BOOM!
CRASH!
Just as the Marines were taking the last members of the Whitebeard Pirates into custody, the sea outside the harbor surged with a violent fury. In the astonished eyes of the crowd, an ancient, colossal ship, half the size of Marineford itself, broke through the icy surface directly beneath Adrian and his crew. It lifted them onto its vast deck, and the immense waves it stirred up nearly capsized the Red Force in the distance.
The ice surface fell silent. Even the likes of Akainu and Garp were stunned by the sudden, mind-boggling sight. This wasn't a ship; it was an island. The Thriller Bark, the world's largest pirate ship belonging to the former Warlord, Gecko Moria, would be nothing but a child's toy next to this monstrosity.
"What a… what a big ship," Kizaru muttered, instinctively adjusting his glasses. He felt for a moment that he reacted too much and quickly hid his hands in his pockets to conceal his embarrassment. But no one was paying him any attention. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Adrian and his crew.
"That scale… it's not something that can be built by human hands," Staff Officer Crane said, her eyes filled with a complicated expression. Her gaze shifted from the massive vessel to Adrian's tall, straight figure. "I wondered why you were so calm. It turns out you had a backup plan all along… that boy, he truly never fails to surprise people."
Beside her, Garp's fists were clenched, creaking with the sound of suppressed anger. He was fighting the urge to rush up and blow Adrian's head off.
"Ace… sooner or later, Grandpa will save you…" Garp sighed, then turned and walked away. The haze in the sky had begun to dissipate, with sunlight piercing through the clouds in the distance. Garp, the Iron Fist, had lost his purpose and had been stripped of his right to live as the Marine Hero. It was time for him to retire.
"Wow… this ship is as big as a castle! I bet it could carry thousands of people," Betty exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were wide with a mix of shock and pure joy. Lord Adrian is truly the best! she thought. This ship alone is beyond the reach of the Revolutionaries. I wish I could have met him sooner…
"Jie ha ha ha! The captain is extraordinary! This ship is practically bigger than an island!" Bullet was also visibly shaken by the sight. He thought about how big a submarine he would be able to make if he melted this thing down. Bullet, the "Submarine Builder," immediately began to ponder how to convince Adrian to let him modify it.
The "most knowledgeable" among them, Ex-Warden Shiryu, chose this moment to present an exquisite "grovel" — an elaborate compliment.
"Although this ship looks magnificent, for pirates… no, even the Marines and the World Government, it's completely unmanageable!" he declared. Seeing everyone's eyes turn toward him, Shiryu continued with a serious expression. "Let's not talk about the speed this ship can travel with. With such a huge size, it's unable to have the flexibly to avoid enemy attacks, so the possibility of it being sunk is extremely high."
"Hey, Big Chin, are you trying to betray the captain? Watch it, or I'll kill you!" Bullet snarled, grinding his teeth, ready to fight.
"Hmph, I know!" Shiryu scoffed proudly, ignoring Bullet and the others' angry glares. Then, he abruptly changed his tone, looking at Adrian with admiration. "But for you, Captain, this ship is like it was tailor-made! The Float-Float Fruit's ability can not only control it perfectly but also unleash an unprecedented, shocking power! Wherever the captain goes, the enemy will see this ship and flee, their armies defeated before the battle even begins."
Shiryu's encouraging words left everyone dumbfounded.
Van Augur: So impressive, so very impressive! Shiryu, teach me! I may be stupid, but I want to be as excellent as you!
Shiryu: Hmph, I, who am so excellent, always seem out of place among you fools. But after this round of flattery, my position should be solidified. Should I try another flattery now?
"My lord, are we planning to go to the New World next?" The Empress, who had been silent since boarding the ship, had a look of hesitation on her face, as if she had something difficult to say. But she was afraid it would affect Adrian's plans, so she stood behind him, wrestling with herself.
"Hancock, don't worry," Adrian said, his dark eyes turning to the Empress. He could easily guess what she was thinking and immediately comforted her in a gentle voice. "Before we go to the New World, let's go to your Amazon Lily Island to rest for a while. I'll bring you and the kingdom with me when we leave! After all, you've defied the Marines and the World Government for me this time, and being expelled from the Warlords is a foregone conclusion. If the island stays in the Calm Belt, it's bound to suffer revenge from the Marines and the World Government."
"So… come with us, okay?!"
"Okay…"
"Let's go together? Is this… is this a marriage proposal?"
The Empress instantly collapsed to the deck, holding her flushed cheeks. She grabbed Adrian's trousers and gazed up at him with dazed eyes, looking at the most important man in her life. Lord Adrian actually thought of a way out for me a long time ago. He must have been ready to marry me for ages! What should I do? I haven't even prepared a proposal ceremony for Lord Adrian! No, when we get back, I must use my power as the Empress of the Island to come up with a good idea. Oh… love has come so suddenly! But I… I really like this!
The Empress felt her face getting hotter and hotter, as if it might explode at any moment. She nodded softly and said, "My lord, you are my word. My life is yours…"
—
"Alright, … let's go!" Adrian raised his hands with a flourish, and the island-sized Noah buzzed as it ascended into the sky, flying away amidst the cheers of the Empress and the others.
On the Red Force, Benn Beckman looked up at the Noah as it slowly disappeared. "The brothers have all boarded the ship, and we've also rescued some people from the Whitebeard Pirates… Shanks, let's go, too! We'd better not provoke this kind of enemy who doesn't play by the rules, because no one can be sure what he'll do next time!"
Shanks didn't speak. His gloomy gaze lingered until Noah vanished completely. He knew that for the sake of Luffy he had lost respect in front of the world today, and now he and Adrian were destined to clash sooner or later.
But…
Shanks's eyes scanned the battlefield. All he could see were the member of the Whitebeard Pirates, a group of vanquished dogs, surrendering to the Marines. His heart was filled with a mix of sadness and pity. He had expected Whitebeard to lose, but he had never imagined it would be such a complete and utter defeat. For a Yonko-level pirate group, something worse than death had occurred: they had lost their pride and dignity. By self-surrendering their weapons under the watchful eyes of the entire world, they had undoubtedly tarnished the reputation of the Whitebeard Pirates forever. And those commanders who had escaped with Blackbeard were now destined to be labeled as "vile dogs."
As Beckman had said earlier, the Whitebeard Pirates… were finished.
"Let's go. We'll take them and drop them to the New World!" Shanks gave the order. The Red Force soon disappeared in the sea.
With the departure of Adrian's crew and the Red Hair Pirates, this epic war, which was destined to be recorded in the annals of history, finally came to an end. Compared to the original battle, Marineford's war ending was now far more brutal and tragic. Harbors, walls, the square… everywhere the eye could see was a horrific scene of piled-up corpses. Bodies of all shapes and forms were stacked like a mountain. On the ground, soaked with blood, bloody rivulets gathered and flowed into the cracks. It was no exaggeration to call it a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
In this battle, of the Whitebeard Pirates and their 43 New World subsidiary groups—a total of more than 8,000 people—around 1000 were captured. In addition to the dozens who were lucky enough to be rescued by the Red Hair Pirates and the hundred or two who escaped on Blackbeard's ship, all the rest had died in battle.
And of the 100,000 elites the Marines had sent, more than tens of thousands were casualties. Whitebeard alone had personally killed no less than a few thousand.
"Akainu, it's up to you to make the final announcement!" Crane hesitated for a moment and handed the radio snail in her hand to the Lava Admiral. Akainu had undoubtedly contributed the most to this battle, so it was only fitting for him to declare the victory.
"I could have done it, too," Kizaru thought, slandering the others. As an old fox, he knew exactly what Crane's move meant. That fool is going for the top spot! Oh, it would have been nice if I had acted more seriously before…
Akainu took the snail, jumped to a high place, and said in a loud voice, "Everyone! The war is over! We… have won!!"
"Long live the Marines!!"
"Justice shall prevail!!"