HTP: Ch. 60

"Good thing we prepared just in case."

Sengoku's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. He grabbed the golden Den Den Mushi and tried to keep his voice steady. "Don't be fooled! This is nothing but a despicable tactic by the Whitebeard Pirates! We've already clarified everything in the newspapers!"

His voice echoed across Marineford through the loudspeakers. "How could a noble Celestial Dragon possibly fall into the hands of pirates? This is clearly—"

Before he could finish, Itachi calmly stepped forward.

In his scarlet Sharingan, the three tomoe slowly spun. He pulled out a loudspeaker. Though his voice was soft, it spread clearly across the entire battlefield. "Saint Charlos, say the name of your father."

The scene felt eerily familiar, leaving Sengoku momentarily dazed.

Ace, bound in chains, was also stunned, Do all the people from Konoha think this far ahead?

Charlos trembled all over, his lips twitching uncontrollably. In the end, under Itachi's piercing gaze, he broke down and shouted in desperation. "My father is Rosward! My sister is Shalria! My family crest is a cross emblem! I often go to the Sabaody Archipelago to pick out slaves!"

Under the Navy execution platform, Doflamingo suddenly burst into wild laughter, egging things on. "Fufufu~ No way to deny it now, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

"Fake!"

Sengoku ignored the flamboyant man and urgently yelled into the golden Den Den Mushi, "That's a fake! Just a puppet controlled by Itachi, who has the power of a Mind Fruit!"

A rustle of murmurs spread through the Marine ranks, but the soldiers quickly reformed their lines, they stood for justice, not for the Celestial Dragons. In their hearts, many silently wished both the Celestial Dragon and the Pirate King's evil bloodline would die together.

"Marines!" Sengoku raised his arm and called out, "Prepare for battle! Show these pirates what true justice is!"

Just as Marine morale was surging once more, Itachi's Sharingan suddenly glowed brightly.

Charlos's voice abruptly rose, "The Marines are just slaves for the Celestial Dragons! Every three years we play a slave-hunting game and destroy an entire nation! And the Marines helps us do it!"

"Silence!" Sengoku roared.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku knows about this! The Hero of the Marines Garp knows! All three Admirals know! Even that former Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo, knows!!"

Sengoku was left speechless.

The three Admirals exchanged looks and glanced at Sengoku, their faces showing doubt. Seeing Sengoku's expression, their hearts sank, this was bad.

Doflamingo, now name-dropped, froze mid-laugh.

Charlos's hysterical cries blasted across the plaza through the loudspeakers. "Last year, in a non-member kingdom, we had just finished a new round of hunting and killed a full 100,000 people!"

This part was clearly an exaggeration, there's no way Charlos could've actually participated in the hunt. But who cares?

The live-feed Den Den Mushi shook violently, capturing a moment that shook the world.

Suddenly, Sengoku's golden Den Den Mushi began to vibrate violently. The furious voice of the Five Elders blared out. "Sengoku! Cut the broadcast! Now!"

This hysterical scream echoed across the square, utterly disgracing the Fleet Admiral.

Sengoku was too stunned to react and follow orders.

Then came Charlos's final bombshell.

"And another thing. There's already someone sitting on the Empty Throne in Pangaea Castle! His name is Imu! Everything the World Government and Marines claim about justice, it's all lies!"

Sweat poured down Sengoku's face. The golden Den Den Mushi slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a clack. The Five Elders on the other end had gone silent, things must be in total chaos over there as well.

He was forced to realize in despair, this execution had gone completely out of control.

All of Marineford fell into an eerie silence, even the sea breeze seemed frozen in place.

Marine soldiers looked at each other in confusion, their weapons unconsciously lowering. All eyes turned toward Garp, hoping that he would step forward and denounce everything that had just been said as lies.

But he simply crossed his arms, turned his back, and remained silent.

On the execution platform, Ace was dumbfounded. Who's commanding this man? Such terrifying boldness...

At that moment, Whitebeard's booming voice shattered the silence. "Gurahaha! Are you still going to keep up this farce?"

He slammed his massive bisento down on the deck, shaking the entire harbor. "Do you see now? The so-called justice you protect is nothing but a plaything of the Celestial Dragons!"

The Marine ranks started to stir. Doubt and hesitation filled the soldiers' eyes. Some officers and soldiers quietly put down their weapons. Others kept looking toward the execution platform, waiting for the Fleet Admiral's next order. But Sengoku, who had weathered many storms, would not be brought down so easily.

He picked up the golden Den Den Mushi and cut the connection with the Five Elders.

If he could rewind time, he would absolutely choose to release Ace. But now, it was far too late. Whether they freed Ace or cut the live feed, it no longer mattered. What happened next was no longer within the control of a mere Fleet Admiral.

So, before retiring, he would do one last thing.

He would wager all the resolve he had built in his career as Fleet Admiral to end the evil bloodline of the Pirate King.

"Marines!" Sengoku's voice suddenly roared across the battlefield, carrying absolute authority. "No matter how the world changes, pirates are still pirates!"

He suddenly pointed at Ace, bound in chains. "Portgas D. Ace, the blood of the Pirate King, must be executed today!"

"Gurahahahaha! So it's war after all!"

Whitebeard's arms bulged with corded muscle as he unleashed the full power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

The sea around Marineford instantly caved inward, then surged upward into terrifying tsunamis towering a thousand meters, roaring toward the execution platform and blotting out the sky.

Almost in perfect coordination, Aokiji leapt into the air, releasing a surge of freezing cold. The moment the tsunami touched his ice, it froze, becoming two colossal icebergs.

At the same time, the entire ocean surface froze, turning it into solid ground.

With morale surging, Whitebeard's forces launched a fierce charge toward the execution platform, unstoppable like a crashing tide.

The Marine's spirit was low, barely holding the line. Some even began to desert. With justice betrayed, what reason was left to fight?

As the situation rapidly spiraled out of control, Sengoku made a snap decision and shouted, "Proceed with the execution early!"

Garp clenched his fists, about to yell at Sengoku: "It's not time yet!"

But Sengoku shot him a sharp glare and barked, "Don't forget where you stand!"

On the platform, two elite executioners raised their blades, stepped closer to Ace, and swung, intending to take off his head.

"Hahahaha!"

Ace suddenly burst into laughter.

"You think it's that easy?!"

A violent burst of Haki erupted from him, shattering the seastone chains binding him.

Flames ignited across his body.

"All that grueling training... today, it finally pays off!"