"Please, grant me this one favor."
At this moment, Shanks stared earnestly at Sengoku.
Indeed, Shanks had to bring back Whitebeard's body.
"The World Government and the Marine have already achieved their objective. Both Ace and Whitebeard have fallen here. So I wish to return their bodies to the New World."
"Impossible! How could we possibly let you take Whitebeard's corpse? Only by displaying his severed head to the world can we prove the Marine's victory!"
Before Sengoku could reply, a furious rear admiral shouted back. After all, many Marines had fought this battle gripped by fear and frustration, feeling that the Marine had been suppressed and humiliated by these monstrous pirates.
No one in the Marine standing here felt any sense of satisfaction.
In fact, many Marines wanted nothing more than to decapitate Whitebeard's corpse and parade his head as a symbol of Marineford's triumph.
But truthfully—what victory was there to speak of?
Vice Admiral Onigumo had been torn in half. Admiral Aokiji was dead. Akainu was critically wounded and unconscious. Countless Marines had perished or suffered grievous injuries.
Victory? Where?
"Fine."
After ten seconds of heavy contemplation, Sengoku finally gave his answer.
Yes, he had to give Shanks this face. Not because of the secret ties Shanks might have with the World Government, but because Shanks was a Yonko. With the Marine at such a disadvantage, this was not a face Sengoku could afford to deny.
Even if it hadn't been Shanks but Kaido or Big Mom, Sengoku would have had to concede all the same.
Such was the weight carried by a Yonko.
The Marine was in no shape to face another Yonko crew. If they tried to forcibly keep Whitebeard's body, it would surely lead to open war with Shanks.
Unlike the other Yonko, Shanks — despite being a monster among men — was still human. Whitebeard and the rest bordered on something beyond human.
Thus, no matter which Yonko had come, Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral, had to consider the Marine's position and make the necessary concessions.
"Fleet Admiral, but—!"
The rear admiral wanted to argue, but Sengoku cut him off.
"Enough!"
"This war is over! Ace and Whitebeard are dead. There is no need to desecrate their remains any further."
With that, Sengoku took a deep breath and bellowed:
"The war is over!"
His voice carried across the ruins of Marineford and all the way to Sabaody Archipelago.
The war was over.
For a moment, the world stood still — but then, across the Sabaody Archipelago, people erupted into cheers.
No one had expected this terrifying war to end.
Tears of joy streamed down countless faces.
But this relief belonged only to ordinary people — those who merely wished for peaceful, uneventful lives. As long as the world wasn't destroyed and Marine Headquarters still stood, they believed they could continue on.
What the future held... no one could say.
Besides, it was only those on Sabaody who knew the war's conclusion for now. Much of the world, including Marines stationed elsewhere, remained in the dark.
The World Government would undoubtedly craft a message of "victory" to deliver to the world.
Even though the world was about to plunge into chaos, the veil of control had to be maintained.
Half an hour later, in the bay of Marineford, the Revolutionary Army had already fully retreated.
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates remained. Many subordinate crews had withdrawn, leaving only Marco and the division commanders.
With the Red Hair Pirates present, the Marine dared not make another move or chase down the Whitebeard remnants.
Sengoku had no desire for more bloodshed.
Whitebeard and Ace's bodies now lay quietly aboard the Moby Dick, each placed reverently on grand beds. The division commanders gathered around, weeping uncontrollably.
All the commanders who had come to Marineford were present. Most were wounded to varying degrees, though thankfully, no others had died.
But with their father and brother gone, their hope had crumbled — like watching a cherished world collapse before their eyes.
Their grief was bottomless.
Shanks let out a heavy sigh. Even Lucky Roux, usually seen munching on a chicken leg, stood solemn. The entire Red Hair Pirates crew had fallen into prolonged silence.
Their relationship with the Whitebeard Pirates had always been cordial.
"Marco, I hope you won't go after them."
Shanks warned gravely, "They're too strong. Even someone like Bullet isn't an opponent you can take lightly. But more importantly, their captain, Elior, is the true terror."
Today, Elior had slain two Admiral-level opponents: Aokiji was dead, Akainu gravely injured, and he had ultimately ended Whitebeard himself.
His strength was beyond mere words.
If Marco and the others sought revenge, Shanks knew exactly what awaited them:
Annihilation.
Still, Shanks also understood that even if he said this, Marco and the others would probably seek vengeance anyway.
"That bastard... I swear I'll kill them one day!" Marco choked out.
Vista added, "We'll avenge Pops and Ace. We have to."
The remaining Whitebeard Pirates all echoed the same vow. Vengeance was inevitable.
...
Sengoku said grimly, "We've all witnessed just how dangerous he is. And now… we're powerless to stop his rise."
At that moment, Tsuru's expression darkened as a troubling thought crossed her mind.
"Actually, have any of you considered this — throughout this war, Elior used us. He used the Marine to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates, only to step in and take Whitebeard's place."
The room fell silent.
"In that case…" she continued, her voice heavy, "doesn't it mean the Marine Headquarters and the World Government were thoroughly manipulated?"
"What a terrifying man…"
Sengoku's face was grave.
"And don't forget Whitebeard's final words… We still don't know what those will set into motion. The death of Whitebeard might not weaken the Great Pirate Era — it might actually crown a new king of this generation, making this era even more unpredictable… even more terrifying."
Two hours later, the mid- and high-ranking officers of Marine Headquarters convened in a small, hastily assembled conference room.
First, they resolved that in three days, a naval funeral would be held at the Marine Cemetery. All the Marines who perished in the War of Marineford would be laid to rest with full honors.
The second point on the agenda was the rebuilding of Marine Headquarters and the strategies for dealing with the upheaval bound to sweep the world in the aftermath of this war.
The coming days would be far from peaceful.
All the Marine could do now was strive to preserve as much order as possible across the seas.
As for Elior… they had no choice but to put that matter aside — for now, he was an enemy beyond their reach.
Finally, they agreed to report the full scope of the war and its consequences to the World Government.
That evening, deep within the Holy Land of Mariejois, while the Celestial Dragons reveled in their usual indulgences, the Gorosei gathered for a grave, urgent meeting.
Tonight, the Gorosei would find no rest. In truth, they knew peaceful sleep might elude them for many nights to come.
The war might have ended, but it wasn't a true victory. The losses were severe: two top-tier combatants had been eliminated, and worst of all, Elior had risen in the chaos—his power and influence now undeniable.
No matter how they spun it, the shadow hanging over the world had only grown deeper. What lay ahead was beyond even their calculations.