The commotion caused by Naruto and Kaguya could be roughly seen even by those below.
But being able to see it didn't mean they could reach it.
From this distance, even if Garp and the others used Geppo, it would take them quite a while to get there.
"What exactly is that..."
Sengoku suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
Hearing this, Whitebeard also looked upwards with a complex expression.
"That oppressive feeling is even stronger than the thing attached to the Five Elders."
His words fell, and the surroundings suddenly grew quiet. Everyone looked at each other.
Moments ago, they had been enemies with conflicting positions. But after the exposure of Imu and the Empty Throne, they had briefly formed an alliance.
They had thought the next scene would be a repeat of God Valley, with the Marines and pirates joining forces to defeat the enemy. But in the blink of an eye, the enemy disappeared on its own.
Along with the person who could link both sides and serve as a connection-
Leaving only this group of people standing where they were.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
Aokiji looked at Sengoku, then at Whitebeard opposite him.
'Should we fight?'
'Or rather, was there still a need for us to fight?'
Whitebeard's fundamental purpose for coming here was to rescue Ace.
Now Ace had long since evacuated safely. His remaining here was only to help everyone defeat Imu.
And this happened to align with the goal of the Marine forces led by Sengoku.
So, in other words, they could barely be considered... 'comrades-in-arms'?
To be honest, Sengoku really wanted to arrest lawless guys like Whitebeard and his crew. But their recent cooperation made it difficult for him to declare war immediately.
After all, he wasn't like Akainu, who believed in [Absolute Justice].
Fortunately, there was a third party present, helping to break this strange atmosphere.
"That person is called Otsutsuki Kaguya. She is a being that came from 'beyond the sky' a thousand years ago."
Sasuke landed back on the ground. After looking at both sides, he offered an explanation.
"Beyond the sky? Skypiea-"
Garp clapped his hands together, only to be refuted by Sengoku.
"Obviously not. The people of Skypiea all have bird-like feathered wings. Their image is closer to 'angels'."
In the One Piece World, there was also the mythological concept of 'angels'. But it was hard to say whether 'angels' came first or Skypiean did.
Maybe the prototype of so-called angels really was the people of Skypiea.
Though he didn't know what Skypiea was, Sasuke clearly understood they had the wrong idea.
But without knowing the depth of the relationship between these people and Naruto, he couldn't rashly reveal the existence of another world.
"The starry sky. They come from the starry sky, from other, more distant planets."
"So, how did something like that end up inside Uzumaki Naruto's body?"
At this point, Aokiji also walked over, deliberately using a somewhat formal tone to ask.
"Naruto ate the Baku Baku no Mi. After defeating that person, and because she also seemed to possess an 'immortal and indestructible' ability, Naruto used the Baku Baku no Mi to devour her."
"That kid really is reckless."
Garp scratched his head and then laughed foolishly.
Thump!
Sengoku's fist landed on the old man's head.
"Do you have the right to say that about others?"
This old fool said he would oppose the World Government and immediately turned hostile. Where did that leave his old comrade?
He was the Fleet Admiral. His every action affected the entire Marine organization.
But now the deed was done. Saying more was useless.
What he had to do was try to clean up this huge mess.
Thinking about the turbulence sweeping the entire world due to that broadcast and the sudden attacks by the Revolutionary Army gave Sengoku a headache.
And the troubles were far from over.
Sengoku's gaze turned to the sky.
That shadowy figure, though seemingly absorbed by the 'celestial visitor' within Naruto, it was hard to say if what appeared here was its true body.
After all, its mode of appearance was also similar to 'possession'.
If that was the case, then what about Mary Geoise-
Crunch, crunch...
Rubble was pushed aside. Bullet's figure leaped out, his fierce eyes scanning back and forth.
He had been knocked unconscious by that earlier attack and only just woke up.
"Where is he?! The thing that merged with the Five Elders!"
He roared, clearly unwilling about being knocked out.
Hearing this, everyone instinctively looked towards a large black stain on the ground.
"Huh?"
Bullet followed their gaze, his head full of question marks.
"Oyaji, aren't we going to help Naruto?"
At this moment, several Division Commanders who had been fighting Marines somewhere approached. Marco, leading them, spoke up.
"-Leave the rest to him."
Whitebeard said, gazing into the distance.
And after saying this, his body fell backwards without warning.
"Oyaji!"
"Oyaji!"
The group instantly fell into panic. Even Sengoku and the others nearby looked over.
"Cough... I'm fine. Not dead yet."
Whitebeard's voice was somewhat weak as he said this, and wrinkles reappeared on his skin.
"Oyaji, are you injured?!"
Marco checked Whitebeard over thoroughly, even considering using his phoenix flames to burn away any possible virus.
His regenerative flames couldn't heal others' injuries, but they could suppress the spread of toxins.
Right now, Marco was desperate for a solution.
Even though he himself was a doctor.
"He's fine. The effects of Nightin's medicine have just worn off."
At this moment, a cool female voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked towards the source and saw Karin, whose eyes had turned pure white.
Her white hair now flowed, and she wore a robe that seemed woven from feathers. Even the wings on her back were dyed white.
Sasuke's expression changed upon seeing this.
He realized what he had overlooked.
Earlier, everyone's attention was on Naruto. They forgot that Karin had also unsealed something here.
According to the knowledge they had previously acquired, Karin had opened the seal on the Kama. Wouldn't that mean Momoshiki, whom she had killed, would also emerge to take over her body?
As if sensing Sasuke's gaze, white-haired Karin suddenly looked up at him.
"Don't worry. I'm still me."
Though her words said this, her tone held no emotion whatsoever-
Like a robot without feelings.
Without seeing Karin make any move, she, like Naruto and Kaguya earlier, suddenly vanished from her spot, then reappeared in front of Whitebeard.
Seeing such a strange woman approach their Oyaji, Marco and the other Division Commanders naturally became wary.
"It's you... the medicine Oyaji took came from you."
The pineapple-headed man finally recognized this woman with a completely changed demeanor as the one who had given some medicinal powder to Oyaji earlier.
"Move aside..."
"...Please, step aside."
Karin first spoke tonelessly, telling Marco not to block her way. But before finishing, her tone suddenly stiffened, then changed as if another person was speaking, more politely 'asking' Marco to move.
Marco was naturally unwilling to hand over his Oyaji in this state to such a strange person, especially since Whitebeard's condition was likely caused by her.
"It's fine. Move aside, Marco."
Whitebeard, on the other hand, trusted Karin.
Seeing his Oyaji say this, Marco could only step back slowly, keeping a vigilant eye on Karin.
"That medicine allowed you to briefly regain your youth..."
Karin's floating body slowly descended. She gently placed her hand on Whitebeard's chest.
"But your body is ultimately too weak."
A green light glowed, and Whitebeard's complexion visibly improved.
Seeing this, the tense expressions on Marco and the others' faces gradually relaxed.
'Good, Oyaji was okay.'
Unfortunately, the next moment, the words from Karin's mouth mercilessly shattered their illusions.
"This is all I can do for you. Your body can't accommodate any more life force."
"In other words, you don't have long to live."
Yet, hearing this, Whitebeard showed no fear or unwillingness. Instead, he laughed and looked at Karin.
"How long can I live?"
"A year or two? Or a month or two? It won't be very long."
Hearing this, not only Marco and the others, but even enemies like Sengoku and Garp showed unreadable expressions.
"Ha! That's still a long time!"
Whitebeard sat up from the ground with a start, looking at the many tearful Division Commanders.
"Useless children, what's there to cry about?"
"I am a remnant of the old era. The new world no longer has a ship that can carry me."
"Let's go, home! We'll hold a feast to celebrate Ace's rescue!"
With that, he strode towards the sea. Halfway, he suddenly turned back to look at Sengoku.
"Sengoku? Not planning to stop me?"
"...I'll let you run wild a little longer. Once I sort out the Marine's mess, I'll naturally come to arrest you."
"Gurararara, fine. I'll be waiting."
"Boys! Take our other brothers and head home!"
Following Whitebeard's command, the conscious pirates began waking their unconscious comrades. Those who couldn't be roused were simply tossed onto the ships.
"Just watching the pirates who caused such a ruckus here leave... that's not like your usual style, Sengoku."
At this point, Garp mischievously sidled up again, pointing at Sengoku like a schoolboy.
"Hmph, didn't you hear what the girl said? Whitebeard doesn't have long to live."
Sengoku sighed.
Whitebeard's exit marked the end of an era.
At the same time, with so many incidents erupting in the World Government and the Marines, it was hard to say if it also signaled the end of the eight-hundred-year-old era of order.
"The top priority now is to deal with what's coming next."
As he spoke, Sengoku's gaze fell to where Karin had been floating.
But now, there was nothing there.
Sasuke had also disappeared with her.
At that moment, Sasuke was riding flame clouds, flying towards the sky.
And above him, a pure white figure was flying towards Naruto's location at an even faster speed.