The Blackbeard Pirates suffered a disastrous loss in this battle.
Teach exchanged the tragic deaths of several core crewmates for a slim chance of survival, and, together with Shiryu, Van Augur, and the others, fled in a sorry state from Doflamingo's grasp.
But Giant Sanjuan Wolf and "Crescent Hunter" Catarina Devon weren't able to escape their fate.
Their huge bodies collapsed on the ground, flesh mangled, severed limbs scattered everywhere, chunks of meat slowly rolling down to Doflamingo's feet.
Doflamingo, draped in a bloodstained feathered coat, wore a gloomy expression. His eyes beneath the sunglasses flickered with scarlet fury.
He glared fixedly at Blackbeard's group as they grew more and more distant, the muscles in his face twitching.
"To think you'd make me lose face in front of Lord Jotaro! Blackbeard! One day, I'll personally cut you down with my own hands!"
His fists clenched tight, knuckles cracking, his tone cold as ice.
———
"Let's go!" After rescuing Ace, Whitebeard had already accomplished the purpose of this trip.
He didn't want to keep tangling with the Navy, so he ordered his men to retreat at once.
BOOM!
The earth let out a tearing wail, as the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surged like raging waves. A wide swath of buildings was flattened, and a massive bottomless chasm ripped open in the middle of the battlefield, cutting off the pursuers.
"Pops! Are you alright?!"
Ace rushed to hold him up.
Whitebeard's body was already covered in wounds, his breathing was unusually heavy, but flames of will still burned in his eyes.
He clenched his teeth, forcibly summoned the last remnants of power within, and with one palm strike sent Ace flying across to the other side.
"What I'm about to say is my final order as captain!"
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, listen closely!"
When he came to Marineford today, he had already embraced death.
Everyone returning alive? Perhaps that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
He himself, couldn't move anymore…
"Pops!!!"
Realizing something was wrong, the crew stood on the other side of the fissure, shouting at the top of their lungs, tears bursting forth.
"Weren't we supposed to return to the New World together?!"
"Don't say such unlucky words, we don't want to hear it!!"
BOOM!
Bloodshot filled Whitebeard's eyes as he swung his arm, unleashing another quake that blasted the chasing Navy to pieces.
With his back to his crew, his towering figure stood immovable like a mountain.
"This is where I'll say goodbye to you!"
"Everyone must live on, and safely return to the New World!"
"I am a remnant of the old era. There's no ship in the new era I can board anymore!"
"Go now, my sons!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates all broke into tears, crying so hard they could hardly breathe, their anguished roars shaking the heavens.
Whitebeard's mouth curved into a grin. Staring at the three Admirals before him, and Sengoku and Garp behind them, he laughed, "Come then, let's settle this once and for all."
Sengoku's face was covered in black lines.
"If we let Whitebeard escape again, the Navy's prestige will be completely ruined after today!"
Kizaru, in his sleazy manner, "A man on the verge of death… and still this terrifying… I don't even dare get close…"
Aokiji squinted lazily, cold air swirling around him.
"You want to sink all of Marineford to the bottom of the sea? I won't let you do that."
Fujitora's fingers moved lightly, his sword hilt slightly raised. Even before it left its sheath, a cold light like thunder slashed across the sky.
"Whitebeard, truly extraordinary… The aura you give off alone is enough to make these old bones bristle with chills."
His voice was low, filled with respect, yet also determination.
"Though my power is frail, still, today I will give my all in battle!"
Seeing his crew still standing there stupidly, eyes full of tears, unwilling to leave, Whitebeard suddenly roared back at them, "Go!! You idiots! You won't even obey your captain's order?!"
Whoosh!
At that moment, though Kizaru had just said he wouldn't step forward, he was the first to attack.
He transformed into a blinding beam of light, flashing beside Whitebeard with uncatchable speed, his light-speed kick wrapped in Armament Haki, tearing through the air.
Whitebeard shifted his body slightly, steadying himself in a single step, then clenched his right fist tight.
Crack!!
The space itself shattered, and the ferocious quake power directly counter-shocked Kizaru.
"Oh? He really is a monster…" Kizaru retreated quickly.
Fujitora leapt into the air, eyes still closed yet sensing everything perfectly, bringing down a thunderous slash.
Clang!
Blades clashed as Whitebeard raised his naginata to meet it.
In their clash of Haki, Fujitora held the upper hand.
"My apologies!"
Squelch!
A horrific slash tore across Whitebeard's chest, blood gushing forth.
"Pops!!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates screamed in horror, voices trembling.
Whitebeard gritted his teeth, stood firm, his knees never once bending. He stood like a mountain, panting heavily, as though he might collapse at any moment.
But just then, a wave of icy coldness struck.
Aokiji finally moved.
His overwhelming frost surged forward, ice rapidly crawling across the ground, chains of frost binding toward Whitebeard's legs, trying to bury him entirely in ice.
Crack!
The quake power caused tiny cracks to form in the ice.
But at last, Whitebeard could no longer hold on.
The cracks were instantly sealed over by new ice, which quickly spread across Whitebeard's entire body.
At that moment, the eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates nearly split apart, despair written across their faces.
And just as the frost was about to seal Whitebeard's final breath...
"Ora!!!"
A purple fist suddenly appeared, crashing like a meteor straight into Aokiji's face.
Aokiji's expression changed. He sensed the danger and tried to elementalize to dodge, but compared to the Haki infused in that strike, he was just slightly too slow.
His head snapped aside, and his whole body was blasted back as if swept up by a violent gale.
"You haven't left yet? If you don't go now, it'll be too late!" Whitebeard, unable to move, could only roll his eyes toward Jotaro, pupils contracting violently.
"These men… they're monsters not to be underestimated… Even you will find it difficult to escape here unscathed!"
"Go! Don't mind me!"
Jotaro's expression was indifferent, as if he hadn't heard, striding closer.
He wasn't stupid enough to fight the Navy HQ and three Admirals head-on, but if it was just covering the retreat, he could do it.
He stared coldly at Whitebeard, voice steady but blunt, "Cut the nonsense, old man! If you want to live, shut your mouth."
"Ora ora ora ora ora…"
Star Platinum's fists hammered against Whitebeard, each blow controlled with peerless precision, shattering the thick ice without harming Whitebeard in the slightest.
"You…" Whitebeard hadn't expected Jotaro's control over power to be this refined.
"Ripple Overdrive!"
Golden ripples spread through Whitebeard's body, and instantly his complexion improved.
"This… this is unbelievable." Whitebeard clenched his fists, feeling the power awakened in his body, eyes full of shock.
"If you'd mastered Ripple, today wouldn't have been this miserable." Jotaro said faintly.
Hearing that, Whitebeard grinned.
"I'm old. I can't accept these new things anymore."
Jotaro snorted lightly, saying nothing more.
Seventy years old, that's still the prime age to fight, isn't it?
"The Ripple only eases your injuries, it doesn't completely heal them. Don't force your quake powers again." Jotaro warned in time, seeing Whitebeard preparing to use his Devil Fruit once more.
"Lord Jotaro!!!" Doflamingo descended from the sky, kneeling on one knee at Jotaro's side, fists clenched, voice trembling with fear,
"I failed your trust… I let Blackbeard… escape!"
Jotaro gave him only a cold glance, saying nothing.
Doflamingo lowered his head further, hands shaking slightly, face dark with shame.
'Has Lord Jotaro lost faith in me?'
'What a disgrace I've shown!!!'
———
"You must go! Staying here will only drag me down!" Jotaro's face suddenly grew grave.
Aokiji, Kizaru, and Fujitora had already closed in from three directions, surrounding them.
Jotaro's fist had indeed hit Aokiji. That blow was fierce and heavy, smashing into his face, even sending out a shockwave.
But a single punch wasn't enough to defeat the Ice Admiral.
Aokiji's Haki was formidable, and his mastery over the Ice-Ice Fruit was flawless.
The battlefield was already covered in his frost, he could transfer himself through the ice at any moment.
Even so, his expression was uglier than ever.
Because before his body had fully elementalized, it all happened in a flash.
Star Platinum's fist had touched him.
Even if it was only a grazing blow, only brushing against his skin, the speed and power of it were enough to make him break out in cold sweat, heart pounding with dread.
"Lord Jotaro!" Doflamingo, realizing his intent, immediately tried to stop him, his voice unusually urgent,
"You want to take on three Admirals alone? Even Whitebeard at his peak couldn't do that!"
His chest tightened, Lord Jotaro had greater missions to fulfill, how could he be buried here in a futile struggle?
"Let me stay behind to cover you!" Doflamingo's eyes hardened, volunteering. "I was once one of the Celestial Dragons. Even if they capture me, they won't dare act rashly.
"At most, they'll just lock me back up in Impel Down. Fufufu… If I can hear news of Lord Jotaro wreaking havoc in the outside world, even in that dark, damp prison, I won't feel bored."
"Shut up!"
Jotaro's brows furrowed, face severe, full of impatience.
"Didn't you hear me?! You staying here will only hold me back!"
At that moment, Whitebeard spoke.
He looked at Jotaro seriously. "He isn't exaggerating. Admirals and Vice Admirals may only differ by one rank, but in strength it's like heaven and earth."
"Against one, you might even gain the upper hand."
"But against three at once… even you, Jotaro, won't be able to withstand it."
"Besides, from the start of this battle until now, your stamina and Haki have been consumed more than the three of them combined."
"To stay here and fight them to the death is no wise choice…"
"Yare yare…" Jotaro closed his eyes, voice tinged with helplessness. "Old man, I never said I was going to fight them to the bitter end."
"These three may be the strongest opponents I've ever faced." Jotaro raised his palm. "Five minutes. I can stall them for five more minutes."
"So, don't waste time. Get out of here."
His resolute gaze stabbed into Whitebeard's like a blade, making him swallow back the words he was about to say.
Five minutes.
Just a short five minutes.
But against the Navy's three Admirals...
"Lord Jotaro!"
Doflamingo bit his teeth, about to protest again, but Whitebeard roared furiously and cut him off.
"Blond brat! Believe in him!" Turning his back, a grin spread across his face. "Let's witness the miracle together!"
'Lord Jotaro!!!'
Doflamingo glanced once at Jotaro's solitary figure, fists clenched so hard they cracked.
A shame like he had never known before erupted inside him.
For the sake of letting his men escape, this man…
'What overwhelming will, what overwhelming courage!'
The more he thought, the more Doflamingo burned with shame.
Outwardly, he seemed crazed and arrogant. But inside, he had always been afraid, afraid of the World Government, afraid of the Navy, afraid of the Four Emperors…
No wonder he could never be king.
Compared to Lord Jotaro, he was nothing but filthy excrement not even worthy of a dog's attention.
'Aaaaaaah!!!!'
"Blond brat! What are you spacing out for?!" Whitebeard coldly reminded. "Let's go!"
"Old man! I don't need you telling me that!" Doflamingo gritted his teeth, eyes flashing. "I will unwaveringly carry out every command of Lord Jotaro!"
As soon as he finished, threads of white shot from his fingers, wrapping around the clouds above.
His body shot upward, leaping across the fissure even faster than Whitebeard.
In midair, he couldn't help but look back.
That proud, solitary back, like an immovable peak for all eternity.
"Ahhhh!! Lord Jotaro is just too dazzling!!"
"To think this unruly brat would one day be tamed!"
Whitebeard withdrew his gaze from Doflamingo and returned it to Jotaro. The latter's back stood tall and unyielding like a mountain. Even facing the three Admirals at once, he remained immovable.
"Though that blond brat's methods are shameful, he still has some kingly bearing. To make such a man bow his head… only someone extraordinary could do that."
Suddenly Whitebeard froze, an old stirring in his heart.
'If it had been me, back then…'
'If I had met someone like Jotaro...'
'Would I too have gladly become a crewmember on that ship?'
'Maybe, without Jotaro even asking, I would have boarded myself!'
'I'd want to become his family.'
Whitebeard couldn't help but chuckle.
"No mistake about it! He has a special aura that draws people to him."
He strode across the fissure, his back tall and straight, as if he had once again found the burning blood and conviction of his youth.
"I've started to look forward, to the kind of era you will create, Jotaro."
"Pops!!!"
Seeing Whitebeard walk proudly toward them, the crew's eyes instantly filled with tears.
Their Pops had returned.
"Sons! Let's go home!!"
Whitebeard raised his right hand, voice like a great bell.
"Raaaahhhhhh!!!!!"
The crew's answering roar crashed through the heavens like a storm.
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