481 : Ace Rescued! Whitebeard's Final Order! 【PLUS – CHECKLIST】

But Edward Newgate—the man called Whitebeard—knew better.

He stood like a mountain of scarred flesh and sheer willpower, his massive naginata, Murakumogiri, planted in the cracked earth. Blood leaked from a hundred wounds, and his legendary coat hung heavy with the grime of war. He looked at his "sons" one last time. 481 : Ace Rescued! Whitebeard's Final Order!

As the pirates began their desperate retreat toward the ships, Whitebeard stood alone against an army. He was the shield. He was the storm. He was the Great Pirate who had lived for nothing but the warmth of a family he never had as a child. But Edward Newgate—the man called Whitebeard—knew better

Behind him, the path to the future was open. In front of him, the end was waiting. He didn't flinch. He just took a deep breath, ready to show the world why he was the strongest man alive one last time. He looked at his "sons" one last time

Should I continue the story with or focus on Whitebeard’s final stand against the Marines?

The execution platform crumbled into dust. Luffy’s defiant roar echoed across Marineford as the sea-stone cuffs finally fell away. Ace was free.

"It’s a Captain’s Order," Whitebeard growled, his eyes narrowing as he turned his back on them to face the surging tide of Marines and the three Admirals. "I am a remnant of the old era. There is no ship in the new era for me!"