"Then we’ll be leaving too." Looking at the somber atmosphere, Shanks gave a light laugh to ease the tension. "Mihawk, want to come with us? We’re throwing a party next."
He invited both Mihawk and Rayleigh to leave with them.
The Marines made no move to stop them. They simply watched the group depart, their faces ashen. After all, they had no reason to start a war now.
This dramatic turn of events caught Dante off guard as well. He never expected Sengoku to commit to a death match, only for the World Government to surrender first. Was Mock’s threat not big enough, or was Shanks’s face really worth that much? Dante couldn’t figure it out. Right now, though, looking at his subordinates behind him, he sighed.
"Let’s go too."
Marine HQ would be a chaotic mess soon enough, it was best not to get in the way.
However, just as they turned toward the pier, a cold voice rang out.
"Who said you could leave? Any traitor must be punished. Marine HQ will absolutely never allow any Marine to go independent."
Sakazuki stared coldly at Dante. "Rebel Leader, Dante Ashford. All of you stay right here..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Dante moved.
*Whoosh!*
He unleashed a massive flying slash, striking directly into the Headquarters building behind Sakazuki. Instantly, the thick stone pillar shaped like a seagull spreading its wings severed clean through.
He had been on guard.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you planning to break your promise? That’s not a good look." Dante smiled, fixing his gaze on Sengoku. "Don’t tell me you think we’re pushovers."
As soon as he spoke, Kuma, Kuro, Enel, and the rest stepped up. They took their positions at Dante’s back, staring down the HQ officers.
"I really didn’t expect this. Marine HQ going back on their word so soon?" Kuro pushed up his glasses, a mocking smile on his face. "Is your so-called justice nothing but bullying the weak and fearing the strong?"
This time, the East Blue Marines were squaring off against HQ.
A moment later, Sengoku broke his silence. His voice carried a melancholy as he sighed in resignation. "You may leave. I truly never expected this. Zephyr actually developed another monster. Perhaps letting Zephyr leave was our greatest loss after all."
Dante’s strength was genuinely unexpected. He truly lived up to being a prodigy who graduated after just two and a half years of training.
"I just hope..." Sengoku gave Dante a pointed look. "...the next time we meet, you can still be this confident."
He was letting them go this time, but the next, they wouldn’t be getting this lucky. As for the so-called promise, no one took it seriously. It would be torn up the moment it became inconvenient.
Hearing Sengoku’s words, Sakazuki knitted his brows. "Fleet Admiral!"
"It doesn’t matter anymore. The Marines have already been humiliated publicly today, so one more time makes no difference." Sengoku waved his hand, a faint trace of resentment lingering in his tone. "Even if someone has to suffer for it, let the World Government be the ones with the headache. You all leave. Marine HQ will be very busy next, so you are not welcome."
"Is that so? Then I won’t disturb you any longer."
Dante went along with it smoothly. Choosing not to entangle himself with Sakazuki, he turned right around, leading his subordinates toward the pier. His objective had been accomplished, there was no need to stay.
Seeing this, Sengoku shook his head in bitter resignation. "He’s certainly a slippery. If he had been like this back in the day, how would he ever have been exiled?"
"Hmph! He’s nothing but ambitious." Sakazuki let out a dismissive scoff, his fist clenching as he watched Dante’s departing back. "He will definitely bring big trouble. You will regret today’s decision eventually."
"Perhaps. But do you really think we can still keep fighting now?" Sengoku looked at the corpses covering the plaza and the surviving Marines whose morale had plummeted. They had already let the pirates go, how could they force these exhausted soldiers to fight again?
"I’ll leave the casualty reports to you." He sighed. "Next, I must go and accept my punishment."
With that, he ignored everyone else and walked away. To the eyes of the remaining Marines, his back seemed hunched, looking far more desolate than before.
The public execution had failed.
Inside the center of the world’s highest power, the Gorosei were locked in a heated argument.
"Just agree to Red Hair’s demands like that?"
"What else? Start an all-out war? We aren’t ready for that!"
"Too bad we still haven’t found Vegapunk. Caesar is an idiot, so the artificial human project can only be shelved for now."
"Perhaps the Revolutionary Army did kidnap him."
Those broke revolutionaries couldn’t afford to fund Vegapunk. Besides, this wasn’t the time to discuss scientists.
"Let’s talk about the East Blue Overlord! The execution failed, and Mock spouted those disastrous words!"
"What else can we do? We gave Marine HQ a chance, but those losers couldn’t take him out after all this time. Are we really supposed to start an all-out war with the Yonko?"
"How did the Figarland family produce such an obnoxious kid?"
"Three of the Yonko showed up, plus Rayleigh. This is bad. We had no choice but to stand down. As promised, Red Hair and the Pirate King’s remaining crew will announce to the sea that the boy is not Roger’s son."
"A pirate’s promise? What have we come to!"
"But that’s enough, as long as the Emperors don’t cause trouble. Rather than rushing into a major war, we’re better off waiting. As for the other pirates... our true threat has never been the ones who only know how to burn, kill, and plunder!"
"Not a single one of them gives us peace of mind."
"How do we explain this to Sengoku?"
"We explain to him? Are you joking? So what if he’s the Fleet Admiral? He’s just a dog raised by the World Government. If he doesn’t want the job, others do. We gave him a chance, and he failed to seize it."
"He’s already here. Right outside."
"Fine, let him in."
The cold voice cut through the air. The luxurious doors swung open, and Sengoku walked in with a dark expression.
Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates had won the war, but it was a pyrrhic victory at best.
Back on the ship, grief swept through the crew as they realized the brothers they drank with just last night were gone. After a brief memorial, the sorrow began to fade. As men of the sea, they had been prepared for death from the moment they set sail.
Besides, since they won so spectacularly, they had to throw a party to celebrate. They poured drinks into the churning water for their fallen brothers, to tell them the Whitebeard Pirates had survived.
"A toast to our fallen brothers! To our victory, and to Mock!"
Everyone raised their rum.
Reborn, Teach raised his glass too, but not for his so-called brothers. He drank to his new life, and to his dreams. His dreams wouldn’t die so easily.
Covered head to toe in bandages, with only his eyes and mouth exposed, he still managed to raise a glass. After downing the rum, Teach’s eyes turned red.
"Being alive is damn good," he muttered.
This whole incident had nothing to do with him. He only boarded the ship to ease the tension between those half-brothers, so why was he the one who had to suffer the most damage?
Just as Teach was marveling at his survival, a voice cut in. "By the way, Teach, where’s Mock?"
Diamond Jozu approached with a glass in hand, worry coloring his voice. "I wonder if he’ll be all right after sinking to the bottom of the sea."
His words snapped the crew out of their revelry. Even Ace mirrored the sentiment. He had initially refused to acknowledge that half-brother of his, but after spending time together, he had grown to accept the punk. Many claimed the brat was just like the Pirate King. Perhaps he would inherit Roger’s will. As for himself, Ace figured he was probably nothing more than an accident.
"Ace, what’s wrong? Are you worried about him?" Marco noticed Ace’s downcast eyes and walked over with a smile. He patted Ace’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. Rayleigh wouldn’t harm him. I also heard Rayleigh gets along well with the fish-men, so maybe he asked them for help?"
"Rayleigh does have a good relationship with Fish-Man Island!" Jinbe stepped forward, his voice deep. "Of course, I sneaked out here on my own this time, so I don’t know their current situation. I will ask them when I get back." A trace of worry flickered in his eyes. To save Teach, he had left the Sun Pirates and acted as an individual. Would this implicate his home?
"Zehahaha! That’s right." Teach chimed in with a grin, settling back into his Mr. Nice Guy act. "Mock saved my life too. Rest assured, I’ll definitely help find him!"
"Teach, in your current condition, you should get some rest. Also, remember to bathe more often from now on. When I was treating you earlier, I didn’t even know where to start. No wonder the water turns black every time you soak your feet."
"Zehahaha! I was just locked up in prison for so long, my body got a little dirty!" Teach offered an awkward smile and quickly changed the subject. "Right, we’re talking about Mock. Ace is worried, so why don’t we arrange a search party? Come to think of it, I’m worried about him too! He ended up like this just to save me."
"That’s right, Ace. We’ll send people out to search! We can also ask the Red Hair Pirates later."
"He was so commanding!"
"So, instead of worrying about Mock, you should worry about Teach!"
"Gurararara! If you have any troubles, you can always come to me!" Newgate boomed.
"That’s right, because we are family!"
Everyone gathered around, chiming in to comfort Ace. Seeing this, the gloom in his heart vanished. He smiled as he looked at those before him. Marco, Jozu, Thatch, Vista, Teach... Pops, Luffy, and Sabo. Perhaps his birth was an accident, but he had found his true family.
Ace shook his head and smiled. "I’m not worried about him. Mock doesn’t need me to worry about him!" He looked up at the sails. "He started his fame as the East Blue Overlord, and a contender for the Pirate King. Of course, I won’t give up either. The only one who can become the Pirate King is Pops!"
"That’s right, Pops is the Pirate King!"
"Even if it’s Mock, we won’t go easy on him!"
"Let’s raise a glass to Pops!"
"Gurararara! I’ve already found my own One Piece! The new era belongs to you!"
===============
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