Chapter 224: The War Ends
All eyes were drawn to Shanks.
Hancock, however, quickly approached Rhodes, her beautiful eyes filled with hostility as she glared at Blackbeard and the others opposite them. Rhodes' enemies were her enemies.
At the same time, she asked with concern:
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Rhodes shook his head.
That was the advantage of speed-type powerhouses—if they truly wanted to avoid battle, they were almost never in danger.
Meanwhile, Shanks, after forcing Akainu back, first glanced at the wounded Ace, Marco, and other division commanders, offered a few words of advice, then turned and walked toward the plaza, looking at the three key figures on the field:
Sengoku the Buddha, Blackbeard, and the Dragon Slayer Swordsman.
These three:
One represented the Navy.
One was a newly emerging great pirate force.
And the last was a powerful individual who shone brightly in this war—almost worthy of being called the most dazzling supernova.
Only by pacifying these three would this war truly end.
As for the Whitebeard Pirates, with their leader Whitebeard dead, Jozu losing an arm, and Marco and Ace severely weakened, they had no say in the matter.
Thinking this through, Shanks said in a deep voice:
"If we continue fighting, it will only increase casualties indefinitely. Anyone else still itching for a fight? Come on, let's have our turn."
With that, he slowly drew his famous sword, Gryphon, his Haoshoku Haki gathering but not yet released. The members of the Red Hair Pirates stood behind him, silent yet exuding immense power.
"What do you think, Teach? No—Blackbeard. And you, Dragon Slayer Swordsman?"
Shanks didn't consult the Navy.
He knew that Fleet Admiral Sengoku wanted to end this brutal war more than anyone else. Continuing the fight might give the Navy a victory, but it would be a Pyrrhic one—potentially sinking Marine Headquarters and losing their strongest forces.
"Red-Haired..."
Blackbeard hadn't yet successfully completed his plan to obtain the Gura Gura no Mi's power, so he was still somewhat wary of Shanks, a true Yonko.
Because he knew that Shanks wasn't a Devil Fruit user, and the Yami Yami no Mi's effects against other Devil Fruit users wouldn't work on him.
Finally, he simply gave Rhodes a deep look, as if trying to etch the man into his memory, before retreating with his crew.
He couldn't obtain the Gura Gura no Mi through his own means now, but with these companions, he was perfectly capable of venturing into the New World and plundering all sorts of abilities. Moreover, with Whitebeard's death, the Gura Gura no Mi would one day reappear, giving him another chance.
It wasn't the right time to fight the Red Hair Pirates to the death.
"And you, Dragon Slayer Swordsman?"
Shanks looked at Rhodes.
Although he was confident he could defeat this Dragon Slayer Swordsman, he was here to end the war—force was merely a deterrent, a last resort.
"Shanks..."
Rhodes' eyes narrowed slightly, a mixture of solemnity and excitement.
Truly worthy of being called the man with the strongest Haoshoku Haki.
Even without unleashing his own Conqueror's Haki, Rhodes could feel a slight pressure, making him realize that he was probably no match for Shanks at this moment.
"It doesn't matter. I'm just here to find worthy opponents."
Rhodes shrugged casually.
His plan was almost complete.
Although it was a pity he hadn't been able to kill Blackbeard, disrupting Blackbeard's operation and making himself the most dazzling figure in this war was enough.
Next, he just had to wait for the influence of this war to spread further and see what changes the Book of Knowledge's advancement would bring.
He was looking forward to it.
Because through this war, he realized that with his current abilities, although he could move fearlessly and freely, there was still a considerable gap between him and becoming a Yonko-level figure who could dominate the seas.
Seeing this, Shanks nodded slightly to Rhodes, then looked at Whitebeard's corpse and said to the Marines:
"Gentlemen, I hope you can do me a favor here."
"Please leave Whitebeard's funeral to us. The war footage has spread all over the world, and I will not allow anyone to defile the dead."
Upon hearing this, the Marines were naturally dissatisfied, and someone immediately stood up to question it.
"What nonsense are you spouting! Only displaying Whitebeard's head in public can be considered a victory for the Navy!"
Those who dared to stand up and confront Shanks at this moment were basically the top figures among the Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters.
Shanks' expression turned solemn, and he was about to speak when he suddenly heard a cold voice:
"I won't stand for a warrior like Whitebeard to be beheaded and displayed publicly."
The speaker was Rhodes.
He held Whitebeard, this peerless powerhouse, in high esteem—not only for his strength but also for his character and magnanimity.
Upon hearing this, the naval officer who had spoken earlier glared angrily.
"What, want to fight? I don't mind teaching you a lesson."
Rhodes said calmly, looking at them.
Hancock also stepped forward without hesitation, coldly staring at Vice Admirals Doberman and the others.
Although there were only two of them, their aura completely overwhelmed the speaking naval officers, causing Doberman and the others' expressions to change.
Shanks, so far, had only displayed a very strong aura without showing much actual strength.
But Rhodes was different.
In this Marineford War, this Dragon Slayer Swordsman had fought against many powerful enemies—including Diamond Jozu, Vista, and Whitebeard himself—without being at a disadvantage.
Just moments ago, he had even managed to retrieve Whitebeard's body from the encirclement of the entire Blackbeard Pirates.
Such strength was undeniable and simply beyond their ability to resist.
At this moment, Sengoku crossed his arms and said in a deep voice:
"It's alright. You can leave it to me, Shanks."
The Marines immediately became anxious upon hearing this:
"Fleet Admiral—"
Before they could finish speaking, Sengoku interrupted them:
"I will bear all the consequences."
All the Marines fell silent.
After speaking, Sengoku glanced at the Marines on the field—almost all of them wounded, some even missing limbs—gritted his teeth, and shouted loudly:
"Quickly treat the wounded! The war is over!"
Upon hearing this, the entire Marine force cheered, but along with the cheers, some silently shed tears.
War always represented death and bloodshed.
Perhaps just a few days ago, they were chatting and joking together, training and sharing their feelings; now, even their bodies couldn't be found.
In this world where the strong roamed freely, and cannons and guns abounded, the casualties brought by war were truly devastating.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates looked even more dejected, unable to hold back their tears.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates were almost all taken in by Whitebeard, and almost all of them had deep bonds with him.
To them, Whitebeard was their sky, their protective umbrella, shielding them as they roamed the New World.
But now, that sky had fallen.
Marco, having tended to Diamond Jozu's injuries, stood frozen, bewildered and at a loss.
He looked around and saw that all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates present—from the division commanders to the ordinary crew members—were also somewhat lost.
The Navy could elect a new Fleet Admiral after losing one.
But the Whitebeard Pirates, having lost Whitebeard, could not find a second one.
Seeing this, Diamond Jozu said in a low voice, fighting back tears:
"Marco, you can't lead while drowning in despair. We..."
"There are still many things to do."
Marco took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination, and gradually calmed down.
"No matter what, we must first arrange a proper funeral for Pops."
Marco looked at Ace, who was standing beside him with a sorrowful expression, and recalled the scenes of Pops' life, making a silent decision in his heart.
The Whitebeard Pirates, this family, could not be allowed to fall apart like this.
"Pops... this isn't something you'd want to see, is it?"
Marco looked at Whitebeard's still-standing body.
Meanwhile, Rhodes was searching for Doflamingo.
He remembered that after this war, Doflamingo had a mission from the World Government to kill Gecko Moria.
He had searched for a long time.
He had found Gecko Moria among the corpses, but still couldn't find Doflamingo.
"Could he have escaped already?"
Rhodes shook his head. Oh well, he could run, but he couldn't hide forever. He could always just go to Dressrosa later.
(End of Chapter)
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