The Last Stand
The air was thick with tension as the Straw Hat Pirates regrouped, gathering what strength they had left after the battles that had ravaged the island of Raftel. The sun had risen, casting an orange hue over the battlefield, but the glow was marred by the devastation and chaos that still roiled across the island. Kaido was defeated, his massive form lying motionless, and Big Mom, though weakened, was still clashing with remnants of the Marines. But the true storm had yet to break—the final confrontation between Luffy and Blackbeard.
Luffy, standing tall despite his exhaustion, stared down his rival. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, his body trembling from the battle with Kaido and the strain of using Gear 5. Yet, his will was unshaken. This moment had been building for years, and he knew that everything—his dream, his crew's future, the fate of the world—rested on the outcome of this fight.
Blackbeard, bloodied but grinning, stood opposite Luffy, his body radiating with the combined power of the Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi. His crew, including Shiryu—now weakened from his battle with Zoro—and Burgess, was moving in behind him. But Blackbeard wasn't focused on anything else now. His eyes were locked onto Luffy, a gleam of hunger in his gaze.
"Zehahaha! Straw Hat Luffy... you've come a long way! You took down Kaido, huh? You're even more of a threat than I imagined, but it doesn't matter. You won't leave here with the One Piece!" Blackbeard's voice echoed across the battlefield, his laughter shaking the ground as he raised his hands, summoning the swirling black void of his Yami Yami no Mi.
Luffy, his body still crackling with the remnants of Gear 5 energy, clenched his fists, his resolve unwavering. "I'm not letting you take it, Blackbeard! The One Piece is mine! I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
The two titanic forces were ready to clash, their crews watching from the sidelines, knowing that this battle would decide the future of the seas. Every pirate, every Marine, every bystander knew that the world itself was hanging in the balance.
Nico Robin, standing near the Poneglyph chamber where she and Franky had stopped Burgess and Lafitte from stealing the final stone, watched with grim determination. Her mind raced as she calculated the significance of this final battle. The One Piece wasn't just a treasure—it held the truth of the Void Century, a truth that could change everything. But first, Luffy had to win.
Zoro, panting and covered in blood from his own battle with Shiryu, leaned on his sword for support as he turned his gaze to his captain. "Luffy... it's all up to you now," he muttered, his faith in his captain unshakable.
Sanji, his body bruised from his skirmishes with Big Mom's forces, stood beside Zoro, lighting a cigarette with a shaky hand. "This is it, isn't it? The last fight. Luffy's not going to lose."
The rest of the crew gathered, battered but resolute. They knew what was coming next.
Blackbeard grinned as his darkness swirled around him. "Let's see if you can handle this, Straw Hat!" With a roar, he unleashed a massive Black Hole, pulling at the ground around him, the darkness swallowing everything in its path. The air distorted, and the island itself seemed to groan under the weight of his power.
Luffy's eyes sharpened. He had no intention of being swallowed by Blackbeard's darkness. In an instant, he activated Gear 5 once again, his body glowing white with energy, his form twisting and contorting as he pushed himself beyond his limits. The familiar sensation of Conqueror's Haki surged through his veins, intertwining with the power of the Sun God Nika.
"Gomu Gomu no... Gigant Bazooka!" Luffy shouted as his arms expanded to an enormous size, infused with haki, and rocketed toward Blackbeard.
The clash was immediate and devastating.
Luffy's fists collided with the darkness, creating an explosion of energy that sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The impact was so intense that the very ground split beneath them, and the sky above cracked like glass. The air was filled with debris as the power of the two Yonko clashed.
Blackbeard roared as he countered with a quake punch, using the full force of his Gura Gura no Mi. The shockwaves rippled out from his fists, meeting Luffy's attack head-on. The two forces collided in a blinding explosion of power, sending tremors through the island.
Both Luffy and Blackbeard were pushed back, but neither showed any sign of relenting. Luffy gritted his teeth as he steadied himself, his haki flaring even stronger, while Blackbeard cackled, blood dripping from his mouth, clearly enjoying the fight.
"Zehahaha! You think you can take me down, Straw Hat? I've already beaten the best—Whitebeard, Ace, and soon you'll be next!" Blackbeard's voice was manic as he summoned another wave of darkness, pulling the very air toward him.
Luffy narrowed his eyes, focusing on Blackbeard's movements. He couldn't afford to be careless. "I've come too far to let you stop me now, Blackbeard!"
With a burst of speed, Luffy launched himself into the air, his body twisting and contorting as he activated Advanced Conqueror's Haki. His fists crackled with energy as he prepared his next attack, one that would shake the battlefield even further.
"Gomu Gomu no Nika: Supreme King Pistol!" Luffy shouted, bringing his haki-infused fist down toward Blackbeard.
Blackbeard, sensing the immense power behind the attack, unleashed the full force of the Gura Gura no Mi once more, creating a massive quake that surged upward to meet Luffy's fist.
The collision was unlike anything the battlefield had ever seen. The ground split, massive fissures forming across Raftel, and the very air around them vibrated with the sheer force of their clash. The sky, already fractured from earlier battles, seemed to tear apart, the atmosphere itself splitting under the weight of their powers.
The shockwave from the collision sent both pirates flying backward, crashing into the ground with bone-shattering force. But even as they hit the ground, both Luffy and Blackbeard immediately got back to their feet, neither willing to fall.
Blood dripped from Luffy's face, and his body trembled from the exhaustion, but his spirit was unwavering. He clenched his fists, his eyes locked onto Blackbeard. "I won't let you take the One Piece!"
Blackbeard, breathing heavily, grinned through the blood that stained his teeth. "Zehahaha! You've got guts, Straw Hat. But guts won't be enough to win this!"
The final phase of the battle had begun.
Luffy and Blackbeard stood across from each other, their powers crackling in the air around them. Both knew that this clash would decide the future of the seas. The weight of the moment hung heavy on the battlefield, as every pirate, Marine, and ally looked on, knowing that the outcome of this fight would change the world forever.
With a roar, both pirates charged at each other once more, their attacks infused with the full force of their haki and Devil Fruits. As their fists met, the ground beneath them shattered, and the shockwave sent ripples across the island, the sky above them splitting in two.
The final battle for the One Piece had reached its climax, and the world held its breath.