Sabaody Archipelago, in front of the massive live broadcast screen.
A large crowd had gathered here. Many of them were pirates who had remained on the Sabaody Archipelago this year, still hesitating to step into the New World.
All eyes were fixed on the screen, watching to see how this battle would end.
If the Marines really wiped out the Whitebeard Pirates here… would they still stubbornly charge into the New World afterward?
Unlike those rookie pirates filled with uncertainty, there were also people who had come purely to watch the spectacle.
On the rooftop of a small two-story building near the broadcast screen, Rayleigh sat casually at the edge of the eaves. A small flask rested in his hand as he drank leisurely, his gaze fixed on the live feed.
"If the Marines really take down the Whitebeard Pirates this time, the New World should finally settle down, right?"
"Maybe the Great Pirate Era will even come to an end."
"Admiral Benn is really something."
"Let's hope the Marines win. That way, there'll be fewer bastard pirates hanging around Sabaody."
"Will peace finally come?"
Listening to the idle chatter of the ordinary civilians below, Rayleigh shook his head slightly.
"They still don't see it… This battle isn't about justice for Ortoren at all. It's just the beginning of him sweeping through the New World. The war against the Whitebeard Pirates is nothing more than an appetizer. The real show is only just starting."
"These people don't have access to intelligence, and they don't understand just how bold and ambitious Ortoren really is," Shakky said softly as she stood beside Rayleigh, lighting a cigarette. "It's only natural for them to think so simply."
After a brief pause, Shakky couldn't help but ask, "Will Newgate win?"
Rayleigh froze for a moment. A complicated look flashed through his eyes before he slowly shook his head.
"He won't."
He understood Whitebeard, and he understood Ortoren. That was precisely why he knew that aside from sheer strength, Newgate fell short of Ortoren in far too many ways.
Most importantly, Newgate wasn't ruthless enough, crafty enough, or insidious enough.
It sounded harsh, but in war, those qualities alone were already deadly.
As the two spoke, Ortoren's figure appeared on the screen.
He walked out from the building area behind the Marine lines.
Sharp, medium-length brown hair, a resolute and imposing face, and a tall, powerfully built body. Every step he took exuded the presence of a true powerhouse.
The fierce sea wind howled past him, making the Justice cloak draped over his shoulders billow dramatically as he moved, his bearing bold and commanding.
He strode through the Marine ranks, his steps steady and unhurried, then ascended the high platform prepared for him.
With a decisive motion, Ortoren sat down on the throne that symbolized the supreme commander of the Marines in this war.
Once seated, his gaze swept calmly across the battlefield, as if inspecting the elite forces under his command. Between his glances, an unmistakable aura of domineering confidence showed in his eyes.
"He didn't bring his warhammer?" Shakky exclaimed in surprise, as if she had just noticed something crucial.
Rayleigh chuckled softly.
"You've never really seen him fight, so it's normal you wouldn't know. That warhammer is just a toy to him. When he truly gets serious, he always fights with his bare hands."
"So that's how it is…" Shakky nodded in realization. "That means when he faces Whitebeard, he'll definitely be going all out."
"Of course," Rayleigh replied quietly. "That's Whitebeard. Who would dare underestimate him?"
...
On Achino Island, atop the elevated command platform, Ortoren had already finished surveying the Marine formations below.
Not long after, Hina stepped onto the platform and moved to Ortoren's side. Leaning close, she spoke in a low voice.
"Admiral, the forward reconnaissance unit has already sighted the Whitebeard Pirates. They—"
"I can see them," Ortoren interrupted before she could finish.
At the far edge of the horizon, the massive fleet bearing the Whitebeard Pirates' flag was slowly coming into view.
Leading them was Whitebeard's flagship itself.
The Moby Dick.
Ortoren watched the pirate grand fleet slowly closing in, a faint smile lifting the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand.
"Bring me the broadcast Den Den Mushi."
Hina immediately handed it to Ortoren. He opened it and spoke in a deep, steady voice.
"Fellow Marines. The enemy fleet has arrived. Do you dare to fight?!"
His voice, carried by the broadcast Den Den Mushi, spread rapidly across the entirety of Aquino Island.
In the next instant, a thunderous response erupted from the ranks.
"We dare! We dare! We dare!"
"We dare! We dare! We dare!"
"We dare! We dare! We dare!"
The shouts were perfectly unified, their momentum overwhelming.
Wave after wave of sound surged upward as if it were about to tear the sky apart. Everyone watching the live broadcast could feel it clearly. The Marines' fearless advance, their invincible spirit, pressed heavily even through the screen.
Hearing the response, Ortoren's smile widened. Holding the broadcast Den Den Mushi, he declared loudly:
"This battle is fought for the noble honor of the Marines and the righteousness of our faith. In the name of Marine Headquarters Admiral Benn Ortoren, I will fight here alongside all of you. Until victory is secured, we will not stop. This battle will be won. Justice will prevail!!!"
"Justice will prevail!!!"
The massive formation erupted once more, their roar surging skyward, shaking the seas and the heavens alike.
Ortoren rose to his feet. Standing tall against the sea wind, he raised his voice again.
"All for justice!!!"
"All for justice!!!"
Without the slightest pause, the Marine formation answered him at once, their response more fervent than ever.
At this moment, Marine morale had reached its absolute peak.
The next second, Ortoren needed say nothing more.
After a brief, collective silence, the entire formation erupted in unison with their final three shouts.
"Loyalty!!!"
"Loyalty!!!"
"Loyalty!!!"
Ortoren laughed heartily. He closed the broadcast Den Den Mushi and sat back down on the throne.
Smiling, he lifted his hand and swept it across the ranks below. Turning slightly toward Hina and Issho at his side, he spoke with absolute confidence.
"With one hundred thousand heroes like these, how could any great undertaking fail?"
At this very moment, before live broadcasts all around the world, countless viewers wore expressions of shock.
People were no strangers to the Marines. They existed everywhere.
But the New World Marines' surging battle fervor, their overwhelming will to fight, and their firm, resolute morale pressed down through the screen itself, carrying an immense sense of oppression.
Was this the Marines' most elite fighting force?
Was this the true foundation that allowed Admiral Benn to suppress the entire New World?
The figure seated atop the high platform inspired envy in countless hearts.
In his left hand was absolute strength, powerful enough to challenge the title of the strongest. In his right hand was authority vast enough to shake the world.
Absolute power, commanding the strongest army.
Before this, many people had been unable to judge how this war would unfold, or who would ultimately win.
But now, the vast majority seemed to arrive at the same unspoken conclusion.
The Marines had already won.
...
Aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, Newgate could hear the roar from the island even at this distance. He could feel that soaring fighting spirit and terrifying morale just as clearly.
His expression slowly turned solemn.
"A truly terrifying opponent…"
He had dominated the New World for many years and had crossed blades with the Marines countless times in his youth. Yet this time, he felt he was facing the strongest Marines he had ever encountered.
An elite force unlike anything in his memory.
...
At the same time, inside the conference room at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Watching the scene of the oath-taking, Sengoku felt deeply stirred. An odd thought surfaced in his mind without warning.
This is how a man should be.
He snapped out of it almost immediately.
No, wait. I'm the Fleet Admiral. Ortoren is my Admiral.
Why would I even think something like that?
If I were the same as him, wouldn't that mean I'd been downgraded?
A moment later, Sengoku let out a bitter laugh. Truth be told, in all his years as Fleet Admiral, he had never projected the same awe-inspiring presence that Ortoren did now.
It was… hard not to feel a little envious.