Chereads / One Piece: Elden Lord / Chapter 40 - The War Ends

Chapter 40 - The War Ends

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The atmosphere on the battlefield was thick with tension as Shanks, with his calm yet commanding presence, stood tall before Koby, who was still in shock at what had transpired. The legendary pirate spoke softly but with conviction, his words cutting through the chaos.

"Your few seconds of courage," Shanks said to Koby, "the moment you decided to throw away your life to protect everyone, have changed the fate of the world." His voice echoed in the silence that followed, and Koby, still trembling, slowly began to understand the weight of his actions.

While this exchange took place, Law, always calculating, saw the opportunity to make his escape. The battlefield had stilled momentarily, but Kizaru, sharp-eyed and relentless, was quick to react. As Law made a dash for his submarine, Kizaru raised his hand, preparing to strike him down with a beam of light.

Before the attack could land, Kai swiftly intervened, casting his Magic Shield: Thops's Barrier, blocking Kizaru's attack. The golden light scattered against the shimmering shield, and for a brief moment, Kai felt victorious. But Kizaru wasn't finished. In a blink, he unleashed a barrage of light showers from every direction, testing the limits of Kai's defense.

Kai braced himself, but the sheer volume of attacks began to overwhelm him. Just when it seemed like Kizaru's strikes would break through, every single one of them came to an abrupt halt.

"Don't move a muscle," came a calm yet deadly voice.

Kizaru, ever the cool-headed admiral, turned to his right to find Benn Beckman, Shanks' first mate, aiming a gun directly at him. The threat was implicit, and the battlefield once again found itself in an uneasy pause.

Kai, realizing this was his chance, aimed his staff at Kizaru, preparing a powerful Glintstone Shard to take the admiral down. But just as he was about to release his magic, a shot rang out, and his spell was interrupted. The shard fizzled into nothingness as Kai turned sharply to see Yasopp, the Red Hair Pirates' sharpshooter, with his rifle trained on him.

Yasopp's voice was calm, yet firm. "The battle stops for everyone now. If you try anything, I won't hesitate to end you."

Kai's frustration boiled over. His eyes flared with rage as he aimed his staff directly at Yasopp and the Red Hair Pirates. His voice was a raw scream of fury as he unleashed his pent-up emotions.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO COME AND STOP THE BATTLE LIKE THIS?!" Kai roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND CLAIM SOME MORAL HIGH GROUND! Thousands died here! I am one of them! You can't come here and act like you have some semblance of power when you've done nothing but stand on the sidelines! I will KILL THAT MAN!" His gaze was locked onto Kizaru. "HIS LIFE IS MINE AND MINE ALONE! I won't rest until he's dead, and no one will fucking stop me!"

Yasopp's grip tightened on his rifle, insulted by Kai's blatant disrespect. He prepared to shoot for real this time, but before he could, Shanks raised a hand, his voice calm but commanding.

"Stand down, Yasopp."

The tension between the two seemed unbearable, but Yasopp reluctantly lowered his rifle. Shanks, still calm, walked forward and picked up Luffy's straw hat, which had fallen during the battle. He held it with a quiet reverence as he turned to face Kai.

"I've come to end this war," Shanks said, his voice even but filled with an unmistakable authority. "And you, should understand that more bloodshed here will only lead to your death.and the death of many more pirates and marines. Is that what you want?"

Kai, still breathing heavily, his anger radiating from every fiber of his being, glanced up at the sky. His goal, his vision for revenge and power, clouded his judgment. But slowly, the weight of the situation began to sink in. He calmed himself, muttering under his breath.

'Relax, Kai... It's over... you lost. This is the end...'

The words stung him deeply, but they were the truth. His powers, his involvement in the war, had amounted to nothing substantial. He had saved Luffy from an injury, but beyond that, he had been nothing but another cog in the grand machine of chaos. He looked around, at the formidable figures on the battlefield, Shanks, Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji....and many of the monsters of the world, all of them with massive health bars towering over their heads.

'I am an Elden Ring pro' Kai thought to himself, clenching his fists. 'I know my limits. If there's anything I've learned from that game, it's that if you can't win, you leave. You level up. You come back stronger.'

Kai's magic aura dissipated, his hair returning to its normal color as he began walking forward. As he lowered his stance, Shanks, the red-haired pirate smiled faintly, impressed by Kai's understanding of the situation. But as Kai walked by, Shanks felt an unsettling chill. It wasn't that Kai was a direct threat, but the intensity in his eyes spoke of a future even Shanks couldn't fully foresee.

"What is your goal, young pirate?" Shanks asked, his voice curious.

Kai stopped, turning slightly to look at him. His eyes were cold and resolute. "I am no pirate," he said flatly. "My goal extends beyond the dream of a mere pirate." He pointed his staff toward the sky. "I want the big seat at the top."

Shanks' eyes widened slightly as a faint smile curled on his lips. Kai continued walking, his resolve steeled. As he passed, Shanks called out to Buggy, who had been hiding amidst the chaos

"Oi, Buggy!" Shanks called, casually tossing the straw hat to him. "Take this hat to Luffy."

Buggy, caught off guard and annoyed, grumbled loudly. "What the hell, Shanks? You think you can just boss me around?! Who do you think I am?! You can't just—"

Shanks interrupted, his calm voice barely above a whisper. "I'll give you a treasure chest if you do it."

Buggy's eyes lit up immediately, and his expression shifted completely. "A treasure chest, you say?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" Buggy quickly snatched the straw hat and rushed toward Law's submarine with newfound enthusiasm.

Shanks chuckled softly as Buggy ran off

....

The tension on the battlefield was palpable as Shanks took a step forward, his calm presence stilling the chaos. But the Admirals weren't about to let things end so easily.

From across the battlefield, Akainu's voice roared, dripping with venomous disdain. "How dare you, Red hair?! A pirate, interfering with Marine business! This war isn't your place!"

Shanks didn't flinch at the words, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Akainu's rage. The air crackled with Akainu's magma, but the Red-Haired pirate remained resolute.

Meanwhile, Aokiji silently prepared his next move. His eyes darted toward Trafalgar Law's submarine, already starting to submerge with Law, Luffy, and Jinbei aboard. Without a word, Aokiji reached out, unleashing a wave of freezing energy into the waters surrounding the Heart Pirates' vessel, hoping to trap them in an icy grave beneath the sea.

At the same time, Kizaru, ever the calculating tactician, aimed his hand toward the escaping submarine and released a hail of his light-based Yasakani no Magatama attack. A cascade of glowing orbs rained down from the sky, each one capable of devastating everything in their path.

"If they survive, we'll just say they got lucky," Kizaru muttered nonchalantly, watching his attack descend on the water. He made no effort to follow up as Beckerman's Pistol was now point blank on his head, while mockingly Kizaru raised his hands in the air

As the ice spread across the ocean's surface and the golden light crashed into the waters, Law's submarine narrowly evaded the full impact, its crew working frantically to escape. The ship shook violently, but they were still in one piece. Luck, indeed.

Buggy, meanwhile, returned to Shanks after handing over Luffy's straw hat, and he was livid. "Oi, Shanks! That treasure map you promised me... It's FAKE!" Buggy shouted, his face red with fury. "You think you can just trick me like that?! I'm not some fool you can lie to!"

Shanks shrugged nonchalantly, grinning. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, Buggy. I didn't think it through."

Buggy's rage grew, but his crew behind him looked on in awe. "Wow, Captain Buggy! Standing up to Shanks like that!"

"Yeah! Our Captain really is fearless!"

"Shanks doesn't scare him at all!"

Buggy grumbled under his breath but couldn't help soaking in the praise of his delusional followers. His mind began racing. If I stay close to Shanks and his crew, I can get off this island safely… He grinned inwardly at the idea, despite still glaring at his former crewmate.

Shanks turned his attention back to the battlefield. "Marco!" he called out. "It's time to withdraw. No need to encourage more fighting."

Marco the Phoenix defeated, nodded in agreement, pulling back what remained of the Whitebeard Pirates, much to the dismay of some who still had fight left in them. But the battle had already taken a toll on everyone, and even the strongest fighters were exhausted.

As Marco withdrew, another figure began to leave the battlefield. Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, turned on his heel and walked away. "I was only here to fight Whitebeard," he said plainly to the Marines. "I have no interest in fighting Red hair. That wasn't part of the agreement."

The Marines looked after him, confused but unwilling to stop him.

Shanks' gaze swept over the remaining forces, and he spoke up, his voice loud and clear. "If there's anyone else who still wants to fight… then we'll take you on. But know this—my crew and I are more than ready for you."

The silence that followed was heavy. The Marine forces, exhausted and battered, knew they couldn't afford another skirmish with another Yonko and his crew. No one dared challenge Shanks' words.

Then, Shanks turned his eyes to Blackbeard, who had been watching everything from a distance. The tension between the two pirates was thick, both knowing that a confrontation between them was inevitable. Shanks' gaze was firm, his intent clear.

But Teach grinned, satisfied with what he had gained from this war. "Zehahahaha! Not today, Red-Hair," he said, his voice booming across the battlefield. "We'll settle things another time." With that, Blackbeard turned, signaling his crew to leave as they disappeared from the scene, their ambitions for now, complete.

With Blackbeard gone, the last of the chaos began to subside. The Marines were beaten back, and the war was officially over. Shanks had put an end to it. As Buggy continued yelling at him about the fake treasure map, Shanks merely chuckled, shaking his head.

The war had ended, but its impact would ripple across the world for years to come. Kai, now walking away from the battlefield joined Buggy's crew as he took one last look at Marineford, A failure he will never forget, at the start of it all, Kai was imprisoned in Impel Down, only hoping for an Escape, he escaped, but what followed up was a bitter defeat, one he will remember forever.

[Quest Completed: Take part in the War of the Best and live to tell the tale. 

Rewards: 100,000 Runes.

Graven-Mass talisman

Assassin's Cerulean Dagger

Failed to Achive Objective Award Save Yonko Whitebeard :???

Failed to Achive Objective Award Save Fire Fist Ace :??? 

]

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