With the entire world watching a live broadcast, Sengoku stood beside Ace and revealed the truth of his lineage: he was the son of the Pirate King.
The revelation sent massive shockwaves across the globe. The people in the Sabaody Archipelago watched in disbelief. Pirates erupted in excited cheers, while the general public fell into a state of panic. Reporters standing before the large broadcast screens were so stunned they dropped their pens.
Out on the sea, Luffy was rapidly approaching Marineford in a battered little boat, a Den Den Mushi clutched in his hand. He had heard everything. "Ace!" Luffy roared, his voice low and guttural as veins bulged on his fists.
BOOM!!
The water in front of the plaza began to churn violently before a tremendous sound erupted. The massive, coated Moby Dick burst forth from beneath the waves, followed by forty-three more pirate ships of varying sizes, all flying the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!" the common soldiers in the plaza cried out in alarm.
Standing at the forefront of the plaza were several giant Marine vice admirals. Positioned near them were four of the Seven Warlords of the Sea: Hancock, Doflamingo, Gekko Moriah, and the world's strongest swordsman, Hawk-Eye.
At that moment, Ryuuto had reached an altitude of ten thousand meters above Marineford. Through a pair of binoculars, he observed the unfolding scene below.
"The show's starting," Ryuuto said with a light chuckle. "Time for my entrance." He handed two straws storing wind power to Vivi and Crocus before leading Jean Bart in a leap from the sky.
Crackle!
A flash of lightning streaked down, covering the ten-thousand-meter distance in an instant.
The three admirals exchanged glances. Akainu, seated in the center, turned his head and said grimly, "Isn't that 'Black Dragon' Ryuuto? Is he here to rescue Ace, too?"
"The Black Dragon? Interesting," Aokiji said nonchalantly, exhaling a puff of cold air, a hint of curiosity on his face.
Kizaru's expression became particularly strained upon seeing this. Garp also clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on Ryuuto.
But none of them made a move. At this moment, their greatest adversary was the man standing on the prow of the Moby Dick: Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
"Sengoku, it's been a long time! Is my dear son doing all right?" Whitebeard shouted from the bow, his sharp gaze sweeping over the assembled Marines.
Sengoku's expression darkened. *He managed to get this close!* he thought.
Just as Garp explained the nature of Whitebeard's Devil Fruit ability, the man himself slammed his fists into the air. The turbulent seas on both sides of the island roiled, forming colossal tsunamis that surged toward Marineford.
"So this is an Emperor? What terrifying power," Doflamingo remarked with a wicked grin.
Ryuuto landed on the ground as if stepping into an empty field, ignoring the Marines around him as he walked slowly toward Hancock. Jean Bart followed silently behind, an oppressive aura emanating from them.
In the vast expanse of Marineford, Hancock's world had narrowed to a single person. As she saw Ryuuto approach, her typically cold expression melted away, replaced by the giddy joy of a flustered maiden.
The Marine fodder looked up at the towering tsunamis about to crash down on them and screamed in terror.
"Ice Age!"
With a leap, Aokiji froze both massive waves solid. The rank-and-file Marines cheered in relief. "Thank goodness for Admiral Kuzan! We're saved!"
"Fuffuffuffuffu... Black Dragon Ryuuto. A bounty of one billion Berries," Doflamingo said with his strange laugh, his eyes on the approaching Ryuuto.
Gekko Moriah also stared greedily at Ryuuto and muttered, "What a powerful corpse. I want it!"
Both men were curious about Hancock's uncharacteristically flustered behavior.
Even Hawk-Eye turned his head to look at Ryuuto.
"You little brat, Aokiji!" Back at the harbor, Whitebeard saw that his tsunamis had been frozen. He slammed his right fist into the air, unleashing a powerful shockwave that instantly blasted Aokiji.
Bang!
As Aokiji shattered into ice and fell, the bay instantly froze solid, trapping all the ships and connecting the sea to the land.
With a unified roar, the crews of the Whitebeard Pirates leaped from their ships, charging across the ice to attack the Marines.
The great war had begun! The clash of steel filled the air, and amid the chaos, Ryuuto spotted several acquaintances, including Smoker, Tashigi, and Hina.
"Ryuuto!" Unable to contain her longing any longer, Hancock rushed forward and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"Hancock, it's been a while," Ryuuto whispered in her ear. The warm, tickling sensation of his voice made her blush so deeply it looked like her face might bleed.
"I've missed you so," Hancock replied, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, completely overcome with shyness.
"Fuffuffuffuffu, are you two done cuddling? This is a battlefield, you know!" Doflamingo's mocking voice interrupted their reunion.
That settled it for Ryuuto. "Mingo, let's start with you," he said in a low voice, stepping out of Hancock's embrace to face Doflamingo.
Hancock's face hardened as she glared at Doflamingo.
"Are you ready, Mingo? I'm here for your head," Ryuuto said with a light laugh as lightning began to crackle around his body.
Doflamingo's laughter died in his throat. He stared grimly at Ryuuto.
Crackle...
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
With a soft cry, Ryuuto thrust his right hand forward. A bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, instantly forming a spear dozens of meters long that shot toward Doflamingo.
BOOM!!
The immense electrical power obliterated the spot where Doflamingo had been standing.
The moment Doflamingo reappeared in mid-air, Ryuuto was already upon him, his right fist coated in Armament Haki as he brought it crashing down.
Clang!
With a flick of his right hand, Doflamingo pulled several invisible strings taut between them, blocking Ryuuto's punch.
"Fuffuffuffuffu, I'm a user of the String-String Fruit! Is that all you've got? My turn to strike back!" Doflamingo said with a dismissive sneer, his grin stretching nearly to the back of his head.
Moriah and Hawk-Eye had already leaped aside, distancing themselves from the fight. Hawk-Eye silently turned his gaze toward Whitebeard, then unleashed a slash, sending a brilliant blue-green arc of energy hurtling toward the Moby Dick.
"Is that the power of the world's greatest swordsman?" Tashigi watched in awe, her eyes fixed on the Supreme Grade Sword in Hawk-Eye's hand—Yoru.
Back in his own fight, Ryuuto felt as if his body had been wrapped in a layer of threads, rendering him immobile.
"Fuffuffuffu, you feel it, don't you?" Doflamingo said, standing at ease as he manipulated his fingers toward Ryuuto.
He had clearly laid down a great number of strings during their brief exchange.
Snap!
Straining against the bonds, Ryuuto slowly raised his right hand toward the sky. A smile touched his lips as he looked at Doflamingo. "A little interesting! I have to say, it feels strange to suddenly be without a weapon."