justice, he risked investigating and publicizing this tragedy, although he ended up being suppressed by his superior.

The fleet simply couldn't imagine—or perhaps they didn't care—that the Pirate King's wife could have left that island long before. After all, Roger surrendered himself, and after his death, there was enough time to put things in order.

Hancock, who was waiting to reunite with Sal, suddenly turned and looked at Ace.

"So, Ace is not Luffy's biological brother. I thought his father was also Dragon."

Chaos reigned at the Navy Headquarters. No one could believe that the Pirate King's bloodline had not been extinguished. In the end, he still fell into the hands of the Navy. Today, Roger's legend would come to an end, and they would all witness it. A grim Garp suddenly recalled how Roger had entrusted his son to him. As both enemies and friends, they fulfilled their final promise.

"Roger, I was late for our meeting..." Sengoku continued, his words being broadcast to all corners of the world through the Den Den Mushi.

"We noticed you two years ago, but Whitebeard also noticed you then. To raise the next King of the Pirates, he made his rival's descendant his son."

Ace tried to protest:

"No, I boarded his ship because I wanted to help my father become the King of the Pirates."

Sengoku mercilessly shattered his illusions again:

"That's what you think. In reality, we couldn't do anything to you for the past two years. It was Whitebeard who protected you. If left alone, you would have surely realized your potential and become a remarkable pirate.

Therefore, your execution today holds immense significance. Even if it means going to war with Whitebeard, we will not hesitate.

Sengoku's statement once again boosted the morale. Many Navy officers were already imagining themselves as the heroes of the world after this war.

"Oh..." Sengoku thought the team's morale was at its peak, but at that moment, the communication officer brought bad news.

"Marshal Sengoku, the Gates of Justice have opened on their own, and we've lost contact with the control room."

"What?" Sengoku's face twisted in surprise.

Unaware of the impending trouble, the sailors continued to make noise, but suddenly, as if by a wave of a magic wand, they fell silent when ship silhouettes began emerging from the fog on the horizon.

A whole armada of pirate ships sliced through the fog, appearing before the sailors' eyes, making them forget their former confidence and feel fear.

For in front of them were 47 pirate ships of Whitebeard's Pirates. The strength of each captain is such that even the weakest has a bounty in the hundreds of millions of Beli. This is the most powerful pirate fleet in the New World.

They stealthily slipped through the Gates of Justice and decided to annihilate them.

The ship captains are famous pirates of the New World, and their strength even surpasses that of the Navy Headquarters admirals.

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