An icy pillar of freezing air descended from the sky.
The surrounding sea froze instantly. In just a breath, the ocean transformed into a boundless world of ice.
Every pirate ship nearby was sealed in solid frost, completely immobilized.
A man wearing a Marine coat landed lightly on the frozen surface. His posture was relaxed, his expression lazy.
Admiral Aokiji surveyed the scene calmly.
"A Marine Admiral… Aokiji."
Kid's expression darkened instantly.
As his words fell, warships in the distance halted at the edge of the frozen sea. One figure after another stepped onto the ice, their expressions cold and indifferent.
"That's Kong, Commander in Chief of the World Government!"
"Sengoku is here too!"
"The Hero of the Marines, Garp!"
"Kizaru, Akainu, and all the Vice Admirals!"
Shocked cries rang out from the surrounding spectators.
"The Marines are all here… even Kong himself!"
"So the World Government really planned this!"
Not far away, Redfield smiled faintly.
"The captain saw this coming," he said calmly.
"Of course," another cadre replied with a grin. "But it's a shame. Even the World Government miscalculated this time."
None of them showed panic.
At the same time, multiple video Den Den Mushi were turned toward the Marines.
Pirates and Marines had been enemies for generations. Now, after the clash between Kaito and Whitebeard, both sides were heavily wounded.
The Marines appearing at this moment could only mean one thing.
Disaster.
Yet among the civilians watching, some were clearly excited.
To them, the Marines were no better than pirates. But if these monsters of the sea were eliminated today, their lives might finally become safer.
"Record everything!" Jesska shouted, his face flushed with excitement.
"This is bigger than Marineford!"
Under countless gazes, Kong and the high ranking officers stepped forward onto the ice.
Kong stood at the front, his presence overwhelming.
"All irrelevant personnel will evacuate immediately," he roared.
"The Marines will eliminate these pirates here today. We will reclaim the New World and end the era of the Great Pirates!"
He pointed toward the distant warships.
"You may stay there. Once the battlefield is cleaned, you will be released."
The moment his words ended, civilians scrambled away in panic.
Only the pirates remained.
They understood clearly. Kong had no intention of sparing them.
Running would only get them hunted down. Staying with Kaito was their only chance.
Issho and the others allowed the civilians to escape without interference. They had no interest in hostages.
Sengoku wanted to purge the seas.
Kaito wanted absolute dominance.
Their goals overlapped, but only one side would succeed.
Soon, the last civilian disappeared into the distance.
Kong narrowed his eyes and looked past Issho, past Redfield, and finally fixed his gaze on a thin figure standing on the shattered island.
"Kaito," Kong declared coldly.
"You killed Celestial Dragons, extorted the Marines, executed Marine generals after entering the sea, and invaded Impel Down, severely injuring Magellan."
"I am Kong, Commander in Chief of the World Government."
"I hereby sentence you and your pirate crew to death. Execution begins now."
His voice carried unquestionable authority.
The world erupted once more.
Everyone understood what that sentence meant.
The Marines intended to erase Kaito and his forces completely.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Suddenly, thunderous laughter echoed across the frozen sea.
From the ruined island, a blood covered figure staggered forward.
His steps were slow, but unyielding.
Kaito.
As he passed them, Issho, Redfield, and the others stepped forward without hesitation, positioning themselves behind him.
Marco paused briefly, then clenched his teeth.
"We're going down too."
He led Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates forward.
In moments, an overwhelming force gathered behind Kaito, their presence rivaling the Marines themselves.
Kaito stopped one meter away from Kong.
His laughter faded. His eyes narrowed.
"Kong," he said calmly.
"It's been a long time. I thought Sengoku would be leading this personally."
Sengoku's eyes sharpened, unease creeping into his chest.
"What do you mean?"
"You already knew we were coming?"
"And your injuries…?"
"How could you possibly know?" Sengoku demanded.
"This plan was formed the moment Whitebeard issued his challenge. We moved in secret!"
Kaito smiled faintly.
"If you want someone to blame," he said casually, "blame Garp."
All eyes turned to Garp, who was picking his nose without a care.
"What?" Garp snapped.
"Brat, explain yourself!"
"It's simple," Kaito replied.
"Sengoku said the three of you should finish all accumulated paperwork together, so the next Fleet Admiral could relax."
Sengoku frowned. "What's wrong with that?"
"Everything," Kaito said flatly.
"Do you honestly not understand Garp's personality?"
"He can't sit still for a single day. And yet you expect people to believe he stayed quietly in an office reading documents?"
Kaito scoffed.
"So that's how you figured it out," Sengoku said grimly.
"There's more," Kaito continued.
"I already considered this outcome the moment I fought Whitebeard."
"You Marines know my strength. Whitebeard was never going to defeat me."
"When he fell, his crew would join mine. That would leave only one enemy in the New World."
"The Marines."
"Tell me, Sengoku," Kaito said calmly.
"Would you rather fight us at full strength, or wait until both sides were injured and exhausted?"
Sengoku's silence was answer enough.
"That's when I knew," Kaito said.
"Everything today was inevitable."
He raised three fingers.
"There are only three things I didn't anticipate."
His smile remained calm as Sengoku and Kong's expressions darkened.
_____
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