Brilliant flashes of light cleaved through the remnants of the Red-Haired Pirates.
Even after Whitebeard's death, his crew had at least managed to maintain some semblance of stability in the New World.
In contrast, the Red-Haired Pirates had no fixed territory. Without their captain, Shanks—the man who had dedicated himself to maintaining balance—his vengeful subordinates would be nothing more than ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment.
Even though Kizaru didn't think they could cause much trouble, he still didn't want to let such a dangerous group continue to exist.
"Divine Departure!"
At the critical moment, Shanks once again stepped forward. The wound on his chest would have been fatal for an ordinary person, but for a top-tier fighter like him, it was nothing more than a serious injury.
Two clashing slashes—one of darkness and one of dazzling light—collided in midair. Black lightning and radiant flashes exploded outward, the shockwaves as fierce as a raging storm, pressing down on the fleeing remnants of the Red-Haired Pirates.
"Go! Trust in Shanks!"
Ben Beckman gritted his teeth and rushed toward the Red Force. The main forces of the Navy would be upon them soon. They couldn't afford to hold Shanks back.
As Kizaru watched the fleeing remnants of the Red-Haired Pirates, he made no immediate move to pursue them. Instead, his gaze shifted to Shanks, whose murderous intent was palpable.
They say that when a normally easygoing person gets angry, it's the most terrifying thing of all.
Shanks might not have been a "quiet" person, but for someone who was always laughing and carefree, his fury carried an unexpected weight.
"Do you really think you can stop me alone?"
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at the direction in which the Red-Haired Pirates were escaping before speaking in an unhurried tone.
Shanks remained expressionless as he raised his saber, Gryphon.
He knew how difficult it would be to stop Kizaru.
But right now, he had a reason why he had to succeed—no matter the cost!
A violent eruption of Conqueror's Haki exploded from both men, clashing like two colliding volcanoes.
Black lightning crackled and danced through the air, forming a storm of raw power.
Upon closer inspection, the densest concentration of that lightning was clearly closer to Shanks.
Among the three types of Haki, Conqueror's Haki was the most unique.
Unlike Armament and Observation Haki, which could drastically enhance combat power even at a basic level, an untrained Conqueror's Haki only had the effect of indiscriminate intimidation.
But once mastered to a certain extent, it could enhance one's strength far beyond what the other two types of Haki could achieve.
"Try me!"
Shanks' voice was low and resolute.
He had made up his mind.
No matter what—it didn't matter if he died here—he had to stop Kizaru!
Kizaru said nothing in response.
He simply took a step forward.
BOOM!
A silent thunderclap seemed to explode within the minds of everyone in Marineford.
A nearly oppressive aura surged from Shanks' body, piercing the sky and parting the dark clouds that had gathered overhead.
His Conqueror's Haki crashed down toward Kizaru like an unstoppable tidal wave.
The density of the crackling black lightning between them increased tenfold, weaving together into a vast "net" of pure energy.
In that instant, everyone in Marineford—aside from Shanks and Kizaru—was paralyzed by the overwhelming force of their combined Haki.
"That red-haired kid… he's not far off from Roger now, huh? Tch, Kizaru really hid his strength well… makes me wanna fight him myself."
Vice Admiral Garp was the first to shake off the mental shock.
Throughout the battle, he had been holding back, making him—aside from Kizaru—the one in the best condition.
Many pirates had foolishly taken Garp's "inaction" as a sign of hope.
And then… they realized their mistake.
As he watched Ace and Luffy successfully escape, the previously somber Garp finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Guess I have no choice but to use that move… Hopefully, I'm not too late."
The second person to regain awareness was Dragon.
As the war neared its climax, he still needed to do everything he could to preserve the strength of Whitebeard's crew and the Red-Haired Pirates.
One by one, Sengoku, Akainu, Aokiji, Rayleigh, and Esdeath also recovered.
Of course, the effects of Conqueror's Haki were limited against top-tier fighters, so even the gap between Esdeath and Garp's recovery was only a matter of seconds.
"That red-haired guy… he's strong."
Feeling the pressure emanating from Shanks, Esdeath's eyes lit up with excitement.
She had yet to fight him directly, but the sheer power of his Conqueror's Haki—strong enough to affect the physical world—was proof that he was at least as strong as she was, if not stronger.
Esdeath didn't mind cutting down weak enemies.
But she preferred fighting powerful opponents.
That life-or-death thrill—the feeling of pushing herself beyond her limits in the face of overwhelming danger—was what reminded her of her childhood, hunting deadly creatures in the frozen wastelands, where a single mistake meant death.
"It's time to wipe out the Whitebeard and Red-Haired Pirates once and for all! Everyone, charge! For Absolute Justice!"
Finally, there was no one left to stop him.
Akainu saw that the Whitebeard Pirates were nearly out of the harbor, but he had no hesitation.
His goal had always been to become Fleet Admiral and eradicate all pirates.
That position might be out of reach now, but the opportunity to annihilate two Yonko crews was right in front of him.
There was no way he would let it slip away.
"Yeah! Kill the pirates!"
"For Justice!"
"Wipe them out!"
The recovering Marines barely had time to register what had happened before Akainu's battle cry drove them into a frenzy.
They surged forward, charging after the retreating remnants of the Red-Haired Pirates.
This time, there were no Whitebeard division commanders left to hold them back.
No elite Red-Haired Pirates acting as rearguard.
For the first time, the Marines could go all-out in their slaughter.
"Damn it… We were so close… Everyone was just about to make it out…"
Standing at the bow of the ship, Koala was so anxious she was nearly in tears.
In the past, she had no sympathy for pirates, seeing them as nothing but criminals.
But now, knowing that Sabo's two younger brothers were also pirates, things were different.
Besides, working with the Whitebeard Pirates had been Dragon's decision. Koala had also seen firsthand how both the Whitebeard and Red-Haired Pirates had sacrificed themselves to cover the Revolutionary Army's retreat.
Naturally, her view of these pirates had changed.
"There's nothing to fear! The more desperate the situation, the more we need people to stand up! Follow me!"
Belo Betty, commander of the Revolutionary Army's Eastern Forces, waved her flag, activating her Cheering Fruit ability.
A surge of morale spread through both pirates and Revolutionary Army soldiers, who rallied behind her battle cry and charged toward the Marines.
She intended to help the Red-Haired Pirates escape.
No matter the reason, they had done the Revolutionary Army a huge favor.
Without them, even with Whitebeard's crew, escaping the Navy would have been nearly impossible.
"Shanks! Beckman! I'm coming to save you!"
Luffy, only lightly treated but already full of energy, dashed to the front, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Sabo and Ace followed closely behind.
The three brothers, raised together since childhood, were as resilient as cockroaches.
Despite being beaten to the brink of death, they were already back on their feet, charging forward.
Behind them, Whitebeard's pirates and Revolutionary soldiers surged forward, emboldened by Belo Betty's encouragement.
Even former prisoners from Impel Down found the courage to charge at the Marines.
"Hmph! You're rushing to your deaths! Great Eruption!"
Akainu sneered as he saw the pirates not retreating but instead daring to fight back.
Especially Ace—Fire Fist Ace had the audacity to rush straight at him.
From a distance, Akainu threw a punch.
A torrent of molten lava burst from his right fist like a volcanic eruption, aiming to cut off the Red-Haired Pirates' retreat.
But his attack didn't just target them—Luffy and his brothers, along with the vanguard of pirates and revolutionaries, were all caught in its deadly path.
"Waaah!"
Luffy instinctively leaped up, ready to punch back.
But Ace and Sabo yanked him down mid-air.
Shanks might have looked powerless against Kizaru, but that didn't mean others could take him lightly.
Anyone else facing him would be cut into eighteen pieces in seconds.
Akainu might have been a little weaker than Shanks, but he was still far beyond what Luffy—who had only recently learned Armament Haki—could handle.
"What a pain… Morley!"
Belo Betty bit down on her cigarette and waved her flag, shouting.
"Coming, coming, coming!"
Before the words had even finished, the ground trembled.
West Army commander Morley rolled in with a gigantic boulder, forcing the pirates and revolutionaries to scatter out of the way.
BOOM!
Akainu's molten fist smashed into the rock, shattering it into a crescent shape.
Chunks of stone and lava blasted outward, threatening to engulf the pirates and revolutionaries behind it.
But at the critical moment, a massive wave of golden sand cascaded down from the sky, forming a protective barrier.
The sand gathered atop the ruined boulder, shaping itself into former Warlord Crocodile.
"Tch. Saved your life again, Straw Hat. Now you owe me—"
Crocodile's arrogant words were cut off when Luffy completely ignored him, sprinting past him toward the wounded Red-Haired Pirates.
His eye twitched in irritation.
"Beckman! Yasopp! Are you okay?!"
Luffy anxiously eyed Beckman's injured arm.
Even with his usual carefree attitude, he understood what losing an arm meant for someone like Beckman.
"Haha, don't worry, it's nothing. Now Shanks and I match—one arm each, perfect balance. Can't believe you've grown so much."
Beckman, pale from blood loss, forced a grin.
In a way, Luffy had grown up under their watch.
Back then, he had been just a tiny kid.
Now, he was standing with them in Marineford, fighting in a war among legends.
"Yasopp's badly hurt, but he should be okay..."
"Wahaha! That milk-drinking little Luffy is finally old enough for booze!"
"Let's take down those damn Marines, then throw a feast!"
Despite their devastating losses, the Red-Haired Pirates weren't wallowing in despair.
Instead, they laughed and joked as if they weren't being hunted by an Admiral.
"You all go on ahead! It's our turn to cover you now!"
Ace spoke with deep gratitude.
If the Red-Haired Pirates hadn't arrived and intervened, Whitebeard's crew wouldn't have made it out alive.
"My little brother owes you all a lot… Let us handle the rest!"
Sabo spoke with sincerity—the Revolutionary Army also owed the Red-Haired Pirates a great debt.
But even without that debt, they were comrades who had fought side by side.
"None of you are getting away!"
Before the Red-Haired Pirates could respond, Akainu—his entire body blazing with magma and black smoke—came charging in.
Behind him, over ten Marine Vice Admirals and several giant Vice Admirals followed closely.
Their intent was clear: to annihilate both pirate crews and the Revolutionary Army right here at Marineford.
"Sabo!"
Ace called out, then transformed into roaring flames and launched himself at Akainu.
Even though Sabo had been missing for years—even losing his memory of Ace and Luffy—when they reunited, one word was enough for Sabo to understand Ace's intent.
"Focus on the rescue! Don't worry about Ace!"
Sabo held Luffy back. Their goal was to cover the Red-Haired Pirates' retreat, not get drawn into a death match with Akainu.
As a Logia Devil Fruit user, Ace could hold his own—as long as he stayed cautious, he could buy them time even against Akainu.
"Foolish! Then die alongside that failure Whitebeard!"
Akainu sneered as the flames surged toward him.
"Don't you dare insult my old man!"
Ace's furious face emerged from the fire.
Even though their strength was worlds apart, he refused to back down.
For a brief moment, Akainu's eyes glinted with satisfaction.
Perfect.
°°°
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