Chapter 122: The World of Violence

Just as a victor in the war over Marineford’s skies was about to emerge, two new forces suddenly appeared.

Their arrival shocked many.

“Th-That’s the Red-Haired Pirates～～～～!!!”

“And even the Revolutionary Army…!!!”

The Whitebeard Pirates. The Big Mom Pirates. The Beasts Pirates.

The sea emperors known as the Four Emperors. The final one among them—the Red-Haired Pirates—had their ship floating in the sky.

But the phenomenon wasn't caused by anyone from the Red-Haired Pirates.

Floating beside their ship was another—one with a dragon’s head—belonging to the Revolutionary Army.

The one responsible for this display was the leader of revolutionaries around the world, the man branded the most dangerous criminal in the world by the World Government—Monkey D. Dragon.

Using his ability to keep the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship afloat, he descended onto the battlefield alongside the leader of that crew—“Red-Haired” Shanks.

While rescuing those dear to them… Luffy and Ace.

“Dragon…!!”

“Mr. Dragon…!!”

“──It’s been a while, Iva. Inazuma. I’ve caused you both a lot of trouble, including with my son… but that can wait. We don’t have time for a leisurely chat.”

“...Yes!! That’s right, gyabble!!”

“Agreed. But still, to think…”

Dragon spoke to Ivankov and Inazuma—comrades who bore injuries and fatigue. Both were members of the Revolutionary Army’s “GL Army.” Ivankov was the army commander, and Inazuma his deputy.

That’s why they were surprised to see Dragon—not only him, but also the elite fighters of the Revolutionary Army descending upon the battlefield.

“Master Queen!! The Revolutionary Army’s ship…!! What should we do!!?”

“Tch…!! More annoying pests showing up… like hell I care!! Blast them all away with the Excite Bullets!!!”

“Yes sir!! …Ugh!?”

Though shaken by the sudden arrival of the Revolutionary Army and Red-Haired Pirates, no orders to halt the assault had been given. Thus, on his own authority, Queen ordered the launch of Excite Bullets to wipe out the retreating Whitebeard Pirates and Marines—but an unknown attack from above put a stop to it.

“Our weapons… they’re frozen…!!”

“We can’t fire the Excite Bullets like this!!”

“…!! That’s…!!”

Queen looked up to identify the source of the mysterious ice that froze the special virus-based weapons and ammunition his troops carried—creations of his own. But only one person in the Revolutionary Army had the power to do something like this.

“See that, Queen!! My new weapons aren’t losing to your tasteless virus bombs!!”

“You bastard…!! You’ll pay for that…!!”

A short man with a feline face, wearing sunglasses and carrying gear on his back. Queen scowled at him in disgust—the sight all too familiar.

But he wasn’t the only one stopping the alliance’s pursuit.

“Master Snack!! The Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines are heading for the port!!”

“Don’t let a single one through!! Mama’s orders are total annihilation!!”

“Waaah!!?”

“This is… oil!?”

“The ground’s slippery…!!”

Even if they reached the port, there would be no escape. Charlotte Snack, one of Big Mom’s Sweet Commanders, faithfully followed Mama’s orders by blocking the Marines’ retreat.

The oil spreading underfoot was his own doing—produced through the power of the Slippery-Slippery Fruit. He was a human made of oil.

“I’ll fry all of you to a crisp and kill you…!! —‘Blazing Oil Blast: Oil Shock’!!”

“Gyaaa～～～～!!!”

“Oh crap!! I’m getting roasted—huh?”

“!! The oil… it’s been stopped…!?”

But then, the ground suddenly rose unnaturally, forming a mound that dammed up the flowing oil.

“Eeeek～～～!! This slimy stuff is sooo gross!! Stop it, boys～～～～!!”

“…!! That disgusting cross-dressing giant is…!!”

Sweat poured from Snack’s forehead, his eyes wide.

A cross-dressing giant had emerged from the ground—the work of one of the Revolutionary Army’s globally stationed commanders.

“…………”

“Whoaah!! What’s with all these crows!!?”

“…!! That guy is…!!”

A massive flock of crows appeared out of nowhere, disrupting the Beasts Pirates’ aerial forces as they pursued escaping soldiers from above.

Seeing them, King—one of the All-Stars—realized who was behind it. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize the face of one of the Revolutionary Army’s leaders.

“Alright, everyone!! This is the crossroads of fate!! If we let them take it all here, innocent people all over the world will die!! Can you live with that!!?”

“Hell no, we can’t!!”

“Sorry, but you’ll have to take some damage yourselves!!”

“…!! What’s with these guys…? They’re grunts, but they’re insanely strong…!!”

“…!! The abilities of a Revolutionary Army commander… What a pain…”

The woman at the front lines, leading the Revolutionary Army soldiers emerging from the ship, was immediately assessed by the All-Star known as Joker.

No ability was more troublesome in the chaos of the battlefield… he thought.

“──Are you alright, Ace?”

“…!! Wha… You…!!! No way…!! You’re alive…!!!”

“It’s not a lie. ──Sorry I’m late… Ace.”

That the entirety of the Revolutionary Army had assembled… who could have imagined?

“The commanders of the Revolutionary Army are here～～～～～!!!”

Revolutionary Army “South Army” Commander──Lindbergh.

Revolutionary Army “West Army” Commander──Morley.

Revolutionary Army “North Army” Commander──Karasu.

Revolutionary Army “East Army” Commander──Belo Betty.

And the Revolutionary Army’s “Chief of Staff”──Sabo.

With Ivankov of the GL Army and Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, included──the entire Revolutionary Army had gathered on the battlefield.

---

The unexpected appearance of unaccounted-for individuals stirred a complex turmoil within me—a mixture of surprise, anger, and even joy. For just a moment, I froze.

In front of me, the one I had been fighting—Garp—stood, wounded and battered. Behind him, Dragon had arrived.

"So, you're struggling... old man."

"Dragon... You, of all people... And with Red-Hair, no less... What in the world is going on?"

"There were signs of unrest in the New World... I merely came prepared, just in case. My interests happened to align with Red-Hair, so we formed a temporary alliance... And it seems that was the right call."

Dragon answered Garp’s question, then turned a sharp gaze toward me—a gaze full of unshakable will, the eyes of a true warrior. His Haki surged with force, pressing down on me with fierce intimidation.

"...Hmph. I see how it is..."

"! — Nue!!"

And just as they moved, I moved as well—or rather, that was likely the threat they were trying to imply. But I paid it no mind. With a flick of my finger, I commanded the floating UFO in the sky to target Jinbe and Straw Hat Luffy, who were trying to escape Marineford.

"If you really thought that kind of bluff would make me back down, you’ve got the wrong idea...!!"

"Tch...!!"

"Luffy!!"

With Dragon and Garp distracted by concern for their son and grandson, I took that moment to leave the two of them and head toward Kaido, distancing myself from their line of sight.

Even I wouldn’t continue fighting in this situation without first talking things through. I needed to hear what Red-Hair had to say, and it was also necessary to coordinate with Kaido and Linlin on our next steps.

So yes, one reason I aimed at them was to divert their attention—but the bigger reason, honestly, lay elsewhere.

"They came all this way and joined such a massive war... Sending them home with just a few scratches wouldn't sit right. They’ve gotta come close to dying at least a little bit, right?♡"

"The UFO’s moved!! Jinbe and Luffy are being targeted!!!"

Members of the Red-Hair Pirates who knew Luffy began to panic—but unfortunately for them, it was already too late.

Even Jinbe wouldn’t be able to dodge or block it in midair. I gathered the UFOs into a circular formation and spun them—firing a beam down upon the ground, destructive enough to obliterate everything below.

"‘Unidentified Fire-Aerial Weapon: Foo Fighter’!!!"

"…!! Jinbe… Hah… Hah… Above us…!!"

"Tch... No good...!! We can’t escape...!!"

"Uwaaaaahhhh!!!"

And so, I had them take a direct hit from my attack—comparable even to Kaido’s Blast Breath.

Well, I doubt they’ll die instantly. As long as they get treated, they’ll survive. After that, it’s all up to their luck.

"Oh, Nue. Did you take care of Jinbe and the brat?"

"Who knows? I mean, if they died from that, then whatever. And if they’re still alive... that’s fine too. More importantly, we need to decide how to handle our guests here."

"...Can’t argue with that."

"…………"

Kaido asked me a question as I floated up diagonally above him, and I answered without breaking my gaze ahead.

Because what stood before us wasn’t some tired old man like Whitebeard or Garp—but a genuine powerhouse.

A true monster who could stand on equal footing with us few in the world who exist on this level—the Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks.

"Red-Hair...!! Why are you here...!!?"

"...I’ve come to help you escape."

"What...!?"

Marco asked the question, and Red-Hair answered with a deadly serious look. Even so, his focus never left us. No openings, no carelessness... Honestly, he’s still just as difficult to tease. Not the slightest bit endearing.

"You went out of your way to break through my UFOs just for that...? You really never get tired of poking your nose in, huh. I’m honestly impressed by your persistence. Don’t tell me... you like me?"

"Heh... If I did, you'd be the cheapest distraction in the world."

"………… You’ve got a mouth on you. My UFOs aren’t exactly weak, you know."

Shanks casually told me he'd wiped out all my UFOs. ...Well, I already knew, but still—it stings to see him totally unscathed. Sure, I succeeded in stalling him, but it doesn’t look like his ship took much damage either. Maybe I should’ve gone a bit harder if I was going up against the whole Red-Hair crew.

As I glanced toward their ship, I noticed a familiar face—one I couldn't help but laugh at a little. No way... Could it really be!?

"...!! H-Hey...!! Is that really who I think it is...!?"

"! Yeah... I always believed in you...!! That you’d definitely come back here...!!"

"—Captain Buggy!!!"

Prisoners who had remained on the battlefield shouted in unison toward the sky upon seeing the red nose poking out from Red-Hair's ship. …Not that it matters, but these prisoners managing to survive this long is kinda impressive, isn’t it?

---

──A few hours earlier.

A small boat floated in the waters near Marineford, now trapped inside Doflamingo’s Birdcage, after the Whitebeard Pirates vs. Navy HQ and Warlords war had escalated with the arrival of the pirate alliance formed by the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Golden Lion Pirates.

“Damn it...!! Escaping that goddamn nightmare of a war was one thing, but piloting a ship alone is killing me here... On top of that, I don’t have a Log Pose or even an Eternal Pose. If this keeps up, I’ll die out here without ever reaching another island...!!”

Aboard a military emergency escape boat, now drifting alone at sea, was none other than Buggy the Clown.

He had somehow managed to escape from Marineford, which had become a battlefield more hellish than hell itself, wrapped in that infernal Birdcage.

Buggy had stirred up the prisoners, bluffed his way into forming an “alliance” with Whitebeard, and desperately tried to carve out a name for himself in the war—but even he never believed he could make a name for himself in a battlefield crawling with Kaido, Big Mom, Nue, and Shiki. He didn’t have the slightest confidence he could survive if he stayed there any longer.

That’s why Buggy ran. He fled, leaving behind Mr. 3 and the prisoners who had followed him. Even Buggy felt a pang of guilt for abandoning them... but that was secondary.

“Tch... If I’m gonna end up drifting to death out here anyway... No, I had to get out of there or I’d be a corpse for sure. I was the only one who managed to escape that Birdcage. Don’t take it personally...!!”

Yes—nothing was more important than his own life.

Fame and treasure were valuable, but none of that meant anything if you were dead. For a pirate, survival was everything.

Buggy understood that well. Though he felt a bit of lingering guilt, he didn’t regret his decision—in fact, he was already thinking ahead, focusing on what to do next.

Namely—how to escape this situation.

“If only a ship just happened to pass by... but there’s no way anything would be sailing near Navy HQ right now. With that war going on, only a total lunatic would come anywhere near this place... Huh?”

As Buggy sat cross-legged on the little boat, stroking his chin and twisting his neck in thought, a shadow suddenly fell over him.

Looking up, he saw—

“...! Hey, whoa whoa whoa!! That’s a ship!!!”

Towering over Buggy’s little boat was a much larger ship—a pirate ship.

Ideally, he would’ve preferred a merchant vessel or something of the sort, but this was no time to be picky. Even if it was pirates, they were likely worlds apart from the Yonko or Warlords who had joined the war. He figured he could probably manage somehow if he acted humble and begged for help.

“Hey!! Anybody up there!!?”

“...Hm? Hey, there’s someone down there.”

“Looks like he’s alone. A castaway...? What do we do?”

“Guess we’d better report to the boss.”

Standing up and waving his arms, Buggy shouted desperately at the low-ranking pirates aboard the ship.

The crew members noticed Buggy and hesitated on what to do. Buggy, unwilling to be ignored, shouted even more frantically.

“Come on, I’m begging you!! I don’t have a Log Pose or an Eternal Pose!! Please!! I’ll do chores or anything—just pull me up～～～～!!!”

“He’s saying all that... What should we do?”

“No helping it, I guess... Fine!! We’ll drop a rope!! Climb up!!”

“! Much appreciated!!”

Whether thanks to his desperate antics or sheer luck, a rope was lowered from the deck.

Grabbing hold of it, Buggy climbed up onto the ship.

“Pant... I’m saved... I don’t know who you guys are, but I owe you...!!”

“Oh, it’s no big deal... Boss, here he is. Looks like he was drifting out there.”

“! You... you’re Buggy, aren’t you!?”

“Huh? You know me? Gyahaha, then this’ll be quick.”

Still acting like his usual cocky self, Buggy started to introduce himself to the ship’s captain—only to realize who was standing in front of him. A man with unmistakable red hair.

“That’s right!! I’m the great ‘Buggy the Cl—WAIT, SHANKS!?!?!?!?”

“──Long time no see, Buggy.”

There stood none other than his old crewmate from their apprentice days aboard the Roger Pirates—his hated, red-haired brother-in-arms... Red-Haired Shanks.

---

Buggy peeked over the edge of the deck of the Red Force—the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship, currently floating with the power of a Dragon—and recalled the unexpected encounter and events that had just taken place.

“What the heeellllll!!? You came to stop the war!?”

“Yeah. If the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines are completely wiped out, it'll be a global disaster. That’s why we’re even cooperating with the Revolutionary Army—”

“Ahh, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. It’d be a real mess, huh? All right then, let’s get fired up and—LIKE HELL WE CAN!!! Are you outta your mind!!? It’s Kaido! Big Mom! Shiki! Charging into that battlefield is suicide! Turn back now! There’s still time!!”

“...We probably won’t get out unscathed either... but we can’t afford to stop now. If they won’t back down, then we’ve got no choice but to fight…!!”

“You idiot!! A place like that’ll eat up every damn life you've got!! ...N-No, wait. Then just drop me off somewhere safe first!! I don’t owe you anything! I’m not getting dragged into your reckless death run!!!”

“...Sorry, Buggy. We don’t have time. And there’s no island nearby. I’ll get you to safety later—just bear with us for now.”

“...!! Grrrrgh...!!!”

Reluctantly, Buggy had returned to the ship, grinding his teeth. Even Buggy, despite being an old crewmate, couldn’t argue against the sheer presence that Shanks had shown—not directed at him, but overwhelming nonetheless. He knew that once Shanks made up his mind, there was no swaying him. No way he’d listen to reason now.

(...Damn it... I came back after all... but whatever. If I stay hidden on the ship, and these guys survive, I’ll be able to make it out too... I’ll just lay low here until his business is done—)

“—Hey, Buggy!! These guys your crew?”

“HEY!! Don’t go shouting my name around here, you jackass!! You’re blowing my cover!!!”

“You’re the one yelling louder...”

But it was too late. The moment Shanks called out to him while pointing at a group of nearby prisoners, Buggy’s plan to stay unnoticed vanished in an instant. One of the Red-Haired crew nearby muttered in exasperation, but Buggy didn’t even hear it. What he did hear were the voices of the remaining prisoners still on the battlefield.

“Knew it!! It’s Captain Buggy!!!”

“Captain Buggy!! I knew it—you’ve been moving behind the scenes to stop this war…!!”

“...Huh?”

The prisoners who had somehow survived the battlefield and continued holding the port, now gazed up at Buggy on the Red Force with eyes full of admiration.

As Buggy stood there dumbfounded, more and more prisoners noticed him and began weaving stories about him that never happened.

“I see now!! Captain Buggy brought the Red-Haired Pirates to stop the war…!!”

“With that kind of lineup against us, there’s no way one man could turn the tide alone… Realizing that, Captain Buggy acted to summon the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army all by himself…!!”

“Yeah... I heard there was interference from a ‘beast’ when Red-Hair showed up. Maybe Buggy was helping with that…!!”

“Captain Buggy!! You really are our savior!!!”

“The Yonko Red-Hair, the Revolutionary Army!!! And with our Captain Buggy, there’s no way we’re losing to those bastards!!!”

“Captain Buggy!! We’ll follow you for life!!!”

“Give us orders, Captain Buggy!!!”

“You guys…!!”

The chorus of admiration wouldn’t stop. The cheers. The declarations of loyalty. The cries of "Captain Buggy!" echoed like a chant of worship.

It was overwhelming—even beyond respect. It was borderline religious reverence. Buggy was flustered. Deeply moved, and then he thought. His expression twisted as he began to reflect.

(...Hold on a sec… With these guys, plus Shanks, and the Revolutionary Army... that’s actually some serious firepower... If we’re fighting opponents who’ve already taken damage from clashing with Whitebeard and the Marines, maybe we really could pull this off…?)

Buggy, in his own way, assessed the available strength. The Revolutionary Army likely had power on par with a Yonko. And Shanks, as much as it irritated Buggy to admit, had the strength to be counted among them.

On top of that, there were the prisoners from Impel Down. Each of them had higher bounties than Buggy himself—dangerous monsters, every one of them. Not exactly weak.

Back on the battlefield were still heavy-hitters like Garp and Sengoku. But the rest would likely flee. Same for what remained of the Whitebeard Pirates... Maybe this could really be stopped.

—And yet, there was more firepower left on the battlefield. Buggy didn’t realize it.

“So even you joined in… Now it really feels like the end times.”

“! Hawkeye...”

Before Shanks stood a figure who had cut through enemy ranks to reach him—Dracule Mihawk, the world’s greatest swordsman, who had been fighting all this time without sustaining any major injury.

They knew each other. They were connected. But there was also history between them. So when Mihawk arrived, Shanks kept his serious expression, prepared for things to escalate if need be.

“...What do you intend to do?”

“Hmph... I already told you. I’ve no interest in settling anything with you now that you’ve only got one arm. Nor do I intend to ally with you.”

“...So you're just leaving?”

“If this battle ends here, then yes. But if it continues… then joining forces with you might be... inevitable.”

“! ...I see.”

Shanks raised an eyebrow at Mihawk’s unexpected answer, then let out a dry chuckle with a twisted smile—who would’ve thought he’d fight alongside his old rival again?

On the Pirate Alliance side, brows furrowed. Red-Hair and Hawkeye. Two men who once fought legendary duels in the New World—facing them both would be a real pain.

And then there was the Revolutionary Army. Considering the forces remaining, the Pirate Alliance couldn’t afford to let its guard down. Kaido understood that—and, with a mix of irritation and admiration, he addressed Shanks.

“…You bastards really brought it. Are you saying you’re going to war with us too?”

“That’s up to you.”

“What!?”

Kaido and the others had assumed Red-Hair had come to settle the score. Shanks’ response caught them completely off guard. If not to fight, then what had he come for?

“Our demand is simple… Let the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines go.”

“Huh!!? Don’t be ridiculous, Red-Hair!! Still playing the damn peacekeeper, huh!? You keep this up and—”

“If you agree to that, we’ll back off… and we’ll even look the other way for what happens next.”

“!!”

“…Hmph?”

Big Mom glared with fury at Shanks’ demand. Her daughter had been kidnapped, and she was more volatile than ever. But even she quieted—for there was something in Shanks’ offer that gave her pause.

And Nue considered it too. Shanks’ condition—what that really meant...

"...So, you're saying you'll turn a blind eye to the destruction of the World Government?"

"That's right."

"Wha...!?"

"That's...!!"

Nue's words and Shanks's reply. Their exchange caused unrest among the crowd, especially the Marines.

To bring down the World Government, which has ruled and maintained order in this world for 800 years.

Of course, everyone had assumed that would follow after the pirate alliance destroyed the Navy—but hearing it spoken aloud was more unsettling than expected.

The collapse of order. No one could pretend not to know what that meant.

That's why Nue asked again, this time more pointedly.

"...You do understand what that means, right?"

"Of course. We're pirates. There's no reason—none at all—for us to have any sense of obligation toward the government."

"...Hmph."

At Shanks’s unwavering words, Nue narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The first thought that surfaced was: You have the nerve to say that?

It was information only Nue was aware of, so she didn’t voice it—but the idea that Shanks would abandon the government was, frankly, thought-provoking.

Naturally, for other pirates, this was the expected answer. Pirates have no duty to protect the government.

But precisely because she knew of certain connections, Nue couldn’t help but suspect ulterior motives. Unfortunately, the information she had was incomplete, so she couldn't be certain... still, she couldn’t help but find these terms suspicious.

"...So, you're accepting those conditions too?"

"Yeah. Our goal from the start has been the downfall of the Celestial Dragons. Ideally, we’d avoid outright assassination... but if we can survive this situation, we’ll swallow that sacrifice."

"Well, that part makes sense."

Since the Revolutionary Army is already opposed to the World Government, ignoring its destruction by pirates is easy.

The slaughter of Celestial Dragons and government officials might be unacceptable to a group that values human dignity—but even so, if the fall of the World Government means protecting what truly matters, they'll accept the cost.

Ultimately, both the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army... simply want to save whoever they can, while they still can.

But Nue thought—it was an awfully bold decision.

"...Let’s see... probably just under ten thousand left, huh?"

"..."

Nue closed one eye, folding her fingers to calculate—the number of voices still alive on the battlefield, those they were trying to protect.

"The Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy’s elite troops... there were 150,000 combined, yet so many are dead. The pirates under Whitebeard’s flag are nearly wiped out. Half the division commanders are dead too, right? As for the Navy, two admirals and almost all the vice admirals are gone. All that effort to gather them from around the world, wasted. With that many dead, picking up the pieces won’t be easy."

She said it—to declare it all meaningless.

"Because... with this, the world’s order, justice—can no longer be protected. After the World Government falls, the world will descend into chaos... and change. —Into the 'world of violence' we desire."

"...!!"

At the vision of the world she declared with a fearless smile, Sengoku and Garp clenched their teeth. Accepting the reality, they squeezed their fists so tightly that blood seeped from their palms.

No matter how twisted the world had become under the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons, if blood wasn’t spilled, then that still counted as peace.

But from now on... that peace was gone.

With the fall of the World Government and the disappearance of the Navy—the protectors of the weak and innocent—the world would become a place where only the strong survived.

It would be difficult for Navy remnants, individual nations, or even the Revolutionary Army to protect the seas of the world. Let alone against the outlaws expected to rise now. Especially from this alliance of the former Rocks Pirates.

Failing to stop them here meant that future was inevitable.

And yet—they had concluded this was still the best option.

"You've lost your nerve. You can't even choose to stop us now."

And Nue mocked the weakness of calling such a decision the best course.

But Dragon responded to her taunt.

"Do you think you can stop the will of the people who seek freedom?"

"...That sounded impressive, but you're just full of sour grapes. You're in no position to talk—you’re the one begging us not to fight."

"If it comes to that, we’ll fight. But if we do... you’ll suffer heavy losses too...!!"

"..."

"So what's it gonna be...? Kaido, Big Mom, Nue...!!"

Shanks glared at them, radiating intimidation. He, too, was an Emperor of the Sea.

If they actually fought against the untouched Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army, not even the Beasts Pirates or Big Mom Pirates would come out unscathed. Hawkeye, Sengoku, and Garp were also still here. Unlike the war against the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy—this time, defeat was a possibility.

"...So he says... what do we do?"

"..."

Kaido, Linlin, and Nue understood that as well.

They could press the attack and try to wipe out the Red-Haired Pirates and Revolutionary Army now, but they still had to chase after Blackbeard, and the raid on the Holy Land remained.

Was it wise to escalate things here...? As leaders of major pirate crews, they calculated the risks.

"...Hey, Nue..."

"...What?"

And Kaido made his decision.

With a silent grimace, he called out to his comrade beside him—

"—Let’s do it."

"...Mm... okay♪"

"...!!"

Those few words were all the communication they needed.

The Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army, who had seemed ready to accept peace, now saw it clearly.

—The two beasts, grinning fearlessly, their murderous auras flaring.

"!!!!"

—Kaido’s kanabo and Shanks’s sword clashed, splitting the sky.

—Nue’s trident and Dragon’s fist collided, splitting the sky.

A clash of Conqueror’s Haki. The sudden clash of kingly wills shocked many, but the two who had locked horns with beasts quickly shifted into battle stance.

"So... negotiations have failed."

"Monsters, disasters... they’re beyond words, aren't they...!!"

"Say what you want...!! But I’ve got no reason to let the Marines or Whitebeard’s men escape, and once we kill you bastards, there’s no big enemy left!!! All that’s left is to kill the old government geezers and that Blackbeard punk, then we’re done!!!"

"Exactly!!! I feel bad for Whitebeard, but... that’s no reason to let you go!!! —Now let’s do this!! You guys!! Get fired up for Stage Two!!!"

"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

At the roar from Kaido and Nue, the beasts under the banner of the Beasts Pirates howled.

Might is justice—might is everything. There was no reason to fear battle, and no one could match them in a prolonged war.

Wipe out the stragglers, bury the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army—once that’s done, no enemy remains.

And then—Pirate King.

“Ha~hahaha mamamamama...!! Can't be helped!! I thought maybe backing off was an option... but if it’s come to this, then I’ll go all the way!!!”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“Tch... so you’re not backing down, huh... damn it. Ace!! You and the others, get out of here first!!!”

“...But...!!”

“Don’t worry!! Once you’re clear, we’ll pull back when the time is right too!! We’ll regroup later!!!”

“...!! Got it...!!”

“...! You think I’ll let you get away...!!”

At Big Mom’s command, the Big Mom Pirates too reignite their fighting spirit.

Realizing the battle couldn’t be avoided, Sabo calls out to Ace, urging him to escape ahead. He promises they’ll meet again later. Now that he knows Sabo is alive, Ace wants to hear what happened—and talk about Luffy. Though he hesitates, he ultimately decides to retreat for Whitebeard’s will and Luffy’s sake. Sabo, too, steels himself to survive for that.

“We’re going too!!! Stay sharp!!!”

“Yeah!!!”

“Alright you bastards!! It’s go time!!!”

“UOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

And so the Revolutionary Army and the Red-Haired Pirates, with Mihawk of the Marines bringing up the rear, and the prisoners from Impel Down, begin countering the pirate alliance—who show no signs of wavering.

“Hah... hah... these wounds...!! At this rate, both Luffy and I will collapse...!!”

“—Hey!! Over here!!”

“!? You’re...!!”

—And in the waters near Marineford, Jinbe, swimming with Luffy in tow, encounters someone.

“It’s over now... the World Government is finished...”

“Marineford’s been uprooted and moved...!!”

“So the Navy... this is the end for them too...!!”

“The seas ahead are gonna be hell...!!”

“It’s all... that bastard’s fault...!!”

“—Escape success rate... 30%.”

“The great pirate ‘Whitebeard’ is dead... the Navy HQ and the Seven Warlords have crumbled...”

“This ain’t just about balance in the New World. The balance of the world itself has collapsed...!! No one knows what’s coming next!!”

—The pirates who will lead the next generation feel the tension in the air and brace themselves for what’s to come.

“It’s useless... no matter where you run or how you resist... the world is heading into a true age of pirates—one ruled by terror and violence...!!!”

The war isn’t over.

No matter who wins, no matter who survives, the seeds of conflict sown across the globe will continue to spread.

From this day on—the day when the great pirate “Whitebeard” and the World Government both fell—a new age begins. And that age, that name, spreads to every corner of the world.

“‘Let it begin—The World of Violence!!!’”

—The seeds of terror were sown across the world.