Chapter 121: The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
When news of this war spread across the world, one thought crossed everyoneâs mind.
âWill the monster âWhitebeardâ die?
People freely voiced their opinions. âEven Whitebeard couldnât possibly beat both the Navy Headquarters and the Seven Warlords.â âDonât lump him in with any old geezer. Even in old age, heâs still a monster.â âNo matter who wins, the casualties will be massive.â âThe reason people had so many different takes was because everyone feared what the world would look like after the war.
Noâperhaps everyone had already sensed it. That the world was about to change.
As the war unfolded, people watched with unease, their hearts growing more restless with each escalation.
Everyone who witnessed that war, everyone who saw that moment, thought the same thingââWhitebeardâ would go on fighting âKaido of the Beastsâ and end his life there.
But that didnât happen.
âZe~hahahahahahahaha!!!â
ââŠ!! WhitebeardâŠ!!â
Stabbed through the chest from behind, Whitebeard coughed up blood.
Many people turned pale, and even those who didnât furrowed their brows and broke out in a sweat.
During Whitebeard and Kaidoâs final duel, someone struck in that moment of vulnerabilityâa surprise attack from the last of the Seven Warlords, one who had not shown his face at all during the war but was well known to the Whitebeard Pirates.
âZe~hahahaâŠ!! Got you⊠old manâŠ!!!â
It was âBlackbeardâ Marshall D. Teach.
âWhitebeardâs been taken down~~~~!!!â
âThatâs⊠the Blackbeard Pirates!!?â
âOld man~~~~!!!â
After a brief moment of silence, Marineford trembled.
Whitebeard had been stabbed in the back. And behind him stood the Blackbeard PiratesâTeach and his crew, who had murdered their own comrades and fled from the Whitebeard Pirates.
ââŠ!!? Who the hell are those punksâŠ!?â
âWhitebeardâŠ!!â
âTeachâŠ!! That bastardâŠ!!!â
â! Ace!!â
Even âGolden Lion,â Whitebeardâs sworn enemy, clenched his teeth in fury at the sight. âBig Momâ widened her eyes in shock.
And Aceâwho had the deepest grudgeâveins bulging on his forehead, turned back in rage and dashed toward the scene. Luffy tried to call his name to stop him, but Ace didnât listen.
Even the marines retreating with all their might could only gape in disbelief. Alongside Blackbeard appeared others in prison uniformsâdeath row inmates from Impel Downâs âLEVEL 6,â men who werenât supposed to be here at all.
âThese guys⊠their past crimes were so atrocious they were erased from public records⊠the worldâs most dangerous criminalsâŠ!!!â
âNot a single one of them shouldâve ever been let outâŠ!!â
âWhy the hell are they here!?â
The marines were stunned by the unexpected lineup. So were the pirates, and the civilians watching the event unfold.
But only Nue, who had known something like this could happen, noticed it.
âTheyâre⊠all goneâŠ!?â
ââŠ?â
Even as he battled Garp, Nue was shaken not by anger like the others but by a different realization. Those who were supposed to be thereâwho had definitely been there just moments agoâhad vanished.
He had stopped using Observation Haki to focus on the fight in front of him, but now wondered: where had they gone?
Garp, locked in a clash with Nue, noticed his opponentâs strange reaction, but didnât understand what had caused it. Meanwhile, the Blackbeard Pirates, standing on the battlefield, scanned the area and reacted, but that wasnât what mattered now.
What matteredâwas that Blackbeard had ambushed Whitebeard.
âTeach⊠you bastardâŠ!!â
âZe~hahahaâŠ!!! Looks like this is the end of the road for you, old man!! Iâll turn you into a beehiveââ
âLook out!! Captain!!â
â!â
Just as Blackbeard moved in to follow up his attack on the bleeding, staggering Whitebeardâanother massive shadow loomed over him.
â!!!â
âWhoa!!!â
At the last possible moment, the ground where Blackbeard had stood cracked open.
The one swinging his iron club in rage at the sneak attack on the monstrous Whitebeardâwas none other than âKaido of the Beasts.â
âYou⊠you interrupted my fight, didnât you?â
ââŠ!!! W-Wait!! Kaido!! Iâve got a good proposition for youââ
âIf youâre that eager to die, then forget WhitebeardâIâll start by killing you.â
Kaido glared down at Blackbeard, his expression blazing with fury. Quietly, he channeled that murderous rage into his clubâthe most efficient tool to manifest his willâand swung it at the nuisance before him.
â!!! BâGwaaaaaaaaahhh!!?â
âCaptain!!â
Kaidoâs club slammed into Blackbeard, sending him tumbling across the ground. Blood poured from his face as he groaned in pain. His crewmates called out in worry, but Blackbeard showed no signs of passing out. To everyone but the Blackbeard Pirates, this was unexpectedâbut apparently, Blackbeard had enough endurance to withstand Kaidoâs blow.
âUgh⊠aaaghâŠ!! Hurts like hell!! Dammit⊠guess itâs no good after all!! In that case⊠Iâll just have to take it by forceâŠ!!â
â!!â
âWhatâs that bastard planning to do against Kaido!?â
Even as he rolled across the ground, Blackbeard rose and faced Kaido. He seemed prepared to fight, but to anyone who knew Kaido, it was nothing short of suicide. Queen voiced the question everyone hadâwhat was Blackbeard thinking?
But Blackbeard understood. No matter how strong the opponent⊠the power of darkness would still work.
âBlack Hole!!!â
â!!â
A black mist oozed from Blackbeardâs body and blanketed the ground in darkness.
That darkness swallowed Kaidoâs feet, holding him fastâleaving him unable to move.
And once Blackbeard touched his body, Kaido wouldnât be able to use his powers anymore.
âZe~hahaha!! Kaido!! That monstrous durability of yoursâthatâs part of your Devil Fruit power, right!? Once I get my hands on you, not even youâre immortal anymore!!! So!? You wanna find out what dying feels likeâŠ!?â
ââŠ!!â
Blackbeard possessed the Yami Yami no Miâhe was a darkness human.
His ability could pull in a Devil Fruit userâs real body and, by touching them, completely nullify their powers.
Because of this, Blackbeard wielded unstoppable offensive power against all ability users.
Even the Four Emperors werenât exceptions. Kaido, with his famously unmatched durability, was still a Zoan-type ability user, and his overwhelming physique was due in part to that power.
Thatâs why Blackbeardâs attack landed on Kaido. It was undeniableâKaido furrowed his brow ever so slightly at Blackbeardâs punch.
But⊠that was as far as it went.
"Raimei Hakke!!!"
"!!!"
After Blackbeard struck Kaido, Kaido forcefully pulled his legs out of the gravity of darkness using sheer physical strength and stepped forward, swinging his kanabo infused with Haki straight at Blackbeard.
Blackbeard had overestimated himself. And he had been reckless.
It was foolish to think that someone counted among the Four Emperorsâsaid to be the strongest in one-on-one combatâwould rely solely on his Devil Fruit power.
Even without a Devil Fruit, Kaido excelled in close-quarters combat.
No matter how much one might suppress abilities with the power of darkness, if it came down to trading blows up close, there existed no being in the world stronger than Kaidoâthe Strongest Creature.
"Someone like you⊠thinks he can kill anyone�"
"A...aah...!!!"
Blackbeard was struck by Kaido's kanabo and sent flying.
But what surprised even Kaido and the others was the fact that, despite being struck down and blown away, Blackbeard still hadnât lost consciousness.
"Shit!! The captainâs gonna get killed!!"
"I told youâŠ! Interrupting a fight between the Four EmperorsâŠ!!"
And so Kaido moved in to finish off Blackbeard for good. Seeing that, the members of the Blackbeard Pirates tried to intervene. Butâ
"Youâve done it now."
"!! The 'Phantom Beast'!?"
"You interfered in our fight⊠so youâre going to take responsibility⊠just like you wantedâIâll kill you first!!!"
"GrhâŠ!!"
"All the UFOs are opening fire at once...!!!"
Then, from above, the UFOs belonging to Nueâwho had been battling Garpâbegan targeting them all at once. Most of the UFOs, which had previously been assaulting the Whitebeard Pirates and Marines from the sky, turned their firepower directly at the Blackbeard Pirates.
"I wonât forgive youâŠ!!"
And then, led by Ace, the hot-blooded members of the Whitebeard Pirates turned around, aiming for Blackbeard. To them too, Blackbeard was the traitor who killed one of their own and caused this entire situation. There was no way they could forgive him.
But even thatâwas stopped.
"Donât you dare lay a hand on him!!! All of you!!!"
It was none other than Whitebeard himself who halted them.
"Kaido⊠you tooâŠ!! This is our problem⊠I have to take this idiotâs life to settle thingsâŠ!!!"
"âŠ!!"
Even Kaido, who was aiming for Blackbeard, was stopped by Whitebeard.
There was no reason to save Teach, who could no longer be called a son. But that wasnât the point.
The one who had to settle things with the man who killed his son was none other than himself â as both father and captain. Thatâs why, even if it meant interrupting the fight, he had to kill this man.
Besides, the battle was already decided. He didnât know how Kaido would take it, but he would have to accept it. Whitebeard no longer had the strength to continue fighting Kaido anyway.
"Zeh⊠ZehahahahaâŠ!! Pops⊠you canât kill meâŠ!! Back in the day, you were the unquestioned strongest⊠but youâve grown old!!! Youâre no longer the monster I once respected and admired from the bottom of my heart!!! With the way you are now, you canât protect your family on this battlefield!!! Theyâre all gonna die!!!"
"That bastardâŠ!!"
And so Blackbeard sneered at the weakened and aged Whitebeard.
Because of that, Whitebeardâs "family" turned back once more, ready to charge in a fury â but the more composed crew members held them back. Whitebeard, silently thankful they stopped, launched an attack on Blackbeard.
"ZehahahaâŠ!! You canât cause earthquakes anymore!! Before darkness, all powers areâ"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
"!!! Gwoaaahhh!!! It hurtsâŠ!! Damn itâŠ!!!"
"Overconfidence⊠carelessness⊠those are your weaknessesâŠ"
"Wh⊠What!!? Hey, stâ!!"
Whitebeard landed a blow with his naginata on Blackbeard, who had overestimated his darkness ability, knocking him down and pinning him by the scruff of his neck.
Then he poured the last of his strength into the next blow.
"Gyaaa~~!! Stop it!!! Pops!!! Iâm your son, youâre seriously gonna kill meâaaAAaAahhhh!!!"
"!!!"
He unleashed his power â intending to crush Teachâs head along with the ground itself.
ButâŠ
âŠthis is it for meâŠ
Blackbeard wasnât dead. Whitebeard no longer had even a shadow of the power he once held at his peak. Even if Blackbeard had grown stronger than expected⊠he had weakened to the point he couldnât even kill a single traitorous subordinate. Just staying on his feet was all he could manage.
"You⊠âmonsterââŠ!!! You damn fossil!!! You just wonât die quietly!!!"
Whitebeard could sense the guns of Blackbeard and his crew aimed at him â but he had no strength left to stop them.
"Finish him!!!"
"!!!!"
âA barrage of bullets.
His body, already numb to pain, was riddled with bullet holes and slashes.
All around, he heard the cries of his family and Blackbeardâs triumphant laughter.
But what came to his mind then were flashes of memory â like a dying light.
ăâŠNo!! Iâm Gol D. Roger!!!ă
ăI run into them from time to time. Guys with the âDâ name⊠even on my crew, thereâs a Teach. What the hell is this âDââŠ?ă
ăOh, you wanna know? Alright, Iâll tell you⊠Itâs a story from a long time agoâŠă
A conversation with Roger before he turned himself in â about the âDâ⊠and the past.
ăGihahahaha⊠hey Newgate⊠do you believe in fate?ă
ăFate?ă
ăYeah. Iâm not even sure if itâs real. Thereâs no way to prove it⊠but I think it exists. And I⊠I want to destroy that fate. That preordained ending to the future.ă
ăâŠSomething like thatâŠ?ă
ăHard to believe just from hearing it, huh!! Then Iâll tell you a little. About the ending I knowâŠă
On the night before Rocks went to his final battle â the future he saw, the fate he wanted to destroy.
"âŠHuh. Outta bulletsâŠ"
"âItâs not youâŠâŠ Hah⊠HahâŠ"
"!! Youâre still alive!?"
"Roger⊠No, theyâre the ones waiting⊠And Teach⊠thatâs not youâŠ"
"Hah!?"
The words came naturally as the images rose in his mind.
"Just like there are those who inherit the will of Rocks⊠there are also those who carry on Rogerâs will⊠No matter what happens to bloodlines in the future⊠no matter what⊠their flame will never be extinguishedâŠ"
He pictured the two sworn brothers.
"âThat will has been passed down since ancient timesâŠâŠ!! And in the future⊠someday⊠someone will appear who shoulders the weight of hundreds of years of history and challenges this world in battleâŠâŠ!!!"
And the other pair â two sworn siblings as well.
"Kaido⊠Nue⊠even if you destroy and rule the world, it still wonât be over⊠The time will come â a massive war that will engulf the entire world!!!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ!!"
"âŠWhitebeardâŠ"
Even if the World Government falls, that time will come.
Even if those carrying on the will here are wiped out, others will rise again â and the time will come, without fail.
"I donât care about it myself⊠but when someone finds that treasure⊠the world will be turned upside downâŠ!! Someone will find it⊠and the time for the final clash will comeâŠ"
He speaks.
Because this flame, too, must be passed on.
"The One Piece⊠does exist!!!"
"!!!?"
And so, the seeds are scattered across the world.
So that even if the world crumbles, the flame wonât die out.
âForgive me, my sons⊠Iâve brought about a hell of a situation⊠This is where my journey ends.
And so he apologizes to his sons.
âYou all gave me everything.
He remembers that day, when he voiced the one thing he had truly wanted.
ăYouâre crazy. A pirate who doesnât care about treasure? What the hell do you want, huh!? Hey, Newgate!!ă
ăâŠâŠâŠThereâs something Iâve wanted since I was a kid.ă
ăOh!! You do, huh? Tell us, letâs hear it!ă
ăâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠFamily.ă
ăWhat the hellâs that? GyahahahahaâŠă
ââIâm grateful. Farewell⊠my sonsâŠ!!
And with that, he offered his final words of thanks.
His consciousness quietly faded into the darkness.
"âŠâŠâŠHm? âŠAhâŠâŠ!!"
"âŠH-heâs dead⊠while still standing!!"
"âŠâŠ!! âŠPopsâŠâŠ!!!"
And so, Whitebeard dies.
Even in death, his body never fellâdespite losing his heart, he remained standing, cutting down his enemies. Truly, a monster.
The sword wounds he sustained in this battle: three hundred and twenty-six.
Gunshot wounds: one hundred and ninety-four. Cannon blasts: sixty-two.
And yet, in his proud life as a pirateâŠ
"Heâs gone⊠Whitebeard."
Not a single wound⊠on his back!!!
At that moment, like many others, I could only hold my breath and watch.
The legendary man who once stood against the âPirate Kingâ on these seas⊠Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the âGreat Pirateâ Edward Newgate.
Known as âWhitebeard,â he was feared despite his benevolenceâfeared, just as we were, and that awe never ceased. And now⊠he had died.
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
In that instant, I even forgot about fighting, lost in thought.
I had prepared myself for this. I had understood. That Whitebeard would die here.
Unlike the othersâI alone had known he would die here. No, even if he hadnât, I had come prepared to kill him. That was the resolve I brought to this final battle.
Up to a point, things had gone surprisingly ideal.
Even after I stabbed him, Whitebeard never lost his fighting spirit. He even exchanged blows with Kaido.
Strangely, I felt no disappointment that he didnât die from my attack, nor did I have any complaint about his absurd tenacity in fighting even after death.
I was shockedâand thrilledâthat Whitebeard continued to exceed our expectations, even now.
Kaido must have felt the same. He thought heâd die fighting me, yet found himself up against a monster who could give him a proper deathmatch. That mustâve stirred his blood too.
Thatâs why we paid our respects.
Not just because he was an enemyâno, precisely because he was one of the rare âenemiesâ strong enough to fight us, we resolved to defeat him head-on, with all we had.
Whitebeard was undoubtedly old, but even so, to fight at that levelâhe was a âmonster,â through and through.
No one would call it a disgraceful end. Let no one say he tarnished his legacy. By fighting him ourselves, by killing him with our own hands, we sought to give that fearsome man named âWhitebeardâ the most glorious deathâand complete him as a man.
Kaido must have thought the same. And so did I. A great man doesnât deserve a meager death like some feeble old man passing from age. He needs a magnificent death.
âThatâs what I thought, and yetâŠâ
ButâWhitebeard was killed just as I remembered.
Whatever the steps that led there, the end result was the same.
This battlefield where the odds were stacked against him. Even in a situation where interference would be a suicide missionâBlackbeard went for it.
He couldnât have known I had taken my attention off him, but it wasnât coincidence.
He mustâve anticipated that we would be too focused on the fight. Even warriors like me, with highly trained Observation Haki, must concentrate entirely when fighting someone of equal strength. That means we lose awareness of what doesnât directly involve us.
In other words, amid this chaos, he judged he could find an opening. He took a gambleâfiguring he could still escape afterward.
I thought no one would make a move under these conditions. That it would be suicide. I misjudged Blackbeardâs recklessness. And truthfully, I was more pressed in this war than I realized. I let him go unchecked⊠which is why I couldnât stop his interference.
âGuess Iâm not really cut out for strategyâŠâ
Well, maybe it couldnât be helped. Iâm not especially smart, after allâI scoff at myself.
So this, too, must be⊠because I lacked the âpower.â
This isnât some storybook. Itâs lifeâthings donât always go smoothly.
âWait!! Ace!!â
âDonât stop me!! That bastard Teach⊠Iâll kill him!!!â
I regret not being able to give Whitebeard the great death he deserved. Iâm angry at myself.
But stillâwhat I have to do hasnât changed.
âââOut of my way.â
â!!â
âAce!!â
A kid charged forward, hell-bent on killing Blackbeard, and I sent him flying with a punch. I held back more than I meant to, but even so, Ace was left coughing blood from his nose and mouth, his back slammed into the ground. Luffy caught him, supporting him.
These kids are enemies just like the rest, since theyâre here on the battlefield. But theyâre not the ones I want to kill.
At least, not right now.
âReckless little brats⊠Donât get in my way. That guy⊠heâs mine to killâŠ!!! Heâs my preyâŠ!!!â
ââŠâŠ!!!â
If they want to run, let them. I donât turn around, but I let my pressure say everything.
Whatever happens, it starts with killing Blackbeard. He has to pay the price for that reckless gamble. Iâll make him understand. Everything else can wait. Once Iâm done, Iâll kill the rest.
Iâm not in the mood to put on a show anymore. Iâll kill Blackbeard fast and make an example of himâand everyone else still on this battlefield, Iâll wipe them out.
If Iâm in the mood again by then, maybe Iâll do something more.
âHah⊠Hah⊠Hehehe!! All right, boys, grab himâweâre taking him back!!â
âYou really think Iâll let you?â
â!!! Damn itâŠ!! Knew it!!â
ââFor now, Iâll just kill. Thatâs all that matters.
I dove at the cocky, grinning Blackbeard from above, launching a surprise assault.
âI said Iâm the one whoâll kill you⊠So just die quietly, you damn bratâŠ!!!â
âTch⊠Damn it!! Guess weâve gotta compromise for nowâŠ!! Boys, weâre retreating!!!â
âI said youâre not getting awayâŠ!!!â
â!!? GYAAAH!! It hurts!! AAAAHâŠ!!â
I moved in front of Whitebeardâs corpseâBlackbeardâs apparent targetâand fired a laser blast at him as he tried to flee.
But it wasnât a fatal blow. He took damageâbut heâs pointlessly tough. I figured the best course was to aim for the head and finish this, and readied my spearâthis time, Iâd skewer him. I locked onto him andâ
âHah⊠Hah⊠Idiot!! You think Iâd show up without a plan!? ââAll right, get in, quick!!! Weâre escaping!!!â
âReady when you are, Captain!!â
ââŠ!!? ThatâsâŠâ
And then, another unexpected twist.
Blackbeard, panting yet still grinning, gave the order. What he pulled out⊠was a massive mirrorâandâ
â!!? ââBrĂ»lĂ©e!!!â
ââŠâŠ!!â
Katakuri shouted in alarm, his face contorted.
Reflected in the mirror held by the Blackbeard Pirates was BrĂ»lĂ©eâgagged, bound, and held captive by members of their crew who werenât even on this battlefield.
ââŠâŠ!! Weâve been playedâŠ!!!â
âZeha ha ha ha!!! We took a peek at your ship to see if we could snag anything interestingâand just look what we found!!! Weâll be making good use of her!! Nothing better for an escape than this ability!!!â
Blackbeard was already halfway inside the mirror, gloating as he provoked us. My rage flared againâI tried to pursue, but I already knewâ
Too. Late.
âNue-sama!!â
â! SonoâŠ!!â
As I ground my teeth in frustration, a familiar voice called outâan ally. One I most wanted to hear from right now.
Bloodied, but aliveâhaving fled, barely surviving. The mermaid under my command, who had been tasked with support in the rear: Sono, one of my top fighters.
âHah⊠Hah⊠Iâm sorry for the delay in reporting⊠âMirror World â Mirroir Worldâ was attacked⊠and Lady BrĂ»lĂ©e was takenâŠ!!â
ââŠâŠ!! I see now. So thatâs why they came out, even knowing theyâd provoke our wrathâŠ!!â
It made sense. They had their escape planned from the startâthatâs why they risked everything.
âZeha ha ha ha haâŠ!! Later, you remnants of the old Rocks Pirates!! Iâll let you have this win, but you better be ready!! One day, Iâll show you the worst nightmare youâve ever had!! Now that Whitebeardâs dead⊠the era aheadâwill belong to me!!!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠ!!!â
That arrogant declarationâso smug and self-assuredâcaused even me, Kaido, Linlin, and Shiki to scowl.
Just empty boasting. In the end, Blackbeard only killed Whitebeard by interfering. He didnât accomplish anything.
And yet⊠we couldnât deny the bitter sense of having been outplayed. That fact alone filled us with no small amount of fury.
But that hatredâthat murderous intentâcouldnât be unleashed immediately.
ââŠâŠ!! Damn it⊠BrĂ»lĂ©eâŠ!!â
âBig Sis BrĂ»lĂ©eâs been taken!!â
âThat damn bratâŠ!! How dare he touch my daughter!!â
At that moment, like everyone else around me, all I could do was hold my breath and watch.
The legendary man who once stood equal to the Pirate King on these seas... Edward Newgate, the "Great Pirate" and captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Known as "Whitebeard," he possessed kindness, yet was feared by others just like usâand that fear never waned. And now, he was dead.
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
In that moment, I forgot to fight. I simply fell into deep thought in silence.
I had prepared myself. I had understood this would happen. That Whitebeard would die here.
Unlike the others, I knewâknew that he would die here. And even if he didnât, I had come prepared to kill him myself in this final battle.
Up until a certain point, things had gone unexpectedly, yet ideally.
Whitebeard, even after being stabbed by me, didnât lose his fighting spirit. He even brawled with Kaido.
Strangely, I felt no disappointment that he didnât die from my attack. I had no complaints about the absurdity of a man who kept fighting even after death.
I was surprisedâand elatedâthat Whitebeard had, once again, exceeded our expectations.
Iâm sure Kaido felt the same. Kaido, who thought he would die in battle with me, must have been thrilled to face a monster who could truly go toe-to-toe with him. His blood must have boiled with excitement.
Thatâs why we gave him our respect.
He was an enemyâbut not just that. Precisely because he was one of the few âenemiesâ who could truly fight on our level, we aimed to defeat him head-on, with everything we had.
Yes, Whitebeard had grown old. But even so, if he could still fight like this, then he was undoubtedly a monster.
We would not let anyone say he withered away and tarnished his legacy. By fighting him directly and killing him, we would grant this incredible man the greatest death possible, completing him as a warrior.
I believe Kaido thought the same, and I had hoped for it too. A man of his greatness deserves more than a pitiful death from old age, like some common geezer. He deserved a death as grand as he was.
âI thought so, at leastâŠâ
But⊠Whitebeard was killed exactly as I remembered it.
The events leading up to it may have differed, but the final result remained the same.
This battlefield, this reckless gamble. Even in a situation where any interference could easily be suicideâBlackbeard made his move.
Itâs not as if he couldâve read my mind and known I had taken my attention off him. But it wasnât by chance either.
He must have anticipated that we would be focused solely on the fight. Even someone like me, a master of Observation Haki, cannot pay attention to matters that donât concern me when facing an opponent of equal strength.
In the chaos of this battle, he judged that he could strike. He gambled. He believed he could still get away.
No one would dare act in such a momentâthat was what I believed. I underestimated Blackbeardâs recklessness, and because this war had drained us more than I realized, I left him alone⊠and failed to stop his interference.
âI really suck at making calculations, huhâŠâ
Well, maybe I canât be blamed for the misread. Iâve never been particularly clever anywayâI sneer at myself.
So in the end, it all came down to one thingâpower. I simply didnât have enough of it.
This isnât a story. Itâs real life. Things donât always go the way you want them to.
âWait!! Ace!!â
âDonât stop me!! Teach⊠that bastard⊠Iâll kill him!!!â
I regret not being able to give Whitebeard the grand death he deserved. I feel frustrated at myself, too.
But even soâwhat I must do hasnât changed.
âââOut of my way.â
â!!â
âAce!!â
I blew the kid rushing ahead to kill Blackbeard away with my fist. I held back a lot out of frustration, but still, Ace crashed onto the ground, blood coming from his nose and mouth. Luffy ran to support him.
Theyâre enemies on this battlefield too, but theyâre not the ones I want to kill.
At least, not right now.
âStupid brats who act without thinking⊠Donât get in my way. That bastard⊠Heâs mine to killâŠ!!! Heâs my preyâŠ!!!â
ââŠâŠ!!!â
If they want to run, let them. If they can, that is. I didnât even look backâjust released my intimidation.
No matter what comes next, it starts with killing Blackbeard. He has to pay for the gamble he took. Iâll make him understand. Everything else can wait. After that, Iâll kill the rest of them.
Iâm not in the mood for theatrics anymore. Iâll make an example of Blackbeardâkill him quickly. And while Iâm at it, Iâll wipe out everyone else still left on this battlefield.
If my mood returns by then, good. But if notâ
âHuff⊠huff⊠Hehehe!! Alright, boys, take it back!!â
âYou think Iâll let you?â
â!!! DammitâŠ!! Knew it wouldnât be that easy!!â
ââAnyway, Iâll kill him first and figure out the rest later.
With purpose, I launched a surprise attack on the smirking Blackbeard from above.
âI said Iâm the one whoâs gonna kill you⊠So just lie down and die already, you little shitâŠ!!!â
âTch⊠Damn it!! Guess Iâve got no choice right nowâŠ!! Boys, weâre retreating!!!â
âI told you, youâre not getting awayâŠâŠ!!!â
â!!? Gyaaa!! That hurts!! AaaaahâŠ!!â
I moved to stand in front of Whitebeardâs corpseâBlackbeardâs likely objectiveâand fired a laser at him from a distance as he tried to flee.
But it wasnât a fatal blow. He took damage⊠but the bastardâs too damn tough. Better to take his head clean off. I raised my spear. Iâd skewer him. That was the plan. But thenâ
âHuff⊠huff⊠You fool!! You really thought Iâd show up without a plan!? ââOi, get in there and letâs go!!!â
âWeâre ready, Captain!!â
ââŠâŠ!!? ThatâsâŠ!!â
Once again, something happened that I hadnât expected.
Blackbeard, still panting, gave a confident smirk and barked orders to his crew. What he pulled out next was a huge mirrorâandâ
â!!? ââBrĂ»lĂ©e!!!â
ââŠâŠ!!â
Katakuri screamed, face twisted in fury. Reflected in the mirror held by the Blackbeard Pirates were BrĂ»lĂ©eâmouth covered, hands and feet boundâand members of Blackbeardâs crew who werenât even here until now.
ââŠâŠ!! Weâve been hadâŠ!!!â
âZehahahaha!!! I thought Iâd snoop around your ship, see if I could steal itâand what do I find? Something interesting!!! Iâll be helping myself to it!!! Thereâs no better escape ability than this one!!!â
Halfway through entering the mirror, Blackbeard taunted us with a triumphant grin. My rage surged even more, and I moved to attack againâbut I already knewâit was too late.
âLady Nue!!â
â! SonoâŠ!!â
Grinding my teeth, I heard a voiceâan ally, and one Iâd most wanted to hear from just now. Bloodied, but clearly having escaped alive, the person who appeared was Sono, one of our elite fighters tasked with rear support.
âHuff⊠huff⊠Iâm sorry for the delayed reportâŠ!! âMirror WorldââMiroir Worldâwas attacked⊠and Lady BrĂ»lĂ©e was takenâŠ!!â
ââŠâŠ!! So thatâs itâŠ!! Thatâs why they were bold enough to show their faces, even knowing theyâd earn our wrathâŠ!!â
It all made sense. They had planned their escape from the start. Thatâs why they were willing to take such a risk.
âZehahahahahaâŠ!! Later, remnants of the Rocks Pirates!! Iâll let you have this roundâbut be ready!! Someday, Iâll give you the greatest nightmare youâve ever seen!! Whitebeard is dead!! And the next era⊠will belong to me!!!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠ!!!â
That cocky declaration made me, Kaido, Linlin, and Shiki all furrow our brows.
Just sore loser talk. In the end, Blackbeard only stole the kill. He accomplished nothing else.
But even so⊠I canât deny we feel like we were played. That feeling sparked no small amount of rage within us.
Still, none of that hatredâor killing intentâcan be acted on right now.
ââŠâŠ!! Dammit⊠BrĂ»lĂ©eâŠ!!â
âBig Sis BrĂ»lĂ©eâs been taken!!â
âThat bratâŠ!! How dare he lay a hand on my daughter!!â
âThe battlefield, thrown into confusion and stagnation by Blackbeardâs intrusion, begins to move once more.
âHurry!! Donât let Popsâ wish go to waste!!â
âRun for the sea~~~!!!â
Though the Whitebeard Pirates are shaken by the death of âWhitebeard,â they hold back their tears and run for the ships, determined to honor his final order. Thereâs no time to stop.
âHurry up and die already, Sengoku~~~!!! Iâve gotta kill that brat called Blackbeard who took my daughter!!! Iâll bring peace to this sea in your place, so die without worry!!!â
âGuh⊠ahâŠ!!!â
âFleet Admiral Sengoku!!â
Behind them, an enraged âEmperorâ is trampling the soldiers who failed to escape and wiping them out.
âAkainu⊠With Whitebeard dead, there ainât a soul left on this battlefield who can satisfy me⊠Not even your half-dead selfâŠ!!!â
âUghâŠ!! Guh⊠What nonsenseâŠ! Huff⊠Huff⊠You and Nue bothâŠ!! Acting high and mighty for trashâŠ!! Whitebeardâs too good for scum like you⊠Weâre enough to carry on!!!â
ââŠIâll give you credit for still breathing. But⊠this is the end.â
â!!!â
âAdmiral Sakazuki~~~!!!â
Those who stayed behind as the rear guard fall one by one before the Emperorâs wrath.
Even when they witness the brutal sight of Akainu, who stayed behind to protect his comrades, being struck down by Kaidoâs kanabo and beaten again and again as he lies on the groundâthereâs no turning back.
Even if just one more person lives, thatâs what those left behind wish for.
âInazuma-san!!â
âIva-samaaaa!!!â
Even the veterans trying to escape turn back in an attempt to block the pursuing forces to protect the fire of âwillâ⊠but itâs unstoppable.
At this point, everything is far too late. The enemy wonât stop until everyone on this battlefield is dead.
âHah⊠hah⊠Luffy⊠Ace, listen carefullyâŠ!!â
â!â
âHuhâŠ?â
Sensing whatâs to come, the Marine Hero turns to his grandsons with a grave expression.
âThe sea ahead is dangerous⊠Even I canât protect you anymore. If anything happens⊠Luffy, rely on your fatherâon my son.â
â!!? W-What the hell are you saying, Gramps!! Youâre coming with usâŠ!!â
âGrampsâŠ!!â
ââŠJinbe. Iâm counting on you to take care of Luffy and Ace.â
ââŠ!! Yeah⊠I got itâŠ!!â
That too was a farewellâhis final words to his grandsons.
Ignoring Luffy and Aceâs cries, Garp entrusts them to Jinbe and heads back into the battlefield.
Just like Whitebeard, he was prepared to give everything to protect his family.
And yetâ
ââGungnir!!!â
â!!!â
Escaping from this hell wonât be easy.
âUwaaaaahhhh!!!â
âThe ground splitâŠ!!â
âItâs Nueâs doingâŠ!! This is bad!!â
The one who hurled the spear and split the ground stands before Garp, her voice cold as ice.
âGarp⊠Sorry, but even if you stay here, your grandsons wonât escape.â
ââŠThatâs not decided yet. Thereâs still hope⊠No matter how many people you kill, no matter how much fear you sow⊠Those who resist your rule will rise again!!! Just like you once did, NueâŠ!!!â
â!!â
Nueâs eyes widen slightly at Garpâs words. He speaks from knowledge of her past, and for someone who once clawed her way up from rock bottom, itâs a truth she canât dismiss.
ââŠThanks for the advice. Iâll remember it. Soâis that your last will?â
âHeh⊠Too bad. I donât plan on dying just yetâŠ!!!â
ââGramps!!!â
âKhâŠ!!!â
Luffy and Ace, separated by the fractured ground, watch Garp prepare for battle against Nue. They can no longer reach him.
âLuffy-kun!! Ace-san!! Run now!!!â
âButâŠ!!â
âThereâs nothing you can do if you go back!! The strongest pirates in the world are the ones chasing youâŠ!! If you stand still here, youâll make a waste of the sacrifices the others made!!!â
ââŠ!!â
Jinbe hammers reality into Luffy and Ace.
They both have strong wills. Confidence. Theyâve overcome hardship by believing in their strength, their will, and with help from othersâand luck.
But all of that is shattered mercilessly by the enemies before them.
No matter how badly they want to fulfill their own desires, no matter how much they fight with everything they have, no matter how lucky they getâin this battlefield, theyâre just two rookies. Powerless.
ââMuhahaha!! Found you, Fire Fist!!!â
â!â
âItâs QueenâŠ!!â
Beasts Pirates troops encircle Ace.
At the center, the All-Star âPlague Queenâ points and steps forward.
âYouâre a wanted man in our crew!! You ainât gettinâ away!! âAinât that right, Ko-mu-ra-sa-kii~~!!â
ââŠLetâs just end this quickly.â
âStill cold as ever!! But that cool side of yours is cute too~~~!!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
âEven the Flying Six are hereâŠ!!â
Whether itâs something sheâs feeling or simply her nature, Komurasaki also draws her blade with few words. This time, itâs not Enmaâshe draws Sotomusou.
Luffy and Jinbe are both alarmed by the enemies surrounding Ace, but they too are being targeted.
ââNo oneâs getting awayâŠ!!â
â!? Doflamingo!!â
Bloodied and staggering, the one who appears is none other than the former Warlord of the Sea, Doflamingo, who shouldâve been incapacitated after being struck by Whitebeard.
Swaying like a ghost, he leaps at them with a desperate, deadly expression.
âHah⊠Hah⊠I canât let you get awayâŠ!! If I screw up again⊠Iâm finishedâŠ!! The end of the worldâs right in front of me, and I canât afford to blunder hereâŠ!!!â
ââŠWhat tenacityâŠ!! This is badâŠ!!â
Jinbe prepares to engage Doflamingo, but this is a worst-case scenario. If Doflamingo regains his strength and manages to set up Birdcage again, escape will be nearly impossible.
So he makes a decisionâhe tells Luffy to go on ahead and prepares to stay behind. He means to shield Luffy from Doflamingoâs attack.
Butâ
âMuhaha⊠Youâre doinâ your best too, huh? But in the sky or on the ground, thereâs no end to the enemies cominâ your way!â
"!!? Damn itâŠ!!"
Where Queen pointed, flying units of the Beasts Pirates hovered in the sky. Several UFOs created by Nue were targeting Luffy.
"Unidentified Fire Aerial Weapon â Foo Fighters!"
"UâŠuwaaaaaaaah!!!"
"! Luffy!!"
A barrage of heat beams rained down and pierced Luffy. His internal organs scorched, he writhed in agony on the ground. Ace and Garp watched in alarm, but they were both held back by enemies in front of them, with no chance to go to his aid.
And thenâ
"Jiha-ha⊠jiha-hahahaha!!! Donât underestimate usâŠ!!! That bastard Blackbeard who ambushed Whitebeard⊠and you damn brats tooâŠ!!!"
"!! Whatâs happening!?"
"The islandâs shakingâŠ!!"
The sudden tremor confused both pirates and Marines alike. Whitebeard was already dead, so the threat of the Quake-Quake Fruit should have ended. So why an earthquake?
But the answer was obvious. The one shaking the island wasn't Whitebeardâit was the Golden Lion.
"So itâs simple⊠we just donât let any of those brats get away either⊠thatâs all there is to it!!!"
"âŠâŠ!! Damn it⊠thatâs what this is aboutâŠ!!"
Those familiar with the Golden Lion's abilities within the Whitebeard Pirates quickly realized it. They didnât know where the alliance had escaped to, but either way, theyâd need to return to the New World. Before that, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines had to be wiped out.
What the Golden Lion did to make that happen was simple.
"Heâs made the entire island⊠float!!!"
"!!?"
Using the power of the Float-Float Fruit, Shiki had lifted not only the island, but ships, the seaâeverythingâinto the air and was moving it.
"Jiha-hahahahaha!!! Now you see, donât you!? You canât escape our grasp!!! That idiot Blackbeard, no matter where he runs, weâll chase him down and kill him!!! The world belongs to us!!!"
"Damn it⊠what do we do!?"
"Weâve no choiceâŠ!! Ace-san!! Iâll try to take Luffy and fall into the sea!!! You try toâugh!!"
"Jinbe!!!"
"I told you⊠youâre not getting away⊠give it up alreadyâŠ!!!"
Jinbe had picked up the fallen Luffy and was calling out to Ace, intending to leap off the floating islandâwhen Doflamingo struck him from behind in a surprise attack.
"Kuzan-san!! Thereâs a warship belowâŠ!!"
"âŠ!! Donât give up!! Iâll handle it somehow!!! Just run to the edge of the island!!"
"Y-yes sirâŠ!!"
Even the Marines, finally realizing they were being left behind on the floating island, ran desperately, trying not to face the terrifying realityâbecause there was nowhere left to run.
"All thatâs left is to clean them upâŠ!!"
"That bastard who interrupted Lord Kaidoâs fight⊠Blackbeard or whateverâŠ!! Iâll never forgive him!! Iâll crack his skull open!!"
"Weâve gotta rescue BrĂ»lĂ©e tooâŠ!! Hey, contact the New World now while we still can!! Once this is over, weâre hunting down Blackbeard too!!"
"Yes sir!! Right away!!"
The edges of the island were already surrounded by the elites of the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Golden Lion Pirates. At the center of the island stood the Emperors and other monstrous figures. Once they finished off those who stayed behind, they would move immediately to annihilate the rest.
"Jiha-ha!! Once we kill the stragglers, this war is over!!!"
Shiki looked down on the desperate Whitebeard Pirates and Marines, proud and triumphantâbut he hadnât yet fulfilled his objective. Thatâs why he turned to Ace, still remaining in the plaza.
"But⊠if you agree to become my crewmate⊠then Iâll let you live!!! So what do you say, Ace!? Join my crew!!! If you do, Iâll even let you help take revenge on that idiot Blackbeard!!!"
"âŠâŠ!"
Even as he threatened, Shiki dangled a tempting offer. Not only would Ace survive, but heâd get a shot at avenging Whitebeard by killing Blackbeard.
To Ace, that offer might have real weight. It wasnât something to dismiss outright.
"âŠDonât screw with meâŠ!!"
"Huh?"
But still, Ace answered with his shoulders trembling. Surviving alone meant nothing. And more than anythingâ
"I donât care what anyone says⊠Iâm Whitebeardâs sonâŠ!! A proud member of the Whitebeard Pirates!!! Iâd rather die than abandon my family and survive alone!!!"
"âŠâŠ!!"
"AceâŠ!!"
Shikiâs expression twisted, and the Whitebeard Piratesâ faces contorted for an entirely different reason.
Ace had made up his mind. Even if it meant death, he wouldnât throw away his pride.
"This is a fight, Golden Lion!!! Iâll defeat you and clear a path for everyone to escape!!!"
"âŠâŠâŠTch⊠That reckless mouth of yours really is just like RogerâsâŠ!!! So thatâs your answer, huh!? Youâre saying you want to die right here and now!!?"
"It means Iâm gonna smash every one of you bastards to pieces!!!"
Ironically, Ace flung back the exact same words his biological father had once said to Shiki.
Ace leapt, fire-covered fist raised. At the same moment, Shiki took his stance in mid-air, ready to meet him head-on.
"Uooooooooooooooooh!!!"
"Heh⊠Cocky brat doesnât know his placeâŠ!!! Fine, then go meet Roger or Whitebeard in the afterlife and tell them yourself!!! ââI couldnât become the next Pirate Kingâ!!!"
Shiki resolved to kill Ace. Ace was strongâbut still young and nowhere near Shikiâs level. His bold words werenât backed by enough strength.
Still, Ace steeled himself for death. He knew he couldnât winâbut the chance wasnât zero.
And so, he couldnât afford to give upânot if he wanted to protect his family, his crewmates.
"Uooooooooooooooooh!!!"
"âDIE!!!"
And soâShikiâs deadly blade surged forth, aiming to pierce Ace.
But even if that was his fate⊠as long as he could protect his brother, his family, even just a little, heâd have no regrets.
Thatâs why Ace accepted itâhe chose to buy even a few more moments hereâŠ
to die.
Butâat that very instant.
â!!!?â
Shikiâs blade was intercepted by another.
ââŠâŠ!! âŠâŠâŠHuh?â
ââŠâŠ!! T-ThatâsâŠ!!!â
Everyone who witnessed the scene widened their eyes in disbelief.
The one who had stopped Shikiâs blade just before it struck Aceâwas someone no one had expected.
âWhaâŠâŠâŠâŠ!!? Wh-What the hellâŠ!?â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠHuh?â
â...! Nowâs our chance!! Weâre jumping into the sea, Luffy-kun!!â
âEh⊠w-wait⊠JinbeâŠ!!â
âNo time!! Weâre going!!â
The one who had slammed Doflamingoâs face into the ground with a single blow, stopping him from attacking Luffyâ
Two figures suddenly appeared in this battlefield that looked like hell itself.
They were well-known to everyone hereâleaders of factions that had yet to appear in the battle until now.
âLooks like we made it just in timeâŠâ
âThat was a close call⊠Ace.â
The man who saved Luffyâdressed in a black robe, his face marked by tattoosâleft the onlookers speechless. Even Ivankov and Inazuma, shocked at first, began to show signs of hope returning to their eyes.
And the man who saved Aceâwith three scars over his left eye and flaming red hairâalso left everyone stunned. Even Luffy couldnât believe what he was seeing.
Whatâs more, people began disembarking from a ship that floated above, swaying as though carried by the windâmuch like Shikiâs Fuwa Fuwa powers. Every person who descended was someone recognizable. Globally famous powerhouses.
Seeing this sudden turn, Nue couldnât help but let out a dry chuckle and mutter their names.
â...Ahâso thatâs how it is. Ahaha, I figured âRed-Hairâ would show up⊠but I didnât think the Revolutionary Army would come tooâŠ!!!â
Yesâjust as Nue said, the ones who appeared were the only remaining Emperorâs crew not yet involved in the battle.
And alongside them, the will of the people who stood against the World Government itselfâthe Revolutionary Army.
Both of their leaders had stepped onto the battlefield. To protect the order of the world, and with unwavering conviction, they declared:
"We will not let this war end⊠with your victory!!!"
Comments (1)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.