The next day, Caelan returned to Dressrosa aboard the Azure Dragon.

Before leaving, he brought along all his women, as well as several high-value captives.

Among them were King, Queen, and the Tobiroppo, among others.

It was also worth mentioning that Caesar Clown, who had been sold by him to the Golden Emperor Tesoro and later taken away by Kaido-sama, once again fell into his hands.

This time, Caelan had no intention of selling Caesar again. After all, those who could afford such a deal had already been fooled once and would not be deceived twice.

He decided to lock Caesar and Queen in a small dark room together, forcing them to develop new weapons for the Neo Navy to replace those outdated matchlock guns.

In Wano Country, only three elite vice admirals, Yamakaji, Momonga, and Doberman, remained, along with Gecko Moria, who was guarding nearly one hundred thousand prisoners.

Having them stationed there was more than enough.

After returning from the Battle of Marineford, Caelan had instructed Nojiko to use the Float-Float Fruit's power to move Wano Country to Dressrosa.

With that done, everything was foolproof.

After spending a day in Dressrosa to handle some affairs, Caelan rode the Azure Dragon toward Marine Headquarters.

…

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

The grand and solemn Navy Headquarters stood tall, its flag emblazoned with the word "MARINE" fluttering proudly in the wind.

In front of the main building, on the vast Aulis Square, one hundred thousand elite soldiers stood in formation where the execution platform of the Navy Headquarters was located. Cloaks bearing the word "Justice" billowed on their backs as they stood in high spirits.

These were not ordinary marines, but lieutenants of the headquarters and majors from various branches.

There were as many as 100,000 such elite officers.

On the stands before the execution platform sat Fleet Admiral Sengoku. In front of him, the three Admirals, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu, were seated side by side.

Although Aokiji and Kizaru were usually laid-back, they maintained a serious demeanor on such an occasion.

Akainu, on the other hand, looked especially stern, his eagle-like sharp gaze sweeping over the troops below.

Higher up on the execution platform stood the Five Elder Stars, who had rarely appeared before the public. Now they looked down upon everything with arrogance and disdain.

Beyond the land-based arrangements of the Headquarters, dozens of massive warships surrounded the nearby seas.

The entire Marineford had become a massive dragnet.

No execution in history had ever been so imposing.

Even the execution of the Pirate King twenty years ago paled in comparison.

Among the one hundred thousand officers, many were whispering to one another.

After all, they were not ordinary soldiers but officers with authority, not bound by the same discipline as common troops.

Gathered in Aulis Square, they could not help but talk quietly.

"Today's the day of the execution."

"Do you think Whitebeard and his men will come?"

"Of course they will. It's precisely because of Whitebeard that the Navy has mobilized such a large force."

"For Whitebeard alone? He's not worth this kind of display."

"The Five Elders are here, and all three Admirals have been summoned back. They're preparing for the God Slayer's arrival."

"After all, the God Slayer who defeated Kaido in a single day poses a greater threat than the declining Whitebeard."

"Yeah, that guy's terrifying. Not only is he absurdly strong, but his Neo Navy is powerful too."

"Shh, watch what you say."

As they whispered, some marines could not help but show complex expressions, a mixture of fear and awe.

The God Slayer's reputation had reached its peak, and his Neo Navy had risen in power.

To the marines, they were both a formidable enemy and an alluring alternative path.

Above the stands, Akainu noticed the unrest below and immediately frowned.

"Silence. The focus today is the execution of the Pirate King's bloodline."

Akainu's commanding voice thundered across the square.

Instantly, all chatter ceased, and the entire Aulis Square fell silent.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who should have been the one speaking, sat in silence, his expression unreadable. Beside Akainu, Aokiji wore a visibly uneasy look.

The Five Elder above observed Akainu's strict conduct and nodded in approval.

Time passed slowly. The hour of execution was drawing near.

Ace, the condemned man, was brought to the execution platform in heavy shackles.

Dozens of video Den Den Mushi turned toward him, broadcasting every detail of his miserable state.

Other Den Den Mushi were directed toward Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, and several high-ranking naval officers.

The hundred thousand marines in the square and the dozens of elite warships surrounding the area were also shown.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea, Hawkeye Mihawk and Bartholomew Kuma, stood silently as the cameras zoomed in on them.

However, the one who had captured Ace and delivered him to the World Government, Blackbeard, was nowhere to be seen.

All these images were transmitted to every corner of the world through the global broadcast network.

Sabaody Archipelago, the East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, North Blue, anywhere with a signal could witness the live broadcast of the Pirate King's son's execution.

Even pirate crews sailing the Grand Line could tune their Den Den Mushi to the right frequency to watch the unencrypted broadcast.

This was the World Government's warning to all enemies. They wanted as many as possible to see it.

The sheer number of troops, the overwhelming might of the Navy's top combat power, and the grandeur of the event demonstrated the absolute dominance of the Marines.

Everyone watching was shaken to their core.

The World Government had reasserted its rule, sweeping away the cowardice it had shown in recent months.

Once all the Den Den Mushi had been set up, Sengoku stood from his seat and approached Ace.

"Portgas D. Ace, the sinful descendant of Pirate King Roger. Twenty years ago, when Roger was executed, he spread a lie about the treasure One Piece, throwing the world into chaos."

"The sinful blood he left behind has become a vicious pirate as well. Therefore, the Navy will end this bloodline of sin here today. No matter who comes, Whitebeard or anyone else, they cannot change this fate."

"All crimes will be judged. From this moment, the Great Pirate Era born from lies and evil will come to an end."

Sengoku's solemn declaration echoed across the square through the loudspeakers, broadcasted live across the world.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!"

The giant vice admiral pounded his chest and roared in excitement.

He cheered for the Navy's justice and the end of evil.

"Long live the Navy!"

"Long live the Navy!"

"Long live the World Government!"

"Long live the World Government!"

The officers shouted passionately, their voices filled with fervor.

At this moment, the shame of pirates joining the Seven Warlords was washed away.

At this moment, the shadow cast by the God Slayer, Caelan, was dispelled.

At this moment, they forgot the corruption of the Celestial Dragons and the cruelty of the World Government.

They cheered for their justice and the end of sin.

All across the world, pirates watching the broadcast were shaken.

They desperately hoped for something, someone, to crush the Marines' arrogance.

"Gurararara! It won't be that easy to kill my son!"

A thunderous voice echoed over the seas.

Then, forty-three massive pirate ships emerged from beneath the waves.

The Whitebeard Pirates had arrived.

(To be continued.)

◇◇◇

◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.

◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)