It was no wonder the Five Elders felt somewhat at a loss. Ortoren's final display of power had far exceeded anything they had imagined.
They had originally believed that the clash between Ortoren and Whitebeard, two figures standing at the summit, would be evenly matched.
Instead, Ortoren first revealed a brand-new application of Armament Haki, pushing his defensive power to the extreme. By the time Whitebeard lost his life, Ortoren looked as though he had suffered no injuries at all.
That alone was shocking enough. But once he entered the ultimate state of the Moon Lion, the combat power he displayed went far beyond what the Five Elders could accept.
In that state, Ortoren could casually tear apart a powerhouse like Marco, effortlessly, as easily as crushing an ant.
And when that same level of strength was turned on the so-called strongest man, Whitebeard had no room to resist at all. The battle became a complete and utter one-sided suppression.
This kind of explosive power, this level of existence, left the Five Elders unsure how to even evaluate it.
At first, when they heard Ortoren's bold words about standing above the heavens, the Five Elders had felt displeased.
Arrogant.
Those words were simply too arrogant.
But the moment Ortoren actually made his move, they immediately felt that he had been somewhat restrained with his words after all.
It wasn't just the Five Elders. Everyone watching the broadcast, everyone on the battlefield, had fallen into deep shock.
...
On the Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh sat stiffly at the edge of a rooftop, the wine flask that had been about to reach his lips frozen in midair. He remained like that for a long time, unable to calm down.
Behind him, Shakky was the first to snap out of it. She swallowed and said quietly,
"I never imagined it would turn out like this. That Ortoren… he's terrifying."
After speaking, she saw Rayleigh finally move, take a sip of his drink, yet remain silent. Somewhat puzzled, she asked,
"What are you thinking about, Rayleigh?"
Rayleigh swallowed the liquor, turned his head, and looked at Shakky.
"I was thinking… it's a good thing I've already retired. And thanks to some cooperation in the past, my relationship with that guy is still pretty decent."
Good thing I retired early. If I were still out on the seas, acting all high and mighty, and actually ran into Ortoren's judgmental fist, I'd probably be dead by now.
Terrifying. Truly terrifying. How did the younger generation all turn into monsters like this?
...
On Whole Cake Island, inside the castle.
Charlotte Linlin seemed to have been holding her breath for a long time before finally snapping back to reality and letting out a long sigh.
Her expression was extremely complicated, carrying both relief and excitement, as well as worry and gravity.
The relief and excitement came from one simple reason.
Ortoren was her precious son.
Look at how powerful her son was, already standing above the heavens.
The strongest, inheriting her bloodline.
Of course she would feel thrilled and excited.
But once that excitement passed, worry followed close behind. Her precious son was far too devoted, always obsessing over finding a way to cure her hunger pangs.
Before, Charlotte Linlin had believed that her iron fist, infused with a mother's love, was enough to keep him in check.
Now, she was genuinely a little scared. Damn it, how did she give birth to such a monster?
Should she find another Mink Tribe member and have another child?
And after this battle, Ortoren would inevitably sweep across the entire New World. What needed to be considered now was how to deal with Ortoren.
Of course, deep down, she also felt a hint of relief.
Relief that Ortoren was her son.
Relief that over the years, their relationship had remained good, even growing closer and closer.
If Ortoren were truly nothing more than a pure enemy, Charlotte Linlin honestly wouldn't know what to do at this point.
She turned her head and glanced at Ace, who showed little interest in the war and was busy fiddling with various little soul toys together with Yamato. After staring at Ace for a moment, Charlotte Linlin shifted her gaze to Yamato instead, thinking to herself that perhaps, when it came to dealing with Ortoren, she would have to join forces with that brat Kaidou. Otherwise, the pressure would simply be too much to bear.
...
At the same time, in Wano Country, Onigashima.
Kaidou stared at the live broadcast screen with a dazed expression.
Huh? That's it? It's over already? The old man Whitebeard is just dead like that?
Precisely because it was so simple and brutal, it only further highlighted how terrifying Ortoren's strength truly was.
Once he snapped back to his senses, Kaidou's expression turned solemn.
"Hurry, bring me my Den Den Mushi. I need to talk to Linlin. At a time like this, all those old grudges need to be set aside. If we can't stand together now, the New World is going to change completely. It'll become Ortoren's personal backyard."
Hearing this, King immediately scrambled up from the banquet table and rushed off to fetch Kaidou's Den Den Mushi.
After a brief pause, Kaidou turned to Queen.
"Speaking of which, my Yamato and Ortoren's son really are close, aren't they?"
"Yes, Boss, closer than close." Queen reacted instantly, slapping his thigh as he spoke with conviction. "I'd say Young Master Yamato and Young Master Ace are a match made in heaven. Talented man, beautiful woman, born for each other. Since they're childhood friends with such a strong bond, why not settle the marriage while things are good?"
Kaidou's face broke into a broad smile.
"Exactly, exactly. That girl Yamato is really fond of Ace too. As her father, I should be thinking about her lifelong happiness. I'll talk to Linlin later and get this marriage settled first."
Originally, Kaidou had been somewhat opposed to the idea. After all, if his daughter married Ortoren's son, wouldn't that put him a generation lower in front of Charlotte Linlin? What would that make him?
But now, after witnessing how ferocious Ortoren was, Kaidou suddenly felt that it was better to finalize the marriage sooner rather than later.
Sure, the Beast Pirates and the New World Navy were currently in a cooperative relationship. He had even invited Ortoren to dinner before.
But still, that kind of relationship just wasn't secure enough.
If his daughter became a daughter-in-law of the Benn family, then Kaidou would be Ortoren's in-law, the father-in-law of Ortoren's son.
That kind of connection was far more reliable than mere cooperation.
Of course, there would still have to be a showdown with Ortoren someday. After all, asking Kaidou to simply hand over such a vast empire without a fight was hard to swallow.
A clash was inevitable.
But it wouldn't be a fight to the death anymore. They'd be family. In the end, no matter how things turned out, the spoils of the New World would still end up in their family's pot. That was something Kaidou could accept.
"Exactly, Boss. I've long seen how deeply you care for Young Master Yamato." Queen immediately backed Kaidou's decision, laying it on thick and giving him a perfect way out. "We're doing this for Young Master Yamato's happiness. It's definitely not because we're afraid of Ortoren."
"Right, right. You're absolutely correct, Queen." Kaidou nodded approvingly. "After all, I am a good father."
That's right. It was all for Yamato's happiness. Definitely not because he was afraid of Ortoren.
...
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the main conference hall, the naval officers erupted in an uproar.
What the hell was going on?
Admiral Benn was really this strong?
Even Sengoku was completely stunned. In the past, saying that the Navy Admirals represented the World Government's highest combat power had always carried a bit of exaggeration.
But now, who the hell dared say that statement lacked weight?
"Next time you go to Mary Geoise for a meeting, the Five Elders will probably be very polite to you, Sengoku." Tsuru, the chief strategist, snapped back to her senses and said to him.
Sengoku stood there in a daze for a moment, then glanced at the calligraphy hanging on the wall of the conference hall.
It read: "Justice That Rules the World."
At this very moment, Sengoku suddenly felt that this justice was finally becoming reality.
...
Compared to the shock felt by these "spectators," there was little pause on the battlefield itself. After Ortoren crushed the Whitebeard Pirates' spiritual pillar, Edward Newgate, with overwhelming and unstoppable force,
the Marines' momentum surged to its absolute peak.
Meanwhile, the pirates' morale collapsed across the board.
After a brief moment of shock, Sakazuki was the first to respond correctly. Shouting orders to wipe out the remaining pirate forces, he led the Marines into their final assault.
And this final assault was clearly a one-sided massacre.
The outcome of the battle was already decided.
It was a victory for the New World Marines.
And it was also a victory for justice.