The vast battlefield fell into an eerie, inexplicable silence.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Sengoku and Luo Yu—who were now sincerely "praising" Nusjuro with such over-the-top earnestness that it bordered on mockery. Even Shanks and his crew were speechless.
When Luo Yu had lashed out at a Five Elder without warning, they had all wondered how this would end.
But none of them had expected Luo Yu to flip the script so completely—turning the tables with a straight face and branding Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro as an imposter.
And the worst part?
The Five Elder had no way to refute it.
After all, that brief but earth-shattering clash had ended with Nusjuro nearly cleaved in half and fleeing in disgrace—right in front of everyone.
And with Big News Morgans livestreaming the whole thing, it meant that in mere moments, not just those present—but the entire world—would know what had happened at Marineford.
Now, with Luo Yu publicly calling him a fake, Nusjuro had two options:
Stay silent and let the "imposter" narrative preserve some dignity for the Five Elders. Or retaliate—thereby confirming to the world that it really was a Five Elder who got sent flying by a single slash.
Either way, the Five Elders' mystique would take a hit.
At this point, Nusjuro hadn't just been slashed for nothing—he might have to publicly thank Luo Yu for "exposing a fraud."
Just imagining Nusjuro's face when he found out made everyone's facial muscles twitch uncontrollably.
But that was all secondary.
The real question now was: Would the battle continue?
As the dust finally began to settle, all eyes turned once more to Sengoku.
The ruins of Marineford radiated tension like a drawn blade.
Sengoku, face dark, turned to Rayleigh and the others.
Facing a force equivalent to three Yonko crews, he knew continuing the fight would be disastrous.
And with a Five Elder having appeared without warning, Sengoku had to be more cautious than ever. As Fleet Admiral, he knew better than anyone what the Five Elders were capable of—especially when they decided someone needed to disappear.
Even the Navy wasn't safe from that kind of wrath.
"Leave. This battle ends here," Sengoku said at last, clenching his fist.
"Next time we meet, let fate decide who lives and dies."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Akainu protested, face grim.
But Sengoku shook his head.
"This ends here. There will be other chances. Don't forget—our duty isn't just to hunt pirates. It's to protect the seas."
"If we burn through the last of our strength here, the world will truly fall into chaos."
Akainu's fists clenched, his knuckles cracking audibly.
He growled, then turned and stormed off.
"Hmph. Useless mercy. If I ever lead the Navy, I won't let a single speck of evil slip past me."
"What I want… is absolute justice."
His voice echoed through the ruins.
Sengoku knew this side of Akainu well.
But even he hadn't expected the most hardline voice in the Navy to back down so easily.
Was it because of Luo Yu?
As the thought crossed his mind, Sengoku watched Akainu's retreating back and quietly exhaled.
Then he turned to Rayleigh and the others.
In that moment, both Marines and pirates alike felt the same thing:
Relief.
The war was finally over.
That feeling of surviving the impossible washed over them all.
Even the pirates and Marines who had been at each other's throats now wore the same expression—exhausted, but alive.
"Heh… Fleet Admiral Sengoku, thanks for the favor. We'll be going now," Rayleigh said, his silver hair fluttering in the wind as he took a swig of liquor.
"Your Navy's raised quite the remarkable junior. I hope he really does change the world."
"This flag… might be flying for the last time."
"Old friends—let's go."
With that, Rayleigh turned and waved his hand.
The others followed, carrying Whitebeard's body back to their ship.
Marco and the rest were still grieving, but they clearly had no intention of lingering.
They took the helm and made their escape.
Only Shanks' Red Force remained behind.
He glanced back at the massive scar carved across the sea—Luo Yu's slash stretching to the horizon—and his expression darkened.
But he said nothing.
He simply turned and signaled his crew to depart.
As the pirates finally withdrew, the crushing tension that had blanketed the ruins of Marineford lifted at last.
Many Marines, having fought all day, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
In the end, no matter the war—
Surviving was the greatest victory.
"Sengoku, your decision didn't surprise me," Tsuru said, finally exhaling.
"But you know as well as I do—this won't sit well with the Five Elders."
Sengoku nodded silently.
"I know what you're worried about, Tsuru."
"But compared to me, the one in real danger now… is Luo Yu."
"He's too unpredictable. And that's exactly what the Five Elders fear most."
"But this isn't the place to discuss it. First, let's clear out the non-Navy personnel."
He turned toward the hovering figure nearby.
"Big News Morgans. If you're not leaving, do you want me to escort you personally?"
"Haha! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, no need to be so formal," Morgans cackled, flapping into the air.
He adjusted his tie, cleared his throat, and turned to the Den Den Mushi camera.
"Haha! Before I go, as a professional journalist, I can't forget the most important headline of all!"
"Breaking news! Second battlefield—Impel Down! Yonko Kaido versus Navy's Fourth Admiral, Luo Yu! Kaido defeated! Admiral Luo Yu victorious!"
"First battlefield—Marineford! Navy versus Whitebeard Pirates! Yonko Whitebeard slain by Admiral Luo Yu!"
"This war… is a Navy victory!"