The Last Chapter [Not Really] (II)

The battlefield was in utter chaos, a storm of raw power and devastation threatening to consume Marineford whole. Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, stood at the center of it all, his titanic presence bending the world to his will. As the ground tilted and fractured beneath his immense power, I stabbed my sword into the earth, desperately trying to maintain my balance. It felt like the end of the world, as if the island itself would be swallowed by the sea.

How was this even possible? The sheer force Whitebeard unleashed was unimaginable. And to think, this was a man far past his prime, burdened by age and injuries. My mind reeled at the thought. If this was Whitebeard now, what kind of monster had he been in his younger days? And what of his infamous captain from the previous era, Rocks D. Xebec? Just imagining the strength of those pirates sent shivers down my spine.

No matter how far I'd come, no matter how much power I had amassed in recent years, I was forced to confront the truth: I was still too weak. But amidst the chaos, there was something about Whitebeard that captivated me. The way he answered my question—so bold, so defiant—it was outrageous.

I wasn't the only one watching him with intense focus. Blackbeard stood not far away, his eyes gleaming with greed as they followed his former captain's every move. I knew exactly what he wanted. He was eyeing Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi powers, the very force that was reshaping Marineford. But I wasn't going to let that happen. Not while I'm alive.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Kizaru carrying Akainu's unconscious body away from the battlefield. It was a surprising sight. For all his aloofness, Kizaru clearly cared about his comrade. Meanwhile, Ace and Aokiji had withdrawn, their halfhearted battle devolving into a mere standoff as their respective troops scrambled to reorganize. Jinbei had long since carried Luffy to safety, fully aware that the young pirate would be annihilated if he so much as thought about reentering this battlefield.

The Supernovas remained in the lower levels, their ambitions temporarily sidelined by the magnitude of the battles above. Doflamingo and Moria were nowhere to be seen—Doflamingo was likely hunting Moria under orders from high above. Kuma and Ivankov were locked in a vicious fight, while Mihawk merely observed the battle between Whitebeard and Sengoku, his sharp eyes gleaming with intrigue.

Sabo and Koala had left earlier, their mission completed. The Revolutionary Army had no interest in fighting the Marines directly; their true enemy was the World Government itself. As for the rest of us, we had stopped whatever we were doing, bracing ourselves against the cataclysmic shifts in the earth. Whitebeard's power left no room for error.

Amid the chaos, I felt a sudden, sharp pain. A sword had pierced my back, aimed directly at my heart.

Instinct took over. My body twisted on its own, and my blade intercepted the attack with precision. I didn't have time to think about it—somehow, I'd unlocked Future Sight in that desperate moment. The attacker stepped back, revealing himself: Shiryu of the Rain.

The sight of him filled me with loathing. Once the warden of Impel Down, his stealth had always been formidable even without the Clear-Clear Fruit.

"Why are you here, Shiryu?" I growled, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Have you already sworn loyalty to Blackbeard?"

"This isn't about loyalty," Shiryu replied, his voice as cold as steel. "This is gratitude. Blackbeard freed me from that hellhole and gave me a purpose. It'd be rude of me to stand on the sidelines after that." His lips curled into a smirk. "Besides, it's not every day I get to fight a strong swordsman like you."

I couldn't help but laugh. My laughter echoed across the battlefield, drawing a scowl from Shiryu.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

I stopped laughing, letting the cold edge of my words cut through the air. "It's hilarious that you think we're on the same level."

Before he could respond, I vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, his left hand was gone, severed cleanly from his arm.

Shiryu froze, staring in disbelief at the bloody stump where his hand had been. The shock gave way to a scream of pure agony, a sound that reverberated across Marineford. His eyes burned with rage as he looked between me and his severed hand.

But something didn't feel right. Shiryu wasn't this reckless. And truth be told, neither was I. If I had the chance, I would have gone for the head, never satisfied with just a hand. This entire scenario felt wrong.

I steadied myself and released a burst of Haki, purging my mind of any lingering confusion. The figure before me shimmered, revealing its true form.

"Lafitte," I said coldly. "Nice trick. You should consider joining a circus."

Lafitte's ever-present smile returned. "Impressive. You broke free from my hypnosis in less than a minute."

"And you're annoying," I snapped. "If you're going to mess with my senses, why reveal yourself so openly?"

His grin widened. "Oh, I never intended to defeat you. My role is simple: to distract you long enough for my captain to strike."

A wisp of darkness snaked toward me from behind, but my Haki flared instinctively, creating a ten-meter radius around me where no attack could penetrate. The darkness faltered, unable to breach my domain.

Blackbeard clicked his tongue in frustration. His darkness condensed around his fists, forming monstrous gloves of shadow. He charged at me, his movements erratic and unnatural. Though his strikes were slow, each carried a crushing force, distorting the air and pulling in debris with every swing.

I parried his attacks, but Lafitte's interference made it impossible to maintain my rhythm. One of Blackbeard's punches connected, sending me staggering. The point of impact turned black, a chilling pain spreading through my body.

I gritted my teeth. Lafitte was a nuisance, but I couldn't focus on him with Blackbeard pressing the attack. Worse, my stamina was waning. The prolonged use of Advanced Conqueror's Haki and Future Sight was taking its toll.

This stalemate couldn't last. Gathering what strength I could use, I moved faster than sound, leaving afterimages in my wake. One of those afterimages found Lafitte hiding in a fissure created by Whitebeard.

Black Lotus Style, Infused Ninth Form: Fractured Petal

Lafitte's panic was palpable as I sent a Haki-infused slash his way. He raised his wings in defense, but they were like paper before my blade. My strike tore through him, leaving a deep gash across his stomach, his guts were flailing uncontrollably. 

Before I could confirm the kill, a massive black hole materialized in front of me. There was no time to dodge completely—I shifted just enough to avoid the center, but the attack grazed my left arm, turning it pitch black with pain.

The force sent me crashing into the remains of the Moby Dick. My arm throbbed with unbearable agony, but I forced myself to rise.

Blackbeard advanced, his laughter booming across the battlefield. His darkness condensed to its purest form.

This was it. The endgame. Gritting my teeth, I poured every ounce of my remaining strength into my sword, Conqueror's Haki crackling along its edge.

One final clash.