Following Sengoku's announcement, all Navy personnel immediately went into combat mode.
The atmosphere at Navy Headquarters grew tense.
Even those watching from Bubble Islands, far from the battlefield, felt a sudden wave of anxiety just from viewing the big screen.
Whitebeard.
The man rumored to possess the power to destroy the world.
Has he finally arrived?
At Navy Headquarters, the marines stationed along the coast soon spotted dozens of pirate ships suddenly emerging from the distant sea. Each vessel bore a distinctive pirate flag, signifying the identity of its captain.
"It's pirates!"
"A massive pirate fleet!!"
"He's coming! Whitebeard is coming!!"
"Damn it, where did these ships come from? Why did they appear out of nowhere?"
"Prepare for battle! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
"All of these pirates are infamous, and sooner or later they'll be notorious in the New World, if not the entire world."
The marines stationed at the headquarters stared at the approaching fleet with grave expressions.
The Whitebeard Pirates commanded 16 divisions, led by 16 captains, comprising a total of 1,600 members.
Moreover, they had 43 allied pirate groups spread across the New World.
At this moment, Whitebeard had gathered all his forces, numbering over 50,000 men, heading straight for Navy Headquarters with an overwhelming display of power.
The sheer scale was astonishing.
Even the might of Navy Headquarters couldn't be taken lightly in the face of such a force.
As the navy monitored the pirate fleet on the sea, they quickly realized something alarming.
"Where's Whitebeard? There's no sign of his ship, no sign of him!"
"I don't see Whitebeard!!"
"Not just Whitebeard—none of his captains are visible either."
"Where are they? Where's Whitebeard and his commanders?"
"Where did Whitebeard go?!"
The arrival of such a massive pirate fleet was already cause for concern.
But now, discovering that Whitebeard himself was nowhere to be seen only heightened the tension. What is he planning? Where is he?
Nobody knew what Whitebeard intended to do.
This mystery bred fear of the unknown.
"Should we attack the fleet?" a navy officer requested permission to engage.
He quickly received an order: "Hold position. Locate Whitebeard first!"
"Whitebeard must be plotting something."
"We remain still, ready to adapt to whatever unfolds!"
The navy maintained its stance, carefully watching the pirate fleet advance toward headquarters.
Meanwhile, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, stationed on the defensive line, were filled with excitement.
Despite their power and status as one of the Three Great Powers, the truth was, they had never faced Whitebeard in battle.
In his later years, Whitebeard had led a quieter life, far less active than in his prime.
If anyone wanted to meet or fight Whitebeard, they would have had to seek him out—challenging or provoking him.
But none of the Warlords dared to challenge Whitebeard.
That would be a death wish.
Thus, they had never confronted him.
But now, Whitebeard had arrived. Finally, they had the opportunity to meet him face-to-face, and perhaps even fight him.
Privately, none of them would ever dare.
But now, with 100,000 elite marines, three admirals, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and the hero Garp standing behind them, they felt emboldened to confront Whitebeard.
And so, Doflamingo was particularly excited.
"Fuffuffuffu—"
He laughed his signature laugh and said, "Whitebeard is really coming... This is going to be interesting. Show yourself already, Whitebeard! I can't wait! Hahahahaha!!"
He was eager for a fight with Whitebeard.
After all, there might never be another chance in his life to battle Whitebeard in such a secure situation.
How could anyone not be thrilled?
Suddenly.
A faint sound came from deep within the inner bay of Navy Headquarters.
It was a subtle noise.
Only those with enhanced senses could hear it.
The three admirals perked up, and Sengoku's eyes widened.
Something was wrong.
The formation of Navy Headquarters had been designed for defense, with the outermost area covered by fifty warships.
Behind these ships was the defensive line of Navy Headquarters, fortified with countless cannons.
As soon as Whitebeard's fleet approached, the warships and defensive line were supposed to open fire.
Only after breaching these two layers would Whitebeard's forces be able to enter the inner bay.
But now.
A sound was coming from the inner bay.
It had bypassed both the outer warships and the defensive line.
The expressions of the powerful figures who heard it changed instantly.
The noise grew louder and more distinct.
A massive, dark shadow was rising from the depths of the inner bay.
It was getting closer to the surface.
The bubbling sound of water became more pronounced and obvious.
Suddenly, the entire Navy Headquarters became chaotic.
"Where's that sound coming from?!"
"The inner bay! There's a huge shadow rising from the seabed!!"
"What? What is that shadow?!"
"Could it be...?"
The elite marines, following Sengoku and the admirals, quickly grasped the gravity of the situation.
Garp had already noticed, his gaze fixed on the inner bay, and said, "This... this is coming from somewhere incredibly dangerous…"
As the dark shadow continued to rise, the truth became clear.
"Whitebeard coated the entire fleet and sailed along the seabed…"
"They've bypassed the defensive line and entered the inner bay!!"
The elite marines were stunned.
Then, BOOM!
A massive pirate ship erupted from beneath the surface of the inner bay, causing an enormous wave that drenched the surrounding area with seawater. The force of the surge sent many navy officers on the defensive line into a panic, screaming as the water overwhelmed them. The marines behind them looked on in disbelief at the ship now towering before them.
"Whitebeard's ship…"
"The Moby Dick has appeared!!!"
"Whitebeard really crossed the defense line and broke into the inner bay!!!"
Not far behind, three more pirate ships surfaced.
In total, four of Whitebeard's ships had successfully breached the inner bay.
"The inner bay has been invaded!!!"
"Whitebeard's fourteen captains are all aboard! His officers have crossed the line!"
"Damn it!!! The iron wall has been breached too!!!"
Navy Headquarters was in complete chaos.
The original plan had seemed perfect. So many cannons were set, just waiting for Whitebeard to approach. The idea was that a thousand cannons would fire in unison, giving even Whitebeard a serious challenge.
But in reality, Whitebeard had completely bypassed those defenses, emerging straight into the inner bay from the seabed.
The so-called "iron wall" defense had instantly become a joke.
Who could withstand this?
Whitebeard was known for his strength, but how could he have been so cunning?
He's resourceful?! How infuriating!!!
"Sengoku…" Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha had locked his eyes on Whitebeard. With his immense power, he had sensed Whitebeard's presence before the others.
"Gurararara—"
Whitebeard's deep, booming laughter echoed from the Moby Dick: "It's been decades since we last saw each other, hasn't it, Sengoku?"
Then, a towering figure, six or seven meters tall, stepped forward to the bow of the Moby Dick.
He had a distinct, crescent-shaped white mustache.
His immense frame radiated raw power, a force that could make anyone tremble.
Whitebeard stood at the bow, his voice calm yet commanding as he addressed his crew: "My children, are you all right?"
His tone was not menacing.
But just hearing him sent shivers down the spines of everyone who watched.
Whitebeard had arrived.