The Battle of Marineford is well underway, with the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies versus the Marines and the Shichibukai. The object of the battle is Ace kneeling and in chains upon the execution platform with a pair of executioners on either side of him, ready and waiting for the Supreme Admiral Sengoku to give them the signal so that they can behead Ace with their long-handled swords. The battle is being broadcasted live upon large screens to the whole world via a Den-Den Mushi camera.
Luffy is on that battlefield, attempting to fight his way toward that platform with the other pirates. But a Marine Giant is blocking his path.
That is when Sengoku speaks a revelation over a Den-Den Mushi loud and clear for all to hear, including to all those watching the battle across the world.
"He grew up together with Ace as his stepbrother, and he is a biological son of the revolutionary - Dragon!"
The battle sputters for a moment as many of the Marines and pirates are shocked by that revelation, as are the rest of the citizenry watching the battle.
The Dragon. The Leader of the Revolutionary Army. An army that has successfully overthrown countries in his quest to destroy the World Government. His infamy surpasses even Whitebeard's, or any of the other Yonkou.
And now it has been revealed that he has a son! Just by being an offspring of the Dragon is of itself a warrent for the death penalty.
Whitebeard smirks over that revelation and reflects . . .
It was a fine day somewhere out in the New World. Aboard the Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard was sitting outside hooked up to various medical apparatus with a barrel of rum in one hand as he was planning strategy with his commanders on their up-and-coming fight with the Marines to rescue Ace. That is when he notices someone else standing upon the prow of the ship. He frowned as his eyes narrowed and pupils shrunk. The others look to where he was looking and gaped with awe as their pupils became like shimmering pinpricks.
The intruder casually jumped down onto the deck and walked past the astonished pirates toward Whitebeard. The pirates voiced their amazement.
" . . . It's the Dragon . . . !"
" . . . What's he doing here . . . ! "
" . . . What does he want with Pops . . . ! "
The division commanders tensed, ready to attack in case he meant to harm their "father". But Whitebeard was grumbling and glaring at the approaching Dragon. His grumbling growing louder to match his increasingly intense glare. The Dragon stopped before Whitebeard and looked up with a scowling but casual expression.
"Dragon, you arrogant bastard!" Whitebeard snarled. "You think being more wanted than me allows you to come here so casually . . . ? Piss off before I throw you off!"
"Just hear me out for a moment," the Dragon said quickly, yet smoothly as he held up his hands. "I need to hear your thoughts."
Whitebeard grumbled, like distant thunder, while he glared at the Dragon as if he were a cockroach. He took a big gulp of rum from that barrel and slammed it down.
"Make it quick!"
"You're planning to rescue Ace," the Dragon began. "With the World Government gathering their forces in Marineford, they'll be at their strongest. Ironically, they'll be at their weakest too, due to most of their forces being gathered there. As strong as your crew and allies are, you'll still lose a lot of them. But with the help of my army, we'll be able to change that. We'll both get what we want out of this: namely you getting Ace back and me crippling the World Government. So what say you?"
Whitebeard gnashed his teeth in fury as his irises became pinpricks. With a loud growl, he hurled his barrel of rum at the revolutionist. But the Dragon had simply moved out of the way before the barrel could hit him, where it crashed onto the deck and bounced, spilling rum in the process. His movement was not that of a normal man as he seemed to have zipped to one side in the blink of an eye without any body movement. And all while his face had remained unreadable.
"So fast!" Marco the Phoenix gasped.
"So we're kindred spirits, are we, Dragon?" Whitebeard bellowed.
He next reached for his basento. For a moment, it looked as if he were about to strike the Dragon, but only pointed it at him menacingly. Yet that blade was only inches away from the Dragon's face, which remained unreadable.
"Your war with the World Government is yours!" Whitebeard ranted. "Keep me out of it! And keep yourself and your army the hell away from Marineford while I'm there!"
He quickly raised his basento. This time it looked as if he really were going to strike the Dragon. But Whitebeard slammed the butt of it down onto the deck, sending a wave of his Conqueror's Will out to intimidate the Dragon as it blew his mane-like hair. The Dragon's expression still remained unreadable.
"You've heard my thoughts, Dragon," Whitebeard snarled as he stood to his full height, glaring down his nose. "Now piss off before I throw you off!"
The Dragon quickly, yet casually turned and walked away from Whitebeard, returning to where Whitebeard first noticed him, then jumped overboard. One of the pirates rushed over to look.
"H-He's gone!"
Whitebeard stops his reflection. He briefly wonders if the Dragon had sent his son, only to quickly quash that fancy. The Dragon probably doesn't know that his son is here. Nevertheless, he can see in Straw Hat Luffy his father's fearlessness after having stood up to his Conqueror's Will like that, then back talked and boldly claiming that he would become the Pirate King. He watches as he takes down a giant by making his fist massive. Strange ability. Must be a Devil Fruit.
Whitebeard continues to watch as Luffy fights his way through the Marines. At one point, he watches as Jimbe blasts him into the presence of the three admirals. Fearless indeed. But there is an extremely fine line between fearlessness and stupidity, and it gets proven as he watches Luffy flying directly toward him, courtesy of a kick from Kizuru. Whitebeard catches Luffy and says that he is nothing more than a bundle of energy, then tosses him to his crew to tend to him.
Only to have him running past moments later with a renewed vigor. That large headed freak had jabbed his, or her, fingers into his side and renewed him. Even though that freak was reluctant to do so.
Whitebeard sighs and slowly shakes his head over that boy's foolishness. He clearly doesn't have his father's caution. Pirate King. Yeah, right. That boy wasn't going to amount to anything.
"Don't do it!" Luffy yelled at his loudest and most furious.
Whitebeard watches in surprise as thousands of Marines and pirates collapse.
Haki. Armament and Observation. In theory, anyone may use them, but only a minority of people will ever become capable of learning how to use them. Then there is the ultimate of Haki: Intimidation. also known as the Conqueror's Will. Only a minority of Haki users have it because it is something that a person must be born with, as it cannot be learned. More than just having the ability alone, every person who had ever possessed the Conqueror's Will always left a powerful influence in the world.
This is it . . . ! This is what Roger had told him all those years ago shortly before he gave himself up to the Marines. This is the Will of D! The person who bears that middle initial will find that which was lost and bear it upon their shoulders, then throw it down to the whole world in challenge. A challenge that will shatter the foundations of the whole world and make this war seem like an everyday skirmish.
"That brat," Whitebeard grumbled with surprise. Now he knows what must be done.
He punches out to unleash his Quake Power, causing the air to momentarily crack like glass. Dozens of Marines scatter like dust in a hurricane. This succeeds in diverting their attention and they attack Whitebeard. For a time, he keeps them busy, but they end up regrouping to attack Luffy.
No! That boy cannot, must not, be allowed to perish! He will protect that boy and let him succeed. He will throw everything he has at those Marines to keep them too busy from killing Straw Hat, even at the expense of his own life.
"You guys!" Whitebeard bellowed. "From now on, back Straw Hat Luffy up with all your strength!"
For a moment, his pirates are surprised, but end up doing as they are told. The Marines see an opportunity to attack Whitebeard again, but are once again blown away by his power. Between his advanced age and the wounds he now bears, he is tiring. With a brief cough, Whitebeard stares at Luffy as his own pirates are now helping him as they charge into the battle alongside Luffy to keep the Marines busy. His thoughts are of both critical and respectful.
Do it, brat! You just stopped them from executing Ace on my behalf! You have the middle initial D, so show me how the world will be in years to come!