Summary:
When Squard stabs Whitebeard, the pirates and even the marines at war are shocked by his betrayal. Squard says he knows about Whitebeard’s plot to put the 43 captains under his command to save Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates. He reveals that Admiral Akainu told him that, and for his betrayal, the Marines will leave the allies alone as the pacifist forces advance through them and destroy everything in their path. As Sengoku’s plan continues, Admiral Aokiji freezes Buggy and his allies to cut off the broadcast to the world. As an act of surprise, Whitebeard forgives Squard even though he was a “stupid son”. Whitebeard uses his powers to give his allies a way out, giving them a chance to stand up for what they believe in. As all the allies regain their will to fight, Squard falls to the ground as he realizes he has been tricked and Whitebeard heads into battle.
After Squard stabs Whitebeard, the pirates and marines are in a mixture of surprise and horror at how Squard could go against their captain. Squard takes down his sword while Buggy is shocked with his Den Den Mushi still online. This leaves the people of Sabaody in an uproar. The pirates blame Squard for his deed, and Marco takes out his frustration on the Maelstrom Spider pirate. Squard demands that Marco kill him because Whitebeard is responsible for all the suffering. As the great pirate falls to his knees, Squard insists that the battle was a farce. He accuses Whitebeard of making a deal with the Navy to save Ace and his friends, but their allies would be harmed. Captain Maelstrom Spider then talks about Whitebeard playing them all for fools and realizes that Ace is Gol D. Roger’s biological son.
Years ago Squard was alone. He often melts in the bar and complains that there are no strong enemies for him. At that moment, a large pirate with a large cloak walked into the bar and met him. He learned that his crew had been massacred by Roger.
That’s why he despises Roger more than anything else. Squard is very angry that Whitebeard kept these secrets. Luffy is shocked that Whitebeard wants Ace to be the next Pirate King. As the Pacifists rain down on some pirates, Squard yells at his superior for lying to him from the very beginning. He was good friends with Ace. Now that Ace is captured, with Whitebeard’s main fleet inside the large barricades and the smaller fleet trapped outside, Squard is very angry with Whitebeard.
Squard recalls meeting Akainu, the Marine admiral informing him that Ace was Roger’s son. Akainu was now sure of the outcome of the war and Squard tried to attack him but was knocked into a wall. Akainu explained that his forces intended to converge and wipe out the allied pirate fleet while only fighting Whitebeard’s forces.
Squard then accuses Whitebeard of making his allies scapegoats. The pacifists continue to pursue the pirates. With the pacifists attacking from behind and the ice on either side, there is no way out. The pirates begin to wonder if Whitebeard is lying or not. Squard felt it was a miracle to break through Whitebeard and demands that he be executed in return. The other pirates accuse Whitebeard of sacrificing them so Ace could be wrestled. Whitebeard just stares silently.
Sabaody is viewed with horror by the people, believing that Whitebeard betrayed his fellow pirates and sided with the navy all along.
At Marineford, Squard says that all the crew members will be sons of the great pirate, but some children are worth more. Marco shouts that the Navy lied to Squard, but the pink-haired pirate says that Marco is connected to the Navy as well. Whitebeard says that the death of the Squard crew was not Ace’s fault, but it was the way it was. He also berates Squard for being so much worse than Sengoku.
When Sengoku sends Aokiji to hit Buggy, people begin to think that a war has been set up. Then the supply is interrupted. Buggy and his crew are frozen by Aokiji’s ice. Sengoku then orders the walls to be activated. Crocodile senses that the pirate who once defeated him has been brought down by his own ally. He then yells at Whitebeard for making a fool of everyone involved. Marco is starting to worry that Whitebeard is getting weaker as he gets older.
Even as his health declines, Whitebeard yells that Squard has strayed and appears to slap him, but hugs him even though he’s a fool. First, Squard is still angry at Whitebeard for his betrayal, but he is interrogated as to who took his heart from his family. Squard answers “Akainu”.
In a flashback, it is shown that Akainu said that Whitebeard is considered a hero and people don’t realize the truth. He also told Squard that Whitebeard made a deal to save his pirates, but would sell out his New World allies without a second thought. Akainu says they must kill Whitebeard to end the war.
Squard then tells Whitebeard that if he killed him, Akainu would defeat the New World pirates. Even though Squard despised Roger, Whitebeard says it’s ridiculous to blame a child for the sins of the father. Ace and Squard have had happy and painful moments together. Squard is told to be kind to Ace as the entire crew is family to Whitebeard. The Emperor then accuses Sengoku of all the lies he’s been putting Squard through and causes two shocks to break the ice. The escape route is open as pirates can hijack navy ships at any time. Whitebeard shouts that he is a true pirate, one must choose the path to follow alone.
As Squard cries, the New World pirates beg for forgiveness. Whitebeard reminds Crocodile that every person has a heart and cannot be strong forever. If Ace is saved, then Whitebeard is happy to retire. Whitebeard gathers his pirates and continues his attack.