Sengoku turned his head sharply, his eyes locking onto the figure laughing maniacally in the midst of the chaos. His voice boomed with fury, "Doflamingo! Do you even know what you're doing?!"
He was already seething over Mihawk's earlier interference, allowing the Red-Haired Pirates to stabilize. But now, this lunatic Doflamingo had gone even further—he was actively aiding the world's most dangerous criminals!
Shanks finally managed to catch his breath. Though still standing strong, his body bore multiple wounds, his coat tattered, and blood dripped from his mouth. His usual composed demeanor was somewhat shaken, showing that even the legendary Emperor had been pushed to his limits in this war.
"Fuffuffuffu! Marshal Sengoku, don't be so serious." Doflamingo grinned, spreading his arms theatrically. "I merely gave them a little entertainment. Nothing more."
"Damn it!" Sengoku clenched his fists, his already tense features darkening.
The Blackbeard Pirates were already formidable opponents—if they managed to recover now, it would completely undermine the Marines' advantage. And to make things worse, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, whom the World Government had relied upon, were proving to be nothing but wild cards. One after another, they had turned against the Marines. The war was spiraling out of control.
On the Battlefield
"Zeahaha! Doc Q, get to work! Inject Shiryu and the others!" Blackbeard's voice, rough from pain and exhaustion, still carried his usual arrogance.
Though his injuries had been suppressed for now, the lingering effects of Carl's Haki-infused strikes gnawed at him like an inescapable curse. The sensation of Busoshoku Haki sinking into his very bones made every breath an agonizing struggle.
"Urgh… Understood." Doc Q weakly coughed, his sickly form swaying atop Stronger, his dying horse.
Doc Q, despite looking like a man on the verge of death, was anything but frail. His resilience was almost supernatural—after all, even Blackbeard, who had been crushed under Sengoku's Daibutsu shockwave, had barely survived, while Doc Q endured it without succumbing. His medical expertise had earned him the chilling moniker of Shinigami (God of Death)—a title well deserved.
Unlike Shiryu and the others, who were still groaning in the rubble, Doc Q had already restored his mobility after Carl's devastating attack.
Blackbeard scanned the battlefield before making his move. With a determined expression, he suddenly lunged toward the execution platform.
There, under the solemn watch of Garp and Sengoku, lay the bodies of Whitebeard and Ace—the remnants of an era that had just ended.
A Cold Voice Cut Through the Air
"Where do you think you're going?"
BOOM!
The execution platform trembled as a massive black-gold slash ripped through the stone floor, sending debris flying. Blackbeard barely managed to leap back in time, but the force of the attack still sent him rolling across the ground. His wounds split open again, and he howled in pain, clutching his bleeding chest.
"AAARGH! DAMN IT! THAT HURTS!!"
Through gritted teeth, Teach snarled, his beady eyes darting toward his attacker.
It was him.
Solomon Carl.
The man who had left a deep, unshakable shadow in Blackbeard's heart.
"Solomon Carl, you bastard! You just wait!" Blackbeard spat, his rage barely masking the terror creeping into his voice.
But despite his threats, he ran.
The thought of claiming Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi was gone from his mind. Survival was now his only priority.
Carl had already ruined his ambitions once today—if he didn't escape now, the name "Blackbeard" might never be heard again.
"Carl! Prioritize stopping those criminals!" Sengoku's voice rang out over the battlefield. With Mihawk keeping him occupied, he relied on Carl to deal with Teach's forces.
"Understood," Carl replied coolly, flicking the blood off his Sakura Ten blade.
His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, locking onto the notorious criminals who had begun to regroup.
Doc Q's medical abilities were proving more troublesome than expected. In mere moments, the defeated Blackbeard Pirates were already rising to their feet again.
From the way they moved, Carl deduced that Doc Q had likely administered a stimulant—something that forced their bodies to ignore pain and function at maximum output. A reckless but effective method.
Carl's grip tightened around his sword. His Haki surged violently, coating his blade in deep black and shimmering gold.
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley—Modified!"
A barrage of black-gold slashes rained down from above like a divine judgment, each arc of destruction tearing through the battlefield.
"RUN!"
Blackbeard's voice was raw with desperation.
Shiryu, Laffitte, and the others abandoned all pretense of fighting back. They scrambled toward the port, their only thought being escape.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battlefield was ripped apart by Carl's merciless onslaught.
And then—
A flash of silver cut through the chaos.
The next moment, "Champion" Jesus Burgess froze, a deep gash spreading across his chest.
"…Huh?"
He barely had time to register what had happened before his body split in two, his final expression frozen in fear.
Carl flicked his blade clean and vanished once again.
His speed had already reached an absurd level—so fast that even those with Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) could barely perceive his movements.
Or rather, even if they could sense him, their bodies simply couldn't react in time.
Blackbeard's face twisted in rage.
"DAMN IT!!"
One after another, his carefully gathered crewmates were being butchered before his eyes.
The cornerstones of his ambition were being shattered.
Then the Ground Trembled
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of heavy, earth-shaking footsteps resounded across Marineford.
The massive form of Sanjuan Wolf, the Great Battleship, began to stir.
His enormous hands clutched his head, groaning. "Ugh… my head hurts…"
Perched on his shoulder, Doc Q's pale face twisted with urgency.
"No time for that—we need to move, NOW."
Sanjuan Wolf, still dazed, hesitated for only a moment before beginning his slow but unstoppable march toward the port.
Carl's golden eyes gleamed as he turned his attention to the behemoth before him.
The battle was reaching its climax.
And the final verdict was about to be delivered.
Carl turned his head to see San Juan Wolf's massive body propped up from the ground.
"My head hurts so much," Evil Wolf stretched out his giant hand and touched his forehead.
He was beaten by Carl with a punch before, even with his terrifying body, he couldn't bear it at all.
Poison Q stood on the shoulders of the evil wolf with a weak face, "Don't be stupid, go quickly, evil wolf.
This guy's body is too big, and he used a very large dose to restore the wolf's mobility.
"Oh, alright," the wolf acted dumbly, and the huge body stepped out a distance of hundreds of meters in one step.
Carl was about to take another shot.
A Marine officer hurried to the port, "Marshal Sengoku! There's a call from above!""
"Huh?" Sengoku frowned deeply, "Bring the phone bug.
"Yes!" Marine handed him the phone bug.
Sengoku looked gloomy and went to the side to answer the phone.
"Bobobobo, it's finally here…" A smile appeared on Doflamingo's face sitting on the ruins again.
Carl slapped his mouth, so it looked like the war was coming to an end.
Based on the urination of the old guys above, it is estimated that this war will not go on.
But the current situation is really not suitable to continue fighting.
Shichibukai's intervention, and the recovery of Blackbeard's gang, turned the tide.
Marine's power advantage has been cut a lot.
If they continue to fight, they may suffer heavy losses later. If the two remaining Four Emperors attack at this time, the entire Marine may be in danger of being overturned.
The entire battlefield came to a standstill.
Not only high-end combat power, but the soldiers and pirate members below also stopped.
Everyone realized something.
"Cough cough…" Shanks spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, clutching his chest and retreating to the front of the group of cadres.
"What a shame, Captain," a smile rose on Benn Beckman's face, as long as he wasn't dead.
"Hey, those guys are all monsters among monsters," Shanks grinned, and then couldn't help coughing out a mouthful of blood, "Cough…"
He scratched his head in annoyance, "Hey, why is the situation like this…
Originally, in his prediction, Marine and the Whitebeard Pirates should lose both.
Then he came out to mediate, ended the war, and formed a new balance by the way.
As a result, the development of things was completely beyond his expectations.
Shanks' eyes turned to Carl, who was rubbing his chin in the distance, not knowing what he was thinking, "Solomon Carl, it's no wonder…"
With one more monster of this level, it is inevitable that the situation will be different.
step, step-
Sengoku walked back with a gloomy face, the reflections on the lenses made it difficult to see his eyes.
But everyone could feel the deeply suppressed anger in him.
Needless to say, there must have been a lot of arguing with the Five Elders.
"Marshal Sengoku, this war should end," Shanks said with a smile.
"…" Sengoku glanced at the situation on the field, and remained silent for a while.
As The Resourceful General, he is well aware that the current situation is indeed not suitable for further play.
But I'm really unwilling, this is an opportunity to end the era of the great pirates!
"Let me tell you, Nian Shanks smiled and walked forward when he saw that he didn't speak.
"Everyone! Stop fighting! If this war continues, both sides will suffer heavy losses. Why don't you give me a face and stop here!
The Marine generals were silent, and even Akainu gritted his teeth and did not speak.
He is reckless, but not stupid, and as Admiral, this situation is clear.
Shanks looked at the Marines on the opposite side and acquiesced, then continued, "Give me the bodies of Ace and Whitebeard, the video of the war has spread all over the world, and there is no need for you to take advantage of their deaths."5
"Huh?" Dauberman said in dissatisfaction, "What are you making up your own mind? Only by showing the heads of these two people can it be called Marine's victory!
Marines echoed, "Vice Admiral is right! Do you want to discredit our victory?!"
1.5
"It's ok…"
Sengoku suddenly said in a deep voice, "I can leave it to you, redhead…"
As Shanks said, footage of the war has come out.
Their Marine victory is beyond doubt.
"But!" Dauberman's eyes widened.
"I'll take the responsibility," Sengoku waved his hand.
"Thanks," Shanks said solemnly.
Sengoku ignored him, turned to look at Marine and said, "Go and treat those injured Marines.
"Yes!"
At the edge of the square, the remaining members of the Blackbeard Pirates all stood on the shoulders of the evil wolf.
"Jie hahahaha," Teach smiled and turned to look at Carl in the square, "Solomon Carl, I admire you very much, why should a man like you be a Marine? How about you, are you interested in my appointment?" 5
Although it was said that he had been psychologically shadowed by Carl, this did not prevent him from recruiting.
As the saying goes, if you can't beat the enemy, turn the enemy into a teammate.
"You sure have some serious illness,"" Carl didn't bother to pay attention to him, he took out a cigar from his arms and lit it.
Carl Turned to Face the Giant
Carl's gaze shifted toward Sanjuan Wolf, the massive giant slowly pulling himself off the ground, his immense body casting a shadow over the battlefield.
"Ugh… my head hurts so much…" The colossal pirate groaned, rubbing his forehead with a hand the size of a warship.
Despite his enormous size and durability, even he hadn't been able to withstand Carl's devastating punch earlier. The impact had left him dazed, his enormous skull still throbbing.
Standing atop Sanjuan Wolf's shoulder, Doc Q looked as sickly as ever, his frail form barely upright as he clutched his cane. His voice was weak but firm.
"Stop whining… Just move… We have no time to waste," he coughed.
To get Sanjuan Wolf moving again, Doc Q had used an extreme dose of his medical concoctions. It wasn't just a simple stimulant—this was something that forcefully pushed the body beyond its limits, an unnatural revival.
"Oh… alright…" Sanjuan Wolf muttered dumbly, still disoriented but obedient.
With a single step, his massive frame moved hundreds of meters across the battlefield, each footfall shaking the ground.
Carl narrowed his eyes, about to make another move—
An Unexpected Call
A Marine officer rushed toward the port, his voice urgent.
"Marshal Sengoku! There's a call from the higher-ups!"
"Hm?" Sengoku's brows furrowed deeply. "Bring the Den Den Mushi."
"Yes, sir!" The officer quickly handed over the transponder snail.
Sengoku's expression darkened as he turned away from the battlefield to answer the call.
Watching from the ruins, Doflamingo sat leisurely on a pile of rubble, his signature grin widening.
"Fuffuffuffu… it's finally here."
Carl clicked his tongue. So it's finally happening, huh?
The old men up above had clearly decided that this war had gone on long enough.
And honestly? They weren't wrong.
The situation had spiraled out of control.
The Seven Warlords had interfered unpredictably. The Blackbeard Pirates had recovered from their earlier defeats. What had once been a decisive Marine advantage had now turned into something much more unstable.
If this battle dragged on any longer, Marineford would suffer severe, possibly irreversible losses.
And if either Kaido or Big Mom decided to intervene at this moment…
The entire Marine force could be overturned.
A heavy silence fell across the battlefield.
Not just the high-ranking fighters—even the lower-ranked Marines and pirates felt it.
Shanks' Reflection
"Cough…"
Shanks spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest as he retreated toward his crew. His breath was ragged, and his injuries had clearly taken their toll.
Despite his battered condition, a familiar smirk appeared on Benn Beckman's face.
"What a mess, Captain."
"As long as I'm still standing, it's fine," Shanks grinned, before wincing and coughing again.
He scratched the back of his head, looking frustrated. "Man… this really didn't go as planned…"
Originally, his strategy had been clear: Marineford and Whitebeard's forces would cripple each other. Once both sides were exhausted, he would step in, mediate an end to the war, and establish a new balance.
But now?
Things had completely deviated from his expectations.
His gaze drifted toward Solomon Carl, who stood in the distance, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought.
"Solomon Carl…" Shanks muttered. So that's why.
Having someone that powerful in the war had completely shifted the outcome.
The Final Decision
Step, step…
Sengoku returned, his expression unreadable. The glare of his glasses made it impossible to see his eyes, but the suppressed fury radiating from him was unmistakable.
Everyone could tell—the Five Elders had spoken.
"The war ends here," Shanks said with a small smile.
Sengoku was silent for a long moment.
As The Resourceful General, he knew the logical decision.
But his heart refused to accept it.
This war was their one chance—the opportunity to end the Great Pirate Era once and for all.
And yet…
Shanks saw the hesitation and stepped forward.
"Listen up, everyone!" His voice boomed across the battlefield.
"If this war continues, both sides will only suffer further losses."
His sharp gaze scanned the Marines and pirates alike.
"So how about it? Why don't you give me a little face and end it here?"
The battlefield remained silent.
Even among the Marines, no one immediately objected—not even Akainu.
As much as he loathed pirates, he wasn't stupid.
He was an Admiral. He understood the situation as well as Sengoku did.
Shanks turned to the Marines once more. "Also—give me the bodies of Ace and Whitebeard."
His voice remained calm, but firm.
"The world has already seen the outcome of this war. There's no need to disrespect them further."
"Hah?!"
Vice Admiral Doberman bristled with outrage. "What nonsense is this?! The only way to truly mark our victory is by displaying their heads for the world to see!"
Several Marines echoed his sentiment.
"The Vice Admiral is right! Why should we let pirates dictate terms?!"
Sengoku's Judgment
Sengoku's voice cut through the murmurs.
"…It's fine."
His words carried weight. Silence followed.
Shanks raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I'll allow it," Sengoku repeated in a deep voice. "You can take them, Red-Haired."
Doberman's eyes widened in shock.
"But—!"
"I'll take full responsibility." Sengoku's tone left no room for argument.
"…Tch." Doberman gritted his teeth but said no more.
Shanks nodded solemnly. "Thank you."
Sengoku didn't respond, turning instead to the remaining Marines.
"Begin treating the wounded."
"YES, SIR!"
Teach's Offer
At the edge of the square, the Blackbeard Pirates had all gathered onto Sanjuan Wolf's massive shoulders.
Teach, despite his earlier near-defeat, was still grinning.
"Zeahahaha… Solomon Carl," he called out.
Carl, still standing in the center of the battlefield, slowly turned his head.
"I gotta say… I admire you," Teach continued, his voice laced with amusement.
"A man of your caliber—why waste your life in the Marines?"
He leaned forward slightly, his grin widening.
"How about it? Interested in joining me?"
Despite the psychological scar Carl had left on him, Teach was still a schemer.
If he couldn't beat a monster like Carl, why not try to recruit him instead?
As the saying goes—if you can't defeat your enemy, make them your ally.
Carl exhaled slowly.
Then, with a lazy motion, he reached into his coat, pulled out a cigar, and lit it.
He took a long drag before speaking.
"…You really have a few screws loose."
Teach's grin twitched.
Carl wasn't interested.
And he never would be.
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