CHAPTER 168 — End of the war
The Red-Haired Pirates' ship cut through the sea with calm precision, its red sails catching the wind like a signal the world itself recognized.
The moment it became fully visible, Marineford fell silent.
Across the ruined battlefield, the noise faded in waves. Cannon smoke still drifted in the air. Fires still burned where magma and quake had torn the ground apart. Wounded men still lay groaning where medics struggled to reach them. But the fighting itself slowed… then stopped.
Marines froze where they stood.
Some gripped their rifles tighter, knuckles white, fingers hovering near triggers they no longer dared to pull. Others lowered their weapons without even realizing it, eyes fixed on the sea. Veterans who had fought pirates for decades felt a heavy pressure settle in their chests. Newer Marines swallowed hard, sensing danger without fully understanding it.
Pirates stopped mid-motion as well.
Blades halted inches from their targets. Attacks already in motion lost their force and fell apart. Some pirates slowly backed away toward their ships.
Silence spread unnaturally fast, like a wave rolling over the battlefield.
Everyone understood.
Two Emperors were now present.
And that meant disaster.
This was not coincidence. No one believed it was. The timing was too precise. The weight of it too heavy. Whatever happened next would not be another clash. It would be something final.
At the center of Marineford, Sengoku stood still, his eyes locked on the approaching ship. His expression was calm, but his mind moved quickly.
Ace had escaped.
That alone should have ended the war, but it hadn't.
Whitebeard was still standing.
Injured, bleeding, but unbroken. Still commanding his forces. Still strong enough to shake the island itself.
Marine forces were exhausted.
Men were wounded. Ships were damaged or sunk. Morale was cracked, even if no one dared say it aloud.
And now another Emperor had arrived.
Not rushing in. Not attacking. Just arriving.
Sengoku understood immediately what this meant.
If this turned into Whitebeard and Red-Hair against the Marines, Marineford would be destroyed. Completely. There would be no victory to claim. No justice to announce. Only ruins and corpses.
Continuing would not prove strength.
It would prove foolishness.
Sengoku did not order an attack.
He did not raise his voice.
He did not escalate.
Instead, he waited.
Prepared to listen.
Nearby, Garp stood with his arms at his sides, staring at the sea. The tension he had carried since Ace's execution order had finally eased. Ace was alive. Luffy was alive. Whatever came next, his family had survived. That was enough.
Not far away, Kuzan relaxed just slightly. The ice beneath his feet did not spread further. He remained ready, but no longer aggressive. He had already chosen his stance earlier. He would not support another reckless charge.
Kizaru watched quietly, hands in his pockets, his unreadable expression hidden behind his glasses. He made no move to interfere. No move to attack. He simply observed.
Only one man still burned with rage.
Akainu stood rigid, magma simmering beneath his skin. His fists were clenched so tightly that heat warped the air around them. His eyes locked onto Whitebeard, then flicked toward the Red-Haired ship.
Ace had escaped.
Whitebeard still stood.
Justice had not been fulfilled.
Every instinct in him screamed to attack. To burn everything down. To force an ending through sheer destruction.
But something had changed.
Kuzan was already opposing him.
Kizaru was not moving.
Sengoku was silent.
The Marines would not follow an order to charge into two Emperors.
For the first time since the war began, Akainu was alone.
He did not charge Whitebeard.
He did not attack the Red-Haired Pirates.
He knew what would happen if he did.
Mutiny. Death. Collapse.
His magma did not erupt. Instead, it simmered, trapped beneath his skin. His rage turned inward, sharp and bitter, burning without release.
The Red-Haired ship slowed, then came to a full stop.
No cannons fired.
No voices shouted.
No threats were made.
That calm was heavier than any barrage.
Then a figure stepped forward on the deck.
Shanks.
He walked casually, hands relaxed, posture loose, as if stepping onto a quiet dock rather than the edge of a battlefield soaked in blood. His presence spread across Marineford like a steady tide, firm but not overwhelming.
He simply looked around.
At the Marines.
At the pirates.
At Whitebeard.
Then he spoke.
"This war ends here. Anyone who still wants to fight… fight me."
Red-Haired Shanks drew his sword with one hand, unsheathing it in a single smooth motion.
The words were simple. Flat. Calm.
No one moved.
Marines were exhausted. Their lines were broken. Their leaders divided. Another clash would mean annihilation.
Whitebeard's side was already withdrawing. His sons were injured, tired, and leaving the field. The old man had done enough.
The Red-Haired Pirates were fresh.
And Diana still stood among the pirates, an unknown force who had already proven she could push back an Admiral.
Sengoku closed his eyes briefly.
Then he opened them.
He did not give the order to attack. Instead, he declared,
"The war is over."
Garp exhaled slowly, tension leaving his shoulders.
Kuzan's posture loosened just a little more.
Kizaru remained still.
Akainu clenched his fists until magma dripped from his knuckles, but he obeyed.
High above, Marshall D. Teach watched from the shadows.
His grin was gone.
The plan had failed.
This was not his stage anymore.
"Not now," he muttered.
He would take what he wanted later.
Meanwhile, far from Marineford, the Sabaody Archipelago lay quiet.
The Marines sent by Vice Admiral Gion arrived at the auction district with careful steps. The streets were empty. No crowds. No shouting. No pirates.
Behind them came a Celestial Dragon, carried lazily atop a slave, CP0 agents flanking him, a servant hurrying at his side.
The auction area was barren.
No kneeling masses.
No entertainment.
No noise.
The Celestial Dragon scowled.
"This place is boring," he complained loudly.
The servant bowed repeatedly, apologizing, promising that the area would be cleared and improved.
They continued forward.
At the same time, Mindy, Saeko, Naruto, Tony, and Gaius walked through the district after storing their treasures away. They had not expected Marines.
Gaius had sensed them earlier, but said nothing.
Then both groups saw each other.
Marines tensed.
And behind them, the Celestial Dragon came into view.
~~
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