Chapter 246 – The World Conference! (Please subscribe!)
Zephyr had originally wanted to annihilate the New World, yet the very next day Eustass paid a visit to a certain secret Marine Base there.
He simply stole every last bit of dynamite rock.
Zephyr's plan to destroy the New World collapsed completely.
Afterward, he announced that the NEO Marines would officially merge into the Resistance Army.
The NEO Marines became a subordinate unit of the Resistance.
In an instant, the whole World erupted in uproar.
Morgans scrambled to splash the news everywhere, ceaselessly singing the Resistance's praises.
Across the globe, countless Marines who had once lost faith in the World Government set sail for the East Blueto join the Resistance.
Imu tried to erase the East Blue island that served as the Resistance's Base.
That very day, Eustass showed up at the Flower Chamberwith a blade in hand—just paying a friendly visit.
Imu received him courteously, and in the end refrained from moving against the Resistance.
Sigh—she hadn't even struck the child yet,
and the parent had already arrived.
"Imu, let's keep our fight to ourselves; the younger generation can handle their own battles—no interference, how nice."
Eustass sat opposite Imu, blowing on his tea and sipping it leisurely.
"..."
The corner of Imu's mouth twitched—have you no shame?
She'd heard plenty about how Eustass had chased the new Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the CP0 chief all over the place just to help his precious daughter.
Yet the moment she planned to act, he came straight to her doorstep.
"As neighbors, we ought to live in harmony—with the graveyard, that is~"
Eustass quipped with a grin.
Imu sighed.
Shameless wretch.
In her eight-plus centuries of life, she had never met such a thick-skinned man.
While Eustass lounged in the Flower Chamber as a guest, his darling daughter was developing her power high-profile in the East Blue.
At that moment, Carina was leading troops to smash every corrupt kingdom in the East Blue—half the sea was already hers.
sea circle calendar, Year 1514.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Once again, Eustass came to "visit" the Flower Chamber.
Were it not for the bandages on her head, Imu would have fought this shameless scoundrel to the death.
The problem was that even with the Gorosei joining her in a combined assault, they could only fight him to a standstill.
Imu alone could no longer beat Eustass.
If she could handle him solo, she would have risked it long ago.
The Gorosei knelt nearby—should Eustass start a fight, they would instantly back Imu-My Lord against him.
Were Imu a transmigrator, she would have yelled that Eustass was cheating!
"Whew~"
Eustass gently blew on his scalding tea. "In high summer one should drink cool tea, no? Still, I heard the quadrennial World Conference begins today?"
"Mm."
Imu nodded, indifferent.
As the sovereign seated upon the Empty Throne, why would she care about such trifles?
"I see—then rest easy; I'll step out for a stroll."
With that, Eustass rose and walked out.
Imu and the Gorosei all exhaled in relief… Mary Geoise.
Young Princess Nefeltari Vivi clung tightly to her father, Nefeltari Cobra.
Cobra held his daughter's hand, told her to wait outside, then entered the council chamber to open the World Conference.
In Eustass's view,
this so-called World Conference was nothing but a farce.
The Celestial Dragons pocketed the hefty celestial tributes from the World Government's member nations,
so they staged this gathering every four years to give the kings a chance to posture and preen.
In truth, whatever was discussed, the Celestial Dragonswould never adopt any of it.
To them, Marines and kingdoms alike were merely higher-grade livestock.
Eustass strolled straight to the corridor outside the conference chamber.
The CP0 agent stationed there to eavesdrop on the kings reached out to block him.
But when he saw who stood before him—
Eustass Mola?
The CP0's hand trembled; he jerked it back and pretended he'd seen nothing.
These days, the children of Mary Geoise fear two sorts of people most:
those of the D clan,
and anyone from the Mola family.
Eustass gave the man an amused smile, then stepped aside.
Eustass and Imu had not yet truly torn off their last veil of civility.
His daughter was still expanding her power.
Eustass himself was waiting for the right moment.
Thus, under their mutual deterrence, the Resistance and Mary Geoise remained in a façade of peace, skirmishing in the shadows without full-scale war.
No open conflict—yet.
Eustass stood outside, listening to the idiotic prattle of the kings inside.
Amazing—every last monarch thought the celestial tribute too costly and wished to band together and petition the World Government to lower it.
As if it could ever be reduced.
Eustass couldn't help laughing.
A flock of fattened sheep penned by the Celestial Dragons—without armies or top-tier fighters, what leverage did they have to negotiate?
"Rabble."
Eustass sneered and walked away.
In every era, in every World—be it one of mighty supernatural powers or advanced technology—
the right to decide always rests with the tiny elite at the top.
No matter how loudly the masses complain,
it's all in vain.
Eustass came from modern society; he understood this reality better than anyone.
Inside the chamber,
"I believe we must take this man seriously—Monkey D. Dragon, chief of the Revolutionary Army. If ignored, he will become an uncontainable disaster."
Shichoudera Lucas, king of the Ilusia Kingdom, held up Dragon's photo and spoke.
"Oh, Dragon's nothing! The real threat is Carina Mola in the East Blue—her Resistance has seized half the sea!"
Queen Mororon of the Taj Kingdom interjected urgently.
Carina was terrifying; while Dragon was still evading capture worldwide, she was already carving out an empire for the Mola family.
Though the East Blue was called the weakest ocean, half of it was still enormous.
With that territory to feed her army—and former AdmiralZephyr training her troops alongside ex-Marines—
once fully grown, the Resistance would become the greatest enemy the World Government and its allies had ever faced.
And behind her stood Eustass.
"Stop meddling—this is beyond us; we haven't the strength to interfere."
A king waved dismissively, and the rest fell silent.
They spoke only in hope Mary Geoise might deal with Eustass.
"Then let's go back to discussing Dragon."
"Fine!"
"Agreed."
"Forget it—what's the point? Let's hurry and adjourn; I want to head to the Sabaody Archipelago for some fun. How tiresome."
Beside them,
Wapol, king of Drum Kingdom, lay slumped over the table, grumbling in boredom.
Chapter 247: Conquering Drum Kingdom! Chopper's Happy Childhood! (Please subscribe!)
"You fellow!"
Nefeltari D. Cobra glared angrily at Wapol...outside.
Princess Vivi sat under a tree, leisurely enjoying the gentle breeze, happily swinging her little legs.
"How is Mary Geoise?"
A voice came.
Vivi quickly looked over.
Eustass walked over, sat down beside her, and asked.
"It's alright."
Vivi said with a smile, "Mainly, I'm just happy to be able to go out and play with Father."
Eustass chuckled. Little Vivi was really cute.
"Uncle, who are you?"
Vivi looked at him in confusion, apparently not recognizing Eustass.
"Me? Just a retired old man."
Eustass said with a smile.
In the future, at most, he would beat up the Straw Hats, Imu, the Gorosei, and the Fleet Admiral.
Then he would be almost ready to go to the next World.
And his precious daughter had already started her own business, so he was pretty much a retired old man on a daily basis.
"Pfft~"
Vivi couldn't help but laugh.
"How can Uncle be a retired old man? You're clearly still very young."
"Oh, if I'm still very young, why are you calling me Uncle?"
"Then what's your name?"
"Eustass."
"Brother Eustass~"
Eustass smiled and ruffled Vivi's hair.
Soon after.
The World Conference adjourned.
A group of kings walked out of the conference room, laughing and chatting.
As a result, when many kings saw the distance, most of them were stunned.
Why was Eustass Moira here?
They had just been discussing in the room how to deal with the Resistance Army.
Good heavens, the leader of the Resistance Army's father was sitting under a tree outside.
All the kings froze in place.
Wapol walked out, grumbling, clearly having had an argument with Cobra.
Cobra was a good king, very responsible in his actions.
Wapol was a useless king who only wanted money and enjoyment, not work or responsibility.
As a result, the two had a big argument due to differing opinions.
Wapol couldn't win against Cobra, and seeing the blue-haired Little Girl happily running towards Cobra in the distance, he laughed unkindly.
Wapol couldn't win against Cobra, but he could hit Cobra's child to vent his anger, couldn't he?
Wapol's palm fell, aiming directly at Vivi.
Wapol's guard, Dalton, was shocked at this, but it was too late to stop him.
"Ah!"
Princess Vivi's expression changed in shock, looking at the approaching slap with some fear.
The next instant.
A scream rang out.
Princess Vivi was perfectly fine.
Eustass instantly appeared beside her, kicking Wapolunder his foot.
Then, Eustass drew Enma.
One slash fell.
Wapol's head was separated from his body.
One of Eustass's most hated characters, Wapol.
He was clearly a scoundrel, a piece of trash who had brought misery to all the people of Drum Kingdom.
Yet, he later managed to fortunately re-establish the Dark Drum Kingdom.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Since this kid had no value and was disgusting.
Eustass just killed him with one slash.
"You, you actually killed the King of our Drum Kingdom!"
Dalton's expression was a bit grim.
"Hmm, so what if I killed him? It's nothing special, just a piece of trash."
Eustass said, then ruffled Vivi's head.
"Let's go."
Eustass said, then left the place directly.
He had to inform his daughter to have the Resistance Army quickly occupy Drum Kingdom.
Several days later.
Drum Kingdom.
Dalton looked at Drum Kingdom, now flying the Resistance Army flag, and sighed.
From now on, this place could no longer be called a kingdom.
And Dalton, being a person who truly cared for the people of Drum Kingdom, was a fairly good talent and was absorbed into the Resistance Army.
Of course, he would no longer be able to manage the Drum Kingdom's army.
He would be transferred to other islands of the Resistance Army.
Dalton sighed and turned to leave.
Although Drum Kingdom was gone, Carina, the female leader of the Resistance Army, announced that effective immediately, Drum Island and all islands under the Resistance Army's command were willing to recruit back the former Doctors of Drum Kingdom with treatment that far exceeded previous ones.
Wapol died, but Drum Island lived.
Moreover, Carina announced that effective immediately, citizens of all islands under the Resistance Army's command were not allowed to discriminate against other races.
Because of this, Tony Tony Chopper, in his human-beast form, could finally happily stroll through Drum Island~
"How beautiful."
Dalton looked up at the falling snow with relief.
"Yes, it's so beautiful."
Chopper sat by the roadside, holding hot tea.
"Very beautiful."
The gravely ill Hiruluk smiled at Chopper, reaching out to ruffle his little head...Drum Island.
The former site of the Drum Kingdom castle.
This place was now established as one of the Resistance Army's branches.
Carina sat inside, watching her father, who was seated in the main chair, hand over documents to the Resistance Army's scientists.
"These are the blueprints for the iron man armor. You should study them recently, and it would be best if you can replicate them according to the blueprints."
Eustass took out thick piles of documents and handed them to the Resistance Army's scientists.
Among them, several were snatched by Eustass from the World Government.
After all, the World Government in this World severely blocked technology.
It was really difficult to find powerful scientists.
So, Eustass just snatched them.
Anyway, these scientists didn't have much loyalty to the World Government.
The reason Eustass took out the iron man armorblueprints was simple.
In the future, the World Government would rely on Vegapunk to unleash black technology.
Eustass didn't want his daughter's Resistance Army to suffer a disadvantage, so he directly brought out the blueprints.
The blueprints themselves were loaded in the wisdom system inside the Armor. He had already copied all the blueprints onto paper before the energy ran out.
"This... so amazing!"
The scientists looked at the principles and design drawings in shock, utterly astonished.
After chatting with his daughter for a while, Eustassprepared to leave and return to Fish-Man Island.
"Father, I'll see you off."
Carina quickly stood up to see Eustass off.
Eustass walked out of the castle, left the town, and arrived at the seaside.
He caught a glimpse on the way, seemingly seeing a humanoid blue-nosed creature finding its way, playing a snowball fight with someone, which looked very interesting.
The fate of Drum Kingdom changed, but Doctor Hiruluk's condition would not improve.
But fortunately, at least Hiruluk and Chopper would no longer be so miserable.
Hiruluk would give Chopper a happy childhood before his passing.
Eustass arrived at the seaside, his daughter looking at him with a hesitant expression.
"Father, I heard you found another one?"
Carina asked.
"Uh..."
Eustass was a bit embarrassed by his daughter's question.
"What are you talking about?"
Eustass quickly denied it.
"Then what about Sister Betty?"
Carina looked at her father with a playful smile.
"Ahem, hurry back. The Resistance Army still has many things waiting for you to handle!"
Eustass said, then directly sent his daughter away.
Carina covered her mouth and chuckled.
Chapter 248. 248. Marineford, Executing Whitebeard's Sons! (Please subscribe!)
The sea circle calendar year 1517.
The grown-up Ace left Fish-Man Island.
Under Eustass's guidance, Ace became a Great Swordsman.
Eustass gave Ace Roger's weapon from back then, the Famous Sword Ace.
Ace went out to sea holding Ace~
History had changed; Fish-Man Island was protected by Eustass, and because of this, Jinbe had always respected Eustass and knew Ace.
Therefore, Jinbe did not fight the Ace who went out to sea.
Instead, after Ace went out to sea, he encountered an encirclement attack from the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division and Fourth Division.
Ace defeated all the members of the Second Division, as well as Thatch, the Captain of the Fourth Division, along with his crew members.
Thatch, the Captain of the Fourth Division, and Teach, a member of the Second Division, were all defeated, and Ace left immediately with his people.
As it turned out, the passing Marines happened to arrest the two of them.
Fish-Man Island.
Eustass Family.
Eustass sat in a lounge chair, holding a newspaper.
"Whitebeard's Sons Arrested! Execution Countdown! One Week!"
In the newspaper, Teach and Thatch were kneeling in a Sea Stone cell, staring resentfully at the camera.
Eustass felt a little strange after just glancing at the newspaper.
Why did he have a feeling of déjà vu?
'Marineford War?'
Eustass suddenly understood.
Ace was no longer Whitebeard's son.
Ace recognized Eustass as his Godfather and, under his constant tutelage, learned many abilities.
The current Ace was much stronger than in the original plot; Ace had learned Flying Slash Attack, Rokushiki, Rokushiki Extension Techniques, Supreme Haki, and High-Level Armament Haki.
The current Ace could defeat ten original-story Aces.
Teach definitely couldn't beat Ace.
Therefore, the ones who were arrested were replaced by Teach and Thatch.
Of course, the one going to save his sons was still Whitebeard.
"It's early."
Eustass sighed internally, noting that the characters in the Marineford War had changed, and the timing was earlier.
"dousan, dousan, Nēsan is back~!"
At the doorway, a little girl with smooth black hair happily ran over.
She shouted as she ran.
"Ahhh~! My good daughter, let me hug you~!"
As soon as Hancock walked out of the house, she saw her and Eustass's daughter run in, and she happily rushed over to embrace her.
In the sea circle calendar year 1515, Hancock gave birth to a daughter for Eustass.
Hancock picked up their little daughter, Claire Mola.
Eustass stood up and pulled Hancock into his arms.
He rubbed Hancock's head.
Only then did Eustass walk outside.
Hancock held their daughter, her cheeks slightly flushed, watching Eustass walk away with a shy expression.
Claire giggled secretly.
Among her several mothers.
Hancock had the biggest reaction whenever she saw Eustass.
A small gesture or a single word from Eustass.
Could always make her biological mother, Hancock, blush for a long time.
Before Eustass even left the house, his eldest daughter Carina ran in and hugged him.
"What is it, what is it? You're too old to be acting spoiled."
Eustass patted his daughter's head and chuckled.
"Sky Island has been taken down, and Eneru is locked up in a Sea Stone cell.
Also, the Pluton Blueprint that you asked me to find in Water Seven several years ago—after I had someone steal it from Iceberg's room, the Ancient Weapon Plutonbuilt from it is now complete."
After Carina finished speaking, she sighed, "dousan, fighting for supremacy is so tiring."
"Isn't my daughter destined to become a Queen?"
Eustass patted his daughter and teased, "But since this is the path you chose, don't regret it."
"Mhm!"
Carina nodded vigorously.
"How are the Resistance Army's forces?"
Eustass asked.
"The Eastern Army has 80,000, the Western Army has 70,000, the Northern Army has 60,000, the Southern Army has 70,000, the G1 Army has 100,000, and the G2 Army has 120,000."
Carina replied.
G stands for Grand Line. G1 refers to Paradise, and G2 refers to the New World.
Over the years, under Eustass's protection, Carinadeveloped the Resistance Army smoothly without any major issues.
And also due to the addition of the former MarineAdmiral, Zephyr, to the Resistance Army.
The Resistance Army's reputation grew considerably, both among civilians and at sea.
"dousan, we recently recruited an Admiral, a powerful expert who loves eating soba and can manipulate gravity."
Carina stated.
"Mm, I heard."
Eustass nodded. Issho, Admiral Fujitora, is quite good.
"Start preparing soon. Our great war against the World Government is also approaching."
Eustass said.
Currently, the Resistance Army's influence is expanding too rapidly.
The four seas—East, West, North, and South—have almost been completely occupied by the Resistance Army.
In both the front and back halves of the Grand Line, the Resistance Army and the Marines fight endlessly, with regional conflicts occurring one after another.
And the Revolutionary Army's offensive has never stopped.
Led by Dragon, the Revolutionary Army continuously carries out Infiltration Operations against the few remaining kingdoms worldwide.
The kingdoms across the World have almost all been infiltrated by the Revolutionary Army.
The World Government's celestial tribute income has been severely impacted.
If the World Government didn't have a major financial backer named Tesoro supporting them, Eustass felt that Imu would have already torn off the mask and launched a Full-Scale War against him.
It couldn't be suppressed anymore.
Even Eustass could no longer suppress the outbreak of this war.
Because the World Government was already on the edge of the Cliff of Death, ready to fall to its demise at any moment.
For survival, the World Government would become increasingly desperate and would no longer seek peace.
"Perfect. The Resistance Army has grown strong enough. Prepare for the Decisive Battle, and leave the strongest wave of opponents to me."
After Eustass spoke, Carina hugged him with tears in her eyes.
"It's just a fight, don't make it sound like we're parting forever."
Eustass said with a laugh.
"I don't know why, but I just have a feeling that dousan is going to leave us."
Carina cried.
Hancock stood nearby, looking at Eustass with a worried expression.
Eustass was speechless.
Her feeling was spot on.
Eustass figured that defeating the World Governmentwould likely be enough to fully charge the Portal.
He would head to the DC World... Eustass silently looked at his daughter, then at Hancock beside him.
And A-Shi, who walked out of the house.
"Silly girl, there is always a time for parting in life. A child growing up is inherently a process of leaving their parents."
Eustass said with a light chuckle.
Over the years, Eustass had accompanied his daughter through her childhood.
Watching the tiny child grow up little by little.
Later, his daughter wanted to venture out to sea.
He also secretly went out to sea to protect her, witnessed her battles and rigorous training, and watched her grow into a heroic and valiant Heroine, leading her subordinates to conquer islands... "But our family will always be together."
Eustass told a small lie and rubbed his daughter's head.
One week later.
sea circle calendar year 1517, March 18th.
First Half of the Grand Line, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Marines executed Teach and Thatch!
In later generations.
This battle would also be called the Marineford War, the Fuse for the Dawn War.
Chapter 249 – Showdown Imminent! (Subscribe! Monthly ticket!)
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the Sea Stone cell, it was dark and damp; rats squeaked as they darted past.
Four Executioners strode in and hauled Teach and Thatchfrom the cage.
Teach and Thatch exchanged a glance, then were marched up the steps to the Execution Platform outside.
The Executioners forced Teach and Thatch to their knees.
"Huff, huff, huff—!"
The echo swept the square as polearms flashed coldly in the air.
The Marines would execute Teach and Thatch in staggered batches.
Teach in thirty minutes, Thatch an hour later.
The Marines had planned it this way on purpose.
Thatch and Teach were nothing more than bait to lure Whitebeard.
Kill Teach first, and even the calmest man would charge in, frantic with grief.
If Whitebeard came, they would kill Teach, making the Emperor value Thatch even more.
Whitebeard would fight like a madman to save his son.
That would give the Marines their chance to slay the Emperor.
The World Government, too, was ready to open total war on the Resistance Army.
But first they had to eliminate a few inconvenient factors.
In short—
"Let's kick things off by beheading Blackbeard~"
…Not long ago.
The New World.
Fish-Man Island.
The Moby Dick sailed into Fish-Man Island's waters.
Whitebeard sat aboard, Murakumogiri across his lap, watching Eustass waiting at the wharf.
"Gurararara, still so young and strong after all these years."
"Brat, your laugh's as weird as ever."
The two greeted each other like old friends.
"baka, show some respect—stop calling our Captain'brat'!"
A new recruit of the Whitebeard Pirates lunged forward, only to be yanked back by Jozu.
"Idiot, shut it!"
Jozu cuffed him. "That's Eustass."
Eustass had already been around when Whitebeard was still a child.
Calling him "brat" was perfectly fair.
Whitebeard saw nothing wrong with it either.
He simply envied the bastard's longevity—Whitebeardwas past sixty, yet Eustass still looked so young… "Gurararara, you must be pushing eighty. What miracle keeps you so fresh?"
Whitebeard stepped off the gangplank, grinning.
"Celestial Dragons, maybe~"
Eustass quipped half-seriously.
"Enough jokes. You need my help, right?"
"Yes. My illness worsens each year, and now both my sons are caught. The Marines are despicable—they'll execute them at different times. I fear I can't save them both, so I'm asking a favor."
"I'll help rescue your sons, but you must survive. Afterward the Resistance will fight the World Government—and you'll fight for us."
"Deal!"
Whitebeard nodded.
Eustass glanced at his daughter Carina and waved her off.
With the World Government's top fighters tied down at Marineford, it was the perfect moment for the Resistance to strike their home.
Carina set sail at once.
Soon after.
The First Half of the Grand Line.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the crescent-shaped harbor.
"Rumble—!"
The sea surged as two pirate ships burst from beneath the waves.
The coating bubbles burst the instant they surfaced.
In the square,
a reporter clutching an Image Transponder Snail gasped.
Aboard the Moby Dick stood Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
Aboard the other ship—built of Adam Tree wood—stood Eustass Mola.
Across the World, countless viewers watching the live feed erupted in uproar.
Mary Geoise.
"Move! Reinforce Marineford!"
A host of CP Agents, led by the chief of CP0, raced toward Marineford.
The Flower Chamber.
Imu stood there, brows tightly knit.
"So the final battle begins… but why is he at Marineford?"
…Final stop of the First Half of the Grand Line—
Sabaody Archipelago.
Nobles and royals visiting the giant mangroves stared in terror at the huge screens broadcasting Marineford's feed.
"We're doomed—Eustass will annihilate Marineford and plunge the World into darkness!"
"Will pirates end our golden age? Damn those vermin!"
"And that pirate Carina Mola—once the World Government falls, she'll invade our kingdoms!"
The aristocracy cursed and swore, one moment "pirate," the next "the World is finished"… East Blue.
The Bridge Kingdom.
"Kill!"
"Attack!"
"Clang-clang-clang—!"
Throughout the kingdom, Resistance fighters charged the Overseers' guards.
Steel flashed without pause; gunshots crackled like New-Year firecrackers.
"Pick up your weapons—fight back with us!"
A Resistance fighter shouted at the slaves cowering in the corners.
No one answered; their hearts had long turned cold and numb.
They feared the World Government's reprisal.
"Stand up! Do you want your children and grandchildren enslaved forever?"
At those words, every slave lifted their head.
Who would choose to hide in shadows when they could live beneath the sun?
Who would bow and scrape when they could walk tall and proud?
"Kill!"
"Attack!"
"Crush the Marines! Crush the Celestial Dragons!"
The slaves snatched up weapons and charged side by side with the Resistance, cutting down the Overseers' guards.
Outsiders, brainwashed by World Governmentpropaganda, might still trust the Marines.
But for centuries their families had been enslaved on this bridge.
Their blood seethed with hatred for the Marines and the World Government.
For eight hundred years, generation after generation had toiled on this frigid bridge—
fed little, worked hard, each lifespan shorter than the last.
They could bear it no longer!
…Goa Kingdom.
"One-two-three, heave! One-two-three, heave!"
Muscular men swung heavy hammers beside the high wall that once divided nobles from commoners.
Years ago the Resistance had toppled the kingdom.
Royals and nobles were dragged to the Trash Heap and executed before the people's eyes—
a mass firing squad.
This year the Resistance decided to tear down the wall that had separated Goa's nobles from its commoners.
"To Center Street—hurry! Live broadcast: Lord Eustassand Lord Whitebeard storm Marineford—the Marines' doom is here!"
A child dashed in, shouting with excitement.
Laborers, passing merchants, and townsfolk all turned to listen.
"Lord Eustass and the Resistance will finally end the age of the Celestial Dragons—thank you, Lord Eustass!"
"Thank you, Lord Eustass! Thank you, Queen Carina!"
In Center Street, countless commoners knelt before the giant screen, shouting in jubilation.
The people of Goa knew their true tormentor was not the Great Pirate Age, but eight hundred years of Celestial Dragon oppression.
Chapter 250 – Preparations! Three of the Seven Warlords Have Already Arrived… (Please subscribe! Monthly votes welcome!)
East Blue.
Shelz Town.
New Marine Academy.
"Board! Board! Move, move, move!"
Large numbers of Resistance elites, newly graduated from the New Marine Academy, formed neat lines under the command of a Major General and sprinted aboard the warships with practiced speed.
One after another, steel-hulled battleships powered up at full throttle and sped away from the harbor.
A few years earlier, when Eustass handed the iron man armor tech to the Resistance, the Resistance scientists had reverse-engineered plenty of Marvel Universe tech.
After several years of development, they'd adapted the power systems to their fleet, turning traditional wooden ships into steel battleships.
New Marine Academy.
The Academy Dean—also Resistance Admiral Zephyr—stood on the wharf, watching masses of Resistance soldiers race aboard. He knew something huge was afoot.
'The final battle, at last? The dawn of the World… we've finally lived to see it.'
Zephyr's heart surged; he'd never imagined the ones to end this chaotic age would be Eustass and the man's daughter.
"Hey, hey, hey! Kid, what d'you think you're doing running onto a warship?!"
A Resistance Major General roared, grabbing a green-haired brat by the scruff.
The green-haired kid looked around, utterly bewildered.
He had no idea why either—he'd meant to dash to the village arms-shop, yet his legs had other plans and he'd lost his bearings… "Sorry for the trouble."
Genzo hurried over, pulled the under-age Zoro back, and apologized with his ever-present squint-eyed smile.
"No problem. That your little junior? Mark my words, he'll be a great swordsman one day."
Major General Alvin of the Resistance glanced at Genzoand grinned.
In his youth he'd trained at the dojo in Shimotsuki Village; he'd been Genzo's pupil—and Zoro's senior brother.
"Alright, we're shipping out! Take care!"
Major General Alvin turned, leading his troops aboard the battleship.
"The times are about to change."
Genzo watched steel warship after steel warship leave the harbor and sighed.
Armed with vast numbers of advanced ships, the Resistance was about to launch an all-out war against the World Government… Grand Line, Alabasta.
Alubarna, Alabasta Palace.
"Your Majesty Nefeltari Cobra, this letter comes from Lord Eustass."
A Resistance Major General opposite King Cobrarespectfully handed over the envelope.
"Mm, thank you."
King Cobra nodded, accepted the letter, and tore it open.
Half an hour later.
Cobra folded the letter and looked at the Major General.
"Tell your leader the Kingdom of Alabasta will join this decisive battle!"
"Yes! And thank you for Alabasta's aid!"
The Major General saluted Cobra and took his leave.
"The dawn of the World is coming…"
Standing by the window, Cobra reached out as though to grasp the sunlight in the sky… New World.
Dressrosa.
Inside a certain house.
Violet led several Resistance generals in a secret meeting on how to defeat Donquixote Doflamingo and liberate Dressrosa.
Knock-knock.
Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap…
The coded knock repeated.
Recognizing the pattern, Violet hurried to the door and opened it.
"Mina, ohayo~"
Ace stood at the entrance, tipping his hat with a grin.
"Weren't you supposed to be at sea?"
Violet eyed him in confusion.
"God-dad sent me. Told me to—punch Doflamingoflying!"
As he spoke, Conqueror's Haki crackled round his fist… Elbaf.
The former site of Lambs House.
Fish-man Bartholomew knelt before his father's grave and paid his respects.
He was the grandson of the fish-man from the last batch of Lambs House children.
"Grandpa, Lord Eustass is launching the final battle against the Celestial Dragons. Our generation will follow his footsteps and end the World Government's rule!"
After kowtowing, Bartholomew rose and led the grand fleet formed by the descendants of the Lambs House"kids" to reinforce the Resistance… Fish-Man Island.
"Quick, quick—aboard, aboard!"
"Not one soul left behind!"
Under the Ryugu Army's supervision, every resident of Fish-Man Island hurried to the warships moored in Mermaid Bay.
After the Marineford War, Eustass would move against Imu and the Gorosei.
Then would come the Dawn War that would end the age of the Celestial Dragons.
Mary Geoise would suffer Pluton's devastating strike.
Fish-Man Island therefore had to evacuate in advance.
Carina had already found a new homeland in East Bluefor the fish-folk.
"Is Lord Eustass Joy Boy? He's accomplishing the dream we couldn't for a thousand years!"
"Nonsense, Lord Eustass isn't Joy Boy!"
"Right—Joy Boy's trash! We don't need him; Lord Eustassis enough!"
Chatting as they went, the islanders boarded the ships for migration.
"Speed it up!"
King Neptune brandished his weapon and shouted.
Once the migration finished, he would lead the Ryugu Army to reinforce the Resistance.
Marine HQ, Marineford.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood upon the execution scaffold; Admirals "White" Kuzan, "Red" Sakazuki, and "Yellow" Borsalino sat below it.
Hundreds of thousands of elite Marines packed the square, eyes fixed on the bay.
"Time's up—execute Marshall D. Teach!"
Sengoku checked his watch and shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
The two executioners beside Teach answered in unison, spun their halberds, and thrust at Teach.
"No!"
In the bay.
Aboard the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard roared and punched toward Marine Square.
A single blow shattered the very air; the shockwave raced forward.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea standing at the square's edge simply stepped aside, utterly indifferent.
Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Pirates sanctioned by the World Government.
They were free to plunder in government-approved waters—provided they handed over a cut of the spoils.
And when the World Government needed them, the Warlords had to answer the call.
In the original timeline the Warlords were:
Dracule Mihawk, Bartholomew Kuma, Boa Hancock, Sir Crocodile, Jinbe, Gekko Moriah, and Donquixote Doflamingo.
But history had shifted, and the Warlord seats were far from filled.
The man who'd raised and mentored Dracule Mihawkwas Eustass's own pupil.
Thus Hawkeye ignored the government's invitation entirely.
Boa Hancock had married Eustass; recruiting her became impossible.
What—invade Amazon Lily to threaten Boa Hancock?
Eustass would just head to Mary Geoise first and slaughter a few Celestial Dragons.
And with that, any so-called threat fell apart.
Chapter 251 – Executing Blackbeard Teach! (Please subscribe! Please tip!)
After disbanding the Sun Pirates, Jinbe returned to Fish-Man Island.
With Eustass's protection over the island, Jinbe agreed to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea in exchange for Arlong's release from prison.
However, Jinbe wanted to help the Resistance Army.
So he simply ignored the Marines' draft orders.
The Marines didn't dare enter Fish-Man Island to arrest him.
Doflamingo kept feeling that strangers were pouring into Dressrosa, and the kingdom's situation was growing ever grimmer.
To secure his throne, Doflamingo refused the World Government's summons.
Many who had accepted the draft later snubbed the World Government as well.
Consequently, the already incomplete Seven Warlords lineup only saw Bartholomew Kuma, Sir Crocodile, and Gekko Moriah arrive.
When Whitebeard attacked, none of the three entertained the thought of shielding the Marines.
"Rumble—!"
Shockwaves spread rapidly, fracturing the entire bay.
Behind the Warlords stood eight giant Marine officers.
Facing the terrifying tremor, they paled and scrambled to dodge.
Take Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit head-on?
They weren't that brave.
"Rumble—!"
The ground cracked into huge fissures while Marines screamed and fled.
Countless soldiers were flung sky-high; many more tumbled into the yawning chasms.
After the blast, the Three Elite Guards below the execution platform leapt to their feet.
All six palms thrust forward, releasing Armament Haki as a barrier before the platform.
The scaffold remained intact.
"Kill!"
Sengoku roared.
On the platform, the Executioners steadied themselves after Whitebeard's scare and prepared to execute Teach.
They raised their Naginata and drove the blades into Teach's body.
"Ahhh! Dad, save me! I don't want to die—Dad, Dad! Help me—no matter what, save me!"
Kneeling on the scaffold, Teach shrieked in terror.
Blackbeard Teach, at this moment, was nothing like the cocky, triumphant villain of the original tale.
Back then he had handed Ace over to the Marines.
He schemed against both the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates.
Thus he reaped the spoils, recruited the worst criminals from Impel Down's lowest level, and formed the Blackbeard Pirates.
Later, he even killed Whitebeard and stole the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
But now the timeline had shifted, and their positions were reversed.
This time it was Teach himself dragged onto the scaffold!
Blackbeard's mind shattered.
Why him?
Why did the Marines pass by so coincidentally?
Teach bawled like no kingpin ever would, snot and tears streaming as he screamed for Whitebeard.
"Teach! Thatch!"
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard stared ahead, frantic with worry.
On the execution platform.
Sengoku deliberately slowed his countdown.
He wanted to torment Whitebeard's heart bit by bit.
When the anguish peaked,
he would order the blades to finish Teach.
Losing a son would drive the family-devoted Whitebeardinto a reckless rescue.
Sengoku had no intention of letting Whitebeard leave alive.
Even if Eustass's arrival put the Marines at risk of defeat, he would eliminate Whitebeard.
Over the years, the Resistance Army had swelled, steadily sapping Marine strength alongside the Revolutionary Army.
With the Marines' survival at stake, Sengoku had to weaken the enemy by any means.
Sengoku's hand had not yet dropped; the Executioners' blades had not yet pierced Teach.
Teach was scared out of his wits; Whitebeard was frantic.
Eustass watched the scene, in no hurry to act.
Teach…
Better dead!
Blackbeard was a treacherous wolf who stopped at nothing.
Eustass had promised Whitebeard to save Thatch, not Teach.
On the scaffold.
Deciding the moment was ripe,
Sengoku chopped his hand down.
Instantly the two Executioners dropped their blades.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Two blades fell.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Teach's vision blurred; his body cooled.
The next instant he collapsed.
Blackbeard Teach was dead.
"Whoa—ohhh!" ×N
On the plaza, hundreds of thousands of elite Marines raised swords and rifles, cheering wildly.
With Teach—one of Whitebeard's sons—slain,
Marine morale soared.
Sensing Teach's life vanish, Eustass felt relieved.
Feels good~
That scoundrel Blackbeard had been despicable in the original story.
Never had Teach imagined he would become the opening course of the Marineford War.
"Whitebeard, your son Marshall·Teach is dead.
Aren't you their godfather?
Save your son!
Give your life—surrender and we'll release your son Thatch at once!"
At the plaza's edge,
a Marine Rear Admiral shouted through a loud-hailer at Whitebeard.
"Dad, don't!"
On the platform,
Thatch knelt, tears falling as he cried, "Avenge me— they'll never free me; just remember to avenge me later!"
While Teach had begged for his life, Thatch hadn't even blinked.
Teach wanted only to survive; Thatch didn't want his father to suffer.
Knowing Whitebeard's health had worsened, Thatchrefused to let him die here.
"Thatch, you're my son!"
Whitebeard slammed the shaft of Murakumogiri against the deck. "Wait for Dad to save you—don't think like that; we are family!"
"Dad!"
Kneeling on the scaffold, Thatch wept, moved beyond words.
"Whitebeard, you have thirty minutes before we execute Thatch! The fastest way to save him is to surrender yourself!"
On the platform, Sengoku gripped Thatch's head and spoke coldly.
"Eustass, this doesn't concern you—stay out of it!"
Glancing at Eustass, Sengoku felt the pressure mount.
Their plan had been to lure Whitebeard with Thatch and Teach, then kill him at Marineford.
Eustass's appearance had blindsided Sengoku and now threatened to derail everything.
"What I do is none of your business, Sengoku brat!"
Eustass glared; the next instant, monstrous Conqueror's Haki swept across the sea.
Clear skies were swallowed by roiling black clouds; wind howled and darkness shrouded the field.
"I was already famous on the seas when you were still playing in the mud on the South Blue!"
At his words, the pirates on the waves burst into roaring laughter.
Chapter 252: Towering Waves Drown Marineford! Marines Suffer Catastrophic Losses! (Subscribe, please!)
Eustass's Conqueror's Haki burst out instantly, precisely bearing down on the Marines present.
On the plaza, tens of thousands of elite Marines and over thirty thousand weaker ones buckled under Eustass's Haki, dropping to their knees.
A good number of Marines even fainted on the spot.
Seeing this, Whitebeard released his own Conqueror's Haki.
Eustass's and Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki erupted together, layering atop one another and pressing down on the Marines of the square.
Still more Marines collapsed in droves.
"Damn it!"
On the Execution Platform,
Sengoku's face was livid with rage.
So only you pirates have Conqueror's Haki!?
He had it too!
Sengoku unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, aiming it precisely at the pirates on the sea.
The three bursts of Conqueror's Haki clashed overhead; among the pirate ranks, those slightly weaker also began to fall.
However, the Captains under the division commanders were all strong enough to remain unaffected.
With greater numbers, the Marines naturally suffered more… ironic, really.
In the future, Conqueror's Haki would be everywhere,
yet among the Marines, only Sengoku possessed it.
Sengoku's expression was grave; war could begin at any moment,
and the Marines were at a disadvantage.
If Whitebeard alone had come with his fleet, they could have worn him down,
but Eustass had arrived as well—danger!
"All forces, commence battle—raise the iron wall!"
At Sengoku's order, the elite Marines on the plaza turned solemn.
A murderous aura swept the field.
"Do not lower your guard; be ready to die, for our enemy is Whitebeard—powerful enough to destroy the World!
And Eustass, who has never once lost to the Marines or the World Government!"
Sengoku roared, and every Marine, from top to bottom, tensed up.
This war was no longer merely a trap to weaken pirate strength.
If mishandled, it would become the final battle that wiped out the entire Marine force.
"Hmph!"
Whitebeard bellowed, slamming both fists toward the sea.
The seawater plunged downward, the sea level rapidly dropping.
All of Marineford shook violently under the Impact.
"Not good!"
Sengoku's face paled.
Whitebeard's punch shook the very ocean; centered on Marineford's Crescent-Shaped Bay, the sea level kept falling while water surged outward in every direction.
When it rushed back, it would turn into towering waves high enough to swallow Marineford whole!
"Grah!"
Whitebeard roared again and struck the sea a second time.
The air cracked like a mirror, glowing white.
Another blow, and the sea level dropped further,
water spreading outward on all sides.
Before long,
"Rumble—!"
Enormous waves rose on every side of Marineford, racing toward the headquarters.
Below the execution stand, Kuzan vanished, rocketing skyward.
Within the bay,
Eustass leapt from his ship.
High above, Kuzan raised both hands to create ice spears and freeze the incoming waves.
In the next instant,
Eustass appeared above him.
Kuzan's face froze in shock.
He focused his Observation Haki to sense the enemy and dodge,
but Eustass still smashed a fist into his head, sending him plummeting downward.
"Boom—!"
The colossal waves crashed in from every direction, slamming onto Marineford.
Eustass coated his arms with Armament Haki, turning it into Impact. Spinning at high speed with Moonwalk, he blasted every approaching wave away; not a drop touched him.
The sea battered the island and the bay, thunderous roars shaking the air.
Aboard the Moby Dick,
Whitebeard's sons rushed to the rails, releasing Armament Haki to form barrier after barrier and block the falling seawater.
Eustass's ship was full of Fishmen from Fish-Man Island; they could flood at will—it felt like coming home.
Among the Shichibukai, Crocodile turned his body to sand and soared skyward to escape the towering waves,
only to be smashed back down by the surge.
Gekko Moria split into countless shadow bats that scattered and merged into a Marine Vice Admiral's shadow, avoiding disaster.
Bartholomew Kuma slapped the ground with his paw pad,
the mighty recoil catapulting him high into the sky, punching through the water and out of harm's way.
Sengoku and the others each used their own methods to defend against the overwhelming deluge.
Yet while the strong found ways to stay dry, the Marines overall lost the most.
Hundreds of thousands of Marines had crowded the plaza,
with over ten thousand already stunned or kneeling from Conqueror's Haki.
Apart from a handful of officers, most soldiers lacked advanced Armament Haki.
The majority would perish in this torrent.
"Rumble—!"
The terrifying waves came crashing down; the earth quaked. Countless Marines were swept away, Devil-Fruit users powerless, many still dazed by Conqueror's Hakiand unable to resist.
Seawater slammed into Marineford, surging across the entire island like a biblical flood.
Marines were carried into the town, their bodies colliding with buildings and debris along the way.
The water turned crimson; vast numbers of Marines lost their lives in that single onslaught.
As the water level gradually dropped and flowed back to sea,
the flooded ground of Marineford receded quickly. In the plaza, the survivors stared around with hollow eyes.
Out of hundreds of thousands of Marines, barely fifty thousand remained.
The fate of the other tens of thousands was unknown.
The Marine headquarters, Marineford, lay in miserable devastation.
"Captain, Captain—where are you!"
"Master, Master!"
"Captain, Captain!"
"Aniki! Where are you!?"
Marines searched and called for comrades, superiors, and mentors, but most of their former companions had vanished.
Eustass trod the air with Moonwalk, gazing down coldly.
War is cruel,
not some scene where Koby weeps and begs his own side to stop, shouting "please don't fight anymore."
Once battle begins, there is both victory and death.
Eustass will show the Marines no mercy; with the decisive clash at hand, he must wipe out as much of the enemy force as possible,
for to be kind to the enemy is to be cruel to oneself.
Chapter 253: Ice Age! Eight-Slip Jade! Great Eruption! (Subscribe Please!)
Eustass plummeted; on the plaza, hordes of Marines, led by eight giant Marine officers, roared and charged with raised blades.
Eustass gripped ama-no-habakiri and Yama, slashing with both swords.
Two colossal cyan slashes crossed and streaked downward.
"Rumble—!"
"Rumble—!"
The twin slashes slammed into the square, tearing the earth; eight giant Marine Vice Admirals were blasted away, countless Marines cut down or flung aside by the shock-waves.
Aokiji stood on the plaza, glaring at Eustass with a dark face.
Moments ago he'd been knocked down, and by then the seawater had already slapped Marineford—freezing the waves then would've been pointless.
The water had surged toward hundreds of thousands of Marines; freezing it at that point would've frozen them all to death.
Such losses would only grow, not help.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Peck!"
Kuzan gathered cold on his right arm and released a gigantic ice bird.
Aimed at Eustass, the ice bird shot forward.
Eustass descended, the ice bird intercepting him mid-air.
His twin blades whirled, sending slash after slash downward.
Cyan arcs rained down, splitting the ice bird apart chunk by chunk.
The final barrage shattered the bird completely and surged unstoppably toward Aokiji.
Aokiji's face changed; he leapt aside in haste.
"Boom-boom-boom!"
Slashes tore the ground, stone flying, chasing Aokijirelentlessly.
In the next instant Eustass used Top-tier Observation Haki, foreseeing Kuzan's next move.
Yama in hand, he chopped; a titanic cyan slash crashed precisely onto Aokiji, leaving no room to dodge.
"Damn it!"
Startled, Aokiji instantly elemented, turning to solid ice.
The cyan slash landed, pulverizing the ice statue.
"Admiral Aokiji!"
"How is this possible!?"
"No way—he's our top fighter!"
Countless Marines cried out in terror.
"Ara-la-la-la… the old man's scary…"
Kuzan's unique chuckle sounded as scattered ice reassembled, restoring his body.
Aokiji re-formed; cheers erupted across the plaza.
Kuzan sighed—fools, celebrating too soon.
If the enemy were only Whitebeard, Aokiji would gladly take a punch, fake defeat, and slack off.
But now he dared not hold back.
Because the other opponent was Eustass.
The man who had wiped out Marine high command again and again.
If he dared slack now, it wouldn't end with Thatch being snatched by Whitebeard.
The Resistance Army's leader was Eustass's daughter.
In recent years the Resistance had waged fierce regional wars against the Marines.
But this year the Resistance fielded fleets of steel battleships, far more advanced steel drone Armor, and vastly superior power systems.
Whenever Marines met Resistance, they lost—yet kept fighting.
Unless a top Marine combatant was present on that battlefield.
Otherwise conventional fleets simply couldn't beat steel battleships.
As the saying goes: My Lord, times have changed!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the entire Marine high command agreed:
Eustass had allied with Whitebeard this time precisely to annihilate Marine Headquarters.
With HQ gone the Marines would be crippled—best outcome for the Resistance.
So the slacking Aokiji dared not slack anymore.
Keep slacking and he'd be out of a job.
"Ice Age!"
Aokiji signaled the Marines; they scrambled to flee the plaza.
He crouched, right palm pressing to the ground.
Frost raced forward, chasing Eustass across the square.
Yet the ground behind Aokiji stayed unfrozen.
In the engine room Marines cranked the mechanism, raising towering iron walls along the plaza's edge.
On the execution platform—
"Sakazuki, Borsalino!"
Sengoku shouted.
Red-Dog and Yellow-Monkey sprang up, locked onto Eustass, and leapt to attack.
"Garp!"
Sengoku called again.
Garp below nodded and charged with a pack of Vice Admirals.
Momousagi, Tokikake, Doberman, Onigumo, Yamakaji, Strawberry, Momonga, Bastille and more followed, all racing toward Eustass.
With Eustass on the plaza, Sengoku wanted the three Admirals plus Garp leading masses of Vice Admirals and ten-thousand Marines to surround and kill him again.
Best to finish him; if not… they'd have to abandon Marineford and retreat.
After all, previous full-force attempts to kill Eustass had all failed.
His stamina, strength, speed, Haki—utterly inhuman, impossible to exhaust.
"World Government reinforcements yet?"
Sengoku asked the Taxi Soldier beside him.
"Almost here!"
"Good!"
On the plaza—
Eustass stood, watching the ice racing toward him, and sprang upward.
In the sky—
Borsalino hovered, arms crossed, hands blazing with brilliant light.
"Eight-Slip Jade!"
He shouted; countless golden light bullets rained down on Eustass.
"Rumble—!"
Photons slammed and exploded, flashes spreading, each blast widening the blast-radius.
The ground detonated, explosions drumming nonstop.
Eustass kicked two incoming bullets, sending them veering aside.
The deflected shots streaked away and blasted distant Marines into the air.
Light bullets poured like rain, dazzling and relentless, showering Eustass.
He gripped both blades, arms pumping, swords dancing, glints flickering at blinding speed.
Yama and ama-no-habakiri batted away the barrage of light.
"die!"
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki flew in on Moonwalk.
His arm turned to a magma fist; then a volley of magma punches erupted like a volcano toward Eustass.
In an instant the sky rained light bullets and molten rock, the air temperature soaring.
Chapter 254: The Greatest Wheel — Six·King·Spear! (Please Subscribe! Please Give Votes!)
Eustass swung his twin blades as molten-fist and light projectiles continuously split in two.
In the next instant, the twin blades slashed down at the two opponents.
"Ha!"
Garp rushed forward, leapt up, his fists wrapped in Armament Haki, and delivered a full‑power punch at Eustass.
"Fist‑bone Impact!"
"Boom!"
Eustass struck Garp's fist with a blade; Sakazuki's single arm turned into molten lava, which formed a dog‑head and lunged at Eustass's head.
Eustass's other hand grasped the Yama‑Demon and slashed; Sakazuki's face paled as he stared in terror at the cold blade heading toward his own arm.
Borsalino hurried forward on Moonwalk, his light sword gathering, and helped Sakazuki block Eustass's attack.
Eustass's ama-no-habakiri collided with Garp's iron fist, and the violent shockwave rippled outward.
Borsalino could not withstand Eustass's power and was blasted away.
The light sword struck Sakazuki, sending him flying as well.
Sakazuki landed on Borsalino; the two rolled across the plaza, tumbling far before finally stopping.
Numerous Marines rushed to inspect the scene.
On the ground, Aokiji instantly leapt up, charging at Eustass.
Eustass slashed Garp into the air, then, on a single leg, used Moonwalk, spinning wildly in the sky; the faster he Moonwalked, the faster he spun, his Yama‑Demon and ama-no-habakiri whirling and slashing.
Admiral Aokiji, together with Momousagi, Tokikake, Doberman, Onigumo, Yamakaji, Stolo‑Beri, Momonga, and Basti‑U, a total of eight Vice Admirals, all moved in to surround Eustass.
One Admiral and eight Vice Admirals—far better treatment than a Buster Call.
Eustass spun his twin blades at breakneck speed, Armament Haki coiling around the blades; in an instant he cut through the surrounding Admiral and eight Vice Admirals.
"Clang clang clang—!"
Kuzan clenched his ice blades, the solid ice infused with Haki, and hurried to block.
The other eight Vice Admirals also raised their weapons to parry.
Yama‑Demon and ama-no-habakiri bombarded them, sparks flying, the metallic clangs ringing continuously.
In the next heartbeat, everyone's weapons shattered, and Eustass's twin blades slammed into them.
"Aaaah—!"×N
Kuzan and the eight Vice Admirals screamed as they were cut and flung far away.
"Six‑Style Secret Technique: Six‑King Spear!"
At that moment,
Among the Marines, a figure in a white suit suddenly burst out of the crowd.
He stepped forward on Moonwalk, sprinting toward Eustass, arms taut, fists together, hammering Eustass's back.
The Six‑King Spear can only be mastered by those who have perfected the Six‑Style to its ultimate.
The CP Organization had already arrived at MarineHeadquarters in advance.
However, the World Government's troops were still on their way.
Within the Marines, a large number of CP0 and CP9 agents are hidden.
A high‑ranking CP0 member rushed forward, preparing to assassinate Eustass.
But… the word "assassinate" is a joke for anyone who possesses Observation Haki.
Eustass instantly turned, a blade falling.
"Pfft!"
The slash came down, and Eustass cut off the opponent's both arms.
Borsalino and Sakazuki again Moonwalked forward; Eustass seized the CP0's right leg, Armament Hakiwrapping the foe, and smashed it into Sakazuki.
"Boom!"
Sakazuki was blasted away.
Since the year Eustass used Wang Cho as a human sword,
another lucky soul was born, becoming Eustass's human‑shaped projectile.
The move is decent, just a bit wasteful for CP0.
"Eight‑Foot Jade Ornament!"
Borsalino was about to attack when Eustass, holding the Yama‑Demon, unleashed a massive slash wave.
"Ah!"
Borsalino shouted, terror flashing in his eyes; his body instantly elementalized, turning into photons and scattering away.
Borsalino's seriousness!
He didn't even need the "Eight‑Span Mirror" trick; the wind‑up vanished and he turned into photons to dodge.
"Heavenly Cloud Sword!"
In the next instant,
Borsalino appeared behind Eustass, a radiant golden light sword materializing in his right hand.
"Whoosh!"
The light sword descended rapidly, the swing swift, the wind howling.
In the distance, Kuzan Moonwalked forward, charging quickly.
Eustass entered Life Return state; his hair shaped into a palm, wrapped in Armament Haki, and seized Borsalino's light sword.
"What a terrifying fellow~!"
Borsalino, after uttering a monkey‑like remark, was flung away.
"Boom—!"
Borsalino slammed into the plaza, creating a huge crater; the ground cracked, dust rose, stones splintered.
"Ice Block·Twin‑Thorn Spears!"
Aokiji rushed in, conjuring several ice spears that thrust toward Eustass.
Eustass swung his blade, cutting the ice spears apart.
In the next heartbeat, Yama‑Demon pierced Aokiji's body with a slash.
Both landed on the ground; Aokiji clutched the great Yama‑Demon tightly with both hands.
Aokiji's chest had already elementalized; ice and snow swirled around the Yama‑Demon blade, constantly rotating.
"Ahahaha, you've been fooled!"
Aokiji sneered.
The ice on Kuzan's body spread rapidly toward Eustass, following the Yama‑Demon, quickly freezing Eustass's body.
"Kill!"
Sakazuki roared; molten lava extended from his severed arm, forming a lava arm that rushed at Eustass.
Borsalino, his face solemn, watched the ice‑sculpted Eustass and wondered if things could really go this smoothly.
The ice‑sculpted Eustass stood in the plaza, the cold light flashing.
Among the crowd, the CP0 Leader burst out instantly.
"Greatest Wheel — Six·King·Spear!"
The CP0 Leader rushed forward, fists together, hammering Eustass with a sudden blast.
A powerful shockwave surged toward Eustass; seizing the chance of his frozen state, they aimed to shatter both Eustass and the surrounding ice.
"Boom!"
"Clang clang!"
The ice sculpture exploded; Eustass burst the ice covering him, his fierce Armament Haki flowing over his body like liquid.
Eustass dodged the Six‑Style Secret Technique, then, holding the Yama‑Demon, slashed horizontally with a swift blade.
"Pff!"
The slash fell.
The CP0 Leader was dismembered.
Eustass spun, his ama-no-habakiri turning; the blade wrapped in Conqueror's Haki while he also activated Top-tier Observation Haki, foreseeing the future.
The blade fell before Sakazuki could react, cutting him down before his elementalization.
Sakazuki's face turned pale, pupils contracting, the cold blade drawing ever closer to his head.
Chapter 255: Kill Akainu!
A flash of cold light vanished in an instant.
Blossoms of blood danced through the air.
Sakazuki's vision spun wildly.
"Gurgle..."
The head rolled a long way before it finally stopped.
'Huh? My body...'
Sakazuki stared at the distant body; the next instant, everything went dark.
Sakazuki—dead.
"Thud!"
The headless corpse knelt, then collapsed lifelessly.
"Admiral Akainu!"
"Admiral Akainu!"
Tens of thousands of Marines cried in horror—Akainu was dead.
"Come, all of you! When you draw your blades, be ready to die!"
Eustass drowned out the system rewards, twin blades leveled at the Marines to either side, laughing arrogantly.
"Charge!"
Ten thousand voices roared, their fury ignited in an instant.
Like a human tide they surged. Eustass threw his head back and laughed, blades whirling so fast they left after-images, reaping lives.
Wave after wave of Marines fell, cut down, their lives snuffed out on the stone.
On and on they came—ten thousand strong, reckless, fearless.
Eustass regarded them with something like admiration.
As soldiers, they were exemplary.
Pity they stood on opposite sides.
A single slash sent Momousagi flying.
Blades flashed again and again—Tokikake, Doberman, Onigumo—Vice Admirals by the score, weapons sheared, bodies carved with dreadful wounds.
One after another they crumpled at his feet.
Onigumo hit the ground and clutched at Eustass's leg, desperate to pin him for the others' killing blow.
A flicker of steel pierced his chest and heart in the same heartbeat.
A choked scream—and Onigumo was gone.
Yamakaji, Strawberry, and more Vice Admirals charged, swords raised.
Eustass held ama-no-habakiri and Yama, twin blades weaving; their swords shattered like glass.
Steel sparked and sang, petals of blood flying as Vice Admirals toppled.
Far off, a wounded Giant Vice Admiral rose, great saber in hand, and thundered toward him.
The giant leapt, spinning in mid-air, bringing the colossal blade down in a crushing whirl.
He fell like a warship dropped from the sky.
Eustass met him with one hand, ama-no-habakiriclashing against the titanic steel.
A twenty-meter giant descended, his massive saber pressing downward.
Eustass, barely two meters tall, looked tiny, yet he held the blow at bay.
"Rumble—!"
A deafening boom rolled across the island like a missile strike.
The ground quaked; Marines nearby staggered and fell.
"Screeech..."
Metal shrieked against metal.
Then—
"Crack-crack-crack!"
A razor-shriek of snapping steel.
With Haoshoku blazing along its edge, ama-no-habakirisplit the giant saber clean.
Eustass roared, springing upward, the divine blade carving the massive weapon in two.
Until the saber broke apart and fell in halves.
"Whoosh!"
The sundered steel pin-wheeled through the air and stabbed into the plaza.
High above, Eustass lashed out; a cold arc flashed across the sky.
A cyan slash-wave ripped free and soared heavenward—
A blow that tore the sky itself!
"Shnk!"
The giant's head parted from his shoulders.
Eustass landed past the falling corpse, blade dripping.
Head and body crashed to earth separately.
In the distance—
Garp's fists cloaked in Armament, he roared and sprang, punching at Eustass.
"Aaaaargh!"
Veins bulged on his forehead, muscles swelling as he threw every ounce of strength into the blow.
"Boom!"
Iron fist met razor edge atop the execution scaffold; Sengoku left Tsuru to guard Thatch.
Then Sengoku vaulted skyward, racing straight for Eustass.
His body ballooned, transforming into a towering golden Buddha wreathed in blinding light.
Armament and Haoshoku wrapped round him, a shock-wave from the Buddha Form slamming toward Eustass.
Eustass's arms swelled, ready to fling Garp aside—
But Sengoku was already upon him.
"Boom!"
The golden Buddha's fist crashed down; Eustassanswered with a slash of his blade.
Garp and Sengoku—old comrades—stood shoulder-to-shoulder once more against a common foe!
Eustass's arms bulged as he poured more power into every swing.
"Swish!"
The two legends were hurled away, smashing the scaffold to splinters.
Vice Admiral Tsuru grabbed Thatch in one hand and an Executioner in the other, descending with Moonwalk.
By now the Marines' pride meant nothing—
Survival was the only thing that mattered.
Inside the bay—
Little Oars Jr. braved the cannonade battering the high iron walls, arms locked round Moby Dick's colossal hull, racing for the edge of the bay.
"Almost there—just a bit more!"
Cannonballs slammed into him, but he clung on, blood-soaked, carrying the ship toward the wall.
From the deck the Whitebeard Pirates fired and slashed back at the Marines lining the ramparts.
"Break it down—aaaargh!"
With a final roar Oars charged, Moby Dick in his arms.
Whitebeard stood at the prow, crouched low, fists cocked, ready to strike.
To save his sworn-son Thatch, Oars had suffered so much; it tore at his heart.
This time the Marines had raised the iron walls earlier than in the old tale; Oars couldn't pin them down.
No amount of brute force would breach those walls.
Only… the power to destroy the World itself!
"Hrgh—open!"
Whitebeard's roar shook the heavens as he punched.
"Rumble—!"
A titanic quake-wave slammed into the iron wall.
The barrier shuddered, cracks racing across its face.
A second fist fell.
"Rumble—!"
The walls snapped clean from their base and were hurled away by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's might.
The two massive slabs crashed down onto the plaza.
With a yell Oars carried Moby Dick through the breach.
"Charge!"
"Kill them!"
Jozu and Flower-Sword Vista howled as they stormed down the gangplank onto the square.
"Forward—save Thatch!"
Moby Dick filled the gap like a fortress as Oars scaled the wall toward the square.
"Whoooosh!"
A cannon shell screamed toward him.
"Hmph!"
Whitebeard snorted and punched, the fierce quake detonating the shell mid-air and hurling the Marines atop the wall away, their organs shattered.
"No one… touches my sons!"
Chapter 256 – Decisive Battle at Marineford! HakiStacking Galore! (Subscribe, please!)
Sengoku and Garp lay in the rubble.
They watched the Moby Dick charge into the plaza.
The two exchanged glances.
"Old friend, still up for one last fight?"
Sengoku shakily rose, hand stretched toward Garp.
"Tch, three days and nights straight? No problem!"
Garp grinned, brimming with confidence.
"Bwahahaha!"
Sengoku and Garp laughed together, then turned toward Eustass and Whitebeard in the distance.
"Then let's fight—until the last petal falls from the flower of life!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru handed Thatch to the Executioner, stepped beside the two, and spoke with solemn gravity.
"Even if it's wrong?"
Garp asked, his face darkening.
Sengoku knew exactly what he meant.
The Marines were finished; the World Government would soon clash with the Resistance Army.
After their own glorious end, a new era—
the era of the Resistance—might dawn.
Garp felt the World Government wasn't worth such sacrifice.
"Even if it's wrong—because we are soldiers!"
Sengoku nodded forcefully.
Garp answered with a silent nod.
"Then let us old fools test whether Eustass truly has what it takes to lead his daughter's Resistance and bring dawn to this World."
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke bluntly.
Sengoku and Garp looked at her, then nodded together.
They had always upheld "justice," yet they knew the Marines could never truly carry it out.
For eight hundred years the Marines had been nothing more than the World Government's private army.
Whatever the World Government ordered, they had to obey.
This path was flawed from the start, doomed to be wrong from beginning to end—never the right answer.
"All forces, hear my command!"
"Fight to the death! No retreat!"
Sengoku roared; tens of thousands of Marines, resolved to die, surged forward like a tide.
"Charge! No retreat!"
Officers bellowed; tens of thousands thundered across the ground.
"Sengoku, stop this useless struggle—release my son!"
Whitebeard boomed, "We're all relics of bygone days; the new age has no ship for us!"
"Like hell I will!"
Sengoku barked back, transformed into a giant golden Buddha, and raced straight for Eustass.
"The day we became Marines, we cast life and death aside!"
Garp roared, Armament Haki swirling round his fists as he smashed them toward Whitebeard.
"Boom—!"
Eustass sheathed Yama, punched out, and sent the giant golden Buddha sliding dozens of meters.
Then, ama-no-habakiri in his other hand, he slashed down—Aokiji screamed as his left arm flew.
Aokiji collapsed; Kizaru burst into light, re-formed, grabbed Aokiji, and sped away.
"What are you running for?"
Eustass's voice sounded right behind Kizaru.
Startled, Kizaru hadn't even fully turned to light before the blade came down across his back.
"Aaaargh!"
Kizaru shrieked, his back torn open by ama-no-habakiri, agony piercing his heart.
Before Eustass could press the attack, Sengoku led a swarm of Vice Admirals to surround him.
Nearby,
Garp and Tsuru led Momousagi and other Vice Admirals in a siege on Whitebeard.
The scene was carnage.
Marines and pirates fell in droves.
"Whitebeard, stop—or he dies!"
In the distance,
a CP0 agent pressed a blade to Thatch's neck.
"No!"
Whitebeard froze in shock.
Garp's punch blasted Whitebeard away.
"Boom!"
Whitebeard's body smashed through the Moby Dick, tumbling inside the hull.
"Hahaha! Die, Whitebeard—only your death will save your son!"
the CP0 agent crowed.
The next instant,
a shadow blotted the sky.
"Boom!"
A towering figure slammed to the ground.
Bartholomew Kuma stood behind the agent.
"Hmm?"
The CP0 spun round, relaxed at the sight of Kuma.
"Shichibukai, aid the Marines—go after Eustass!"
he ordered hastily.
Kuma surveyed the chaos and sighed.
If he couldn't read the tide of the World, he wouldn't be Kuma.
He swatted the CP0 agent with one palm.
Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit could repel anything it touched—
physically launching objects or living beings,
or conceptually ejecting pain and fatigue from a person's body.
The agent rocketed away, skull smashing into the plaza's iron wall.
"Agh!"
A single scream—and he was dead.
Kuma helped Thatch up, slapped the Executioner dead, fished the Sea Stone key from the corpse, and unlocked Thatch's cuffs.
"Go."
Kuma said.
"Thank you!"
Thatch looked at him with gratitude.
Outside,
a vast World Government fleet sped in, surrounding Marineford.
Dozens of Marine warships had ringed the crescent bay, penned in by the Whitebeard Pirates.
But Whitebeard's 42 allied crews burst from the mist, encircling the Marines instead, turning the sea into a slaughterhouse.
(With Whitey Bay siding with the protagonist, one crew is missing.)
Instantly 52 World Government vessels, led by CP Agents, counter-encircled the Whitebeard allies.
"Open fire!"
"Fire!"
"Boom—boom—boom!"
The World Government ships pounded the pirates from every side.
Shells arced screaming across the sky toward the pirate craft.
"Splash—!"
"Splash—!"
"BOOM—!"
Some missed, sending up geysers of seawater,
then one slammed into a pirate ship, blowing a gaping hole.
Water flooded in; the vessel listed and sank.
The Whitebeard allies finally realized the danger and tried to turn.
But how could old three-masted ships wheel about in seconds?
Wave after wave of shells smashed into them; ship after ship slipped beneath the waves…Marineford,
within the plaza,
Eustass carved a titanic slash, mowing down swaths of Marines.
He raised his blade against Sengoku.
Sengoku wrapped both Armament and Conqueror's Hakiround his fist, used Iron Body: Shatter, and punched while maintaining the iron state—
a true buffet of buffs.
"Boom—!"
Eustass's blade met Sengoku's golden fist; the shockwave swept the plaza.