"Lord Adrian, it's great that you're fine!" The Empress threw herself into Adrian's arms, tears staining her cheeks with a joyful smile. Nothing was more important to her than his safety.
"Didn't I tell you not to approach the battlefield?" Adrian put on a stern expression. He appreciated her concern, but there needed to be boundaries.
"But... I was too worried... I couldn't help it! I won't do it again!" The Empress's voice grew softer with each word, her face taking on a look of grievance.
"Alright, but don't let it happen again." Adrian gently pushed her away. He knew her loyalty was unwavering, but her childish behavior was a bit much. No matter how stunning her looks or figure were, this clinginess was a real test. Woman, you're playing with fire!
"My lord, are we going to steal Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi now?" the Empress asked, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She had already started to imagine turning the ruins into a house for her and Adrian.
"Don't worry, that last blow drained a lot of my energy. Let's rest here for a while and watch the show." Adrian smiled, his eyes glinting mischievously as he looked toward the back of Marine Headquarters.
"Watch a show?" The Empress looked puzzled.
"That's right. Blackbeard has been waiting a long time for this opportunity!"
"Whitebeard is dead?!"
"Oh my god, I must be seeing things! Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world... is killed!!"
"This battle was insane! How did that little Shichibukai have so much power?"
"Haha, you idiots! Why are you still thinking about that? Whitebeard is dead! I bet a bloody war is about to start in the New World."
"Yeah! If we go to the New World now, maybe we can get a piece of the action."
"Let's go, boys!"
When the image of Whitebeard's fallen figure appeared on the large screens across Sabaody, the whole archipelago erupted. Both civilians and pirates cheered. For the pirates, Whitebeard's death was a huge relief and an open invitation to the New World. Some had already begun to fantasize about taking his place as a new Emperor.
"Adrian... is this the war you were talking about?" In Trafalgar Law's mind, Adrian's words echoed, sending a chill through him that made his body tremble uncontrollably. That man is terrifying. He had not only predicted the war so far in advance but had planned it himself. What kind of ambition does a person have to do something like that?
Unlike his original self, Law was not affected by Luffy's "halo of intelligence reduction" and quickly pieced together the clues. He was on the verge of deciding whether to join Adrian when his crewmate, Bepo, suddenly exclaimed, "Captain, look! Whitebeard... he's not dead yet!!"
"What did you say?!" Law shot a look at the screen. The entire Sabaody Archipelago fell silent. Everyone stared at the screen.
Marineford Plaza
Sengoku and the others had also noticed Whitebeard's condition.
"That's scary~~ Even with his internal organs blasted away, he's still alive. Whitebeard, you're a real monster!" Kizaru said, pushing up his glasses with a mischievous grin.
"Death throes? You're a tough old guy, aren't you?" Akainu sneered.
"Whitebeard, even if your body is useless, you still have such a deep obsession?" Sengoku looked on in disbelief. He couldn't detect any vitality from the burly figure, but the man was not completely dead. What the hell is going on?
Then, the man standing in the center of the plaza like a demon spoke. "The man Roger is waiting for... the one who can inherit his will, will definitely appear!" Whitebeard's voice was intermittent. He couldn't even manage to lift his head. The only reason he was still alive was because he had something he still needed to do.
"It has been passed down for generations... and one day in the future, a person who carries the 'history' of the past hundreds of years will challenge the world!"
"Sengoku... aren't you Marines and the World Government panicking about this 'great war' that will sweep the world?"
"Although I'm not interested... when that treasure is found, the whole world will be turned upside down!"
"It will be found... the day will come..."
"Bastard, Whitebeard, shut up!" Sengoku's face contorted. He knew exactly what Whitebeard was about to say. "Kizaru, stop him now!!"
"Oh, the old man has always liked doing this kind of no-risk job that gets him all the attention!" Kizaru smirked, a golden light flashing as he appeared behind Whitebeard. "Mr. Whitebeard, you really talk too much. Don't you want to die quietly before you spread chaos again?"
Just as Kizaru's Photon Kick was about to hit Whitebeard's head, a lightning bolt struck him from the sky, sending him flying.
"Adrian, you're as annoying as always~~" Kizaru complained, patting the dust off his suit.
Whitebeard didn't seem to have noticed the interruption. He continued, "One Piece... is real!!"
This time, no one needed to stop him. As his voice faded, Whitebeard's last breath left his body.
The man who had dominated the seas since the death of the Pirate King Roger, a man who had stood at the peak of combat power until his very last breath, was gone. But even in death, Whitebeard's magnificent, towering body remained standing proudly, facing his enemies. Although he had suffered 267 stab wounds, 152 bullet wounds, and 46 cannonball wounds in this battle, his proud, broad back had not a single scar from running away in his entire pirate career.
This man, in front of the entire world, ended his glorious life in another legendary way.
But his influence did not stop there. Whitebeard's final words were like a shockwave, instantly shaking the entire world. The Great Treasure actually existed! The "great secret treasure" that Roger had mentioned before his execution was real! The world was immediately thrown into a frenzy.
"Damn it, Adrian! Do you know what you just did?" Sengoku yelled, looking at Adrian, who was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the ruins. "Don't you know the terrible consequences of what you've done?!"
The World Government had always been terrified of the Great Secret Treasure and the "Blank 100 Years of History" it contained. As time went on, many people had begun to doubt or dismiss the existence of the treasure. But Whitebeard's words had now proved it to the world. Sengoku had believed that with the end of this battle, the era of chaos started by Roger would befinally over. Instead, Whitebeard's death had only escalated it.
"Consequences?" A playful smile appeared on Adrian's face. "Isn't that something you Marines and the World Government should be concerned about? What does that have to do with me?"
"Besides, as a Marine Fleet Admiral, you don't even have the guts to face this? Sengoku, you're very disappointing!"
"You bastard...!" Sengoku trembled with rage. Golden light surged behind him. He was ready to kill.
But before he could move, Adrian raised a finger and pointed without looking back. "Mr. Sengoku, I suggest you save your energy. Your real enemy is already here, and they're impatient to wait!"
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing.
"Hey, everyone, look! What is that?"
"There seems to be something huge hiding behind the fortress."
"And the gang on the execution platform...?"
"You bastards, why are you here?!" Looking at the figures on the execution platform, even Sengoku lost his composure.
"Captain, these idiots finally found us!" Burgess said with a smirk, sitting on the edge of the scaffold.
"Xiehahahaha! Our luck is amazing! Those Marines helped us kill Whitebeard!" Blackbeard's disgusting laughter echoed from the smoke.