BOOM!
A colossal wave surged forward, blasting dozens of pirate ships into the air.
And there, standing alone atop the ruins, Whitebeard held the rear.
Everyone stared, stunned.
No—
They thought he had lost his mind.
Even Blackbeard, still coughing blood from where he'd been slammed into the ground, looked on in disbelief.
Whitebeard, a Yonko, was clearly at death's door—his body old, broken, and battered.
Yet in this moment of life and death, he showed no fear. He faced it head-on, with the defiance of a man who had already made peace with death.
"Pops!"
Ace screamed, trying to activate his Flame-Flame Fruit and rush to the battlefield.
But the moment he moved, a wave of weakness swept over him.
He turned in shock—Marco, tears streaming down his face, had cuffed him with seastone shackles.
Ace froze.
Everyone else did too.
"Marco, are you insane?! That's Pops out there! You want us to just watch him die? You traitor!"
Ace roared.
"Why would you do this? Have you forgotten Pops' code, just like Teach?"
The others tensed, ready to break through Whitebeard's seaquake and return to the battlefield.
But before they could move, Buffalo Atmos stepped forward, blocking their path, tears in his eyes.
"No. This isn't Marco's fault. Pops never planned to leave alive."
"He said it himself—better for an old relic like him to die than watch his children fall."
"Marco knew. He couldn't stop it. And pushing Pops toward death with his own hands—that's the cruelest burden of all."
"He's not a traitor. He's the one who's suffered the most."
"To keep Pops' promise, he tore his heart to shreds and bore it all in silence."
Atmos's voice echoed across the sea, lingering in the air.
Ace and the others stood frozen.
They looked at the towering figure still standing, back turned to them.
A father who would give his life for his children.
Their hearts shattered. Tears flowed freely.
The entire battlefield was shaken.
No one had expected this from Whitebeard.
A titan of the era. The strongest of the Four Emperors.
A man who had lived like a conqueror—
Now choosing to die like a father.
"Captain… things have gone too far. Should we act?"
On the hidden ship Reverso, flying the flag of another Yonko, Lucky Roo turned to ask.
They had arrived at Marineford shortly after the war began.
But per Shanks' orders, they had waited for the right moment.
Now, Whitebeard's decision had thrown everything into chaos.
If they didn't act now, it might be too late.
"No. Wait a little longer," Shanks replied.
"Whitebeard is a symbol of this era. His final stand will shake the world."
"If we interfere now, we might get caught in the storm. Let him fall first."
"Then we'll make our move—and they'll owe us for it."
Lucky Roo fell silent.
Ben Beckman and the others nodded grimly.
It wasn't noble.
But in the world of pirates, nobility was a luxury.
Just like Whitebeard and Ace—
Even the strongest could be shattered by misplaced ideals.
"Luo Yu! Be careful of Whitebeard's final rampage!"
Sengoku snapped back to his senses.
"Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji—assist him! Minimize the damage!"
The three Admirals exchanged uneasy glances.
They hated working together.
But against a dying Whitebeard's fury, they had no choice.
Before they could move—
Whitebeard gripped his naginata, spread his arms wide, and laughed.
"Haha! You Navy brats never change!"
"But if I die at the hands of a brat from the new era, then so be it."
"Come! Shatter the gears of the old world. I believe you're the one who'll shake the seas—and the very foundations of this rotten order!"
"To die by your hand… that's enough for me."
"Come on! Don't forget—I'm Whitebeard!"
His laughter and roar echoed like thunder across the sky.
Everyone stared, stunned.
They had imagined many outcomes.
But not this.
Not Whitebeard choosing death.
All eyes turned to Luo Yu.
What would he do?
Inside the crimson Susanoo, Luo Yu took a sip of wine, then looked up at the blood-soaked Whitebeard.
To others, Whitebeard still looked like a lion—loud, proud, unbroken.
But Luo Yu could see the truth.
Whitebeard was already spent. Only sheer will kept him standing.
Even if Luo Yu did nothing, he would die on this battlefield.
But faced with such sincerity, Luo Yu wouldn't turn him down.
He tossed his wine gourd to Whitebeard.
Behind him, the War God Susanoo moved.
"Shift's over. See you next time."
SHING!
The crimson blade was drawn.
Its chilling hum rang out.
The Susanoo hurled the sword.
BOOM!
Just as Whitebeard finished his drink, the blade pierced his chest.
The impact streaked across the sky like a comet, slamming him into a lighthouse ten kilometers away.
CRASH!
The tower shook violently.
Whitebeard's massive body, pinned by the Susanoo blade, struck the tower with earth-shattering force.
The lighthouse crumbled.
The blade shattered.
But Whitebeard remained standing atop the broken platform.
Naginata in hand.
Eyes slowly closing.
As seawater poured from the heavens around him.