Sengoku stared at the Justice Tower as it crumbled piece by piece, his chest tightening as if something inside him were breaking.
"How could this happen…?" he muttered hoarsely. "Marineford is the fortress of justice. Whitebeard—how dare you…"
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard threw his head back and laughed, watching the symbol of Marine authority collapse. "When did you start spouting such naive nonsense, Sengoku? Been sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair for too long—has it rotted your brain?"
From the moment he set foot on Marineford, Whitebeard had already accepted death.
Now that Ace was safe—and the losses of his sons were far lighter than he had feared—everything beyond this point was profit. A gift.
He knew the Marines would never let Ace go quietly. Retreating under pursuit would only mean more of his sons dying. Only by staying behind himself could he carve a path of survival for the rest.
And besides…
Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, had no intention of fading away on a sickbed, wasting his life to time and illness. Sengoku had built this battlefield for him—how could he not oblige?
If the Marines dared to raise a hand against his son, then Whitebeard would show them exactly what that arrogance cost.
"Pops…"
Marco watched the chaos engulfing Whitebeard, his expression growing heavier by the second.
Surrounded by Marines, facing two Admirals head-on, Pops had chosen to stay behind alone. It was almost certain—this was a one-way road.
Marco clenched his teeth. All he could do now was pray that Whitebeard could hold out just a little longer. Not only to buy them time to escape… but long enough for a miracle.
If the Red Hair Pirates arrived—if Shanks appeared as he had in the original timeline—then maybe, just maybe, Pops could still survive.
But this wasn't the original timeline anymore.
In the original war, Shanks arrived only after both Whitebeard and Ace were dead, when the Marines had already claimed victory. Red Hair had always seemed to walk a thin line with the World Government.
Now that both Whitebeard and Ace were still alive, would Shanks even come?
And even if he did… would the Marines truly be willing to stop?
Marco didn't know.
What he did know was this—no matter what happened, he had to bring Ace and their family back to the New World.
From the rear lines, Sengoku watched everything unravel.
The Justice Tower collapsing.
Fire Fist Ace escaping.
Akainu and Kizaru locked down by Whitebeard.
And the earth itself splitting apart under Whitebeard's quakes.
The war had completely slipped beyond his control.
"Hey—Garp!" Sengoku roared toward the execution platform.
Garp stirred, cracked one eye open, and glanced in Sengoku's direction. Thoughts of Ace… of Luffy… flashed through his mind.
Then, slowly, he closed his eyes again.
Ignoring him.
Sengoku's face twisted with rage.
But deep down, he hadn't truly expected anything else. He'd never planned this war around Garp's strength—only his reputation. Still, seeing the so-called Hero of the Marines lying there, doing nothing, while Marineford collapsed around them…
"Tch… useless," Sengoku cursed inwardly.
He tore off his Justice cloak and flung it aside. His original plan—to fight Whitebeard alongside Garp while the Admirals dealt with Ace—was dead.
If Garp wouldn't stand, then he would.
Sengoku stepped forward and transformed, golden light erupting as his massive Buddha form emerged.
His voice boomed with authority and fury.
"Whitebeard… I will not allow you to destroy Marineford like this."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku…!"
"Sengoku-san has finally stepped in!"
Seeing Sengoku take the field, the shaken Marines erupted with renewed excitement. Fear gave way to hope as their supreme commander entered the fray.
The final clash was about to begin.
Whitebeard lifted his gaze to Sengoku's towering golden form, his expression turning grave.
"So… you've finally decided to step in yourself, Sengoku?"
Sengoku's voice thundered across the plaza. "All Marines—pursue the Whitebeard Pirates! Against this man, numbers are meaningless. Staying here will only get in our way!"
"Yes!"
At the order, the Marines withdrew from the plaza in disciplined waves, leaving behind an empty battlefield—vast, shattered, and reserved for legends alone.
Sengoku issued his next command without hesitation. "Borsalino, go after Fire Fist Ace. Whitebeard will be dealt with by Sakazuki and me."
Whitebeard drew a deep breath. Shockwaves rippled along Murakumogiri, the air around the blade groaning under the pressure. He swung it forward with brutal force.
"I told you," he growled, "your opponent is me."
"Don't be so arrogant, Whitebeard! Meigō!"
BOOM!
Akainu's magma fist slammed head-on into Murakumogiri, magma and shockwaves colliding in a violent explosion that tore the air apart.
Sengoku seized the opening, thrusting out his palm. "Shockwave!"
Whitebeard answered with a punch of his own, the atmosphere shattering yet again. But this time, the pressure was different—he was facing the Fleet Admiral and an Admiral simultaneously. Even Whitebeard was forced back step by step, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Sengoku snorted coldly as Whitebeard staggered. "I'll admit it—you won the battle of wits this time, Whitebeard. But the final victory still belongs to the Marines. No matter how fiercely you struggle, our absolute advantage is something you can never overcome."
His gaze sharpened. "I will personally end you today—the so-called strongest man in the world. Borsalino, why haven't you taken down Fire Fist Ace yet?"
"Understood, Sengoku-san~"
Kizaru's lips curled into a familiar lewd smile as his body dissolved into glittering light and shot off in pursuit.
"Tch…!"
Whitebeard could only watch Kizaru depart. He knew better than anyone what it meant to face two monsters of this caliber at once.
Sengoku was an old rival—one he'd crossed blades with back when Sengoku was still a vice admiral. Whitebeard knew his strength intimately. In a one-on-one fight, he feared neither Sengoku nor Akainu.
But together…
Even a younger Whitebeard would have struggled.
Still, he laughed.
"Gurararara! You really love fighting with help, Sengoku! First it was Garp—now it's this magma brat!"
"Hmph. Your taunts are meaningless," Sengoku replied coolly. "Since Roger's death, you've been hailed as the strongest man alive. To fall to Sakazuki and me together is a fitting end for someone of your stature."
He raised his palm once more. "Shockwave!"
Akainu moved in perfect sync, magma boiling over his arm. "Die. Great Eruption!"
Whitebeard planted his feet, shockwaves surging through his body as he roared back and punched.
The plaza erupted as three supreme powers collided, the clash of legends tearing Marineford apart once again.
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