Chapters · Summit War › Marineford

Chapter 551: Whitebeard of the Four Emperors

Arc: Marineford · Saga: Summit War · Released: —

Summary

The truth detonates across the world: newspapers print extra editions, and crowds reel at the headline that “Fire Fist” Ace is the son of Gold Roger — “the bloodline of the Pirate King still exists.” The chapter then flashes back ~22 years: before his execution, Roger seeks out his lifelong enemy, Vice-Admiral Garp, to confess he’s going to be a father and to entrust the unborn child to him, certain the Government will retrace his steps and exterminate his line. It does — Marines comb the islands, ordered to inspect pregnant women and kill anyone suspicious. Ace’s mother, Portgas D. Rouge, holds the pregnancy by sheer will for nearly twenty months to throw off the hunt, names the baby with the names Roger chose — “Gol D. Ace” — but gives him her own family name, Portgas, to bury Roger’s blood; then she dies. Garp carries the infant to Curly Dadan to raise (and later leaves young Luffy there too). Years on, Ace rose fast as captain of the Spade Pirates before Whitebeard took him in — and that, Fleet Admiral Sengoku tells the world, is why he must die: Whitebeard meant to raise the Pirate King’s son into the next Pirate King. Ace rejects every word — “Whitebeard is my only father!!” Then the Gates of Justice grind open on their own, and Whitebeard’s allied New World fleet pours in — Doma, McGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, Squard, 43 ships — while the man himself is missing. He’s beneath them: his fleet coated their ships and dove, and the Moby Dick surfaces in the heart of Marineford bay. Whitebeard rises on its deck: “My beloved son… had better be all right!! I’m coming, Ace!”

New reveals

• Global broadcast of Ace’s parentage — newspaper extras carry “‘Fire Fist’ Ace is Gold Roger’s son?!” worldwide; “The bloodline of the Pirate King!! It still exists!” (pp. 2-4).
• Roger entrusted his unborn child to Garp — pre-execution, Roger confesses the pregnancy and asks his sworn enemy to protect the baby: “I know you. You’ll do it. Take care of my child!” (pp. 5-6).
• The WG bloodline-purge — orders to inspect all pregnant women, kill the suspicious, and check every child born up to ten months after Roger’s capture: “We have to wipe out his bloodline!” (p. 6).
• Portgas D. Rouge / the 20-month willpower pregnancy — Rouge carries Ace nearly twenty months to dodge the hunt, names him, and dies; Roger had picked “Gol D. Ace” / “Anne,” and Rouge passes her own surname Portgas to disguise the Roger line (pp. 6-7).
• Garp → Dadan — Garp delivers baby Ace (and later young Luffy) to Curly Dadan to raise (p. 7). First on-page appearance of Dadan.
• The Spade Pirates — Ace’s pre-Whitebeard crew is named; he was its captain (p. 7).
• Sengoku’s execution rationale — Whitebeard took Roger’s son to raise him as the next Pirate King; Ace must die “even if it means all-out war with Whitebeard.” Ace: “Whitebeard is my only father!!” (pp. 8-9).
• Gates of Justice open by themselves — control room unreachable; the gates admit the pirate fleet (pp. 9-11).
• Whitebeard’s allied fleet — 43 ships of New World captains: Bohemian Knight Doma, Thunder Lord McGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, Whirl Spider Squard (pp. 12-13).
• Submarine assault + the Moby Dick — Whitebeard’s main fleet coats its ships and surfaces inside the bay; Whitebeard makes his entrance (pp. 15-19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Sengoku (Fleet Admiral — narrates the reveal) · Ace (on the platform) · Garp (present-day + flashback) · Roger (flashback, pre-execution) · Portgaz D. Rouge (Ace’s mother — first appearance) · Dadan (first appearance — shown) · Luffy · Buggy · Aokiji · Whitebeard
• Allied New World captains (first appearances): Squard (Whirl Spider) · Doma (Bohemian Knight) · McGuy (Thunder Lord) · Decalvan Brothers
• Whitebeard Pirates (allied fleet: 43 ships; 14 division leaders submerged) · Marines · Spade Pirates (named — Ace’s first crew) · Roger Pirates (Roger referenced)
• Moby Dick (first shown on-page — surfaces in Marineford bay)
• Marine Headquarters (Marineford) · Gates of Justice · Ship Coating
• D · Will of D · Mera Mera no Mi (Ace, referenced — not used)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Chapter title page = FINAL installment of the “Usopp’s ‘I’ll Die If I’m Alone Disease’” cover serial, captioned “FINAL VOLUME: ‘FAT USOPP’.” A cover-story comic page, not a color spread. [Routed to cover specialist.]
• Pages 2-4 — World reaction: newspaper office orders an extra edition; crowds cry “The bloodline of the Pirate King!! It still exists!”; “He isn’t Luffy’s… brother by blood?”
• Pages 5-6 — Flashback: Roger to Garp, “I’m gonna be a father!… Take care of my child!”; the WG bloodline-purge orders.
• Pages 6-7 — Rouge’s near-20-month pregnancy and death; “…is ‘Gol D. Ace.’ Our child… Ace”; Garp brings baby Ace to Dadan; young Luffy present.
• Page 7 — Ace: “Whitebeard is my only father!!”; “I owe the name Portgas a great debt. I got it from my mother.”; “…the captain of the Spade Pirates.”
• Pages 8-9 — Sengoku: Whitebeard meant to raise the next Pirate King; “your execution today is necessary!”; “Even if it means all-out war with Whitebeard!” (his coat reads “JUSTICE”).
• Pages 9-11 — “The Gates of Justice just opened on their own!!”; Buggy comedically “credited”; “Here they come!! All hands!! Battle positions!!”
• Pages 12-13 — Allied fleet: “Bohemian Knight Doma, Thunder Lord McGuy, Decalvan Brothers, Whirl Spider Squard!! All distinguished captains of the New World!! 43 ships in all, but Whitebeard and his division leaders are nowhere to be seen!”
• Page 14 — Ace reacts; the assembled Warlords on the Marine side grin in anticipation (“This is getting interesting!” / “Now I’m excited!”).
• Page 15 — “So that’s it!! They sealed their ships… and went underwater!!” — shadows rise beneath the bay.
• Pages 16-17 — “LOOOSH!!” a coated ship surfaces; “It’s the Moby Dick!!”; Whitebeard: “Ga ha ha ha… How long has it been, Sengoku?!”
• Pages 18-19 — Whitebeard full-body reveal: “My beloved son… had better be all right!! I’m coming, Ace!”; Ace: “Pops!!” — “TO BE CONTINUED IN ONE PIECE VOL. 57.”

Open questions raised

• Who actually opened the Gates of Justice “on their own,” with the control room unreachable?
• Where are Whitebeard’s 14 division leaders — and what is his battle plan now that he’s in the bay?
• Will Garp, who raised both boys, side fully with the Marines against the son Roger entrusted to him?