"Oden!!!"
From afar, Marco witnessed Kozuki Oden being instantly killed by Sakazuki. His face twisted in grief as he let out a hoarse, anguished shout.
At the same moment, a razor-sharp slash flew out, severing one of Marco's wings in an instant. Gion, gripping Konpira, curled her lips into a smile.
"No need to shout so loudly. You'll be reunited with him soon enough."
As her words fell, Gion had already closed in on Marco, raising her blade for another strike.
Haki surged beneath Marco's feet. He kicked upward, blocking Konpira head-on, his expression burning with rage.
At the same time, Sakazuki turned his head and looked over. His gaze locked onto Marco, and he sneered coldly.
"Don't worry. No need to be sad. I'll send you both on your way together."
In the next instant, magma erupted from Sakazuki's body. Propelled by the violent surge, his massive frame shot into the air and came crashing toward Marco from afar.
"Dog Bite Crimson Lotus!!!"
Midair, Sakazuki threw a punch. Fueled by magma, his arm stretched more than ten meters in an instant. Marco could have dodged, but with Gion entangling him, he was unable to evade in time.
The next moment, Sakazuki's blistering magma fist slammed squarely into Marco. Lava and blue flames exploded together as Marco was blasted backward, his body sent flying.
Marco might not match Kozuki Oden in sheer combat power, but his vitality and regenerative ability were second to none.
Even with a massive hole blown through his chest, even after rolling dozens of times across the ground, he still managed to scramble back to his feet almost immediately. Blue flames ignited across his body, rapidly mending the wound.
In the blink of an eye, the injury vanished without a trace. But beads of sweat streamed down his temple.
Clearly, his stamina was reaching its limit.
...
On the other side, Newgate had already sensed that his sworn brother, Kozuki Oden, had been killed by Sakazuki.
The instant Oden's presence vanished, a flash of rage erupted in Newgate's eyes. Though badly injured and already weakened, his fury surged to an extreme.
Yet he did not roar or vent his anger.
That blazing fury quickly turned into deep, crushing grief.
"Does it hurt? Does it make you sad?"
Ortoren stood in the distance, unmoving, yet his voice carried clearly as he continued to provoke Newgate.
"Have you finally felt what it's like to lose a friend, a brother, Newgate?"
There was no doubt about it. This was trash talk, a tactic in battle.
"Go on, feel this pain," Ortoren bellowed at Newgate. "You pirates aren't you nothing more than a despicable bunch who trample others' lives and happiness for your own pleasure? This sorrow, this agony, is exactly what the people you've harmed once felt. Now, repay it here. Atone before justice. Confess your sins. And we Marines will forgive your crimes with death!"
"SHUT UP!!!"
At last, Newgate could no longer suppress his rage.
With a furious roar, he threw a punch.
That punch was filled with pure fury. In an instant, the ground between him and Ortoren shattered and split apart, space itself tearing open. Terrifying tremor force howled forward, crashing violently into Ortoren.
Ortoren made no attempt to dodge.
He crossed his arms in front of his body and braced himself. The overwhelming shockwave slammed down on him, but it failed to injure him or send him flying.
He took the blow head-on.
In the next instant, Newgate's towering figure leapt straight in front of Ortoren. His fist came crashing down from above, wreathed in a translucent aura of energy as he slammed it down.
"What do you know? What have you ever lived through?" Newgate roared in fury. "This world is just like this. Any nation that can't pay the Heavenly Tribute becomes a playground for pirates and every kind of criminal in the New World. Countries fall apart, people become refugees. Even a three-year-old child, just to survive, is forced down a dark path. In a place like that, there's no room for kindness at all!!!"
Facing the howling blow, Ortoren answered without retreat, throwing his own punch. Their fists collided first, but this time there was no contest of strength. In the very next moment, Newgate's other hand swung out, Murakumogiri slashing toward Ortoren.
Ortoren countered with a backhand punch to Newgate's chest, caving in his solid pectoral muscles before they rebounded, instantly bruised and darkened.
Murakumogiri struck Ortoren's shoulder as well. Though it failed to cut through, the force still drove Ortoren back two steps.
Sensing Murakumogiri's awkwardness in such close combat, Newgate released the weapon entirely. In a blink, he followed up with another punch, smashing straight toward Ortoren's head.
That fist, packed with brutal strength and tremor force, was stopped cold by Ortoren's horns.
"What are you explaining to me for, Whitebeard?" Ortoren said coldly. Using his horns to brace the blow, he grabbed Newgate's other fist, disgust plain on his face. "The world is just like this? Save your nonsense. There are plenty of people in this world who've endured far more darkness than you ever have, and still chose the light, still stayed kind. If you're going to be a pirate, then be one properly. Don't make excuses for yourself, Whitebeard!!!"
Those words seemed to shake Newgate's resolve for a brief instant.
And in that moment, Ortoren swung a heavy counterpunch, slamming it squarely into Newgate's head. Lightning scorched half of his upturned crescent beard black.
The blow twisted Newgate's face into a grim, distorted snarl. The overwhelming force loosened his footing, sending his massive body staggering back five or six steps before he finally managed to stop.
The side of his face that had been struck was visibly sunken and warped, as though half the bones in his cheek had shattered.
Yet the rage that had burned so fiercely in Newgate's eyes slowly faded.
"You're right…" Newgate murmured, looking at Ortoren.
For that brief moment, driven by emotion and provoked by Ortoren's words, he had lost his composure. Those things he'd shouted really were beneath him. Just as Ortoren said, Whitebeard shouldn't be making excuses for himself. If he was a pirate, then he should be a pirate, not dress it up as being forced into it.
After staring at Ortoren for a moment, Newgate suddenly raised his voice.
"Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
His shout swept across the entire battlefield. Without the slightest pause, he issued his captain's order.
"All hands, withdraw according to plan! Retreat deep into the New World!!!"
Newgate's sudden command for the Whitebeard Pirates to withdraw left everyone stunned.
But Ortoren could feel it clearly. Newgate was decisive, his thinking razor-sharp.
He had led the assault on the execution ground because those being executed were Kozuki Oden's family and retainers. Now that Kozuki Oden had been killed by Sakazuki, the situation had become painfully awkward.
If reputation were the priority, Newgate should have pushed even harder to rescue Momonosuke, to honor Kozuki Oden and justify this entire operation. After that, no one could accuse Whitebeard of abandoning his allies.
But Newgate understood better than anyone that the moment Kozuki Oden died, Sakazuki's combat power was completely freed. And he had no remaining piece on the board capable of stopping Sakazuki.
In other words, the war was about to snowball. As Sakazuki was unleashed, the Marines' advantage would only grow larger and larger. Which meant… there was no chance of victory left.
So at this moment, Newgate cast aside all concern for his own reputation. Even if his name was stained, he would preserve the fighting strength of the Whitebeard Pirates. He would keep more of his sons, his family, from dying on a battlefield that had already lost its meaning.
That was why he gave the order to retreat.
"Running away, Whitebeard?" Ortoren said in a low voice, watching him from a distance.
Newgate glanced back at the battlefield one last time, then fixed his gaze on Ortoren again. On his battered, ruined face, a smile finally appeared, carrying both resolve and a sense of release.
"No. I'll stay right here and see this through with you, kid."