"Pops..."
"Pops, what are you saying?!"
"What do you mean by final order?"
"Don't say something so unlucky!"
"We're returning to the New World together!"
"Exactly, Pops! If we leave, we leave together!"
The Whitebeard Pirates erupted in protest, their voices trembling with panic and disbelief.
Ace, who had nearly reached the edge of Crescent Bay, froze. Whitebeard's words echoed behind him. He turned around, eyes wide, heart twisting painfully. "Pops!"
Whitebeard swung Murakumogiri again and roared, "My sons, this is where you part ways with me. All of you, live well and return to the New World."
"Why, Pops?!"
"Let's go back together!"
The crew cried out, unwilling to accept even the idea of leaving him behind.
Akainu sneered, magma bubbling from his fist. "So you've already accepted your death today… Whitebeard!" He lunged.
Whitebeard met the blow head-on. Their fists collided with a thunderous boom, echoing across Marineford. Whitebeard's voice boomed over the battlefield, filled with terrifying resolve.
"I am a relic of the old era. There is no ship in the new era that can carry me."
His full power exploded outward, forcing Akainu back dozens of steps. The Marines widened their eyes in disbelief.
Akainu gritted his teeth. In all his years, it was the first time he had been overpowered in a direct clash. "He's really fighting with everything he has…"
Kizaru tilted his head slightly, his usual laziness replaced by wariness. "How terrifying. A man who has already accepted death is troublesome to deal with."
Akainu's face grew even darker. Even he couldn't take this lightly. If he wasn't careful, Whitebeard's final burst of power could drag him into the grave. But his murderous intent didn't waver. "Hmph. No matter how hard he struggles, he dies here today."
Whitebeard spat out blood, his chest heaving. He glanced toward Marco and Ace in the distance. For a moment, his hand tightened on his bisento… but he didn't declare an heir.
Years ago, his declining health had forced him to consider the future of the Whitebeard Pirates. Though the world called them a pirate crew, he saw them as a family… a home bound by bonds stronger than blood. He had always hoped the Whitebeard name would continue through his sons.
Over time, he handed more responsibilities to Marco, Vista, and Jozu. Among all his sons, Marco possessed the greatest balance of strength, reliability, and judgment. If nothing changed, Whitebeard would one day have chosen Marco to inherit the crew.
But when Ace arrived, the old man's decision slowly shifted.
Marco was remarkable, but better suited as a first mate.
Ace, however… had the potential to become a king.
He planned for Ace to be the next captain, with Marco as his steadfast right hand.
But now… Marco, too, had awakened qualities of a king. The situation had changed, and Whitebeard's heart wrestled with the decision. And with the Marines still in pursuit, he could announce no successor. Doing so now would put an even larger target on one of his sons.
All of you must live. Return to the New World.
His heart screamed the words even as the battlefield shook.
He believed they would choose a worthy captain after escaping Marineford, whether Marco, Ace, or someone else. He only prayed they would survive long enough to make that choice.
"COME AT ME, MARINE!" Whitebeard thundered.
His next punch shattered the air, sending ripples of destruction spiraling outward. The sea itself trembled violently. Marineford and the distant ocean tilted sharply, as though the entire world were leaning under his fury.
"Pops…" Vista's voice cracked. Watching Whitebeard stand alone against Akainu and Kizaru tore at his heart. Earlier, it took all four of them just to hold off Akainu. Now Pops faced two Admirals alone, fully aware he was betting his life to protect them.
Namur wiped at his eyes and shouted, "Hurry! Don't waste Pops's sacrifice!"
Marco stared at Whitebeard's lone figure in the chaos. His chest tightened painfully. He had lived in this world only a short time since his transmigration, but the bonds he inherited were real. Whitebeard's love, pride, and trust… they all lived in his memories and heart.
Why does it hurt this much…?
He hated his own weakness. He had known the events of Marineford. He had tried to change the ending.
But the old man still chose the same fate. Marco understood. If Whitebeard didn't hold the Admirals back, none of them would escape alive. The old man knew this better than anyone. That was why he sacrificed himself without hesitation.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed, voice booming through the flames and destruction. "Magma brat, Flash brat! I'm right here. If you want my head, then come and take it!"
Murakumogiri slammed into the ground as he stood tall before Akainu, Kizaru, and the entire Marine force. He looked like a lone titan standing against the world.
"Don't chase my sons. If you move against them…" He raised his fist, tremors surrounding his arm. "I will sink this entire island into the sea."
"Then we'll just kill you first!" Akainu roared, hurling himself forward, his fist erupting into a magma hound. "Inugami Guren!"
Whitebeard's muscles swelled as shockwaves gathered in both fists. "Come on, Marine! I'll show you the strongest power in the world!"
The plaza became hell itself. Quakes, molten blasts, and flashes of light tore the battlefield apart.
Marineford's Justice Tower cracked, groaned, and collapsed under the overwhelming force.
Whitebeard, alone, stood in defiance of the entire world.
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