One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Three hours remain until the public execution—

Across the world, countless people, their hearts heavy, watch anxiously through various Den Den Mushi broadcasting devices, awaiting the imminent execution.

"Only three hours left, and Whitebeard still hasn't shown up..."

"Do you think he'll come? Sure, he's Whitebeard, but he's not young anymore."

"Who knows..."

"It's been years since Whitebeard made any major moves on the seas."

"He's a relic of the past."

"There's nothing to worry about. Have you ever seen Marine Headquarters lose a battle?"

"Hey, don't compare Whitebeard to just any old man."

"Even kids know how terrifying Whitebeard is. Don't get too confident."

Similar debates echoed across the world.

Time passed slowly.

Sabaody Archipelago.

The plaza was packed with people.

Suspended high in the air, three massive screens broadcast live footage from Marineford.

The shifting images on the screens displayed the crescent-shaped bay and the island, entirely encircled by a fleet of fifty heavily armed battleships.

On the bay's shoreline, countless heavy artillery cannons stood at the ready.

Firepower enough to crush an ordinary pirate crew into despair—the Marines' way of sending Whitebeard a clear message: Come at us!

Positioned behind this overwhelming arsenal stood five Warlords of the Sea, key figures who could influence the course of battle.

"Phantom Sniper—Maude!"

"Heavenly Yaksha—Donquixote Doflamingo!"

"Tyrant—Bartholomew Kuma!"

"Pirate Empress—Boa Hancock!"

"The World's Strongest Swordsman—Dracule Mihawk!"

"Only five Warlords have shown up?"

The crowd's gaze locked onto the five figures at the front lines, perceiving them as an unshakable wall—more reassuring than even the countless cannons.

Beyond the Warlords lay a vast, open plaza.

A force of 100,000 elite Marines, summoned from across the world, stood in formation, each one a seasoned warrior.

Among them, the most striking figures were the towering Giant Vice Admirals, standing like guardian deities before the execution platform.

And on that platform knelt a man, his body battered and bruised—Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace.

"Two hours left..."

Beneath the screens, countless eyes remained fixated on Ace, waiting with bated breath.

Reporters and photographers, having gathered from around the world, remained on high alert, ensuring that every moment of the execution was broadcast swiftly and widely.

Marineford.

Every conceivable force of justice had gathered before the execution platform.

As the execution drew near, the Marine surveillance ships dispatched to monitor enemy movements had gone silent—like stones sinking into the sea.

With no intelligence on the Whitebeard Pirates' whereabouts, the tension in Marineford mounted with each passing second.

No one knew when or where the Whitebeard Pirates would strike.

The only certainty was that they would come.

After all—

Across the seas, it was well known that the Whitebeard Pirates would hunt down anyone who harmed their comrades, no matter how far.

The 100,000 Marines in the plaza stood in utter silence.

A heavy atmosphere filled the air.

Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed from the high platform below the execution stand, like a pebble breaking the surface of a still pond.

Rows of Marines looked up toward the source of the sound.

"The Admirals!"

Three tall figures—one red, one white, and one yellow—stood illuminated by the sunlight.

Admirals Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru took their seats on the prepared chairs atop the platform.

The three strongest forces in the Marines—the final line of defense before the execution stand.

Their presence alone bolstered the Marines' morale.

As the Admirals settled in, Fleet Admiral Sengoku ascended the stairs leading to the execution platform, stopping beside Ace.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Noticing his arrival, all Marine eyes turned toward the execution platform.

Standing tall, Sengoku held a Den Den Mushi in his hand and spoke calmly:

"There is something I must announce to the world regarding the significance of Portgas D. Ace's execution today..."

Silence fell once more.

All eyes fixated on Sengoku.

Ace lowered his head, his expression tense as if he had already realized what was coming.

Sengoku glanced at Ace briefly before continuing:

"Portgas D. Ace carries the most accursed bloodline in the world. That's right... His father—is none other than the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!"

"!!!"

A collective shock rippled through the entire plaza, across the broadcasting screens, and into the homes of people worldwide.

"So the rumors were true!"

"Fire Fist Ace... really is the son of the Pirate King!"

Those who had doubted the reports now stared in stunned disbelief at the undeniable truth.

No wonder the Marines were willing to risk war with the Whitebeard Pirates, pulling out all the stops to execute Fire Fist Ace with the greatest spectacle possible.

"No! My father is Whitebeard!!!"

In the deafening silence, Ace roared with all his strength, defying Sengoku's claim.

"That is precisely the issue."

Sengoku's gaze bore into Ace as he spoke gravely:

"When we realized Roger's bloodline had not been extinguished, Whitebeard—who also discovered the truth—took you in, determined to raise you into the next Pirate King!"

Ace screamed, "No! I joined his crew so he could become the Pirate King!"

"That is what you believe. The truth is, we never acted against you because Whitebeard protected you."

A flicker of killing intent flashed in Sengoku's eyes.

"If we allow Roger's bloodline to go unchecked, with your potential and Whitebeard's support, you could one day rise to the pinnacle of the next pirate era. That is why your execution today is of utmost importance!"

Ace clenched his teeth in fury, glaring at Sengoku.

Facing Ace's burning gaze, Sengoku took a deep breath and declared:

"For that reason—we are prepared to face an all-out war with Whitebeard!"

His solemn words, transmitted through the Den Den Mushi, spread across the world.

The mystery behind this global spectacle was now fully revealed.

The goal was not merely to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates—but to eradicate the world's most dangerous bloodline.

"Fufufu... now this is interesting."

Behind the massive cannons at the bay, Doflamingo chuckled darkly as he observed the execution stand.

Hancock lounged against her enormous white and red serpent, Salome, disinterested.

Mihawk, arms crossed, cast a brief glance at the execution before shifting his gaze away.

Maude, however, stared toward the front of the crescent bay.

A faint mist had begun to rise over the sea, like a veil concealing what lay beyond.

"They're here."

Maude's eyes narrowed.

His words drew the attention of Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Hancock.

They turned to face the sea ahead.

One by one, enormous pirate ships emerged from the mist.

At the same time, the Marines finally took notice of the massive pirate fleet approaching from the front.

"Where did they come from?!"

On the execution platform, Sengoku furrowed his brows, watching the distant silhouettes.

The Gates of Justice had not been opened, yet Whitebeard's fleet had appeared right before them.

Something crucial had been overlooked—

An unease crept into Sengoku's heart.

"All units—prepare for battle!"

Sengoku's voice echoed through every corner of Marineford via a Den Den Mushi.

Swish!

The assembled Marines on the plaza turned in unison, facing the sea, their eyes fixed on the massive, uniquely shaped pirate ships approaching from the horizon.

"Bohemian Knight, Doma… Thunder Lord, McGuy… Ice Witch, Whitey Bay… Maelstrom Spider, Squard… The Decalvan Brothers…"

"Each of them is a renowned captain whose name shakes the New World!"

"And yet… Among these 43 pirate ships, Whitebeard and his division commanders are nowhere to be seen!!!"

By identifying the flags on the ships' sails, the Marines easily confirmed that every single vessel belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates' allied forces.

But there was still no sign of the main Whitebeard Pirates.

"We're here… Ace."

"Can you see Ace, brother?"

"On the execution platform… Tch, these damn Marines!"

From every ship in the grand pirate fleet, the captains—each a notorious figure in the New World—gazed towards the distant execution platform.

Even in the face of Marine Headquarters' elite force, 100,000 strong, neither the captains nor their crews showed a trace of fear.

Such was the indomitable spirit of the New World pirates.

—At Crescent Bay.

"Locate Whitebeard immediately!"

"Prepare for bombardment!"

"Once they enter firing range, open fire at once!"

Watching the pirate fleet draw closer, the Marine officers stationed along the bay's edge swiftly issued orders.

Before both sides entered each other's attack range, a preemptive bombardment was the most effective long-range strategy.

On the bayfront, Maude's eyes gleamed red as his gaze swept across the pirate fleet, eventually locking onto a particular ship.

It bore a Jolly Roger depicting a caterpillar skull, and its bow—designed to resemble a caterpillar's head—was outfitted with an astonishing array of firepower: four cannons on top, three below, three to the left, and three to the right—thirteen in total.

Without a doubt, this was the most heavily armed ship in the fleet.

With all its cannons positioned at the bow, the deck in that area had been stocked in advance with an ample supply of cannonballs.

"The Delacuaji Pirates."

Relying on the intelligence provided by Marine Headquarters, Maude easily identified the ship's origins based on its Jolly Roger and its over-the-top firepower configuration.

"A long-range kill is nearly impossible, but…"

Maude drew his flintlock rifle—transformed from Bailey—and aimed directly at the Delacuaji Pirates' ship.

Watching this, Hancock's eyes flickered with intrigue.

No matter how skilled a marksman was, firing at such a distance was utterly meaningless, especially against seasoned pirates from the New World.

Hawkeye and Doflamingo also took notice of Maude's actions.

Even the nearby Marines responsible for artillery fire saw Maude take aim.

"At this distance, how could a single flintlock shot possibly cause any real damage?!"

Marine gunners and snipers alike were astonished by Maude's move.

"Is he just pre-aiming?"

That was the only reasonable explanation they could think of.

To them, attempting a shot at this range was nothing but a waste of ammunition.

After all, their opponents weren't nameless rookies.

Even if they weren't from the New World, any competent fighter would have more than enough reaction time to dodge a bullet fired from this distance.

That would normally be true.

But not for Maude.

He aimed, cocked the rifle—

Bang!

Maude pulled the trigger.

The lead bullet spun out of the barrel, piercing through the acrid gunpowder smoke, streaking toward its distant target.

The gunshot rang through the bay and plaza alike.

The Marines, poised for battle, instinctively turned toward the shooter—Phantom Sniper Maude.

"Isn't the target still out of range?!"

Many Marines were puzzled by the fact that Maude had fired the first shot of the war.

—At the center of the Marine formation.

Standing among the Vice Admirals, Chaton glanced towards the bay, shaking his head. "That guy Maude… Does he really need to show off like that?"

"He's not the type to do meaningless things just for attention."

Vice Admiral Momonga furrowed his brows. Though he said that, he couldn't quite grasp Maude's intentions either.

The other Vice Admirals, including Gion, remained silent.

In the brief moment Momonga and Chaton exchanged words, Maude's bullet had already traveled over a thousand meters, heading straight for Captain Delacuaji.

"Impressive aim, and the bullet is coated with Armament Haki… But seriously? Trying to shoot me from that distance? That's just insulting."

With a bounty of 600 million berries, Delacuaji—round-faced, stocky, and sporting a goatee—let out a dismissive snort.

With the aid of Observation Haki, he clearly tracked the bullet's trajectory, even finding the time to mock Maude's attempt.

Then—

The bullet reached him.

Delacuaji's cutlass, wrapped in Armament Haki, flicked upward with a precise yet effortless motion, striking the bullet mid-air.

Clang!

Sparks scattered from the blade's surface.

The powerful, Haki-infused bullet was casually deflected into the sky.

"Tch, that was nothing."

Delacuaji sneered, watching the bullet arc into the air.

Engrossed in his own sense of triumph, he failed to notice another projectile—a shadow bullet—flying in the opposite direction.

By the time he realized it, the silent, deadly shot had already buried itself within the stack of cannonballs at the ship's bow.

Boom!

Like a spark igniting an oil spill, the cannonballs erupted into a massive explosion.

Blistering flames instantly engulfed the deck, consuming Delacuaji and his crew.

"What—?!"

The fiery shockwave slammed into Delacuaji's stunned face.

Boom! Boom!

The chain reaction of explosions tore through the ship, blasting Delacuaji and his men into the sea.

The entire vessel disintegrated into wreckage.

From the gunshot to the ship's destruction—

The sequence of events defied all expectations.

"What the hell just happened?!"

As smoke billowed skyward, Whitebeard's fleet stared in disbelief at the remains of the Delacuaji Pirates' ship.

Delacuaji had clearly deflected the bullet…

The unexpected outcome momentarily froze them in shock.

At the bay and in the plaza—

"How… did he do that?"

Countless Marines stared at Maude in sheer disbelief, his rifle still raised.

"Fuffuffuffu…"

Doflamingo regarded Maude with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Hancock and Hawkeye both reevaluated their impressions of him.

"As expected of his reputation."

Hancock silently acknowledged Maude's marksmanship.

—At the Marine formation's center.

Chaton wagged his finger at Momonga and declared, "That's because you don't understand that—"

His words trailed off.

The distant explosions and rising smoke felt like a slap to his face.

—At the execution platform.

Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku, despite his vast experience, couldn't help but silently praise Maude's shot.

The significance of that bullet wasn't just the destruction of an enemy ship—it was the morale boost it provided at the dawn of war.

—On the high platform below the execution stage.

"How terrifying~"

Kizaru quipped lazily.

Akainu remained stoic, glancing toward Maude's position.

Aokiji scratched his cheek, glancing at Garp, wondering if the legendary Phantom Sniper of the past had ever performed such a feat.

As the world watched via live broadcast—

They saw it.

The first shot of the Paramount War.

Fired by Warlord of the Sea—Maude.

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