Chapter 122: The World of Violence
Just as a victor in the war over Marinefordâs skies was about to emerge, two new forces suddenly appeared.
Their arrival shocked many.
âTh-Thatâs the Red-Haired Piratesď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!!â
âAnd even the Revolutionary ArmyâŚ!!!â
The Whitebeard Pirates. The Big Mom Pirates. The Beasts Pirates.
The sea emperors known as the Four Emperors. The final one among themâthe Red-Haired Piratesâhad their ship floating in the sky.
But the phenomenon wasn't caused by anyone from the Red-Haired Pirates.
Floating beside their ship was anotherâone with a dragonâs headâbelonging to the Revolutionary Army.
The one responsible for this display was the leader of revolutionaries around the world, the man branded the most dangerous criminal in the world by the World GovernmentâMonkey D. Dragon.
Using his ability to keep the Red-Haired Piratesâ ship afloat, he descended onto the battlefield alongside the leader of that crewââRed-Hairedâ Shanks.
While rescuing those dear to them⌠Luffy and Ace.
âDragonâŚ!!â
âMr. DragonâŚ!!â
âââItâs been a while, Iva. Inazuma. Iâve caused you both a lot of trouble, including with my son⌠but that can wait. We donât have time for a leisurely chat.â
â...Yes!! Thatâs right, gyabble!!â
âAgreed. But still, to thinkâŚâ
Dragon spoke to Ivankov and Inazumaâcomrades who bore injuries and fatigue. Both were members of the Revolutionary Armyâs âGL Army.â Ivankov was the army commander, and Inazuma his deputy.
Thatâs why they were surprised to see Dragonânot only him, but also the elite fighters of the Revolutionary Army descending upon the battlefield.
âMaster Queen!! The Revolutionary Armyâs shipâŚ!! What should we do!!?â
âTchâŚ!! More annoying pests showing up⌠like hell I care!! Blast them all away with the Excite Bullets!!!â
âYes sir!! âŚUgh!?â
Though shaken by the sudden arrival of the Revolutionary Army and Red-Haired Pirates, no orders to halt the assault had been given. Thus, on his own authority, Queen ordered the launch of Excite Bullets to wipe out the retreating Whitebeard Pirates and Marinesâbut an unknown attack from above put a stop to it.
âOur weapons⌠theyâre frozenâŚ!!â
âWe canât fire the Excite Bullets like this!!â
ââŚ!! ThatâsâŚ!!â
Queen looked up to identify the source of the mysterious ice that froze the special virus-based weapons and ammunition his troops carriedâcreations of his own. But only one person in the Revolutionary Army had the power to do something like this.
âSee that, Queen!! My new weapons arenât losing to your tasteless virus bombs!!â
âYou bastardâŚ!! Youâll pay for thatâŚ!!â
A short man with a feline face, wearing sunglasses and carrying gear on his back. Queen scowled at him in disgustâthe sight all too familiar.
But he wasnât the only one stopping the allianceâs pursuit.
âMaster Snack!! The Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines are heading for the port!!â
âDonât let a single one through!! Mamaâs orders are total annihilation!!â
âWaaah!!?â
âThis is⌠oil!?â
âThe groundâs slipperyâŚ!!â
Even if they reached the port, there would be no escape. Charlotte Snack, one of Big Momâs Sweet Commanders, faithfully followed Mamaâs orders by blocking the Marinesâ retreat.
The oil spreading underfoot was his own doingâproduced through the power of the Slippery-Slippery Fruit. He was a human made of oil.
âIâll fry all of you to a crisp and kill youâŚ!! ââBlazing Oil Blast: Oil Shockâ!!â
âGyaaaď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!!â
âOh crap!! Iâm getting roastedâhuh?â
â!! The oil⌠itâs been stoppedâŚ!?â
But then, the ground suddenly rose unnaturally, forming a mound that dammed up the flowing oil.
âEeeekď˝ď˝ď˝!! This slimy stuff is sooo gross!! Stop it, boysď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!â
ââŚ!! That disgusting cross-dressing giant isâŚ!!â
Sweat poured from Snackâs forehead, his eyes wide.
A cross-dressing giant had emerged from the groundâthe work of one of the Revolutionary Armyâs globally stationed commanders.
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
âWhoaah!! Whatâs with all these crows!!?â
ââŚ!! That guy isâŚ!!â
A massive flock of crows appeared out of nowhere, disrupting the Beasts Piratesâ aerial forces as they pursued escaping soldiers from above.
Seeing them, Kingâone of the All-Starsârealized who was behind it. There was no way he wouldnât recognize the face of one of the Revolutionary Armyâs leaders.
âAlright, everyone!! This is the crossroads of fate!! If we let them take it all here, innocent people all over the world will die!! Can you live with that!!?â
âHell no, we canât!!â
âSorry, but youâll have to take some damage yourselves!!â
ââŚ!! Whatâs with these guysâŚ? Theyâre grunts, but theyâre insanely strongâŚ!!â
ââŚ!! The abilities of a Revolutionary Army commander⌠What a painâŚâ
The woman at the front lines, leading the Revolutionary Army soldiers emerging from the ship, was immediately assessed by the All-Star known as Joker.
No ability was more troublesome in the chaos of the battlefield⌠he thought.
âââAre you alright, Ace?â
ââŚ!! Wha⌠YouâŚ!!! No wayâŚ!! Youâre aliveâŚ!!!â
âItâs not a lie. ââSorry Iâm late⌠Ace.â
That the entirety of the Revolutionary Army had assembled⌠who could have imagined?
âThe commanders of the Revolutionary Army are hereď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!!â
Revolutionary Army âSouth Armyâ CommanderââLindbergh.
Revolutionary Army âWest Armyâ CommanderââMorley.
Revolutionary Army âNorth Armyâ CommanderââKarasu.
Revolutionary Army âEast Armyâ CommanderââBelo Betty.
And the Revolutionary Armyâs âChief of StaffâââSabo.
With Ivankov of the GL Army and Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, includedââthe entire Revolutionary Army had gathered on the battlefield.
The unexpected appearance of unaccounted-for individuals stirred a complex turmoil within meâa mixture of surprise, anger, and even joy. For just a moment, I froze.
In front of me, the one I had been fightingâGarpâstood, wounded and battered. Behind him, Dragon had arrived.
"So, you're struggling... old man."
"Dragon... You, of all people... And with Red-Hair, no less... What in the world is going on?"
"There were signs of unrest in the New World... I merely came prepared, just in case. My interests happened to align with Red-Hair, so we formed a temporary alliance... And it seems that was the right call."
Dragon answered Garpâs question, then turned a sharp gaze toward meâa gaze full of unshakable will, the eyes of a true warrior. His Haki surged with force, pressing down on me with fierce intimidation.
"...Hmph. I see how it is..."
"! â Nue!!"
And just as they moved, I moved as wellâor rather, that was likely the threat they were trying to imply. But I paid it no mind. With a flick of my finger, I commanded the floating UFO in the sky to target Jinbe and Straw Hat Luffy, who were trying to escape Marineford.
"If you really thought that kind of bluff would make me back down, youâve got the wrong idea...!!"
"Tch...!!"
"Luffy!!"
With Dragon and Garp distracted by concern for their son and grandson, I took that moment to leave the two of them and head toward Kaido, distancing myself from their line of sight.
Even I wouldnât continue fighting in this situation without first talking things through. I needed to hear what Red-Hair had to say, and it was also necessary to coordinate with Kaido and Linlin on our next steps.
So yes, one reason I aimed at them was to divert their attentionâbut the bigger reason, honestly, lay elsewhere.
"They came all this way and joined such a massive war... Sending them home with just a few scratches wouldn't sit right. Theyâve gotta come close to dying at least a little bit, right?âĄ"
"The UFOâs moved!! Jinbe and Luffy are being targeted!!!"
Members of the Red-Hair Pirates who knew Luffy began to panicâbut unfortunately for them, it was already too late.
Even Jinbe wouldnât be able to dodge or block it in midair. I gathered the UFOs into a circular formation and spun themâfiring a beam down upon the ground, destructive enough to obliterate everything below.
"âUnidentified Fire-Aerial Weapon: Foo Fighterâ!!!"
"âŚ!! Jinbe⌠Hah⌠Hah⌠Above usâŚ!!"
"Tch... No good...!! We canât escape...!!"
"Uwaaaaahhhh!!!"
And so, I had them take a direct hit from my attackâcomparable even to Kaidoâs Blast Breath.
Well, I doubt theyâll die instantly. As long as they get treated, theyâll survive. After that, itâs all up to their luck.
"Oh, Nue. Did you take care of Jinbe and the brat?"
"Who knows? I mean, if they died from that, then whatever. And if theyâre still alive... thatâs fine too. More importantly, we need to decide how to handle our guests here."
"...Canât argue with that."
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
Kaido asked me a question as I floated up diagonally above him, and I answered without breaking my gaze ahead.
Because what stood before us wasnât some tired old man like Whitebeard or Garpâbut a genuine powerhouse.
A true monster who could stand on equal footing with us few in the world who exist on this levelâthe Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks.
"Red-Hair...!! Why are you here...!!?"
"...Iâve come to help you escape."
"What...!?"
Marco asked the question, and Red-Hair answered with a deadly serious look. Even so, his focus never left us. No openings, no carelessness... Honestly, heâs still just as difficult to tease. Not the slightest bit endearing.
"You went out of your way to break through my UFOs just for that...? You really never get tired of poking your nose in, huh. Iâm honestly impressed by your persistence. Donât tell me... you like me?"
"Heh... If I did, you'd be the cheapest distraction in the world."
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ Youâve got a mouth on you. My UFOs arenât exactly weak, you know."
Shanks casually told me he'd wiped out all my UFOs. ...Well, I already knew, but stillâit stings to see him totally unscathed. Sure, I succeeded in stalling him, but it doesnât look like his ship took much damage either. Maybe I shouldâve gone a bit harder if I was going up against the whole Red-Hair crew.
As I glanced toward their ship, I noticed a familiar faceâone I couldn't help but laugh at a little. No way... Could it really be!?
"...!! H-Hey...!! Is that really who I think it is...!?"
"! Yeah... I always believed in you...!! That youâd definitely come back here...!!"
"âCaptain Buggy!!!"
Prisoners who had remained on the battlefield shouted in unison toward the sky upon seeing the red nose poking out from Red-Hair's ship. âŚNot that it matters, but these prisoners managing to survive this long is kinda impressive, isnât it?
ââA few hours earlier.
A small boat floated in the waters near Marineford, now trapped inside Doflamingoâs Birdcage, after the Whitebeard Pirates vs. Navy HQ and Warlords war had escalated with the arrival of the pirate alliance formed by the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Golden Lion Pirates.
âDamn it...!! Escaping that goddamn nightmare of a war was one thing, but piloting a ship alone is killing me here... On top of that, I donât have a Log Pose or even an Eternal Pose. If this keeps up, Iâll die out here without ever reaching another island...!!â
Aboard a military emergency escape boat, now drifting alone at sea, was none other than Buggy the Clown.
He had somehow managed to escape from Marineford, which had become a battlefield more hellish than hell itself, wrapped in that infernal Birdcage.
Buggy had stirred up the prisoners, bluffed his way into forming an âallianceâ with Whitebeard, and desperately tried to carve out a name for himself in the warâbut even he never believed he could make a name for himself in a battlefield crawling with Kaido, Big Mom, Nue, and Shiki. He didnât have the slightest confidence he could survive if he stayed there any longer.
Thatâs why Buggy ran. He fled, leaving behind Mr. 3 and the prisoners who had followed him. Even Buggy felt a pang of guilt for abandoning them... but that was secondary.
âTch... If Iâm gonna end up drifting to death out here anyway... No, I had to get out of there or Iâd be a corpse for sure. I was the only one who managed to escape that Birdcage. Donât take it personally...!!â
Yesânothing was more important than his own life.
Fame and treasure were valuable, but none of that meant anything if you were dead. For a pirate, survival was everything.
Buggy understood that well. Though he felt a bit of lingering guilt, he didnât regret his decisionâin fact, he was already thinking ahead, focusing on what to do next.
Namelyâhow to escape this situation.
âIf only a ship just happened to pass by... but thereâs no way anything would be sailing near Navy HQ right now. With that war going on, only a total lunatic would come anywhere near this place... Huh?â
As Buggy sat cross-legged on the little boat, stroking his chin and twisting his neck in thought, a shadow suddenly fell over him.
Looking up, he sawâ
â...! Hey, whoa whoa whoa!! Thatâs a ship!!!â
Towering over Buggyâs little boat was a much larger shipâa pirate ship.
Ideally, he wouldâve preferred a merchant vessel or something of the sort, but this was no time to be picky. Even if it was pirates, they were likely worlds apart from the Yonko or Warlords who had joined the war. He figured he could probably manage somehow if he acted humble and begged for help.
âHey!! Anybody up there!!?â
â...Hm? Hey, thereâs someone down there.â
âLooks like heâs alone. A castaway...? What do we do?â
âGuess weâd better report to the boss.â
Standing up and waving his arms, Buggy shouted desperately at the low-ranking pirates aboard the ship.
The crew members noticed Buggy and hesitated on what to do. Buggy, unwilling to be ignored, shouted even more frantically.
âCome on, Iâm begging you!! I donât have a Log Pose or an Eternal Pose!! Please!! Iâll do chores or anythingâjust pull me upď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!!â
âHeâs saying all that... What should we do?â
âNo helping it, I guess... Fine!! Weâll drop a rope!! Climb up!!â
â! Much appreciated!!â
Whether thanks to his desperate antics or sheer luck, a rope was lowered from the deck.
Grabbing hold of it, Buggy climbed up onto the ship.
âPant... Iâm saved... I donât know who you guys are, but I owe you...!!â
âOh, itâs no big deal... Boss, here he is. Looks like he was drifting out there.â
â! You... youâre Buggy, arenât you!?â
âHuh? You know me? Gyahaha, then thisâll be quick.â
Still acting like his usual cocky self, Buggy started to introduce himself to the shipâs captainâonly to realize who was standing in front of him. A man with unmistakable red hair.
âThatâs right!! Iâm the great âBuggy the ClâWAIT, SHANKS!?!?!?!?â
âââLong time no see, Buggy.â
There stood none other than his old crewmate from their apprentice days aboard the Roger Piratesâhis hated, red-haired brother-in-arms... Red-Haired Shanks.
Buggy peeked over the edge of the deck of the Red Forceâthe Red-Haired Piratesâ ship, currently floating with the power of a Dragonâand recalled the unexpected encounter and events that had just taken place.
âWhat the heeellllll!!? You came to stop the war!?â
âYeah. If the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines are completely wiped out, it'll be a global disaster. Thatâs why weâre even cooperating with the Revolutionary Armyââ
âAhh, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Itâd be a real mess, huh? All right then, letâs get fired up andâLIKE HELL WE CAN!!! Are you outta your mind!!? Itâs Kaido! Big Mom! Shiki! Charging into that battlefield is suicide! Turn back now! Thereâs still time!!â
â...We probably wonât get out unscathed either... but we canât afford to stop now. If they wonât back down, then weâve got no choice but to fightâŚ!!â
âYou idiot!! A place like thatâll eat up every damn life you've got!! ...N-No, wait. Then just drop me off somewhere safe first!! I donât owe you anything! Iâm not getting dragged into your reckless death run!!!â
â...Sorry, Buggy. We donât have time. And thereâs no island nearby. Iâll get you to safety laterâjust bear with us for now.â
â...!! Grrrrgh...!!!â
Reluctantly, Buggy had returned to the ship, grinding his teeth. Even Buggy, despite being an old crewmate, couldnât argue against the sheer presence that Shanks had shownânot directed at him, but overwhelming nonetheless. He knew that once Shanks made up his mind, there was no swaying him. No way heâd listen to reason now.
(...Damn it... I came back after all... but whatever. If I stay hidden on the ship, and these guys survive, Iâll be able to make it out too... Iâll just lay low here until his business is doneâ)
ââHey, Buggy!! These guys your crew?â
âHEY!! Donât go shouting my name around here, you jackass!! Youâre blowing my cover!!!â
âYouâre the one yelling louder...â
But it was too late. The moment Shanks called out to him while pointing at a group of nearby prisoners, Buggyâs plan to stay unnoticed vanished in an instant. One of the Red-Haired crew nearby muttered in exasperation, but Buggy didnât even hear it. What he did hear were the voices of the remaining prisoners still on the battlefield.
âKnew it!! Itâs Captain Buggy!!!â
âCaptain Buggy!! I knew itâyouâve been moving behind the scenes to stop this warâŚ!!â
â...Huh?â
The prisoners who had somehow survived the battlefield and continued holding the port, now gazed up at Buggy on the Red Force with eyes full of admiration.
As Buggy stood there dumbfounded, more and more prisoners noticed him and began weaving stories about him that never happened.
âI see now!! Captain Buggy brought the Red-Haired Pirates to stop the warâŚ!!â
âWith that kind of lineup against us, thereâs no way one man could turn the tide alone⌠Realizing that, Captain Buggy acted to summon the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army all by himselfâŚ!!â
âYeah... I heard there was interference from a âbeastâ when Red-Hair showed up. Maybe Buggy was helping with thatâŚ!!â
âCaptain Buggy!! You really are our savior!!!â
âThe Yonko Red-Hair, the Revolutionary Army!!! And with our Captain Buggy, thereâs no way weâre losing to those bastards!!!â
âCaptain Buggy!! Weâll follow you for life!!!â
âGive us orders, Captain Buggy!!!â
âYou guysâŚ!!â
The chorus of admiration wouldnât stop. The cheers. The declarations of loyalty. The cries of "Captain Buggy!" echoed like a chant of worship.
It was overwhelmingâeven beyond respect. It was borderline religious reverence. Buggy was flustered. Deeply moved, and then he thought. His expression twisted as he began to reflect.
(...Hold on a sec⌠With these guys, plus Shanks, and the Revolutionary Army... thatâs actually some serious firepower... If weâre fighting opponents whoâve already taken damage from clashing with Whitebeard and the Marines, maybe we really could pull this offâŚ?)
Buggy, in his own way, assessed the available strength. The Revolutionary Army likely had power on par with a Yonko. And Shanks, as much as it irritated Buggy to admit, had the strength to be counted among them.
On top of that, there were the prisoners from Impel Down. Each of them had higher bounties than Buggy himselfâdangerous monsters, every one of them. Not exactly weak.
Back on the battlefield were still heavy-hitters like Garp and Sengoku. But the rest would likely flee. Same for what remained of the Whitebeard Pirates... Maybe this could really be stopped.
âAnd yet, there was more firepower left on the battlefield. Buggy didnât realize it.
âSo even you joined in⌠Now it really feels like the end times.â
â! Hawkeye...â
Before Shanks stood a figure who had cut through enemy ranks to reach himâDracule Mihawk, the worldâs greatest swordsman, who had been fighting all this time without sustaining any major injury.
They knew each other. They were connected. But there was also history between them. So when Mihawk arrived, Shanks kept his serious expression, prepared for things to escalate if need be.
â...What do you intend to do?â
âHmph... I already told you. Iâve no interest in settling anything with you now that youâve only got one arm. Nor do I intend to ally with you.â
â...So you're just leaving?â
âIf this battle ends here, then yes. But if it continues⌠then joining forces with you might be... inevitable.â
â! ...I see.â
Shanks raised an eyebrow at Mihawkâs unexpected answer, then let out a dry chuckle with a twisted smileâwho wouldâve thought heâd fight alongside his old rival again?
On the Pirate Alliance side, brows furrowed. Red-Hair and Hawkeye. Two men who once fought legendary duels in the New Worldâfacing them both would be a real pain.
And then there was the Revolutionary Army. Considering the forces remaining, the Pirate Alliance couldnât afford to let its guard down. Kaido understood thatâand, with a mix of irritation and admiration, he addressed Shanks.
ââŚYou bastards really brought it. Are you saying youâre going to war with us too?â
âThatâs up to you.â
âWhat!?â
Kaido and the others had assumed Red-Hair had come to settle the score. Shanksâ response caught them completely off guard. If not to fight, then what had he come for?
âOur demand is simple⌠Let the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines go.â
âHuh!!? Donât be ridiculous, Red-Hair!! Still playing the damn peacekeeper, huh!? You keep this up andââ
âIf you agree to that, weâll back off⌠and weâll even look the other way for what happens next.â
â!!â
ââŚHmph?â
Big Mom glared with fury at Shanksâ demand. Her daughter had been kidnapped, and she was more volatile than ever. But even she quietedâfor there was something in Shanksâ offer that gave her pause.
And Nue considered it too. Shanksâ conditionâwhat that really meant...
"...So, you're saying you'll turn a blind eye to the destruction of the World Government?"
"That's right."
"Wha...!?"
"That's...!!"
Nue's words and Shanks's reply. Their exchange caused unrest among the crowd, especially the Marines.
To bring down the World Government, which has ruled and maintained order in this world for 800 years.
Of course, everyone had assumed that would follow after the pirate alliance destroyed the Navyâbut hearing it spoken aloud was more unsettling than expected.
The collapse of order. No one could pretend not to know what that meant.
That's why Nue asked again, this time more pointedly.
"...You do understand what that means, right?"
"Of course. We're pirates. There's no reasonânone at allâfor us to have any sense of obligation toward the government."
"...Hmph."
At Shanksâs unwavering words, Nue narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The first thought that surfaced was: You have the nerve to say that?
It was information only Nue was aware of, so she didnât voice itâbut the idea that Shanks would abandon the government was, frankly, thought-provoking.
Naturally, for other pirates, this was the expected answer. Pirates have no duty to protect the government.
But precisely because she knew of certain connections, Nue couldnât help but suspect ulterior motives. Unfortunately, the information she had was incomplete, so she couldn't be certain... still, she couldnât help but find these terms suspicious.
"...So, you're accepting those conditions too?"
"Yeah. Our goal from the start has been the downfall of the Celestial Dragons. Ideally, weâd avoid outright assassination... but if we can survive this situation, weâll swallow that sacrifice."
"Well, that part makes sense."
Since the Revolutionary Army is already opposed to the World Government, ignoring its destruction by pirates is easy.
The slaughter of Celestial Dragons and government officials might be unacceptable to a group that values human dignityâbut even so, if the fall of the World Government means protecting what truly matters, they'll accept the cost.
Ultimately, both the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army... simply want to save whoever they can, while they still can.
But Nue thoughtâit was an awfully bold decision.
"...Letâs see... probably just under ten thousand left, huh?"
"..."
Nue closed one eye, folding her fingers to calculateâthe number of voices still alive on the battlefield, those they were trying to protect.
"The Whitebeard Pirates and the Navyâs elite troops... there were 150,000 combined, yet so many are dead. The pirates under Whitebeardâs flag are nearly wiped out. Half the division commanders are dead too, right? As for the Navy, two admirals and almost all the vice admirals are gone. All that effort to gather them from around the world, wasted. With that many dead, picking up the pieces wonât be easy."
She said itâto declare it all meaningless.
"Because... with this, the worldâs order, justiceâcan no longer be protected. After the World Government falls, the world will descend into chaos... and change. âInto the 'world of violence' we desire."
"...!!"
At the vision of the world she declared with a fearless smile, Sengoku and Garp clenched their teeth. Accepting the reality, they squeezed their fists so tightly that blood seeped from their palms.
No matter how twisted the world had become under the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons, if blood wasnât spilled, then that still counted as peace.
But from now on... that peace was gone.
With the fall of the World Government and the disappearance of the Navyâthe protectors of the weak and innocentâthe world would become a place where only the strong survived.
It would be difficult for Navy remnants, individual nations, or even the Revolutionary Army to protect the seas of the world. Let alone against the outlaws expected to rise now. Especially from this alliance of the former Rocks Pirates.
Failing to stop them here meant that future was inevitable.
And yetâthey had concluded this was still the best option.
"You've lost your nerve. You can't even choose to stop us now."
And Nue mocked the weakness of calling such a decision the best course.
But Dragon responded to her taunt.
"Do you think you can stop the will of the people who seek freedom?"
"...That sounded impressive, but you're just full of sour grapes. You're in no position to talkâyouâre the one begging us not to fight."
"If it comes to that, weâll fight. But if we do... youâll suffer heavy losses too...!!"
"..."
"So what's it gonna be...? Kaido, Big Mom, Nue...!!"
Shanks glared at them, radiating intimidation. He, too, was an Emperor of the Sea.
If they actually fought against the untouched Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army, not even the Beasts Pirates or Big Mom Pirates would come out unscathed. Hawkeye, Sengoku, and Garp were also still here. Unlike the war against the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navyâthis time, defeat was a possibility.
"...So he says... what do we do?"
"..."
Kaido, Linlin, and Nue understood that as well.
They could press the attack and try to wipe out the Red-Haired Pirates and Revolutionary Army now, but they still had to chase after Blackbeard, and the raid on the Holy Land remained.
Was it wise to escalate things here...? As leaders of major pirate crews, they calculated the risks.
"...Hey, Nue..."
"...What?"
And Kaido made his decision.
With a silent grimace, he called out to his comrade beside himâ
"âLetâs do it."
"...Mm... okayâŞ"
"...!!"
Those few words were all the communication they needed.
The Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army, who had seemed ready to accept peace, now saw it clearly.
âThe two beasts, grinning fearlessly, their murderous auras flaring.
"!!!!"
âKaidoâs kanabo and Shanksâs sword clashed, splitting the sky.
âNueâs trident and Dragonâs fist collided, splitting the sky.
A clash of Conquerorâs Haki. The sudden clash of kingly wills shocked many, but the two who had locked horns with beasts quickly shifted into battle stance.
"So... negotiations have failed."
"Monsters, disasters... theyâre beyond words, aren't they...!!"
"Say what you want...!! But Iâve got no reason to let the Marines or Whitebeardâs men escape, and once we kill you bastards, thereâs no big enemy left!!! All thatâs left is to kill the old government geezers and that Blackbeard punk, then weâre done!!!"
"Exactly!!! I feel bad for Whitebeard, but... thatâs no reason to let you go!!! âNow letâs do this!! You guys!! Get fired up for Stage Two!!!"
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
At the roar from Kaido and Nue, the beasts under the banner of the Beasts Pirates howled.
Might is justiceâmight is everything. There was no reason to fear battle, and no one could match them in a prolonged war.
Wipe out the stragglers, bury the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Armyâonce thatâs done, no enemy remains.
And thenâPirate King.
âHa~hahaha mamamamama...!! Can't be helped!! I thought maybe backing off was an option... but if itâs come to this, then Iâll go all the way!!!â
âUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!â
âTch... so youâre not backing down, huh... damn it. Ace!! You and the others, get out of here first!!!â
â...But...!!â
âDonât worry!! Once youâre clear, weâll pull back when the time is right too!! Weâll regroup later!!!â
â...!! Got it...!!â
â...! You think Iâll let you get away...!!â
At Big Momâs command, the Big Mom Pirates too reignite their fighting spirit.
Realizing the battle couldnât be avoided, Sabo calls out to Ace, urging him to escape ahead. He promises theyâll meet again later. Now that he knows Sabo is alive, Ace wants to hear what happenedâand talk about Luffy. Though he hesitates, he ultimately decides to retreat for Whitebeardâs will and Luffyâs sake. Sabo, too, steels himself to survive for that.
âWeâre going too!!! Stay sharp!!!â
âYeah!!!â
âAlright you bastards!! Itâs go time!!!â
âUOOOOOOOOOOO!!!â
And so the Revolutionary Army and the Red-Haired Pirates, with Mihawk of the Marines bringing up the rear, and the prisoners from Impel Down, begin countering the pirate allianceâwho show no signs of wavering.
âHah... hah... these wounds...!! At this rate, both Luffy and I will collapse...!!â
ââHey!! Over here!!â
â!? Youâre...!!â
âAnd in the waters near Marineford, Jinbe, swimming with Luffy in tow, encounters someone.
âItâs over now... the World Government is finished...â
âMarinefordâs been uprooted and moved...!!â
âSo the Navy... this is the end for them too...!!â
âThe seas ahead are gonna be hell...!!â
âItâs all... that bastardâs fault...!!â
ââEscape success rate... 30%.â
âThe great pirate âWhitebeardâ is dead... the Navy HQ and the Seven Warlords have crumbled...â
âThis ainât just about balance in the New World. The balance of the world itself has collapsed...!! No one knows whatâs coming next!!â
âThe pirates who will lead the next generation feel the tension in the air and brace themselves for whatâs to come.
âItâs useless... no matter where you run or how you resist... the world is heading into a true age of piratesâone ruled by terror and violence...!!!â
The war isnât over.
No matter who wins, no matter who survives, the seeds of conflict sown across the globe will continue to spread.
From this day onâthe day when the great pirate âWhitebeardâ and the World Government both fellâa new age begins. And that age, that name, spreads to every corner of the world.
ââLet it beginâThe World of Violence!!!ââ
âThe seeds of terror were sown across the world.
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