C35 : The End of War of the Best

• [Marineford, near Red Line] {Year : 20.5} •

The pieces of Murakumogiri, also known as Whitebeard's bisento, weren't doing anything except emit intense tremors from its location as the merged Magma Hound and Glacier Cleaver rapidly approached them. Admiral Akainu was beginning to feel his energy drastically draining out as his arm, currently a Magma Hound, went farther than usual. Because of this, he panted on the ground, crouching.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku noticed this and shook his head. He ran towards Admiral Akainu and grabbed him up onto his large golden hand as he said. "Quickly detach yourself from it."

Admiral Akainu gritted his teeth. He did not want to do it but he had to. In anger, as he detached his arm from himself, he shouted. "WHITEBEARD!!! YOU WON'T HAVE A EASY LIFE WHILE I'M ALIVE!"

Magma Hound was now no longer attached to Admiral Akainu, forcing him to lose his arm in process. Due to this, it was slowly losing its figure but still continued onward. Akainu panted heavily, his blood spewing out of his limbless spot. He could only regret for even giving Magma Hound a consciousness himself. Before any more blood could escape his body, he used his boiling hot lava to cover the hole.

"We need to go now." Fleet Admiral Sengoku stated before he resumed getting away from Murakumogiri and (Magma Hound + Glacier Cleaver) attack.

*ssss~*

That was when both made contact. Glacier Cleaver and Magma Hound clashed with the pieces of bisento, with magma going all over to cover them. The chilling atmosphere that Admiral Kuzan had brought on immediately dispersed due to that and the Glacier Cleaver barely continued as it moved to each pieces and covered them with its iciness. It was all for naught as the tremors cracked the ices easily and forced the Magma Hound to tremble itself. It grew in size each time the tremors sent a shockwave inside its dome.

*spleuch*

Eventually, Magma Hound obviously lost due to its source being cut off and splattered all around the ground that Murakumogiri was above.

*woosh~* xN

The moment the magma fell onto the ground, the pieces of Murakumogiri clashed against each others with its stored tremors. After few seconds, it propelled each others to far away from itself and was sent all over the island due to each pieces' own tremors. This became an effective way to demolish a whole island from all over.

*rumble*

The remaining Marines who were still on the island saw this and they immediately knew that they'd still either die from the tremors or drown in the sea. They hopelessly fell onto their knees as the Marines' Battle Ships moved away, sacrificing them. The pieces slowly had cracks all over itself and it spread out.

*tzk* xN

Whitebeard already noticed that the bisento was going to release it so he quickly sped up and jumped when the Star-Ball was already near Moby Dick. He summoned tremors from within him and moved it to one of his leg, before bringing that leg upwards. When that leg slowly became too much, he cladded it with Armament Haki to reinforce his leg and summoned more tremors. As he finally got in the range of Star-Ball, he swiftly moved his Armament Haki-ed leg downwards, slamming the Star-Ball down with his body being intentionally propelled forward due to the push of his leg.

*woosh*

Because of his strength and the tremors emitted from his leg, Whitebeard easily pushed the Star-Ball down to the sea and landed onto Moby Dick. The moment he landed, the Star-Ball exploded within the sea.

*BOOOM*

Moby Dick was sent hurling backwards due to its amazingly destructive shockwave as the ocean splashed a large wave against its side. Few cracks appeared on the deck but nothing irreparable because of its material. The Whitebeard Pirates shook, but kept on board as they quickly moved around to sail the Moby Dick away from Marineford as well as the battleships of Marines.

"Set sail for our home!" Whitebeard boomed and walked to the center as he glanced at Admiral Kizaru glaring at him from distance. "You can come and try, but know this, I'm not alone now."

"...Tsk." Admiral Kizaru turned into a light ray in a straight path towards a Marines' Battle Ship. He knew he would be sieged from all sides if he landed on Moby Dick to capture any of them and he wasn't suicidal. "Focus on chasing them. Don't let them escape and notify me when we are near enough to fight."

He curtly nodded to the current in-charge Vice Admiral of the battleship he was on before going inside. His eyes with shaded-glasses glimmered slightly, showing how pissed off he was. The Vice Admiral sweated and resumed ordering his men on the ship. "Ready the cannons and fire on will! Do not let any of them get us and avenge our people!"

"Yes, sir!" Numerous shouts rang and they shuffled to precisely do that.

As the battleships of Marines moved to Whitebeard Pirates and the alliance, the pieces of Murakumogiri that were spread out all over the huge island with Marineford residing on, began to crack as they rapidly fell onto the ground and yet kept 'bouncing' due to their tremors. They each cracked and appeared to be disperse into dusts... before the island shook.

*RUMBLE~*

The tremors that they had been emitting drastically increased afterward. It became slightly visible, air literally moving at visible rate. It was at this point that every remaining people on the island felt it.

*BOOOM*

A huge portion of the island shook heavily and cracked before crashing against its original source. It slowly drifted apart from the origin, as few more huge portion of the island also split. The remaining Marines' Officers screamed and they immediately ran to jump off the island into sea. Being on the island was risky while sea would at least protect them.

*BOOM*

The tremors became so immense that the debris on island slightly floated and crashed into the ground before repeating until they became dust. The huge island were now split into several portions but the tremors didn't stop. Few Marines that stayed still on the island instead of sea, felt their head aching before they felt nothing anymore. They bursted in blood mist when the tremors struck them directly.

*BOOM*

*POUF* xN

The huge island split into few small islands, but as the tremors repeatedly exploded out and destroyed everything on those, the small islands also became destroyed into pieces and drowned into the sea with no support. The portion that had the newborn Legendary Sword pierced into it, drowned into the sea because it wasn't any longer held by any ground. It would eventually either be forgotten or washed ashore at nearby island... until a sudden 'pulling'-like movement summoned the newborn Legendary Sword to the sky, in a direction where a shadow appeared in the clouds.

*BOOM*

*WOOSH*

The tremors, however, still didn't stop and rumbled, causing the ocean to begin splashing against each other. They soon elevated into several waves, pushing against nearby ships.

*woosh*

"Damn it!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku became grim at this. There were far too much lost in this war. This angered him. Especially so when Portgas D. Ace had yet to be executed and was rescued before it could happen. "Those Five Elders..."

He gritted his teeth as he remembered the Five Elders who ordered for Portgas D. Ace's death to be grandiose and be publicly broadcasted. Now the general public knows that World Government just did a deed that they'd love to hide and cover, and yet, cannot.

Sengoku sighed on his large battleship while Admiral Akainu was inside it, recuperating from the massive loss of blood and a appendage, his arm. He glanced around and commanded the men. "Let us go to the Mariejois. I have to speak with the Five Elders, set sail!"

"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" A Vice Admiral bowed his head and shouted out orders to the men as the large battleship turned for Red Line.

Two more battleships followed it while the rest either focused on picking up the surviving Marines in the sea from the destructive tremors or chasing the Whitebeard Pirates' Moby Dick where Portgas D. Ace was currently recuperating in.

*woosh*

Whitebeard sat down on the deck in middle of Moby Dick. He grunted, annoyed as few of doctors and nurses ran over to him. "Stop. Focus on them, not me. I've no damage from the war."

They paused for a moment and took a quick glance at his exterior body, seeing no in-depth damage that would affect him greatly. They nodded and immediately returned due to the Marines' Battle Ships firing cannons at the Moby Dick. However, they didn't know that Whitebeard would have died if not for Ryu's gift to him on a whim. It was only for a mere promise of a all-out battle that Ryu did it for.

"Hmm... I wonder what he is doing now..." Whitebeard sighed and shook his head. He promised such, and yet he lost Murakumogiri that had been with him for most of his voyage as a pirate. Losing the bisento was losing almost 25% of his combat prowess, because Murakumogiri was the only weapon he had that could resist his immense tremors, even when said tremors would give minor damage to his body. It was created by a extremely rare and durable metal and forged by a legendary blacksmith who passed away few years ago. "I'll have to apologize to the brat..."

Whitebeard scoffed at himself, he was going to apologize to a youngling... He stretched his neck and stood up.

"Alright. We'll return to home after those Marines are gone." The pirates around him looked confused but when he walked to the back of Moby Dick and got into a swinging-fist pose, they immediately understood and quickly moved around.

*rumble...*

Pale white sphere projectile appeared around his fist and Whitebeard didn't hesitate. Even more tremors were moved to his fist and emitted tremors out of it. Soon, he swung it against the groups of Marines' Battle Ships.

*CRACK*

"Split!"

*CRACK* xN

Spatial cracks appeared in that direction but soon spread out in middle of the ocean between of the Marines' ships and pirates' ships. The ocean split into halves and showed the seabed, fishes flopping on it due to the empty waterbody. The few unfortunate battleships of Marines fell into it and crushed themselves. The rest stopped themselves and the Marines' Officers could only grit their teeth in anger and frustration.

They lost their chance to execute Portgas D. Ace, the only child of Gol D. Roger, the former Pirate King. Moreover, it was broadcasted all over the world, causing humiliation to World Government. Marineford wouldn't be built ever again, unless it was on an completely different island which wasn't around nearby in the way that the gate was at.

…

At Sabaody Archipelago, one of grooves...

"..." It was completely quiet in the groove that was broadcasting War of the Best. They had just watched the Marines lose Ace, Whitebeard destroying the very island that Marines' Headquarter was built on, and they successfully escaped.

A reporter snapped out of it and grinned. "This is going to be a huge headline! 'World Government's Greatest Humiliation! Cursed Bloodline's Sole Child Escapes!'"

"...I have to report it to boss!" Another female reporter said as she quickly wrote on her notepad.

"Oh my god..." A civilian opened his jaws in shock. He never saw such power since he was pretty much secluded in Sabaody Archipelago. "Whitebeard, a Emperor of New World, eh!"

"Wow! Mommy, I want to be strong like him!" A little child giggled and declared to his mother, much to her horror. The mother of the child quickly reproached him and smacked his little sensitive bums. "Awa~! It hurts! Stahp it!"

The groove immediately became in uproar by its civilians and reporters as the Whitebeard Pirates created history and humiliation to World Government.

"Good heavens! I can't believe that the cursed bloodline actually survived even after all that!", "Oh my f*cking gods, I want to join Whitebeard Pirates if they'll give me that much power!", "Ugh! What are we going to do now that the Marines have proven themselves useless!", "F*ck tha' sh*t! I ain't gon' go near you if you gon' join 'em!", "Wah! I want to become strong like him!", "The cursed bloodline lives on, huh?", "Huge report! Whitebeard Pirates creates history and the cursed bloodline's sole child escapes!"

…

In a largely white-rocked island, Baltigo...

"Are you sure?" A tall middle-aged man with spiky black hair and a tattoo on the left wide of his face asked. He was Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of Revolutionary Army.

An informant sitting down on the table nodded heavily. "It's confirmed that Monkey D. Luffy, Commander Ivankov, and several other Revolutionaries from Impel Down were sighted at Marineford to rescue Portgas D. Ace. However, we do not have any more information after the broadcast was abruptly ended."

"...I see..." Dragon sighed and smirked. "So they're fine even after that."

"Sir?" The informant hesitated before asking. "What of Sabo?"

Sabo had been at the informant's side when he suddenly fainted with an overload of information in his brain as soon as he saw Ace's fragile body and Luffy's determined face. Due to this, he gained a fever and went into a comatose state for hours. The informant and few people around panicked at this.

"...He'll be fine, it looks like he's regaining his memories." Dragon shook his head and added. "It seems that he's related to my son and his sworn brother."

The informant sighed in relief. Sabo was the second-in-command below Dragon and as well as second strongest of Revolutionary Army, so if he suffered and was in danger, it'd be also a danger for the Revolutionaries.

"Anyways, tell me if you find any more info on Luffy and Whitebeard Pirates." Dragon ordered before turning to his room. The informant sighed and resumed.

Along the way, an orange-haired woman with curvaceous and slim body appeared beside Dragon, looking serious. "Anything?"

"..." The tall middle-aged man with tattoo on the left side of his face cursed to himself inwardly. He nearly had his heart jumping out of his throat when Koala suddenly appeared with such face. He faked a cough and said while knowing who she was talking about. "No. Nothing on him. You know that he wouldn't easily give out his location."

"Is that so..." Koala just nodded and turned away before disappearing. "I'll resume then."

Dragon paused and shook his head. Her mastery at hiding her presence was continuously growing as she trained. Even his passive Observation Haki would barely sense her if she tried. However, her in-depth search for a green-eyed man was slightly affecting her contributions to the Revolutionaries.

Dragon hummed to himself. 'Perhaps I should personally find him, then?'

…

Elsewhere in middle of the ocean, on a Marines' Battle Ship...

Full of stone statues on the deck, the battleship sailed with the ocean's waves pushing against it. Hancock came out of a room and walked to the front.

"Empress!" A female voice called out from a distance. "We're here!"

Boa Hancock looked around in search. Her pirate ship finally appeared in sight and neared the battleship. There were plenty of her fellow pirates and two sisters on it, along with a certain annoying old hag.

"Hey, Hancock! Nyou didn't do anything to offend the World Government, have nyou?!" That was when Gloriosia finally saw the stone statues of Marines' Officers on the battleship's deck. "...Well, have nyou?"

Elder Nyon immediately put that all the way back to her mind, for the sake of her fragile heart. Hancock scoffed and said. "Of course not, who do you take me for? A little former Empress? Like you?"

She purposely looked at Elder Nyon's height in a smug manner, which irritated her.

"Why nyou...!" She could barely say that much before Empress Hancock was swamped by her fellow women. "Hmph, hmph! I'll show nyou my wrath later!"

…

Back to Whitebeard Pirates...

"Ow, ow, ow!" A fragile and aged man with whitening hair panted from the doctors' fuss on his body. Needles were prickled in his skin and none of his fellow pirates felt pity for him as they watched him from distance. "Hey! I said I was sorry, okay?!"

"Hmph!" Few of them turned their heads away and snickered when they heard the teary sniffs from Ace.

However, they became ashen-faced when he spoke. "Aii... my appearance looks so old that women won't fall for me anymore... Sniff, sniff."

"Damn it, Ace!" Marco rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead, unhesitatingly. From what the doctors said, even though his body appeared to be fragile, it wasn't. It was his lifespan that was fragile instead. "Stop joking around like that. Anyways, Thatch's angry at you, ya know?"

Ace sighed as he looked at the ceiling of the infirmary room. Doctors fussed over him but still allowed him to communicate, seeing as speaking wasn't going to affect him since it was his lifespan that was in danger. "I know. I've already seen his eyes when I was taken here."

When he was bring brought by Marco, Ace, by chance, saw Thatch fighting off people from Moby Dick. Both of them made eye contact but Thatch's was of anger at him and frustration.

"He's angry and frustrated at the fact that this all happened while he was there." Marco added. "Although he is also angry at you for using such dangerous technique, Thatch's still grateful that you didn't let go of life."

"..." Portgas D. Ace frowned. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Thanks."

"Yeah." Marco snickered as he walked out of the infirmary. "Oh, right. Don't forget that Pops really will hurt your ass."

Doctors who heard that, also snickered. Ace widened his eyes at that, then he suddenly faked coughs. "Ugh, I think I'm going to die...! Cough, cough!"

…

Somewhere in New World...

"So he still lives on..." Rayleigh smiled as Shakuyaku took away the broadcasting snail. He turned around and looked at the clear-blue sky. "Roger, your luck has passed onto your son, eh?"

Shakuyaku rolled her eyes and smacked his head from the back. "Stop talking like that, Ray, and let us go visit him. I've been wanting to meet their child for awhile now."

She chuckled in a reminiscence. Rayleigh gave a small smile and nodded.

"Sure. I've been meaning to see Luffy again as well, ever since Bartholomew Kuma appeared before me." Rayleigh stood up and sighed. "A new era begins again."

"Yes..." Shakky nodded in agreement.

…

Somewhere far yet near where the Marineford formerly was...

"...Heh, I didn't expect that." The red-haired man chuckled as he took in information from a crew mate. He was recently informed that the war just ended after few hours and not only did Whitebeard escape unscathed, the child of his former captain was also rescued successfully. "I guess we don't need to go there anymore then!"

As he turned around from several cheering pirates on the deck, Shanks grew solemn.

"This isn't what was supposed to happen..."

Shanks walked into a room and closed the door. He sighed as he looked at his left arm.

"Why do I keep getting those visions?"

Ever since he met Ryu and helped training him, he began getting visions of future... or what was supposed to be.

In one of those, he noticed that he lost his left arm to a mere sea king in East Blue, which he found ridiculous. Shanks, however, also found out that it was for Luffy's sake, that he lost it in a time of seconds. In another, he saw that Blackbeard was supposed to appear in the war, and yet, he didn't.

"All of those visions... are they what would have happened if not for that man?" Shanks frowned, unsure what to think of this. Personally, he felt glad for Ryu to have changed the future but at what price would Ryu take? "Ah geez! Ryu, you little bastard! Still giving me a lot of trouble even when you're not around."

Shanks chuckled and put those to the back of his mind. He decided to discuss it when he was with Ryu, so during this time...

He ran out of the room with a large drink, shouting at his crew. "It's party time! For Luffy's success!"

"Yeah!!!"

…

Somewhere in New World...

In middle of nowhere, a extremely dark island revealed itself. The trees were withered, the land dried out, and only one large creature laid upon it. The large creature had dark black fog covering it, hiding its body with only its outline showing. Its eyes opened and brimmed sharply into white silts. Its rough and deep voice rumbled as it spoke.

"Those tremors... so the devil has found itself a new user." It grumbled before shaking itself. The large creature then stood up. "About time, that old fool."

The very dark island that it was on shook as it moved. Sharp teeth appeared below its two eyes as it grinned.

"Hehe... The Void Century will be nothing compared to this new century!"

The large creature lightly shook once again and two dark dragon-like wings sprouted out of its back. It flapped for few times before actually flying. The dark island rumbled and cracked into pieces, having lost its source of creation.

"My fellow kins..."

It shot off in a dark blur while the dark black fog covering its whole body slowly receded from the front, revealing its pure black scales with a small glowing white crown-shaped on its forehead. It roared out loud in declaration, shaking islands nearby.

"It is time! The damnable humanity will finally be eradicated in this century! It is our time to avenge our ancestors!"