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•———•———•———•———•
Chapter's Events:
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"Fire Fist and Strawhat, Kill them both!"
Meanwhile, both Ace and Luffy were together facing the combined attacks of the Marines against them.
"You've gotten stronger, Luffy!" said Ace.
"I'll be better than you someday, Ace!!" Luffy said confidently.
"Ice Block." Both Ace and Luffy heard a heavy voice, and then cold ice appeared near them.
"Admiral Aokiji!" The Marines felt happy.
"Wah! It's him!" Luffy felt a headache just thinking about dealing with this man.
"Well, I'm still covering for you at the moment."
"Get back, Luffy!" Ace took the initiative to face Aokiji.
"Pheasant Beak!!!" A stream of ice extended from Aokiji's hand towards the two, ready to freeze them to death.
"Kyoukaen!!!" But before that could happen, Ace summoned an equal amount of flames that blocked the ice path and canceled its cold power.
It looked like an epic battle of ice and fire.
…
..
•———•———•———•———•
At Marineford, the Marines reading the manga were already on the edge of their seats, enjoying the events of the war so much that they had forgotten whose side they were on and who they should be cheering for.
"What a battle! Ace versus Aokiji…"
"Go, Ace! Kick his butt!"
"Ice can't beat fire, right?"
"Haha! Neither, I think they're just holding each other back…"
"Man, Ace was tortured the whole time in prison, it's impossible he has any stamina left to face an Admiral?"
"That's what I think too… they should consider escaping instead of fighting battles that will end in defeat."
"Luffy especially can't fight anymore… the tension hormones will wear off soon and he won't be able to get up after that."
"Oh my God, I totally forgot about that until you mentioned it! That's really dangerous!"
"Oh damn! It looks like Admiral Akainu is determined to stop them from escaping!"
"Damn you, Admiral dog—"
"Shut up! Are you crazy? What are you saying as a Marine soldier?"
The soldier who got excited earlier felt his blood run cold after realizing his excessive enthusiasm. He quickly clammed up, looking around nervously to see if anyone else had noticed his outburst.
The other Marines, however, were just as engrossed in the manga, their eyes wide with anticipation as they continued to read the intense scenes unfolding in the story.
…
In the high Marine headquarters building where the Fleet Admiral's office was, Sakazuki was looking out the window at the expanse of the sea on the horizon, then his eyes fell back to the Marineford bay.
The Marineford plaza below perfectly matched the devastated battlefield in the manga, but they were in completely different states.
The real plaza was filled with the bustling activity of Marines going about their duties, unaware of the fictional carnage taking place in the pages of the manga.
"One war with one Yonko is enough to obliterate the Marine stronghold and turn it into ruins…" Sakazuki mused, his face a mask of determination and disdain.
"All pirates must really be destroyed… and the hunters too…" he continued, his voice a low growl. His mind raced with thoughts of vengeance and the need to cleanse the world of what he perceived as its greatest threats.
"The source of evil in this world must be eradicated and erased," he declared, his fists clenching at his sides.
He returned his focus to the events of the Summit War in the open volume in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
In the manga scene, Whitebeard stopped his ship with his bare hand, on the ship was the traitor who was easily manipulated by his counterpart and made to turn against his father with a few meaningless words…
"What was his name… Squardo, right."
"Tsk… you want to sacrifice yourself? What a bold decision… as if a bug like you is enough to give them even a second of time to retreat safely."
Sakazuki sneered at the stupidity of this man named Squardo. His contempt for those who betrayed their allies was palpable, and he shook his head in disgust.
"Whitebeard is ready to stay behind… as expected."
Sengoku's eyes gleamed when he saw this scene. The Fleet Admiral, now an observer, watched with a mix of admiration and sadness. He knew the weight of leadership and the sacrifices that came with it all too well.
He felt it wouldn't really be bad to at least get Whitebeard's head, it would be difficult to get Ace's head too in this situation anyway… unless something extraordinary happened. Sengoku's mind wandered to the possible outcomes of the battle, each scenario playing out in his thoughts with a grim inevitability.
•———•———•———•———•
"Uwooohh! Why did the ship stop!!?"
The ship that was speeding towards the Marines, on which Squardo and his crew had decided to stay behind, stopped.
"Boss!!" Squardo was shocked to know the reason the ship stopped.
"Haa… The pain of a parent burying his child… Don't you realize how hard that is, Squardo!!" Whitebeard continued saying: "Don't get so full of yourself! That one slash wasn't nearly enough to take my life!! Nobody lives forever… Haa…"
The expressions of Whitebeard's sons changed after hearing that.
Whitebeard didn't care and continued; "We've accomplished what we came to do."
"…!!"
"Boss…"
"Boss…!!"
"There's no reason for us to stay here!! Cough."
"This is… My final order!!" Whitebeard took a deep breath and said: "Listen well… Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
"Last!? Wait, boss!! You don't mean…"
"We don't want to hear that!!!"
"We're going back to the New World together, right!!?"
"Boss!!!" exclaimed Ace.
"You will all part with me here!!!"
"You will all live… and safely return to the New World!!!"
After saying this, veins bulged on his arm which formed into a fist.
"B-Boss!!?"
"You plan on dying here!!?"
"The times have passed me by!!! There's no ship to take me to this new age!!!"
"Go!!! Men!!!" With one punch of his fist, Marineford shook once again and the sky cracked, another punch and the world would be destroyed.
"No, Boss!!!" Some of Whitebeard's sons succumbed to their tears at this moment.
"It's the captain's order!! We have to go!!!"
"Old man!!" Luffy was shocked.
"Boss!!" As did Ace.
(Don't look back! The times are changing!!!) These were Whitebeard's thoughts.
"Whitebeard…" Sengoku gritted his teeth after seeing this.
Whitebeard's memories returned to a distant time… when he was an rising pirate.
("Who ever heard of a pirate who doesn't want treasure? What exactly do you want?")
("…")
("Hey, Newgate!!")
…
"It's been a long journey… Let's finish it… Marines!!!" Whitebeard confirmed his determination to die here.
•———•———•———•———•
At the art store on Sphinx Island, Squardo couldn't hold back his tears any longer, he cried, and cried a lot this time.
The raw emotion of seeing his beloved Boss's final moments rendered him speechless, his heart heavy with sorrow and regret.
His tears fell on the last scene of the manga page where Whitebeard renewed his determination to stay behind and prevent anyone else from dying foolishly.
After Whitebeard finished reading this scene in the manga, he looked at his sons who gathered around him and gave him the most precious thing he had so far, most of them were crying like Squardo.
Their loyalty and love for their captain were evident in their tear-streaked faces, a testament to the bond they shared.
He wondered internally why his sons were crying… was it because they didn't want to live without him? Maybe. The thought tugged at his heart, making him reflect on the sacrifices he had made for them and the legacy he would leave behind.
At least this reality was not real, just for now, but perhaps seeing them in the manga made them feel as if they were actually living it.
The lines between fiction and reality blurred in their minds, the emotions they felt were raw and powerful.
He looked to the side and found Stussy, this charming woman who had always demanded him for herself, she was also crying sadly, no doubt her emotions were evident. Her usually composed demeanor was shattered, replaced by genuine sorrow and empathy.
"Gurarara! What a great life you lived, Whitebeard."
He would really be lying if he said that his counterpart's life and words did not affect him. The courage and conviction displayed by his manga self resonated deeply within him, stirring memories and feelings long buried.
The biggest impact was from this small scene in his memories, what pirate doesn't love treasure? He remembered it as if it was yesterday… at that time he was contemplating the sea and wishing for a family.
The longing for connection and belonging had driven him, shaping his journey and the family he had built.
"After getting what one desires… why would life matter after that? Dying with honor and meaning would be a very unique final wish."
"Well, I didn't imagine my last request would be any further than this anyway." He chuckled softly.
"It looks like they are going to win this war… right, my sons?"
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 742: A Loser from a Bygone Age?
Chapter 743: Whitebeard could have become king, but he didn't want to.
Chapter 744: Moments Before the Shock.
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