The Whitebeard Pirates aboard the ship lost their appetite for the feast and began to get busy.
Seeing the bustling crew, Whitebeard sighed.
Ace was not only his son but also the son of that person. If this matter were exposed, it would cause immense upheaval in the world, and even if Ace were rescued, life would never return to what it was.
Three days later, the unfortunate news still broke.
After Marco's investigation, it was confirmed that Ace had been captured, and the captor was indeed Teach, who now called himself Blackbeard. The Marines had no intention of concealing Ace's capture; the newspapers later announced with great fanfare that Ace would be executed in seven days.
The Marines' actions were viewed by most as a blatant provocation to the Whitebeard Pirates. Since the start of the Great Age of Pirates, pirates had become increasingly rampant, and the Marines' move seemed like a show of force to intimidate others.
However, a smaller faction believed that the Marines' actions had deeper, more significant implications.
Sengoku stated that both interpretations held some truth.
If the intention was merely to execute Ace and simultaneously pressure Whitebeard, there would be no need to set the execution date seven days later; it could have been done in two days, or even one.
Sengoku's decision to proceed as he did was to seize this opportunity to severely cripple the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates, along with Kaido's Beasts Pirates and Big
"Who knows? I have no idea about such things."
Similar discussions were not confined to the South Blue but were also rampant in the East, West, and North Seas, and indeed, across the entire world.
In the Marine office, two old monsters from different eras confronted each other. A teacup on the table was overturned, its contents spilling across the surface.
"Is this necessary? I cannot accept it."
Garp suppressed his anger as much as possible and slowly raised his head to look at Sengoku.
"This public execution is not merely the execution of a single pirate; it carries immense significance for the future direction of the world."
Garp understood what Sengoku meant, but his personal feelings made it difficult for him to calmly accept the situation.
Over the years, Garp had come to regard Ace as his own grandson.
As Garp turned to leave, Sengoku continued, "Regarding this matter, you, as one of the involved parties, bear a significant responsibility."
Sengoku's words made Garp's body tremble.
"Garp, remember this."
"Is this truly the right way? Will it be too cruel for him?"
After Garp left, a voice sounded from behind Sengoku.
Sengoku looked at the words "Absolute Justice" hanging on the wall and murmured, "Even demons can feel cruelty?"
A figure emerged from behind Sengoku and sprawled onto the adjacent sofa.
"I am indeed a demon, but that doesn't mean demons lack emotions. On the contrary, as a demon, I can better understand his resentment towards you."
The speaker was Bai Qi.
After his resurrection, Bai Qi had gained the ability to transform into human form, but due to various factors, he had always appeared in his true form.
However, since Bai Qi often frequented Marine Headquarters, his original appearance was too striking, prompting him to adopt a more acceptable human guise.
"In the face of justice, all kinship and sacrifices are necessary."