Foam Islands.
The news released by Buddha's Warring States has reached here in real-time.
Everyone stared at the big screen broadcasting the execution platform in disbelief.
Then, an uproar broke out.
"Ace's father is the Pirate King Roger?!"
"That world-class criminal, the pirate who was executed... actually left behind a child?!"
"No wonder Ace is so ruthless. He was born with evil blood running through his veins."
"Ace's brutality must be linked to Roger."
"Damn it! Does Roger still have a son? Has the fire of his sins not been extinguished yet?"
"Ace must be executed, and Roger's devilish flame must be snuffed out!"
The crowd was horrified, fearful, and full of condemnation. Even though the Pirate King Roger had been executed years ago, his name still carried the weight of infamy worldwide.
Many people would get chills just hearing his name, feeling a twinge of fear. Yet, knowing he was dead offered them some comfort.
Now, learning that Roger's bloodline still lived sent many into a frenzy of stress and hysteria.
On Foam Islands, reporters from various newspapers were also present.
At that moment, their hands trembled.
Some even dropped their pens and papers, unable to hold onto them.
This news was too shocking.
Soon enough, this story would spread to every corner of the world. At the Navy Headquarters, reactions varied.
Many of those present had lived through Roger's era.
Some had even been at his execution.
The shadow Roger cast over them ran far deeper than it did for the average person.
There were others who had never experienced Roger's time but had still come to despise him.
They loathed him because, at the moment of his death, Roger revealed the existence of a great treasure.
Thus, the Great Pirate Era began.
Countless people took to the seas, becoming pirates.
No one knew how many had been slaughtered since the era of piracy Roger had sparked began.
Among the crowd were families and relatives of navy personnel who had been killed by pirates.
And nearly all of those pirates had taken to the sea because of Roger's words about the great treasure.
If Roger hadn't spoken those words, there would be far fewer pirates.
Many tragedies would never have occurred.
For the navy, Roger was the root of their hatred.
And now, they had learned that Roger's bloodline continued.
That bloodline was Ace, who stood on the execution platform.
One could only imagine how many navy officers looked at Ace with a mixture of dread and rage.
Of course, fear and panic played a part.
It felt as though Roger's shadow loomed over them once more.
But more than anything...
What they felt was hatred.
Roger's bloodline was right there in front of them.
It had to be snuffed out.
It must be snuffed out!
...
The three admirals stood in silence.
They had fought against Roger before.
Back then, they were vice admirals, while Garp was the one mainly fighting Roger himself.
Hearing that Roger's son was present dredged up many old memories.
As for the Seven Warlords, they were thrilled, seeing it as nothing short of miraculous.
They were still quite young when Roger was executed, mere rookies who had yet to set sail. They all remembered the thorough effort to eradicate anyone or anything connected to Roger.
The world was turned upside down in the search for all people, places, and objects related to him. It was a massive operation aimed at wiping out Roger's bloodline entirely.
They recalled the grand scale of the eradication efforts.
It seemed impossible for anyone connected to Roger to have survived.
Yet...
Roger's son had.
How could it not be seen as a miracle?
How could it not spark excitement?
As for the navy, particularly its upper echelons, including the three admirals and the marshals, they weren't as shocked by Ace's survival.
Why had Ace survived despite the intense crackdown?
One name came to everyone's mind.
Garp.
But no one dared speak it aloud.
Are you kidding? A hero of the Navy!
Roger's sworn enemy.
A man with outstanding achievements.
More importantly, he was immensely powerful.
Who would dare investigate him? Even if all the intelligence pointed to Garp secretly protecting Roger's son, raising him, and preserving Roger's bloodline...
It would be considered a heinous crime.
But who would dare say it? Arrest Garp? You'd have to be insane! Who could possibly take him down? Could you beat him?
First and foremost, the honor of the Navy was at stake.
If word got out...
That the symbol, the face, the greatest hero of the Navy had protected Roger's son—it would be a devastating blow to the Navy's reputation.
To protect its image, Garp's actions couldn't be investigated.
Everyone had to play dumb and act like they didn't know.
Secondly, it was because no one could actually deal with Garp.
He hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, so he wasn't cursed by the sea.
He couldn't be captured.
Even if the three admirals tried to surround him.
He could escape to the sea.
How could they catch him? Chase him by ship? Aokiji could freeze the ocean, but Garp would destroy their ships with a single punch, breaking the ice.
The admirals would drown.
When all was said and done, they simply couldn't catch Garp.
So, no one pursued the matter. No one cared.
They all pretended to be ignorant of it.
And Garp remained silent.
As this information was released, memories flashed through his mind.
He recalled how Roger had entrusted him with his son's protection.
How Garp had taken care of Rouge, watched her name the child, and then saw her collapse from exhaustion in front of him.
He also remembered raising Ace.
And in prison...
Ace's stubborn rejection of Roger and his hatred for the part of Roger's blood that flowed in him.
These memories flashed through Garp's mind.
He fell into a deep silence, his head pounding.
Life was unpredictable.
Step by step, the events that led to this pivotal moment on the execution platform began to unfold.
Buddha's Warring States continued his speech to the world:
"About two years ago, you used your mother's name and set sail as the captain of the Spade Pirates. With your remarkable growth rate and extraordinary strength, we finally realized that Roger's bloodline had not been severed."
"But we weren't the only ones to notice."
"Whitebeard also took note."
"In order to train you to become the next 'Pirate King,'"
"He allowed the son of his former rival to join his crew."
Sengoku used this moment to emphasize the threat Ace posed to the world, building on Ace's identity as the son of the former Pirate King. He was making it clear that the danger Roger once posed had not been eliminated, but could resurface through Ace.
Sengoku pressed on, driving home the idea that Ace—being Roger's son—was destined to follow in his father's footsteps and bring disaster to the world once again. This painted Ace as a criminal who could repeat Roger's destruction, ensuring that Ace's execution felt not just justified, but essential in the eyes of the public.
However, Ace interrupted Sengoku's speech with his own words of defiance.
Ace clarified that he didn't join Whitebeard's crew to become the Pirate King.
He joined to help Whitebeard claim that title instead.
"Roger doesn't deserve to be the Pirate King!" Ace shouted.
"I don't want to be the Pirate King either."
"Whitebeard should be the Pirate King!!"
But Sengoku wasn't convinced. He dismissed Ace's proclamation, knowing that the young pirate's intentions wouldn't change how the world viewed him.
"Only you would think that," Sengoku said calmly.
He continued:
"The reason we couldn't touch you before was because of Whitebeard's protection. But if we had ignored you, sooner or later you would have become the next pirate to throw the world into chaos and rise to the top."
"So I must extinguish your evil flame, even if it means going to war with Whitebeard. It is worth it!"
With these words, Sengoku sealed Ace's fate in the eyes of the world. His death was portrayed as a necessity—something crucial for ensuring future peace. According to Sengoku's narrative, if Ace survived, he would be molded by Whitebeard into the next Pirate King, bringing more suffering to the world. But if Ace was executed, it would guarantee peace.
The hatred towards Ace surged even more.
Suddenly, the tension reached its peak.
"Marshal Sengoku!! The Gate of Justice has opened on its own! We can't contact the power room!!!"
Hearing this, Sengoku was visibly shaken.
"They're here?"
His eyes scanned the sea, alert.
Then, Sengoku's voice rang out over the entire Navy Headquarters:
"Everyone, enter combat mode!!!"
Chaos erupted throughout the headquarters.
The war had begun—quietly, unexpectedly—but it had begun nonetheless.