There's truth in the saying: "Don't fear godlike enemies, but dread pig-like teammates." Especially those with underdeveloped intelligence and tiny brains—they're truly the cream of the crop when it comes to liabilities.
Even worse are those who, despite being the cause of disaster, remain completely unaware of their own incompetence. They even speak self-righteously, acting as if everyone else is blind while they alone see the truth. Those are the most infuriating of all.
And these people often do more harm than good—Squard was one of them. To actually believe the enemy's words… With intelligence like his, it's a wonder how he's survived this long.
"Dad, is what he said just now true?"
"Tell us it's not true, Dad!"
"Did you really sell us out and trade Ace's life, Dad?"
"Say something, Dad!"
"Dad!"
Everyone stared at the silent Whitebeard with doubt and disbelief. Even the usually steadfast division commanders looked shaken, unease written across their faces. They were completely thrown by the sudden turn of events.
Honestly, they weren't much smarter than Squard. Rather than believe the man who treated them like family, they chose to believe their enemy.
From this, Kaguya reached one conclusion: idiocy is contagious.
"I never thought Dad would betray us… It's so ironic. I trusted you so much," Squard said, spreading his arms. "Just landing a hit was a miracle. I'm ready. Kill me."
"Do you even realize what you've done, Squard?! To raise your hand against your own father—you're a disgrace of a son!" Whitebeard bellowed. He suddenly swung his massive hand toward Squard.
Facing the incoming blow, Squard flinched and instinctively shut his eyes.
Bang, bang!
Two heavy thuds rang out.
"Dad!"
A chorus of shocked cries erupted around them.
Squard felt no pain and quickly opened his eyes—only for his pupils to shrink in horror.
Behind Whitebeard stood two figures. Their fists had just slammed into his back. Crimson blood trickled from the corner of Whitebeard's mouth—the warmth Squard had felt on his face earlier was his father's blood.
Having landed their blow, Smoothie and Katakuri quickly retreated.
After all, the man in front of them was Whitebeard—the world's strongest. They never believed they could beat him. Landing a sneak attack like that was already pure luck.
Squard's mind went blank.
It was Whitebeard. Whitebeard had saved him. If Whitebeard had dodged, he might've avoided the attack, but then the blow would've landed on Squard instead.
With a trembling voice, Squard asked, "Why… Why did you save me?"
Then he roared, "Don't joke with me!"
Whitebeard pulled Squard into a one-armed embrace and said, "Even so—even if you're this foolish—you're still my son."
The sword fell from Squard's hands. Tears burst from his eyes as he cried loudly, "D-Dad!"
Everyone finally understood—they had been deceived. This was all a Navy conspiracy. Whitebeard had never betrayed them.
"So it was all a lie… This was all a scheme by the Navy!"
"Damn it! They tricked us!"
"Dad would never betray us!"
"I'm sorry. I won't doubt you again, Dad."
"Me too. I'm truly sorry, Dad."
"Dad, I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"
Once the deceived crew members realized the truth, their spirits reignited. Anger surged among them, and their morale soared to new heights.
Sengoku narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. "Hmph, what a troublesome man."
Meanwhile, on the beach—
"As expected of Master, to have predicted everything so clearly," Monet said with a soft smile, adjusting her glasses.
Kaguya smiled slightly. This was only natural—after all, this was how it played out in the original story.
Whitebeard was just too sentimental. If it had been Kaguya, she would've slapped him dead already.
Toying with the glass in her hand, Kaguya asked, "How's the plan coming along?"
Monet replied gently, "Everything is ready. We're just waiting for your command."
"Very good," Kaguya said, her hand slipping into Hancock's embrace, eliciting a soft, flute-like moan. A strange glint flashed in her eyes. "The real show is about to begin. Whitebeard, don't let me down."
In the harbor at Marineford—
Whitebeard rose to his feet, radiating an overwhelming presence. "Still sharp as ever, Sengoku," he said. "Calling in those reinforcements—you've played us like fools."
Despite being stabbed, and taking a joint blow from Smoothie and Katakuri, Whitebeard strode forward as if nothing had happened.
"But before anything else, I'll deal with these two backstabbing rats."
With those words, Whitebeard stomped forward. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right before Smoothie and Katakuri.
Their pupils shrank in shock.
So fast!
They instinctively leapt back, but before they could get far, Whitebeard raised his massive arm and slammed it down.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out as shockwaves swept outward.
Boom!
Smoothie's chest caved in as if struck by a sledgehammer. Her eyes widened, and she coughed up blood as she was sent flying, slamming into a wall with a deafening crash.
Katakuri's eyes narrowed—just one blow had heavily injured Smoothie.
Seeing Whitebeard charging at him, Katakuri began to sweat. He rapidly retreated while unleashing a flurry of projectiles from his fingers, shooting them toward Whitebeard like lightning.
"Mochi Bullet!"
Whitebeard snorted, raising his muscular arm and unleashing a punch.
Crack!
The mochi bullets shattered upon impact with the shockwave, turning into scattered debris.
"If you dare attack me, be prepared to pay the price."
Just as Katakuri tried to strike again, a massive hand reached out and grabbed his head.
His face twisted in panic as he struggled, but it was too late. Whitebeard slammed his head into the ground.
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed as Katakuri's head smashed into the ground, cracking the earth and forming a massive crater with spiderweb-like fractures.
Blood spurted from his mouth and nose, and several teeth flew out. His eyes rolled back—he had fainted on the spot.
Such was the power of a single blow.
Everyone stood in stunned silence. Many recognized the two—they were high-ranking members of the Big Mom Pirates, known for their immense strength. But in front of Whitebeard, they were utterly powerless.
Whitebeard turned, raised his arm, and shouted, "If you wish to follow me, don't fear death! Follow me!"
With that, he leapt from the ship and charged ahead.
The pirates, seeing their commander take the lead, surged after him like a tidal wave, shouting loudly as they stormed the Marine headquarters.
But at that moment, Whitebeard suddenly staggered mid-charge. His body swayed, and he dropped to one knee.
"Dad!"
"Dad!"
All the pirates present came to a halt, staring in shock at Whitebeard, who had dropped to one knee. Marco, panicked, tried to rush over, but several Vice Admirals blocked his path halfway.
On the high platform, Ace was even more frantic. He tried to break free, but the seastone chains bound him tightly, rendering him immobile.
Whitebeard knelt on one knee, using his great blade to support himself. His face had turned pale, his breathing was heavy, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. His large hand clutched his chest, and crimson blood trickled through his fingers.
"To think that the man known as the strongest in the world has actually been wounded," Monet said as she gazed into the distance. "It seems that sneak attack by the two Big Mom officers did more damage than expected."
"No," Kaguya replied. "If it were just those two small fries, they wouldn't be enough to injure Whitebeard so severely."
Monet seemed to realize something. "Master, you mean—"
"That's right," Kaguya said. "The real reason Whitebeard is so seriously hurt isn't because of Smoothie or Katakuri's ambush, nor is it Squard's stab. It's because Whitebeard's physical condition is deteriorating."
Whitebeard was already old. He no longer had the physique of his prime. Coupled with his previous injuries, his body had reached its limits. He didn't dodge the attacks not because he didn't want to—but because his aging, failing body simply couldn't respond in time. His strength was fading.
Suddenly, Akainu appeared behind Whitebeard. A muscular arm, now molten with magma, swung high and then punched forward with ferocious force.
"Your time has passed, old man. Your era is over."
Veins bulged on Whitebeard's forehead as he roared. He swung his massive blade with a fierce motion, slashing like a whirlwind.
"Get lost, you lava guy!"
Clang!
The ambushing Akainu was knocked back at even greater speed.
Suddenly, Whitebeard groaned, his tiger-like eyes wide open. He clutched his chest, and his massive body once again dropped to one knee. With a gurgle, a mouthful of blood spurted out.
"Damn it..."
"Dad!"
A chorus of alarmed cries erupted from the Whitebeard Pirates.
Akainu landed from the air and walked over, speaking coldly, "Time spares no one, Whitebeard."
From a distance, Marco's heart sank. He charged forward, gritting his teeth.
"No... this is exactly what I feared the most."
"You shouldn't get distracted in battle... or you'll die."
At that moment, a chilling voice rang out from behind—Kizaru.
Marco's heart jumped. Just as he turned around, several dazzling beams of light flashed before his eyes.
Pew pew pew!
"Argh!"
Beams of light pierced through Marco's chest. He let out a scream and was sent flying.
At the same time, Akainu stepped in front of Whitebeard, raising his blazing magma fist.
"Let me... send you to hell."
"Dark Hound!"
Akainu's magma fist slammed into Whitebeard's body.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out. The searing magma erupted like a volcano, turning into a blaze that soared into the sky. Smoke billowed in all directions.
Amid the thick smoke, Whitebeard's massive body was sent flying. Boom! He crashed hard into a nearby wall. A gaping hole appeared in his chest, and crimson blood gushed forth instantly.
"Dad!"
"This is bad—Captain Marco is down!"
"Captain Jozu has also been defeated!"
"Even the captains… Damn it, is this the end?!"
"Damn it!"
Meanwhile, on the beach at Marineford—
"I thought we'd see a thrilling, epic scene. Turns out it ended in such a pathetic defeat," Kaguya said as she rose from her lounge chair. "What a disappointment."
Nearby Marines tensed up immediately, hurrying to surround the beach and pointing their guns at Kaguya—though none dared to move closer.
Just one glance from those cold eyes, and the Marines felt their hearts leap into their throats. Cold sweat drenched their backs, and they swallowed nervously. Even the grips of their weapons grew slick with sweat.
After all, this woman was none other than Artoria—one of the Four Emperors.
If she decided to act, none of them would stand a chance. She had the power to completely shift the tides of war in an instant.
From atop the platform, Sengoku noticed the disturbance and turned with a grave expression.
Artoria, are you finally making your move?
Beside her, Monet asked softly, "Master, are you going to act now?"
"The real performance is just beginning. How could I bear to let it end so quickly?" Kaguya smiled, a strange glint flashing in her icy gaze. "Otherwise, it'd be far too boring."
She began walking toward Marineford's harbor. As she raised her arm, a black and red sword appeared in her palm, and a wave of invisible, terrifying pressure instantly spread out.
As the graceful, golden-haired girl approached, terrified Marines instinctively stepped back, parting to form a path. No one dared stop her. Only after she passed did they exhale in relief—only to realize their backs were soaked in cold sweat.
The battlefield was filled with the roar of gunfire and cannon blasts. Blades clashed, blood splattered, flames roared, and the stench of smoke choked the air. Screams and battle cries blended into one chaotic storm—it was hell on earth.
"Too noisy," Kaguya said softly.
Everyone around looked confused, unsure what she meant.
Too noisy?
What did she mean by that?
"I said… you're too noisy." Kaguya lifted her head. A formless aura surged from her pale-golden eyes. "Silence."
As soon as the words fell, an overwhelming pressure exploded from her body. Like a boulder dropped into still waters, it created a tidal wave of force.
Under this soul-shaking aura, combatants across the battlefield froze. Their minds went blank, and like puppets with their strings cut, they collapsed to the ground one by one without warning.
Sengoku's pupils shrank violently. "Such powerful Conqueror's Haki…"
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