As the massive blocks of ice were pushed aside one after another, the space beneath the sea finally opened up. At that moment, the Moby Dick No. 4, which had been lying in wait in the deep, burst forth from the seabed.
When the pirate ship emerged, the Whitebeard Pirates erupted in cheers.
"This is incredible!"
"I never thought we'd still have a ship hidden down there!"
"And it's a paddle steamer—we can retreat now!"
The pirates immediately swarmed toward the paddle steamer, boarding it one after another. Watching this scene, Squard felt his chest tighten with emotion. But when the memory of his blade almost piercing his captain resurfaced, despair swallowed him whole. If he truly survived and returned to the New World… how could he ever face Ace, or the others?
His grip tightened.
Drawing his long sword, Squard turned to his crew and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I'm sorry… I'm asking you all to die with me."
"It's alright, Captain Squard," his subordinates replied one by one, their eyes steady and resolute.
Seeing their unwavering resolve, Squard finally steeled his heart. He raised his blade high and roared, "Marco! Everyone! Hurry and leave! Next, the Squard Pirates will cover your retreat! Squard Pirates, heed my command—charge with me! Even if we die, we'll hold back the Marines and buy time for Marco and Ace to escape!"
The Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews, who had been boarding the ship, froze in shock as they watched Squard lead his men straight toward the Marines.
"Is Squard really going to cover our retreat?"
"He must be trying to atone for what he did earlier!"
"Damn it… what is that idiot thinking?!"
Unlike the others, Marco felt no hesitation. This was not the naive Marco of the past. Without wasting a second, he shouted,
"Everyone, don't stop! Board the ship now! Do you want to waste the time Squard bought with his life?! Get on the ship—now!"
Hearing Marco's command, the others clenched their teeth and continued boarding.
"Oh~~~ so that's your plan, Marco~"
A lewd, drawn-out voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Marco had just begun to turn when a searing pain exploded in his waist. A laser beam pierced straight through his body. He cried out, clutching his abdomen as his form plummeted from the sky.
"Marco!!"
Vista and the others shouted in alarm.
Moments later, Marco crashed down onto the deck of the paddle steamer. Vista and the others rushed to his side.
"Are you alright?!"
"Hah… I'm fine," Marco replied, blue flames instantly engulfing his wound as it rapidly healed. He then turned his gaze toward Ace.
Under Ivankov's healing hormones, Ace's once-fatal injuries had been temporarily stabilized. His right shoulder was tightly bandaged, but the damage was still severe—he couldn't fight now. If he did, the wounds would almost certainly tear open again.
Marco's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the figure standing casually atop the ship's mast not far away.
"Kizaru… you still love sneak attacking people, huh?"
"How terrifying~!" Kizaru replied, his voice as teasing and obscene as ever. "Indeed! Among all the whitebeard commanders, your ability is the most troublesome. An ordinary man would be crippled by a single strike from me—but you act like nothing happened at all. You're truly a monster!"
Marco glanced at Kizaru and clicked his tongue, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Say, Kizaru… why are you trying so hard? Ace has already lost an arm. Even if he carries the Pirate King's bloodline, his threat to the Marines—and the world—has been greatly reduced. Why chase him to the bitter end? As the saying goes, leave some room in life so you may meet again. Don't you think?"
Kizaru paused, momentarily at a loss for words.
"I'm a Marine," he replied flatly. "Don't make it sound like we're close friends. Arresting pirates is only natural."
Marco let out an irritated tch.
"Figures. So it still comes down to fighting." His eyes hardened. "I really don't want to clash with an Admiral… but I don't have a choice. No matter what, I will bring Ace back to the New World alive."
Turning to the others, Marco shouted,
"I'll handle Kizaru! You all cover the rest and get everyone aboard the ship. Protect it at all costs—don't let the Marines damage it. Once everyone's on board, set sail immediately!"
Vista and the others nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry. Leave it to us," they said. "You're the one who needs to be careful!"
Luffy cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled,
"Pineapple Head! Be careful! That guy's really strong!"
Marco flashed a confident grin.
"I'm not expecting to beat him. I just need to stall him long enough to buy everyone some time. That much, I can do."
With that, Marco transformed into his Human–Beast Form once more and shot straight toward Kizaru.
"Phoenix Seal—!"
His kick came crashing down with terrifying force. Kizaru raised his Ama no Murakumo sword to block, yet the impact still pushed him away from the ship. Even so, he spoke in his usual lazy drawl,
"You're really serious, Marco. Honestly, I never expected the Marines to be driven this far."
Watching the aerial clash, Jozu roared from below, "Move it! Faster—everyone, faster!"
Then, suddenly—
"ONE PIECE… IT TRULY EXISTS…"
Whitebeard's thunderous roar echoed across Marineford—his final declaration to the world.
Just as in the original flow of fate, Whitebeard ultimately fell on the battlefield of Marineford.
High above, Marco froze as the old man's voice reached him. From his vantage point, he could see farther than most—his gaze locked onto the distant plaza where Whitebeard stood. A deep, crushing sorrow welled up in his chest.
With resolute eyes, he whispered,
"Don't worry, old man. I'll bring everyone back to the New World. And I swear… I'll avenge you."
Ding. You have a new mission…
The system's cold, mechanical voice rang in Marco's ears.
Still hovering in midair with Moonwalk, Kizaru glanced into the distance.
"Oh? So Whitebeard's dead already~ I didn't expect him to leave behind such words at the very end."
"Pops…"
Across the battlefield, the Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews felt their hearts shatter. Though many of them could no longer see Whitebeard due to the distance, his words rang clearly in their ears. They didn't need to be told—
They understood.
Those were his last words.
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