Marineford Arc

The Marineford Arc (known as the Paramount War in the Viz Manga translation and the War of the Best in the FUNimation sub) is the twenty-second story arc in the series, and the fourth in the Summit War Saga of the One Piece series, continuing on from Impel Down Arc. Having failed to reach Ace before he was transferred to Marineford, Luffy and the other escapees from Impel Down (which include Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov, Crocodile, Mr. 1, Mr. 3, Buggy and Inazuma), instead follow his brother to Marineford, the base of Marine Headquarters. With the odds stacked high against him, the coming threat of Whitebeard, and the ulterior motives of pirates that wish to overthrow the Yonko, Luffy struggles to hold his own in this titanic clash of powers. As this goes on, all around the world, people voice their opinions on the execution and if Whitebeard will really show up. A few doubt his strength due to his old age and the number of the Marine forces. Others, who personally met Whitebeard and even retired from piracy just by being before him, think otherwise. Even children know of Whitebeard's raw strength and sing a playground song about him. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Marineford, a city where the families of Marines reside, have been evacuated due to the coming war.

On the Sabaody Archipelago, monitors have been set up to broadcast the execution to its inhabitants as Ace arrives at the execution stand. The patrol ships sent to deal with Whitebeard's forces are sunk and never heard from again. Thus, Marineford is understandably on edge as the three hours until the execution count down. John Giant rallies his forces as a staggering one hundred thousand elite troops prepare for battle. Fifty marine ships are stationed around the island with cannons lining the coastline. And at the front line of it all are none other than the remaining Shichibukai (Kuma, Moriah, Doflamingo, Mihawk and Boa Hancock). At the rear of the island, Ace is located atop the execution stand. Watching over him are the three Marine admirals: Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji. With this, nearly every justice force imaginable is gathered waiting for Whitebeard to make his move. On the Tarai Current, Luffy and the Impel Down escapees have finally reached the gate to Marineford. Jinbe tries to think of a way to penetrate it while Buggy rallies his followers. Back at the execution stand, Sengoku tells Garp that he is going to tell the audience "everything", which Garp replies he can do as he wishes. Sengoku then takes the stage and orders the executioners to step back a moment before addressing the audience through a Den Den Mushi. He begins by stating there was something critical he needed to share about Ace before asking the Second Division Commander who his father was. Ace replies that Whitebeard is his father but Sengoku claims he is not. Sengoku then goes on to say that the Marines searched an island for the possibility that a certain man bore a child. Newborns, children yet to be born, and even the mothers but they did not find anything. However, there was a reason for it and that was Ace's mother. Portgas D. Rouge, the mother of Ace, who was from the South Blue on an isle known as Baterilla, performed a feat that even the Marines did not think was possible. She had kept Ace in her womb for twenty full months, far past the point of Ace's natural childbirth. When Ace was eventually born, Rouge died, having used up all her strength. This had taken place exactly one year and three months after the death of Ace's true father. Sengoku then announces to the Marines and the world that Ace's father is none other then Gold Roger himself. As the Marines react in shock to this, Garp remembers to himself when Roger asked him to take care of Ace, citing that his unborn child bears no sin just for being born.