Good's battle had elevated his influence to its absolute peak, both within the navy and across the entire world.
Amid the ruins of Marineford, the Blackbeard Pirates lurking in the shadows wore expressions of dread.
"Has Reckless Maniac really become this strong…?"
"Admiral Teach, are we still going out there?"
The crew looked to Blackbeard. His original men still trusted him, but those who had just joined from Impel Down weren't so sure. If Blackbeard insisted on continuing this gamble, they wanted to leave—life was more important than ambition.
Blackbeard's own face twisted with a mixture of fear and unwillingness. After a moment's hesitation, he waved his hand.
"No! Whitebeard has already retreated. Our plan is ruined."
Charging in now wouldn't just fail—it would doom them. Even if Good was exhausted, the Blackbeard Pirates had no chance of facing the navy head-on.
Just as his crew sighed in relief, Van Augur stiffened. He raised his telescope.
"Admiral… another ship is approaching."
"More navy reinforcements?" someone muttered.
"No," Augur corrected, his voice trembling. "That's the flag of CP…"
Blackbeard snatched the telescope and looked. A massive CP intelligence ship loomed closer—and on its prow stood five elderly figures.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"The Five Elders!?"
The battlefield froze. Even the navy was stunned.
Garp frowned deeply, his distaste clear. He had always despised those old men who propped up the Celestial Dragons. Why were they here? To support the navy? But the war was essentially over—the Yonko crews and the Revolutionary Army were in full retreat.
To many, it seemed the Five Elders were only here for appearances, to reinforce the world government's image.
For the average soldier, however, their arrival sparked excitement.
"The Five Elders are here!"
"They've come to stabilize the situation!"
"This shows how much importance they placed on this war!"
The Elders disembarked, sweeping their gazes across the prisoners. Among them were Yonko commanders—and most importantly, Ace, the son of Roger, and Luffy, the son of Dragon. To the Elders, this was a victory worth celebrating despite the losses.
The eldest Elder stepped forward.
"You have done well," he declared.
"Whether you live or have fallen, the world government will grant you the highest honors and compensation. Your sacrifices will not be in vain."
His words brought comfort to the grieving soldiers and their families watching worldwide.
Then the second Elder stepped forward, face grave.
"We will now personally mourn the spirits of the fallen."
Finally, the eldest raised his hand.
"The battlefield is no place for the eyes of ordinary citizens. End the broadcast."
Sengoku nodded grimly. Marineford was now a graveyard—strewn with corpses and shattered bodies. Even Good, who had shone brighter than anyone, could not prevent such losses.
The public broadcast ended.
And in that silence, the Five Elders' masks fell away.
"Action," the eldest commanded coldly.
At once, CP agents encircled Good and Momousagi. The Five Elders loosened their robes, revealing their own fighting stances.
The marines froze in shock.
"What are they doing!?"
"Helping Admiral Good recover? No… this doesn't look like that…"
Sengoku, Garp, the three admirals—even Kong—realized too late what was happening. Their faces hardened.
Even Blackbeard's crew in the shadows gawked.
Inside the circle, Momousagi's eyes narrowed.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The eldest Elder's gaze turned icy.
"To eliminate the one without discipline."
And with that, he lunged straight at Good—while the other four moved in unison.
Momousagi's eyes widened in disbelief. She could not even move.
Across the battlefield, soldiers and pirates alike stood frozen in stunned silence.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]