"The Pirate Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks, is an absolute nightmare."
Some even whispered that he might be stronger than Whitebeard.
"Figures it's Shanks…"
"So… is he on our side now?"
"If we keep fighting, it might not end well for us."
"Should we team up with Red-Hair?"
"Let's see what Pops says."
Pirates were practical creatures.
Once they realized the Navy was even more terrifying than expected,
Teaming up with Red-Haired didn't seem so bad anymore.
After all, it was better than being wiped out entirely.
"The Whitebeard Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates… That's terrifying!"
"Can the Navy even win?! Those are two Pirate Emperors!"
"Is this the end of the world?!"
The people watching the live broadcast were on the verge of panic.
Even those who didn't like the Navy couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Because, at the end of the day—
The Navy was still the symbol of order.
No one could predict what the world would become if the Pirates won.
In a way, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had already achieved his goal for this war.
At least for now, the Navy's public support had reached an all-time high.
The whole world was waiting for Sengoku's final decision—
Even Akainu, the most anti-pirate of them all, knew this war couldn't continue.
If it weren't for the discovery of Pure Gold, Sengoku might have kept fighting,
If only to avoid displeasing the World Government.
But now?
With Pure Gold in their hands, the Five Elders would never blame them for failing to execute Ace.
There was no longer any need for the Navy to fight to the bitter end.
Yet, while Sengoku remained silent,
A certain group of rats, hiding deep within Marine Headquarters, were boiling with rage.
"Damn it!"
"That bastard Shanks! Why did he have to show up now?!"
Blackbeard glared at the screen, his bloodshot eyes filled with pure hatred.
His ugly, ambitious face twisted in frustration.
He had been so close.
If Whitebeard and Sengoku had destroyed each other,
He could have swooped in and claimed the Gura Gura no Mi for himself—
Becoming the strongest man in the world!
After securing Pure Gold from the Marines, Blackbeard would have both immortality and unparalleled power.
With that combination, who could ever stop him?
And yet—
At the most crucial moment…
Just when he was one step away from his dream…
That damn Red-Haired Shanks had suddenly shown up to ruin everything.
"If Shanks is interfering, then the captain's plan is a total failure, isn't it?"
"What a shame… It was going to be such an exciting show."
A pale-skinned man, lounging casually on the table, sighed in disappointment.
This was Lafitte, the navigator of the Blackbeard Pirates—a man known as the 'Demon Sheriff.'
Blackbeard had managed to gather a crew of monstrous fighters in a short period,
Largely because of the future he had promised them.
By combining the Dark-Dark Fruit with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit,
He would become the strongest man in the world, taking Whitebeard's place.
But even with his ambitions, Blackbeard knew one thing:
Facing Whitebeard directly was suicide.
That's why he had orchestrated this war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines—
So that when both sides were weakened, he could seize his prize.
And then—
Shanks had to ruin it all.
The bastard threatened war with the Marines just to end this battle early.
---
"Wee-hahaha! So the plan failed, huh?"
"Well, that's boring! I don't feel like slinking back to fight in some underground boxing rings!"
The massive, almost inhumanly muscular Jesus Burgess grinned wickedly, his golden championship belt gleaming at his waist.
"How about we raise some hell instead?"
The war had dragged on for so long that Burgess was getting itchy fists.
If the plan had failed, he figured he might as well smash some people's skulls for fun.
"Are we disbanding already…?"
"If so, why don't I offer you all an apple…?"
Doc Q, looking like he was about to keel over at any second, reached into his coat and pulled out a handful of apples.
"Consider it a farewell gift for our short-lived companionship…"
"No thanks! I'm not ready to die yet! Hahahaha!"
Burgess immediately rejected the offer.
Everyone knew eating one of Doc Q's apples was just asking for a premature death.
Originally, the plan had been to raid Impel Down before the war started—
Using Blackbeard's Warlord status to sneak in and recruit some powerful prisoners.
But—
The Revolutionaries got there first.
Blackbeard wasn't afraid of Dragon per se,
But after decades of patience within the Whitebeard Pirates,
He had no intention of ruining everything with an unnecessary fight.
So he had waited.
And then, Kizaru arrived.
Van Augur, the sniper with the sharpest vision, had spotted Kizaru and Gion heading toward Impel Down.
And at that moment, Blackbeard knew he was screwed.
If it were just Gion, a mere Admiral Candidate, he might have had a chance.
But Kizaru?
Absolutely not.
That was the one opponent he least wanted to face.
So, Blackbeard had abandoned his original plan and infiltrated Marineford instead.
And yet, even here, things had spiraled completely out of his control.
"I won't participate in any meaningless attacks."
Van Augur calmly wiped down his rifle with a clean cloth, his tone cold and detached.
The truth was—
Even though they were all part of the Blackbeard Pirates,
Each of them had their own agendas.
The moment they realized Blackbeard's plan had failed,
Some of them were already considering walking away.
"Zehahahaha!"
"I never said I lost!"
"Are you all just going to give up that easily?!"
Blackbeard's face twisted into a feral grin.
At this point, he had no way back.
If he missed this chance—
If he let this opportunity slip through his fingers—
He might never get another shot at stealing Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Even though he already had the Dark-Dark Fruit,
He knew he still wasn't strong enough to take down Whitebeard directly.
This was his one and only chance.
No matter how dangerous—
He had to act now.
"Hahahaha! That's our captain!"
"But are you sure about this? That's the Red-Haired Pirates we're talking about!"
Burgess' grin widened in excitement.
Even though fighting Shanks' crew was a death sentence,
The thought of battling such powerful enemies made his blood boil with anticipation.
"Insanity…"
"But it seems like our only option."
Lafitte narrowed his eyes, staring at the Red-Haired Pirates on the screen.
He wasn't ready to accept defeat either.
"Sigh…"
"If you're really that desperate…"
"Why not just take one of my apples?"
Doc Q weakly held out an apple, his expression as lifeless as ever.
His face was green, looking as if he could drop dead at any moment.
But just seeing how even Burgess kept a safe distance from him, it was obvious—
This guy was no joke.
"Is this really a good idea…?"
"We are not a match for the Red-Haired Pirates…"
Van Augur's voice carried a trace of hesitation.
He was tempted—but still uncertain.
If they wanted to steal the Tremor-Tremor Fruit,
The war had to continue.
But Shanks' arrival had thrown everything into chaos.
With the Red-Haired Pirates present, the Marines were under massive pressure—
And if Blackbeard wanted them to keep fighting Whitebeard,
He had to personally hold off Shanks.
Otherwise—
Even the full force of Marine Headquarters
Could not handle two Yonko crews, the Revolutionaries, and the Impel Down escapees all at once.
But the harsh reality was—
The Blackbeard Pirates were no match for the Red-Haired Pirates.
Even if Blackbeard himself somehow managed to hold off Shanks,
The rest of his crew would be completely wiped out by the Red-Haired commanders.
Of all the Emperor Crews,
Shanks' had the fewest members—
But their average strength was the highest in the New World.
Even if you removed Shanks from the equation,
Blackbeard's crew still couldn't win.
"Zehahahaha!"
"We just need to give the Marines a reason to keep fighting!"
"And if things go south, we can just run for it!"
Blackbeard knew—
This was his most critical moment.
If he couldn't convince Van Augur,
Then Lafitte and Doc Q might waver too.
And if that happened—
He'd be left with only Burgess,
Which meant he'd have no chance at all against the Red-Haired Pirates.
"Then let's fight!"
"We've come this far—it'd be a waste to back down now!"
Van Augur finally made his decision.
After all—
They weren't trying to defeat the Red-Haired Pirates,
Just stall them long enough.
That wasn't too dangerous.
And besides—
The Red-Haired Pirates' sniper was famous throughout the New World.
As a fellow sniper, Van Augur couldn't help but want to test his skills.
At that moment—
In the center of Marineford,
The battlefield had split into two tense factions—
The Marines and the Pirates.
Among the pirates, the Revolutionaries and Impel Down escapees stood uneasily,
Awaiting Fleet Admiral Sengoku's final decision.
Even with Shanks joining the fight,
Marine Headquarters still had the upper hand in power.
But wiping out two Yonko crews was another story.
Even if they could crush Whitebeard's forces,
The price would be devastating.
If Ace was still in Marine custody,
Maybe Sengoku could have forced himself to commit—
But Ace had already been rescued by Marco and Straw Hat Luffy.
The execution had failed.
Now—
Sengoku had to find a way to end this war with some dignity.
In a way, Shanks' arrival actually gave him an excuse to step down.
"I, as Fleet Admiral of the Marines—"
"Declare this war—"
Just as countless eyes locked onto him—
BANG!
A Whitebeard Pirate's head exploded.
Then a second.
A third.
Just as the fourth bullet was about to blow another pirate's brains out—
Two gunshots rang out.
Both had fired simultaneously.
One intercepted the bullet mid-air,
The other traced the sniper's location.
BOOM!
A massive hole was blown in the stone wall—
And hiding behind it, Van Augur clicked his tongue.
His hat was shot clean off.
He licked his lips, eyes flashing.
"Impressive…"
This was the difference between them.
Both the power and precision of that shot had been on another level.
If they'd waited just a second longer—
He might've been sniped outright.
"Zehahahaha!"
"So many familiar faces!"
"With a battlefield this lively, how could I not join in?!"
Blackbeard grinned wildly,
Striding out from behind the stone wall.
But the moment Whitebeard's gaze locked onto him—
His entire body shivered involuntarily.
Not that anyone could blame him.
Because standing before him—
Was none other than the Strongest Man in the World.
°°°
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