Marine Headquarters.
The war here also raged on.
Unlike the original novel, the Battle of Marine Headquarters, while thrilling, didn't last as long as imagined, ending in less than a day.
In this real world,
whether on the World Government's side
or at Marine Headquarters,
time flew by in the fierce battle, day turning to night before anyone knew it. Even so, the battle at Marine Headquarters continued unabated.
Numerous medical personnel frantically rescued the wounded, while pirates and marines engaged in a desperate clash.
This wasn't Earth.
Those fighting at Marine Headquarters—whether pirates or marines, men or women—could go a day or two without sleep.
It was just that their nerves were stretched thin.
Under the night sky,
flames shot upward.
As the bombardment continued, Marine Headquarters lay in ruins.
Only the execution platform remained, and no pirates could approach.
As for Ace's execution date,
that had already passed. Sengoku no longer cared.
He had intended to use this opportunity to crush the Whitebeard Pirates. Now, he could sense Whitebeard's fearless aura and roughly guessed that Whitebeard had come this time determined to die. In this situation, he naturally sought to ensure Whitebeard's death at Marine Headquarters.
This would boost the morale and prestige of the Marines.
Even heavy losses were worth the effort.
Therefore, if Ace were executed, the Whitebeard Pirates, without a target, might retreat prematurely.
In that case, the rewards would not be as abundant as they had imagined.
The prolonged war surprised no one. It was expected.
This wasn't an anime, after all, but the real world. No one expected the Four Emperors of the New World to be defeated in a single day.
The eyes of the world were fixed on this.
Every civilian awaited the Marines' victory.
In the midst of battle, time flew like an arrow.
Before they knew it, two days had passed.
For two days, the entire Marine Headquarters endured the ravages of war. Smoke filled the air, and corpses littered the ground—pirates and marines alike.
The air was thick with the smell of blood.
Compared to two days ago, there were far fewer people at Marine Headquarters now; most had been reduced to corpses.
"Newgate, your era is coming to an end," Garp roared, his fists shrouded in Armament Haki as he engaged Whitebeard in a frenzied battle.
Unlike in the original story, Luffy did not arrive.
Garp once again demonstrated his prowess, meeting Whitebeard's attack the instant it struck.
Whitebeard's body was now covered in wounds, but upon hearing Garp's words, he broke into a wide grin. "Gurara, Garp, my era? Do you really think so?"
"Hmph."
Garp snorted grimly, his face darkening, but he remained silent.
But Whitebeard laughed again. "I am but a remnant of a bygone era, surviving to this day by the skin of my teeth. But if this era has a name, it's not Whitebeard, but Black Crow!"
"But now, the light of this bygone era, this old one, is finally extinguished…"
As if sensing his own demise, or perhaps having long since prepared for death here, Whitebeard muttered. Under the worried looks of the Whitebeard Pirates, he swung his weapon, pounding the ground, and erupted with a powerful aura.
"Enough."
"I lived this long only to die in battle with your navy. Enough, gurara."
"My only regret is that I wasn't with that Black Crow brat. What a shame."
Boom!
As his voice fell, Whitebeard punched out, unleashing the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. The entire Marine Headquarters shook once more, and deep cracks suddenly appeared.
"Newgate, why would a guy like you actually cooperate with that man and even help him hold back the navy!" Garp growled, his fists covered with Armament Haki, striking out with a punch.
This was what he couldn't understand.
Whitebeard was one of the strongest men on the sea.
Why would a man like that sacrifice his life to help Black Crow hold back the navy?
"I didn't cooperate with him," Whitebeard said calmly. "He just seized this opportunity—or perhaps he had long been prepared, only waiting for the right time. Since you captured my son, this opportunity naturally appeared."
"Besides, this is just my last gift to my sons."
"In this new era, there are no ships to carry me. The only thing I worry about are my sons. But with Black Crow watching over them, I can rest assured."
"I see…"
Garp's face darkened.
The next moment, his expression suddenly changed.
Whitebeard did the same, turning his head to look in a certain direction.
There, a group of figures suddenly appeared. Leading them was Blackbeard, a burly figure wearing a captain's hat. His body glittered with gold jewelry, and he grinned widely. "Looks like you've finally noticed us, Dad. Long time no see. Have you missed your son?"
"Blackbeard!"
"Damn it! When did you show up here?"
"Wait, Blackbeard, those are…"
"Gurara…"
"It seems… they're all those terrifying figures from the sea. How could they be with Blackbeard?"
Some marines and pirates exclaimed in horror. Flanking Blackbeard were once-renowned figures of the sea, each one ruthless and powerful.
But now, they seemed to have become Blackbeard's minions.
"Damn it, Blackbeard…"
Sengoku's eyes widened as he gazed at the men surrounding him, growling softly. "These guys should be imprisoned in Impel Down. How dare you sneak in now, using… your status as a Shichibukai!!"
Sengoku was no fool. The moment he saw the men around Blackbeard, he understood his purpose and tactics.
"Ahahahaha, that's right. Without the status of a Shichibukai, finding these suitable individuals wouldn't be so easy." Blackbeard grinned. "But now, I don't need the title of Shichibukai at all. After all, my goal has been achieved, ahahaha."
Just as his voice faded, Whitebeard's voice rang out.
"That kind of thing doesn't matter!"
"Teach!"
"You should pay with your life!"
Whitebeard's voice was icy, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Without hesitation, he punched out, unleashing the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. A terrifying shockwave blasted out, splitting the ground wherever it passed, enveloping Blackbeard and the others.
Dust instantly enveloped the area.
It wasn't until the buildings in that area collapsed violently that it slowly dissipated.
As the dust settled, a scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Blackbeard dusted himself off, crawling out from under a boulder, followed by those who had escaped unscathed from Impel Down. He grinned and spoke in a deep voice. "How ruthless, Father."
"But… there's no way I'll show mercy."
"Teacher!"
Whitebeard's eyes darkened. "You're the only one unworthy of being my son. You've violated the only iron rule on this ship. I must kill you to avenge Thatch!"
"Let's put an end to this, Teacher!"
"Is that so… Father!" Blackbeard grinned, his eyes dark. "If that's the case, then come!"
With a rumble,
his voice fell.
A black mist suddenly erupted from Blackbeard's body, spreading in all directions, enveloping the ground like a forming black hole.
"Ahahaha, see, Father! This is the power I possess now. The strongest fruit, the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit. With this power, not even you can defeat me, hahahaha!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly.
"Oh? Is that… Ace's body?" Suddenly, Blackbeard glanced in one direction and grinned again.
There, a shirtless corpse lay on the ground, a bloody hole in its abdomen.
It looked completely lifeless.
That… was indeed Ace's body.
Even without Luffy's arrival, the pirates had successfully approached the execution platform and rescued him within two days, but he still met his end at Akainu's hands.
At this moment, Blackbeard's voice rang out.
A flash of rage lit Whitebeard's eyes, and without hesitation, he struck out with a punch, a shockwave gathering on his fist.
"Ahahaha, no use, Dad!"
Blackbeard laughed, a black mist surging from his palm. "Dark Water!"
The fists collided.
The shockwave from Whitebeard's fist faded at a visible speed, until it vanished completely.
"Hm?" Whitebeard's eyes were calm, without any trace of surprise. His other hand tightly gripped his weapon, and as Blackbeard looked stunned, he struck out with a single blow.
A bloody wound suddenly appeared on Blackbeard's abdomen, and blood gushed out.
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts!"
Blackbeard screamed in agony.
The next moment, Whitebeard pinned down both of Blackbeard's hands with his foot and his weapon. His right hand grasped Blackbeard's head, his gaze icy.
"Teach, you're doomed!"
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power was activated.
A shockwave condensed on Whitebeard's fist…