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Buggy stared in disbelief."You've gotta be kidding me! What kind of doctor carries a sword?"
"Did you hitch a ride on a pirate ship just to make house calls?"
On the Marine side, a soldier peered through his telescope at the approaching pirate ship."I know that flag… that's a rookie crew. A few days ago on the Sabaody Archipelago—survivors of the Celestial Dragon incident. Accomplices of Straw Hat Luffy."
"Quit stalling and hand him over already!" Law snapped, clearly impatient.
Before Buggy could react, cannon fire roared from the Marine side, shells screaming straight toward him. His face went pale.
Akainu's arm boiled with molten magma, black smoke curling into the air."He's the most dangerous criminal in the world… the son of Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army!"
"There are limits to how far you can mock justice!"
"Great Eruption: Crimson Lotus!"
The magma exploded into the shape of a snarling red hound, jaws wide as it lunged toward the Whitebeard commanders.
Marco burst into blue flames, colliding with the beast head-on."Over my dead body! You won't lay a finger on Ace!"
Suddenly, squads of Marines surged from underground tunnels, splitting into two forces—one striking at Whitebeard's crew, the other at Blackbeard's.
From above, Sengoku, in his golden Buddha form, unleashed another shockwave straight into Blackbeard, blasting him backward.
"Impressive, Sengoku the Buddha! That power's insane…" Blackbeard laughed, steadying himself. "But if that's all you've got, this island won't survive the day!"
Sengoku's eyes burned with fury."Quit spouting nonsense!"
"Get out of Marineford!"
Another shockwave surged from his palm. Blackbeard countered with a punch that cracked the very air, spiderweb fissures spreading across the sky. The two forces collided with a thunderous roar.
One of Blackbeard's men leapt forward to strike Sengoku—only to be knocked flying by a sudden punch.
"Garp!"
The old Marine stood firm."I may be retired, but I'm still a Marine. And I'll protect Marineford!"
Blackbeard only laughed louder, voice echoing across the battlefield."Ha! A bunch of stubborn old fossils! Fine then—watch this!"
He spread his arms wide, claws raking the air itself. Reality tore like paper, dragging the world down with him.
The ground convulsed. The sea itself split open, walls of water rising into monstrous tsunamis. Marines screamed as fissures swallowed them whole.
"The sky… the sea… everything's shaking!"
The ocean broke apart into massive steps, the battlefield tilting beneath their feet.
"What a glorious power!" Blackbeard howled.
"Damn you, Teach!" Sengoku bellowed. "Whitebeard must be rolling in his grave, knowing his ability ended up in the hands of a whelp like you!"
Blackbeard sneered."Come on then, Sengoku! Garp! Stop me if you can! Your era died with Whitebeard!"
Meanwhile, a golden laser lanced across the battlefield, narrowly missing Buggy.
"Hey! Put Straw Hat down," Kizaru called lazily, fingers glowing.
Buggy froze in horror."Th-that light… no way…"
"Kizaru!"
"Hand over Straw Hat!"
Panicked, Buggy grabbed Luffy and Jinbe. "Fine, fine! Take him! Whoever you are, just don't fry me!" He hurled them off.
Law's crew caught them midair. He gave a sharp order:"Dive! Now!"
Kizaru's fingertip flared again."Traffy, huh? You were quick on your feet back on Sabaody too… but this time, you won't escape!"
Law's face hardened."Damn it, we've been marked. We're not getting out of this—"
Then, a voice cut through the chaos."That's enough!"
Every pirate and Marine turned.
Coby, tears streaming down his face, staggered forward."Please—stop fighting! You're throwing lives away!"
"Every soldier here has family waiting for them! Our goal has already been achieved—why keep spilling blood when it's pointless?!"
"Why let men die who could still be saved?!"
"Right now, the fallen soldiers… they look like fools!"
Akainu's face twisted with rage as he advanced, molten fists bubbling."And who the hell do you think you are, wasting my time with this drivel?"
"The Navy doesn't need weak-willed brats with crooked morals!"
His magma fist rose, ready to crush the boy.
The real world, Pirate King timeline
"Coby! Run, you idiot!" Luffy shouted at the screen.
Usopp frowned. "Wait… isn't he a Marine?"
"Yeah," Luffy said firmly. "But he's not like the others."
In the Shinobi World
Nagato whispered as he watched."War… it always brings the same suffering."
Konan touched his shoulder."But this isn't our world. It's theirs."
"War is war, Konan. Only by remaking the world into one where everyone understands each other will there ever be peace."
Back in Marineford—Akainu's blazing fist froze in place.
Steel rang. A single blade held it back.
"You've done well, young soldier," a calm voice said.
"Those few seconds of courage… they've changed the fate of the world."
At the same time, Kizaru's golden laser aimed for Law's submarine. Then—"Don't move, Kizaru!"
The Admiral froze. Slowly, he raised his hands in mock surrender."Ben Beckman…"
Gasps rippled through the Marines."That ship…!"
"The Red-Haired Pirates!"
"Why are they here?!"
And then they saw him.
"Shanks… the Red-Haired Emperor!"
Shanks sheathed his blade and stepped forward, picking up Luffy's fallen straw hat from the ice.
"I've come to end this war."
The battlefield fell silent.
"The Red-Haired Emperor himself… wasn't he clashing with Kaido in the New World just yesterday?!"
Buggy's jaw dropped."Sh-Shanks?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
Shanks tossed the hat to him."Give this to Luffy."
Dangling the promise of treasure as bait, he coaxed Buggy into sprinting toward Law's ship. Buggy flung the hat aboard, and Law snatched it before ordering another dive.
"Captain, it's been ten years since you last saw Luffy. Aren't you going to meet him?" one of Shanks' men asked softly.
Shanks exhaled."I want to. More than anything. But if I saw him now… it wouldn't be like we promised."
He looked into the distance."Not yet, Luffy."
Akainu roared from across the field."Red-Haired bastard! You dare protect Dragon's son?!"
Kuzan leapt high, his body radiating killing frost."Ice Age!"
The ocean froze instantly, ice spreading with terrifying speed.
Below, Law's crew felt the ship lurch violently.
"What now?!"
"Ice closing in on us, Captain!"
"Damn it—we'll be trapped!"
"Full speed! Dive as fast as you can!"
"..."
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