Chapter 535: The End of the War (Part 1)
The Rockefeller Pirates were right behind the Marines. If Whitebeard's world-destroying attack had hit them, they would have been completely wiped out. Without a fighter of the same caliber to block it, only Esdeath and a few others would have survived. The rest of the Rockefeller Pirates would have been annihilated. The power and range of Whitebeard's attacks were plain for all to see.
Charlotte Linlin also stood beside Charlotte, her greatsword in hand, glaring at Whitebeard. Charlotte was right. If the Marines hadn't blocked that last attack, they wouldn't have had time to react, and all their subordinates would have been buried alongside the Marines by Whitebeard's hand.
Hearing them, Whitebeard only gave the Marines a cold stare, completely ignoring the hostile looks from Charlotte and Charlotte Linlin, and the enmity radiating from the Rockefeller and Big Mom Pirates.
Crack!
The sound of the ice sheet breaking apart layer by layer echoed. The pirates standing on the floes finally reacted.
"Not good, the ice is breaking! Get back to the ships!" Thatch of the Whitebeard Pirates yelled, grabbing Teach and running towards their crew's few remaining vessels. His action spurred the other members of the Whitebeard crew to flee towards their ships as well.
Marco, who had been locked in a struggle with Kuzan, saw what was happening and abandoned his fight. With a beat of his wings, he flew in front of his crewmates, standing guard against the Marines.
Seeing their prey about to escape, the Marines were not about to let them go. They immediately began to turn their cannons.
But in the next instant, a wave of murderous intent washed over them. The Marines who were turning the cannons felt a sudden, intense chill, as if they had been targeted by a wild beast.
Sengoku and Kong both took a step forward, their eyes fixed warily on Whitebeard.
Whitebeard slammed the butt of his Murakumogiri onto the ice.
Thump!
A deep fissure instantly split the ice, spreading outwards and creating a wide chasm between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
"All who cross this line will die!" Whitebeard's emotionless voice boomed. The suppressed fury within it made everyone's heart sink. Whitebeard was enraged.
Kong and Sengoku looked at the rapidly retreating Whitebeard Pirates, then at the Rockefeller and Big Mom crews that were steadily enclosing them from behind. Kong was trapped in a state of indecision. But the longer he hesitated, the more of Whitebeard's crew managed to escape, gradually moving out of the Marines' attack range.
This made Kong's heart sink even further. The Marines, held at bay by a single man. If word of this got out, what face would they have left? The thought ignited a fire in Kong's chest, and he was about to give an order.
But Sengoku, who had been watching him closely, stopped him.
"Fleet Admiral, we can't fight anymore!" Sengoku said, grabbing Kong's arm and gesturing to the battered Marines behind them. "If we keep fighting, the very foundation of the Marines will be gone!"
Of the few who had survived, only about ten thousand remained. The number of wounded was immense; it was likely that not even ten thousand would make it back to Marine Headquarters alive. How could they possibly continue the fight in this condition? Moreover, after a full day and night of battle, even the most elite Marines, who were only slightly stronger than ordinary men, were exhausted. Pushing them any further in such a high-intensity battle would likely lead to their complete annihilation.
Hearing Sengoku's words, Kong looked at the grim-faced Marines behind him. Although every face showed a willingness to die, their exhaustion was undeniable.
Do I give up? Kong asked himself. Am I really willing to give up just like this? An operation that had been planned for more than a decade... was he to abandon it now?
He looked at the officers around him. Garp and Zephyr were staring warily at the pirates. Sengoku was looking at him with worry. The other officers and soldiers were glaring murderously at the pirates.
He looked ahead at Whitebeard blocking their path, and behind at Rockefeller Charlotte and Charlotte Linlin, watching like tigers stalking their prey.
Do we really continue fighting under these circumstances? he wondered. Do I bet the centuries-long legacy of the Marines just to satisfy my own pride?
Kong hesitated. But reality wasn't going to give him time to think.
"Kill them!"
Seeing the battlefield come to a strange standstill, Charlotte refused to tolerate it. He drew his Seven-Star Sword and pointed it at the Marines.
At his shout, the spirits of the Rockefeller Pirates were instantly revived. Carter, Esdeath, and the others led their forces in a renewed assault on the Marines. The battlefield instantly descended back into chaos.
Beside him, Charlotte Linlin was taken aback for a moment, but seeing Charlotte charge, she hesitated for only a second before raising her own greatsword and rushing the Marine formation, leading the Big Mom Pirates into the attack as well.
The Marines' rear guard had no strength left to resist. Vice Admiral Onigumo and the others had barely managed to withstand Katakuri's initial push. This time, with both pirate crews throwing their full weight into the assault, the Marines' rear immediately collapsed.
"Fleet Admiral, you can't hesitate any longer! We must retreat!" Sengoku shouted.
"Retreat!" Kong yelled. His hesitation was shattered by Charlotte's actions, forcing him to give the order.
For reasons they couldn't explain, a wave of relief washed over all the Marines. They immediately began raising the sails, preparing to withdraw. Sakazuki and Kizaru had already returned to the warships.
"Meteor Volcano!" Sakazuki immediately launched countless magma fists into the sky. As they rained down, large groups of pirates were hit, and the charge of the Rockefeller and Big Mom crews was momentarily halted. But it only lasted for a few seconds. Once they recovered, they followed their commanders and charged again.
"Yasakani no Magatama!" Kizaru also unleashed an attack, holding them off for another moment.
This brief delay was enough time for the Marines to get their ships moving. The attacks from Sakazuki and Kizaru also caused the already precarious ice sheet to completely disintegrate. Seawater surged up, and many of the pursuing pirates fell into the ocean.
"Ice Age!"
At the critical moment, Esdeath acted. She thrust her sword into the sea's surface. A wave of cold air instantly spread out, gradually freezing the ocean and stabilizing the ice under their feet. But in the time it took for the ice to spread, the Marine ships had already sailed out of her range.
Charlotte and Charlotte Linlin's pursuit had come to nothing.
"Newgate, why didn't you stop them?!" Charlotte demanded, glaring at Whitebeard for an answer.
Whitebeard looked at Charlotte and Charlotte Linlin, his gaze lingering on Charlotte's face for a moment longer.
"The Marines have been defeated," he said. "This alliance is now officially over. The Whitebeard Pirates are withdrawing from the battlefield."
Without giving Charlotte a chance to reply, he turned and walked straight towards the battered Moby Dick.
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