48 Chapter 48 THE ONE PIECE IS REAL
Sengoku was furious and vomited blood from anger! He must say, witnessing this scene is truly embarrassing! The resourceful General Sengoku lost his temper because of that clown Buggy!
People around the world who watched the live broadcast felt sympathetic toward Sengoku when they saw this scene.
At the Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh, sitting on the trunk of the mangrove tree, suddenly burst into laughter upon seeing this scene. He raised his flagon and said, "Hahaha, Buggy this wonderful moment truly belongs to you! This cup is a toast to you."
Kidd slapped his knees and laughed loudly. "Not only is he powerful and good at planning, but he also knows how to manipulate people's emotions. What a terrifying man! I just didn't expect that Marshal Sengoku would vomit blood from anger. It's so funny!"
Trafalgar-Law shook his head solemnly. "Kidd think carefully and don't make sarcastic remarks! How much pressure has Sengoku endured in this war? Since the Clown King joined the battle, the Marines have been at a disadvantage. Initially, Admiral had a one-on-one fight with Whitebeard, and later, even they had to face him with two or three Admirals because of Buggy. It's a significant blow to the Marines' reputation. Now, even Fire Fist Ace has been rescued by the Clown King. He even managed to turn the tables on Marines and who knows how many people are watching just like us, making Marines look weak who can't stop pirates even with the entire Navy force!"
Gulping sounds could be heard as Kidd and the others gasped, their blood pressure rising upon hearing Law's analysis. They hadn't considered these factors before, but now they realized the immense burden Sengoku had been carrying all along.
"Wait, look over there at Whitebeard!" someone suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to Whitebeard.
All eyes turned to see Akainu and Aokiji relentlessly attacking Whitebeard from both sides, only to be pushed back again.
At this moment, blood dripped from the corners of Whitebeard's mouth, and his previous dominant posture had disappeared. He was panting heavily, barely able to stand upright with the help of his Cong War Pole.
Whitebeard's iconic crescent beard was half gone, and his body was covered in injuries from the battle, with flesh torn and blood flowing. He appeared as a bloody mess.
It was a terrifying sight, considering he was facing two top-ranking Marines and had also endured Kizaru's surprise attack earlier. The fact that he hadn't been killed immediately was already a testament to Buggy's cunning plan.
Seeing this scene, Marco and Diamond Jozu, who were observing from a distance, grew increasingly worried and hurried toward Whitebeard to assist him.
But at that moment, Whitebeard took a deep breath and shouted, "Marco, Jozu, don't come here! Listen to me now! I'm giving you my final order!"
A wave of shock spread through the Whitebeard Pirates as they heard their captain's words. It was a rare occurrence for Whitebeard to give them orders directly since the disbandment of the Roger Pirates.
"Pops!!!" everyone from the Whitebeard Pirates exclaimed, a sense of foreboding filling their hearts.
"Ace, you've been rescued! The strategic goal of our Whitebeard Pirates has been achieved. It's time for everyone to retreat! All Whitebeard Pirates, obey my order! I command you to turn around and leave Marineford!" Whitebeard's words echoed, leaving the crew members devastated.
As soon as Whitebeard's words reached their ears, tears welled up in their eyes, and they cried out, "Dad!"
Whitebeard's voice reverberated once more, "Alright, set sail! Do not look back!"
Hearing these words, the crew members felt even greater despair, but they knew they couldn't waste their captain's final wish. With tears streaming down their faces, they gritted their teeth and turned back, running away as fast as they could.
They understood the weight of Whitebeard's order and were determined to carry it out. They knew they couldn't let their captain's sacrifice be in vain.
Meanwhile, Akainu, who was still panting heavily, let out a ferocious laugh. "So you a bunch of evil pirates want to escape? None of you Whitebeard Pirates will leave today! I'll kill every last one of you! All pirates must be eliminated!"
"How can you possibly succeed?" Whitebeard opened his eyes, which had been closed all this time, and released his grip on the Cong War Pole. He spread his arms wide, his cloak billowing behind him, and shouted, "Children, set sail with confidence and determination! This is my final parting gift as your father!!"
"Crack-Crack-Crack."
In an instant, two white halos appeared above Whitebeard's outstretched fists, and the sheer power emanating from them caused Akainu and Aokiji's expressions to change drastically.
"Cerberus from Hell!"
"Ice Pheasant's spear!"
Almost simultaneously, Akainu and Aokiji unleashed their most powerful attacks, aiming at Whitebeard.
Boom!
But in a shocking turn of events, Whitebeard's final surge of power shattered both attacks completely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The space itself shattered, and the entire Marineford trembled beneath the tremendous force. Cracks appeared in Marineford, dividing the inner and outer squares into two halves.
The original Marine headquarters was cleaved in two by Whitebeard's fists. With this punch, Whitebeard completely shattered any hope of the Marines chasing after his Children.
The island was split in half, and a massive crevice, hundreds of meters wide, stretched before the Marines.
Witnessing this scene, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates burst into tears and called out, "Pops!"
Whitebeard stood still after delivering those two punches, holding onto the Cong War Pole. Only his faint gasps could be heard, indicating that he still clung to life.
Akainu, who had been observing from a distance, shouted with red eyes, "Damn you, Whitebeard! Can't you just die peacefully?"
"Dark Hound!"
Puff!
Akainu's punch landed on Whitebeard, causing his chest to melt under the intense heat.
Shhhh...
A plume of blue smoke rose, and Aokiji, who stood nearby, could smell the scent of burning flesh.
"Pops!" Captain Marco, who was running away, witnessed this scene and cried out in grief.
At that moment, Akainu looked up, and Whitebeard lowered his gaze, his lips curling up slightly.
"Sakazuki, to die at the hands of a formidable man like you, at least I will die a warrior's death not from old age or a disease," Whitebeard said, his voice weak but resolute.
Hearing these words, Akainu's body trembled, realizing the weight behind them. Originally, he had wanted to melt Whitebeard's body completely, but at this moment, he couldn't help but show respect to the mighty warrior.
With a puff, Akainu retracted his hand, and Whitebeard spat out another mouthful of blood.
In the distance, Aokiji withdrew the two ice blades he had formed, his expression complex as he looked at the legendary pirate whose life force was rapidly fading away.
Sigh...
Whitebeard let out a sigh as if that final strike had exhausted all his remaining strength. Both Akainu and Aokiji knew that this was Whitebeard's last breath.
Even though they were enemies, they didn't attempt to interrupt his final moments.
But what Whitebeard said next sent shockwaves through Marineford, leaving everyone's expressions drastically changed.
"The One Piece... "
"The One Piece is real!"
As Whitebeard's final cry reverberated, Marineford fell into complete silence.
Whether it was Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, or the many Marine soldiers, all eyes were fixed on that towering figure in disbelief.
One Piece... is real.
The entire world was thrown into chaos at that moment.
If Roger alone had initiated the Great Pirate Era, the existence of "One Piece" he spoke of had remained a matter of speculation.
But now, the man closest to One Piece uttered those words again, confirming the existence of a treasure that could shake the world.
One is King of the Pirates!
One is the strongest individual in the world!
The weight of their words cannot be underestimated. Moreover, both of these individuals chose to reveal this secret to the public before their deaths, increasing the credibility of their claims.
As the saying goes, a dying person's words are often the most reliable. In any case, Whitebeard's statement had caused a seismic wave of excitement.
The entire world went mad!
In addition, with the presence of numerous different kinds of devil fruits hidden in the vast seas, the era of pirates was bound to continue.
This also offered an opportunity for those who couldn't find their place in the world or those who wanted to break free from the control of their respective countries or the World Government.
Therefore, it was only natural for them to set sail and venture out into the sea, seeking their own path. If the world remained unchanged, pirates would never cease to exist. Buggy, standing next to Ace, observed the scene with indifference.
Whitebeard continued Roger's will, marking the transition of power between the two eras. It must be acknowledged that this was an extraordinary feat.
They could be considered the pioneers of this new era. However, Buggy had no desire to involve himself in such matters, nor did he want to be burdened by them.
He wouldn't develop such ambitions until he stood at the pinnacle of the world...
He admired figures like Roger and Whitebeard, but he wouldn't choose the same path. If he hadn't met his demise, Buggy would have found a place to retire as a wealthy landowner.
But even in death, he wouldn't choose that path. It wasn't his style to rely on others for his success.
With his observation Haki, Buggy could sense that Whitebeard's life force had completely faded away.
The man who had once been the strongest in the world had fought valiantly against the three Marine Admirals at Marineford, but in the end, exhaustion had claimed his life.
He had concluded his legendary journey in the most brilliant fashion.
Farewell, Whitebeard.
"Akainu I will kill you!" Ace's voice echoed throughout Marineford, filled with grief and anger.
But at that moment, Buggy struck him on the head with an emitted fist, smashing his upper body into the deck of the Moby Dick.
"Who do you think you're going to kill, Ace? Can't you think before you speak? That's a Marine Admiral you're talking about."
Buggy shook his head, looking relaxed as he pointed behind Akainu.
"Aren't you trying to kill pirates? Then why are you not killing them? Take a look at the dozen or so people behind you. Each one of them is a vicious criminal from Impel Down. They are no less sinful than us!"
"What!?" Everyone turned to look in the direction Buggy was pointing, and their pupils shrank in shock.
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