At that moment, Bob's toes tapped lightly in the air, accompanied by a loud sonic boom.
His figure vanished instantly from the spot.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a massive pirate ship was approaching Marineford.
Under the howling wind, a flag fluttered wildly atop the mast, its wavy surface revealing the faint outline of a white skull.
The skull bore a red scar over its left eye, with two crossed swords etched behind it.
This was the flag of the Red Hair Pirates, one of the Four Emperors.
Shanks stood at the bow, arms crossed over his chest, gazing ahead, surrounded by his core crew members: Ben Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux and Rockstar.
"What's going on? Why can't we see Marineford yet?"
"Did we take a wrong turn?" Yasopp frowned, scanning the vast, empty ocean as he spoke.
"There's no way we're wrong about Marineford's location. It's definitely in this area!" Beckman's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone firm.
As pirates, if they couldn't even locate Marineford correctly, they might as well quit sailing these seas.
Especially since they were one of the Four Emperors.
"That deafening explosion earlier came from this direction, along with that massive mushroom cloud!"
"The battle might already be over... We're too late!" Shanks slowly lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword, his expression somber.
The war at Marineford wasn't just a clash between the Marines and pirates—it would send shockwaves through the world, altering the entire world balance.
As one of the Four Emperors, a man standing at the pinnacle of this world, he had to do something.
Like stopping this war from escalating further...
"Hah..."
"The air still carries the scent of scorched earth and heat!" Rockstar took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
The earthy smell was faint but still distinguishable amidst the lingering warmth.
And that meant one thing: Marineford had been here—but it had sunk beneath the waves during the battle.
The traces of earth in the air were proof...
"Marineford... really sank?" Shanks gaze wavered slightly, his murmur laced with disbelief.
This was Marineford, the Marines' headquarters, fortified with overwhelming firepower.
Beyond the top-tier fighters, even the Five Elders had been stationed there.
At this moment, despite being a pirate, Shanks felt no joy over Marineford's destruction.
Because it signified the World Government's defeat—and the cataclysmic changes that would follow.
Just then—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air from afar.
In an instant, a bald man materialized before everyone's eyes.
Before they could react, their expressions twisted in shock.
The bald man was already standing on the deck, locking eyes with Red Hair Shanks.
"Bob!!" Shanks stared at the sudden intruder, his pupils trembling with astonishment.
And he wasn't the only one—everyone aboard felt their hearts lurch violently.
Before their arrival, they had already learned who the person before them was through the live broadcast screen and they were well aware of his performance at the God Valley—his strength was terrifying.
For a moment, everyone stared blankly at Bob, not even daring to think of making a move.
The oppressive aura radiating from him made their very souls tremble.
"Give me some face!"
"Go back where you came from!" Bob placed his hand on Shanks shoulder and spoke slowly.
With that—
Without waiting for Shanks response— His presence surged abruptly and with a light tap of his toes—he vanished.
"BOOM!"
The sturdy deck was instantly shattered into a massive gap, splinters of wood flying and tearing through the sky.
And Bob transformed into a streak of light, vanishing from the world in an instant.
It took a long while before the crowd snapped out of their shock.
Watching Bob's departure, they couldn't help but secretly sigh in relief.
Wiping the sweat from their brows, they steadied their emotions before turning their gazes in unison towards their Captain Shanks, awaiting his orders.
"Retreat!" Shanks sighed helplessly, his eyes still fixed on the direction where Bob had disappeared, his expression unreadable.
Bob's appearance had clarified all their doubts.
Marineford had sunk, the World Government was defeated and their presence here was no longer needed.
As soon as he spoke, the helmsman adjusted the ship's course, steering it in the opposite direction.
The pirate ship eventually disappeared from the sea.
The Battle of Marineford had come to an end, but its repercussions were far from over—in fact, they only grew more intense across the world.
The moment the battle concluded, Morgans, the head of the World Economic News, sprang into action.
He compiled an article detailing the cause, progression, climax and conclusion of the battle, along with the shocking revelations it had exposed.
After much deliberation, Morgans also crafted an eye-catching headline.
"The Summit War: Gathering of the Strongest! Bob's Alliance Emerges! The Sinking of Marineford! How Will the World Order Change?"
Any single piece of news from this would have sent shockwaves across the globe—it was a story monumental enough to shake the world.
If not for the limitation on headline length, Morgans would have added two more lines.
True to expectations, the newspaper sold out the moment it hit the stands.
Morgans had no choice but to rush additional print runs overnight, mobilizing printing presses worldwide in hopes of meeting the overwhelming demand as quickly as possible.
Yet, even that couldn't keep up with the frenzy.
Within days, every detail of the battle had spread to every corner of the world.
Meanwhile, the video recordings captured by the Den Den Mushi became hot commodities, with those who missed the live broadcast willing to pay exorbitant sums to watch them.
The war was all anyone could talk about.
Morgans reputation skyrocketed to global fame thanks to this article.
And Bob—after this battle—had been exposed to the eyes of the entire world.
For a time, his brilliance overshadowed everything, whether it was the main streets and small alleys, ordinary neighborhoods, bustling downtown areas, or even remote regions.
Everyone was talking about this bald man named Bob.
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