Chapter 199: The Prelude to the Summit War

Chapter 199: The Prelude to the Summit War

Day and night passed. Two days after Reiner and the others left Kuja Island.

At this time, only three hours remained until the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, an event the entire world was watching.

Marineford was surrounded by a full fifty warships. The island's terrain was like a disk with a bite taken out of it, and the entire edge of the island had been built into defensive fortifications.

Rows of cannons were loaded and neatly arranged, facing outwards. The soldiers standing around nervously watched the sea.

At the gap in the front of Marineford was a crescent-shaped bay, where no ships were currently docked.

Landing in the bay led to the central plaza, a surging sea of white, where one hundred thousand elite Marines, drafted from all over, were arranged in dense formations!

Officers in "Justice" capes were everywhere. Captains and commanders, who were sufficient to command a branch base, were as common as ox hair!

Gulp~

"There are still three hours left, and not a soul in sight."

"It's already this late. Whitebeard isn't going to bail, is he?"

"Who knows. It's best if he doesn't come."

The soldiers were uneasy, each holding their breath and staring intently at any movement on the sea, their hands gripping their weapons already slick with cold sweat.

Even with such a lineup, they didn't dare to be careless in the slightest.

At this time, the live feed from Marineford was also being broadcast to the outside world via several Visual Den Den Mushis.

On the Sabaody Archipelago, a stone's throw from Marine Headquarters, the plaza was packed with a sea of people, crowded with civilians, pirates, and reporters.

Regardless of their status, everyone was looking up at the three large screens broadcasting live above, showing the sea outside the island, the bay area, and the execution platform at the rear of the plaza, respectively.

"So those are the Warlords. Why are there only five of them?"

Looking at the five figures lined up on the defensive wall behind the plaza, voices constantly rose from the crowd.

"Why isn't 'Knight of the Sea' Jinbe there?"

"And the newly appointed Warlord, Blackbeard, isn't there either."

"Is that Boa Hancock? She's so beautiful!"

"Look! The middle screen is zooming in!!"

With another shout, a surge went through the crowd, and everyone shifted their gaze to focus on the middle screen.

On the screen, on a high platform built directly below the execution stand, three chairs were arranged in a row. At the same time, three tall and straight figures ascended the platform, striding to the chairs and sitting down.

"They're here, they're here!"

"It's the highest military power, the Three Admirals!!"

"The one sitting in the middle is Admiral Akainu!"

A reporter shook the arm of the cameraman beside him and shouted hurriedly, "Quick, get a close-up! Tomorrow's report will predict that Akainu will become the next Fleet Admiral!!"

"Tch, what idiotic newspaper is that? They'll just write any nonsense."

"What the hell do you know! Is it any of your business!"

"Stop arguing, you two! Look, the screen is moving again!"

A loud shout interrupted the argument between the reporter and someone else. Kid gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to skin the other person alive, and turned his head back to continue staring at the top of the screen.

The entire plaza was packed. Besides Kid's crew, Law, Drake, Hawkins, Apoo, and all of this year's other Supernovas had also come to the Sabaody Archipelago.

They were watching this world-shaking war through the live broadcast from Sabaody.

On the roof of a residential building, Law's and Drake's crews had occupied this excellent viewing spot together.

A member of the Heart Pirates, Bepo, who was covered in white fur, stood there呆呆地 and spoke in a muffled voice, "There's no movement at all. Is Whitebeard not going to show up?"

"They will definitely come."

Drake crossed his arms in front of his chest, his gaze under the black eyepatch slightly grave. "The Marines know Whitebeard's style of doing things too well. Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up such a formation."

"It takes a Marine to know a Marine, huh?"

"Are you mocking me, Trafalgar Law?" Drake glanced at him faintly, his expression unchanged.

"Not at all," Law said, sitting back in a chair, holding his cursed sword Kikoku in his arms, a corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "We caused a ruckus in Impel Down together, so we can be considered to have fought side by side. Don't be so edgy, Drake-ya."

Drake didn't say anything to his words, just returned his gaze to the live broadcast screen in the plaza.

He was the captain of the secret special unit, SWORD. This was a very special squad. They neither listened to the orders of the Marines, nor were the Marines responsible for any of their actions.

To say they belonged to the Marines, one could say they had almost no relationship with the Marines at all.

He had his own ideas for leaving SWORD. He would enter the New World and go undercover in a Yonko's pirate crew, and at the same time, he wanted to see this sea from another perspective.

He went to Impel Down with the Straw Hat crew because he thought that if they could rescue Ace and interrupt this war, it might not be a bad thing.

Not all Marines supported going to war with Whitebeard.

Once the war started, no matter which faction one was in, they would give it their all. But before the war began, if it could be stopped, that would be good too.

Drake neither approved nor opposed the war. He was just half-pushed into going to Impel Down by a strange combination of circumstances. Whatever the outcome at Impel Down, he would gladly accept it.

"Speaking of which, I wonder if the Straw Hat crew has arrived."

"We've already arrived at Sabaody. Straw Hat-ya and his crew's speed will only be faster. They are probably waiting for the right moment."

Law replied casually, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "I'm really looking forward to their performance in this war."

"Although it's a bit of a downer to say this, the results of my divination don't seem very good."

A voice suddenly spoke up. It was Hawkins, who had jumped over with a few of his subordinates. He pulled up a chair and sat down on his own accord, saying in a low voice:

"There's still plenty of room here. You don't mind if we join you, right?"

"It's Hawkins-ya."

Law spoke with great interest, "A divination, you say? Would you mind sharing?"

"I had a sudden premonition this morning, so I tried to do a divination on the actions of the Straw Hat crew and got a not-so-good result. Among them..."

Hawkins said with a blank expression, "...someone will die."

"Your divinations... are they accurate?" Law couldn't help but give him a second look.

The members of the Straw Hat crew were all quite strong. However, in a war of this level, it wouldn't be surprising if anyone died. He wasn't too surprised, but he couldn't help but ask, "Who?"

"My divinations have indeed been wrong before, but rarely. Divination is not baseless speculation; it is a directive from the heavens."

Hawkins didn't mind the other's doubt, but simply, under their gazes, slowly opened his mouth and uttered a few words, "That person... is Black Snake Reiner."

"Black Snake-ya?!"

"Are you serious?"

The moment this name was said, Law and Drake, who hadn't been paying much attention, couldn't help but be shocked.

They had personally experienced Reiner's strength. Moreover, given his style of doing things, he should be the least likely person in the Straw Hat crew to die, right!

"I've said it. Divination is just a warning, not a one hundred percent fact. Otherwise, I wouldn't need to go out to sea."

Hawkins's reaction when he divined this prophecy was just as incredulous as theirs. It was hard to imagine the other would have such an ending. He added:

"But it's not a groundless guess either. There's always some reason. Perhaps it's a fatal calamity for him, or perhaps it's just a comical joke of an outcome in the end. No one knows the true ending."

"Isn't that the same as saying nothing, you charlatan?"

A haughty voice came from below. It was Kid, who had spotted them and jumped up with Killer.

His red fur cloak swayed with his steps. He walked up to the three of them and stopped. Kid suddenly grinned. "If that man really is going to die, I'd like to go see it with my own eyes. It's not far from Marineford anyway..."

Men are mostly rational, but when several men get together, you can often see them do some brainless things.

For example, if one of them suddenly gets a whim to do something boring, the other, even more bored people will chime in.

Then they'll just up and go, and even go and gather more people to join.

"Together?"

"I'll go too."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's not miss the good show."

"I hope he lives a little longer. At least until we get there."

The four crews grinned and immediately set off.

"Bege is on the other side."

"I'll go get Urouge and Bonney."

Just then, the sound system broadcasting live interrupted them with a loud voice, and the image on the screen also shifted to directly above the execution platform.

"I have an announcement to make."

The group looked at the screen and saw a burly figure standing above. And kneeling beside him was Ace, whom they had met in Impel Down, tightly bound by handcuffs.

"The great significance of the Navy executing Ace today... regarding his true identity..."

Fleet Admiral of the Marines, the strategist, 'Buddha' Sengoku, holding a broadcast Den Den Mushi, spoke words that sent the entire world into a frenzy again.

At the same time, near the waters of Marineford, the Merry was stopped on the sea, drifting with the waves, distantly watching the fully prepared Marine Headquarters.

Not far on the sea surface, several giant dark shadows could be vaguely seen moving rapidly towards Marineford, submerged in the water. Following behind them were dozens of dark shadows, swimming swiftly like a school of fish.

From an underwater perspective, the great pirate fleet composed of more than forty ships was frantically charging towards the battlefield that was surrounded and impenetrable!

On the Merry, Usopp stood in the crow's nest.

Seeing the dark shadows growing larger one by one in the water before reaching the Marineford bay, he immediately put down his binoculars and shouted down, "Luffy! Reiner! There's movement!"

"It seems the main force has arrived."

Reiner looked up at the distant Marine Headquarters. The sunlight overhead gradually dimmed. The sea breeze brushed past his body, bringing a trace of chill, and his golden hair danced unceasingly with it.

Luffy stood at the bow, looked back at everyone on the deck, and pressed down the straw hat on his head, saying seriously:

"No matter what the result is, everyone must prioritize their own lives. Now, we set off!"

"Yeah!"

The shadows cast on the lawn by the sunlight gradually blurred and dimmed. The wind and clouds surged in the sky, heralding the arrival of this storm that would sweep the entire world.

The war was about to erupt!

(End of chapter)

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