The arrival of Yonko Red-Haired Shanks blocked Sakazuki, allowing Ivankov and Jinbe to successfully escape to the sea with Luffy, boarding the submarine belonging to Trafalgar Law, one of the Supernovas.
Though the reason why Trafalgar Law chose to save Luffy was unknown, they dove beneath the waves together.
"You bastard, Red-Hair! How dare you help the son of Dragon escape..." Sakazuki raged, half his body transforming into rolling magma.
However, due to the complex situation on the battlefield—the Blackbeard Pirates, Golden Ring Aeridar, the Warlords of the Sea, and the sudden arrival of the Red Hair Pirates—no one dared to move, only able to watch helplessly as the yellow submarine submerged into the ocean.
Simply put, if the Red Hair Pirates, the Blackbeard Pirates, the remnants of the Whitebeard Fleet, and the Warlords of the Sea led by Aeridar had joined forces, there would likely be no Marine Headquarters after today.
While such an alliance was highly improbable, if any two of the forces on the field had joined hands, it would have been enough to inflict irreparable and heavy casualties on the already severely damaged Marines.
The situation settled into a deadlock once again.
Shanks scanned the area, then walked towards the center of Marineford Plaza.
"Red-Hair!"
Seeing Shanks walk past him, Marco couldn't help but call out.
"Marco, stop fighting. Stand down now." Shanks glanced at Marco.
Marco gritted his teeth, his expression showing dejection and unwillingness.
Seeing Red-Haired Shanks appear, his friend Dracule Mihawk, who had been merely spectating, sheathed his sword and left immediately.
"If this continues, it will only lead to unlimited losses for both armies."
"If there's anyone left who hasn't had enough..."
Shanks drew the cutlass from his waist with a clang, standing with the First Mate and core officers of the Red Hair Pirates behind him. "Come on, let us be your opponent!"
The Marines were horrified.
"What about you? Teach—no, Blackbeard! And Golden Ring!"
Separated by a massive fissure, Shanks looked at the Blackbeard Pirates, then glanced at Aeridar in the sky.
"Heh heh heh~ That's quite the domineering spirit, Red-Hair!" Aeridar stared at Shanks below.
Shanks didn't rely on a monstrous physique or a Devil Fruit ability. He relied solely on his swordsmanship and Haki to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with monsters like Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom as a Yonko. Among the Yonko, Aeridar admired Shanks the most.
After all, though Aeridar's own combat skills and Haki were extremely powerful, at least half of his strength came from his Devil Fruit ability.
To use an analogy, this was like having two geniuses in a wuxia novel, both of whom were prodigies in cultivating inner power.
However, one of them was not only supremely talented but also naturally broad-shouldered, physically powerful, possessing the strength of a dragon or an elephant. This genius was not only quick in cultivating inner power but was also a genius in external martial arts; a little training made them invulnerable to swords and spears, with an unbreakable body, and without a vulnerable spot.
Don't even mention comparing them to people like Guo Jing, Yang Guo, or Zhang Wuji; only someone like Bodhidharma or Zhang Sanfeng, if they were alive, could possibly compare.
Let alone ordinary people, even compared to other geniuses, that starting point creates a vast chasm. How could one hope to catch up?
Yet, this Red-Haired guy had caught up even with one arm missing. That only proves how much of a freak he is.
"Zehahaha~ You're getting more and more manly, Red-Hair. That scar suits you well!" Teach taunted, his words carrying a hint of provocation.
Shanks's eyes narrowed slightly, a piercing sharpness flashing through them.
Jesus Burgess and Van Augur, two of the world's premier snipers, simultaneously raised their guns, confronting each other.
The two sides stood in opposition, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
A few seconds later.
"Zehahahaha Zehahahaha"
Teach suddenly burst into loud, unrestrained laughter. Finally, he glared at Shanks with bloodshot eyes: "Let's postpone this for now!"
"I have what I wanted, and it's too early to fight you all!"
"We're leaving, you guys!" Teach waved his hand and turned to leave. "Zehahahaha—"
"What about you, Golden Ring?"
Shanks looked up at Aeridar.
"Of course. I only promised to fight the Whitebeard Pirates. You are not part of that promise." Aeridar crossed his arms, settling his aggressive aura.
With the departure of Blackbeard and his crew, and Aeridar standing down, the war was, in effect, over.
Shanks requested the bodies of Whitebeard and Ace from the Marines. Although a number of Marine officers were unwilling, Sengoku overruled the opposition and agreed.
"The war is over!!!"
Sengoku's voice resounded through the sky.
With the Fleet Admiral's final declaration, this battle, the largest since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, the Paramount War at Marineford, drew its curtain. This day would forever be recorded in history!
…
"In the war that took place at Marineford Bay between our Marine Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates, we faced fierce resistance from the Whitebeard Pirates, taking longer than anticipated. However, thanks to the justice-filled fighting spirit of the Marine Headquarters soldiers, the infamous Whitebeard Pirates and all the pirate crews under their banner were utterly defeated. Our Marine Headquarters achieved a complete victory, and we hereby widely announce this fact!"
The Marines' victory announcement instantly spread across the globe.
Naturally, this was a deliberate action by the Marines and the World Government to showcase the power of 'Justice' to all criminals and ambitious individuals worldwide, thereby deterring lawlessness.
Indeed, the news of the Marine victory brought joyous cheers from peace-loving citizens all over the world and filled the Marine soldiers who hadn't participated in the Paramount War with confidence.
However, the victory of the Marines did not bring peace alone. While the actions of these authorities were not wrong, they were heavily disrupted by Whitebeard's final words before his death.
Furthermore, the loss of one corner of the Yonko, the collapse of the sea-wall named 'Whitebeard', would bring forth a massive tidal wave, a wave named 'Pirates' and named the 'New Era'!
The Supernovas who had watched the entire Paramount War now carried the destiny of the New Pirate Era. They had witnessed the formation of the Great Pirate Era's new order firsthand and felt the blood-soaked tide of change.
After the war, they scrambled to enter the New World, rushing to join the tumultuous stage of the emerging New Era.
"Justice will prevail! The Marines will prevail!" Sakazuki proclaimed his oath to all the Marines.
"Zehahahaha~ This era belongs to me!" Blackbeard Teach raised his arms, showing the darkness representing the Dark-Dark Fruit and the air pressure sphere of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, as if announcing to the common people that he was about to ascend to the position of Yonko.
"The New Era, war, chaos... Fufufufu~ Let it begin! I will eventually drag you all down from your pedestals! I will destroy this world!" Doflamingo's body was pulled by invisible strings as he trod on air, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Heh heh heh! Hahahaha~ Let it begin! Celestial Dragons, World Government, Marines, Yonko, Revolutionary Army... let everything be settled together in this New Era!" Aeridar burst into maniacal laughter. A terrifying aura surged out like a turbulent sea, causing the air to vibrate strangely and driving away the clouds in the sky.