One Piece: King of the World

After another twenty minutes or so, Fleet Admiral Sengoku slowly emerged from the Fortress of Justice and ascended the steps to the execution platform.

His white Marine coat of justice billowed slightly as he walked, the iconic seagull-embossed cap resting atop his head. His round glasses glinted in the sunlight, and his braided beard swayed with each step.

Upon reaching the top, Sengoku came to a halt before three kneeling figures: from left to right—Buckin, Thatch, and Weevil.

Weevil looked bewildered, his eyes vacant as if he didn't fully grasp the situation. Buckin's mouth was sealed with tape, and her arms were bound tightly in seastone cuffs. The Marines had restrained her completely to prevent any disruptive screaming or hysterics.

Thatch, however, stood apart from the other two. His head hung low, chin resting against his chest. His expression was dark and grim, but he remained silent.

Sengoku's eyes lingered on him. "Ready for judgment?" he asked softly.

Thatch's shoulders twitched slightly, and his lips curled into a faint sneer. "You'll regret not killing me sooner, Marine," he said, voice low and defiant.

"Maybe," Sengoku replied with calm indifference.

Then, turning away from the prisoners, he faced the immense crowd of Marines standing shoulder-to-shoulder across Justice Square. Tens of thousands of Marine officers stood at attention, eyes locked on the execution platform.

Sengoku raised a hand and activated the broadcast Den Den Mushi beside him. Its wide, circular eye blinked, signaling that the live feed had been connected to screens worldwide.

Taking a deep breath, Sengoku began to speak:

"Seventeen years ago, in the year 1500 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the Pirate King, Gold Roger, uttered his final words in East Blue... words that shook the world and ushered in an era of chaos.

'The Great Pirate Era'—that's what history calls it."

The crowd fell silent. Only Sengoku's measured voice echoed through the square, carried across the world by the Den Den Mushi network. Reporters scribbled furiously into their notebooks, and civilians everywhere listened with bated breath.

"For seventeen years, the seas have been plagued by piracy. New pirate crews appear every day, and many of them look to one man as their symbol of power: Edward Newgate—Whitebeard.

The Whitebeard Pirates, led by the so-called 'Strongest Man in the World,' have ravaged the seas in the wake of Roger's death. Some even claim that this era belongs to Whitebeard.

But to me... that belief represents our greatest shame."

Sengoku's voice hardened. His calm tone sharpened into steel.

"We cannot deny the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates. Their influence is vast, their power undeniable. Even Marine Headquarters has been forced to treat them with caution.

But after years of effort, we've dealt them a critical blow. We've captured Thatch, the captain of their Fourth Division along with Edward Weevil, who claims to be Whitebeard's biological son, and his accomplice, Miss Buckin."

Sengoku paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in. Then, his eyes hardened behind his glasses.

"After careful deliberation, Marine Headquarters has decided that now is the time to show the world our resolve.

Today, on the 23rd of November, 1517, we will execute these three criminals in the name of justice! Thatch, Edward Weevil, and Miss Buckin—all will die today!"

His words detonated like a cannon blast.

The crowd erupted into chaos.

Gasps, cries, and frantic conversations filled streets, homes, and taverns across the world as people processed the gravity of Marineford's decision.

But Sengoku wasn't finished.

He raised his hand once more and declared:

"Furthermore—as of today—Marine Headquarters officially declares war on the Whitebeard Pirates!

The era of piracy ends here. We will stop at nothing to crush Whitebeard and his crew, and to end the era of the Great Pirate Era once and for all!"

Silence followed, a collective, stunned silence that seemed to suck the air out of the square.

Then Sengoku raised his fist high.

"Marine will prevail! Justice will prevail!"

The Marine forces responded as one:

"MARINE WILL PREVAIL! JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!"

The deafening chant reverberated through Marineford. The ground seemed to tremble beneath the force of their united voices.

The Marines' collective aura surged, becoming a tangible, oppressive wave of fighting spirit. Marineford felt less like a military base and more like a coiled beast, ready to tear its enemies apart.

---

Sabaody Archipelago

Rayleigh took a long swig from his bottle as he watched the broadcast.

"Still the same old Sengoku," he muttered. "He always knew how to stir up a crowd."

The fire in the Marines' eyes reminded Rayleigh of past battles of standing beside Roger as they clashed with the Marines decades ago.

The reporters around him were beside themselves with excitement.

"It's a declaration of war! Marineford has officially declared war on Whitebeard!"

"They're really serious about ending the Great Pirate Era!"

"Justice will prevail! The Marines sound unstoppable!"

"Seventeen years... maybe it's time the pirate era ended after all."

"Pirates come and go," Rayleigh muttered. "But Marine Headquarters... they're always there."

---

Marineford

Claudius chuckled softly from his elevated seat. His gaze shifted toward the horizon, calculating the time.

Whitebeard should be here soon.

As if on cue, the calm waters of Marineford's crescent-shaped harbor began to bubble.

The surface of the sea churned violently, drawing the attention of everyone in the square.

Standing at the edge of the harbor wall, Teach's face turned pale. His eyes darted frantically across the growing disturbance.

Wait... no. It can't be...

Suddenly, the water exploded upward.

A massive white whale-shaped ship burst through the surface, shedding its protective coating in a cascade of bubbles.

The Moby Dick.

Whitebeard's flagship had arrived.

Two more similarly-designed ships surfaced behind it.

The harbor alarms blared, echoing across the square. The Marines shifted into combat stance, rifles raised, cannons adjusted.

A thick fog rolled in from the sea, rapidly engulfing the Marine warships stationed outside the harbor.

Claudius straightened his posture, the casual arrogance vanishing from his demeanor. His eyes sharpened.

"It's time," he muttered.

---

The rhythmic clank of metal against wood echoed across the square.

On the deck of the Moby Dick, a colossal figure emerged from the shadows.

Step by step, he approached the bow, the metal pommel of his bisento tapping the deck with each stride.

His upper body was bare, exposing a broad chest crisscrossed with scars. A captain's coat draped over his shoulders, and a black bandana wrapped his forehead. The iconic crescent-shaped mustache sat proudly beneath his nose.

The final clank rang out as he stopped at the bow.

The sea breeze caught his coat, sending it billowing behind him. His eyes swept across the square with disdain, pausing for a moment on Claudius before shifting to Sengoku.

Then he grinned.

"Gurararara... Sengoku!

How many years has it been, eh?"

***

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