Marineford Arc

Marineford arc is the 22nd story arc in the One Piece series, continuing on from Impel Down arc. Having failed to reach Ace before he was transferred, Luffy along with the escapees from Impel Down (which include Iva, Inazuma, Crocodile, Jimbei, Mr. 1, Mr. 3 and Buggy the Clown) instead follows after his brother to Marineford, the marine headquarters of the world. However with the odds stacked high against him, the coming threat of Whitebeard and the ulterior motives of pirates that wish to overthrow the Yonkou. Can Luffy manage to hold his own in this head on clash of powers?

Brief Reprieve: Calm before the Storm
Back in Impel Down, we find the Blackbeard Pirates alive and well again as they make their way through Lv 4. Commenting on their luck of getting antidotes to cure their poison and managing to survive another day. BB then thanks Shiryuu for saving them and invites the former warden of Impel Down to join them which he accept knowing what'll happen if he stay in the prison, he also comment that he was waiting for a man like Blackbeard.

Meanwhile on sea on the Tarai Current (which is the government's private route), Iva looks in on Inazuma ,whose recovering from Magellan's poison. Surprisingly, Iva withheld using Healing Hormone technique on him as doesn't wish to cut Inazuma's lifespan, claiming him too important to the revolutionaries to use such a dangerous technique. Meanwhile most of the others are still weeping over Mr. 2 Bon Kurei's sacrifice, Buggy tries to cheer them up by throwing a party/funeral in honor of him but Luffy punches him in the face, claiming Bon might still be alive. The prompts a fight from the two while Crocodile and Jimbei talk a bit about Jinbei's ability to talk to fish and one of the reasons why Fishman are so secluded. Luffy then joins Jinbei who thanks him for letting him join in the rescue attempt. He then formally introduces himself and reveals his Shichibukai status in the process much to Luffy's shock since he didn't know about this.

Buggy however is more concerned with heading to Marineford which Crocodile reveals is unavoidable since their using the Marines private route which circles the marine gates (From Impel Down to the now defunct Enies Lobby and finally Marineford) not to mention the coming war of Whitebeard and the Marines. This news shocks most of the inmates since they didn't know that was the whole goal of the break out and many, including Buggy, begin to panic. Before this can go on further, the Den Den Mushi on the ship rings and Luffy picks it up to reveal a Vice-Admiral on the other end bringing a report on the breakout before communication at Impel Down stopped. Luffy and oddly, Buggy are labeled the ones who masterminded the breakout.

He goes on further revealing Buggy's past apprenticeship ship on Gol D. Roger's ship, much to the shock of the inmates on board, and concludes Buggy's reason as helping rescue Ace (though of course that wasn't the case). The Vice-Admiral lastly mentions they won't open the gate for them and that they won't be able to survive since their on the marine current. However Luffy responds back that he'll rescue his brother no matter what before hanging up. The others on board then talk about Buggy's past, each with their own opinion on the matter. Buggy though is reluctant since he knows the marines will watch his every move now. Luffy mentions Rayleigh to him, causing Buggy to ask how he's doing and causing his followers to marvel at him further. As they begin to cheer, Buggy becomes more nervous but soon realizes he could take advantage of the situation. The escapees suddenly start suggesting of a mutiny and taking over the ship but Buggy calms them down and proclaims that the coming war is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take down Whitebeard. Buggy's words move his followers and they soon swear their loyalty to him, averting the mutiny. With that the ship sails on for Marinford.

Meanwhile at Marine HQ, Noon has arrived and three hours remain until Ace's execution. Ace is ordered to climb a set of stairs toward the gallows. As he does so, he remembers a promise he made to Luffy to live a life without regret and to one day go out at sea to live a life with more freedom then anyone. Soon Ace reaches a gate at the top of the stairs and head through further toward his execution.

At The Marine HQ: Ace's Secret Exposed
As this goes on all around the One Piece 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 in Marineford, a city located within it to which the families of Marines reside in, have been evacuated due to the coming war. On the Shabody Archipelago, monitors have been stationed around the isle broadcasting the execution to its inhabitants as Ace arrives at the execution stand. The patrol ships sent to deal which Whitebeard's forces are sunk and never heard from again. Thus Marineford is understandably on edge as the three hours till 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 is none other then the remaining Shichubukai ( Kuma, Moria, Donflamingo, Mihawk, and Boa Hancock). At the rear of the island is where Ace is located atop the execution stand and 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. Jimbei tries to think of a way to penetrate it while Buggy rallies his followers.

Back at the execution stand, Sengoku tells Garp he going to tell the audience "everything", which Garp replies he can do as he wishes. Sengoku then takes the stage and orders the executors 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 2nd Division Commander who his father was. Ace replies that Whitebeard is his father but Sengoku claims he is not. Sengoku then goes on 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 didn't find anything. However there was a reason for it, Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, who was from the South Blue on an isle known as Baterilla preform a feat that even the marines didn't think was possible: She had kept Ace in her womb for a twenty full months, way 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.

The Battle Begins: Whitebeard of the Four Emperors Arrives!
Around the world, the audience is shocked to learn that Roger had a son and that his bloodline lives on to this day. Those on Marineford are rendered speechless, though those that know Luffy personally (Boa, Coby, Helmeppo) are surprised to find out that Luffy and Ace aren't actually related. Garp meanwhile continues to think of the past, when he met with Roger in his cell before his execution. Roger explains that he was going to have a son but wouldn't live long enough to see him and personally requested Garp to take care of him, knowing what'll happen if either Rouge or Ace are found by the World Government. Garp seems reluctant at first of the idea but Roger (correctly) believes Garp will honor his final request.

Shortly after Roger died, marines arrived on Baterilla going off reports that Roger acted unlike himself on the island. They begin to investigate all newborns, mothers and pregnent women even giving orders to kill any mothers who may seem suspicious to them. Through it all however Rouge managed to keep Ace in her womb and avoid their notice. Eventually the marines left the island and Rouge, under the care of Garp, was able conceived Ace safely. However she only had a moment to hold her son before she died from exhaustion. A few years afterward Garp had left Ace under the care of Dadan, a friend of Garp and a caretaker of Luffy,which is how the two first met. Garp then goes back to his last meeting with Ace who mentioned both Luffy and he had the blood of world class criminals in their veins which he meant Luffy having the revolutionary Dragon's blood and him the the pirate king. He also took Portgas as his first name out of his love for his mother for saving his life.

Back to the present, Sengoku continues mentioning that two years ago Ace took to the sea as the captain of the Spade Pirates. His strength and speed causing the WG to realize that Roger's bloodline had not ended. However Whitebeard had noticed it too and took in Ace before the WG could reach him. Sengoku however notes that Whitebeard did so to make Ace into the next pirate king! Ace heavily denies it but Sengoku rebuffs him ending his speech that if they left Ace that way, he would've surely stood above all other pirates which is why this execution is so important even if it meant going to war with Whitebeard.

One of the marines suddenly reports in, meantiong that the Gate of Justice to Marineford has suddenly opened on its own and they can't contact the power room. On the other side of the gate, the escapees are befuddled that the gate is opening for them despite the marines claiming they wouldn't open it. Buggy's followers think he was the one who did it as he stands at the front of the ship holding a staff and arms outstretched but he just as confused as everyone else. Back in Marineford, the order is given to prepare for battle as Sengoku look on flabbergasted at the fleet of pirate ships approaching the base. All being lead by pirate captains that have achieved infamy in the New World and all coming to support Ace much to his surprise. The marines however withhold from firing on them, trying to locate Whitebeard himself. And indeed he does show...but not from the front, rather from underwater having coated his ship to appears smack in the center of the bay of the island. The Moby Dick as well as three other ships appear with 14 commanders on board. Whitebeard climbs to the front of his ship as he greets Sengoku, no longer hooked to his medical equipment and ready for battle. He tells Ace to bear with it a little long while Ace calls out to his "father".

With the gate unlocked, Luffy's group sail into Marineford. Iwa wondering if Dragon will come to help or not. Upon hearing this, Luffy reveals Ace and he aren't related and Ace's being Gold Roger's son much to the shock of everyone on board (this was also suppose to be a secret which Luffy mindlessly let slip). Back at Marineford, the marines wait in anticipation for Whitebeard to make the first move. Which he does by suddenly hitting the air and cracking it like mirror before it causes an explosions, shocking the marines. Luffy's ship draws close though he can't see anything through the fog while Ace begins to think back to his starting days of piracy. No sooner then he was a teenager, he set off three years before Luffy with both promising to meet each other again. Ace formed the Spade Pirates and his actions soon gained the notice of the Marines (much to Garp's anger) as well as Whitebeard himself.

Not long after, Ace met with Shanks personally thanking him for saving Luffy's life, which the red-haired pirate used as a cause for celebration. Ace soon met with Jimbei trying to gain audience with Whitebeard. But the fishman refused causing a fight between the two that lasted for five days, ending in a stalemate as neither could overcome the other. Whitebeard soon located the group whom the Spade Pirates were no match for. Ace ordered his crew to run while he stayed behind and tried hold Whitebeard off. Whitebeard impressed with his spirit and strength offered him the choice to join his crew, though Ace refused the offer at first. He ended up knocked unconscious and waking up on the Moby Dick, where he was greeted by Thatch, the 4th Division Commander. Thatch explains that Ace's crew tried to get him back but were once more defeated and brought on board Whitebeard's ship. Despite this though Ace wasn't treated as a prisoner but stubbornly refused to be part of the crew. Instead trying to assassinate Whitebeard numerous times (a total of a hundred according to the crew) all of which ended in failure. Eventually Ace gave up and officially joined after Thatch revealed that all the men aboard Whitebeard ship, who are hated around the world, see him as a father which likewise in kind he calls him his "sons".

Soon Ace was nominated as the 2nd Division Commander, during this time he met Blackbeard who suggested he take the job. Before he did, Ace revealed his past to Whitebeard who laughed it off despite the rivalry with Gold Roger, claiming everyone was a child of the sea. Then the incident with Blackbeard happened and Ace, in anger, swore to go after him. Whitebeard and the others tried to talk him out of it, the former getting an uneasy feeling about everything. But Ace persisted as Blackbeard was from his division (not to mention Thatch being a friend of his) and he wanted to take responsibility for BB's disgraceful actions. Back in the present, Ace pleas for the others to simply leave him behind calming his own cockiness was the cause for his capture. But Whitebeard however claims he was the one who let him go on the Blackbeard mission. When Ace calls him a lair, the other Whitebeard pirates all agree with their captain and vow to save Ace no matter what.

Suddenly the base feels shaking around the island, which Garp explains that the earlier explosion Whitebeard caused has turned into tsunamis that are headed right back at Marineford. This due in part to Whitebeard's devil fruit, the Gura Gura no Mi Fruit, which allows him to make earthquakes. Sengoku warns the marines that military force alone won't be enough to stop Whitebeard as he has the power to destroy the world itself. As the tidal wave closes in on the base and the world watches on, its revealed that 49 pirate ships lead by Whitebeard face off against the Marine HQ and the Royal Shichibukai. Regardless of who wins, the current era of piracy is coming to an end.