Hawkeye's gaze was similar to Hancock's, yet he harbored another thought.
[Even a swordsman... can reach such heights...]
In the corner of the battlefield, the invisible Absalom dragged Moriah away.
Moriah couldn't pique Kaidou's interest at all, which resulted in Moriah being knocked down and left unattended.
Only the loyal Absalom took the risk to rescue Moriah, and now he had managed to procure a small boat to escape Marinfanto with the unconscious Moriah.
...
Meanwhile, Whitebeard's battle continued.
The current situation was quite ideal for Whitebeard. Ace had been successfully rescued, and as long as they could leave the Navy Headquarters, the rescue mission would be deemed a success.
The rescue operation was even much smoother than the original timeline, and now nobody was chasing after Ace. Not because the Navy didn't want to, but those willing either lacked the strength or couldn't spare themselves.
Without Grand Admiral Level strength, no one could blatantly kill Ace in front of the captains and New World leaders.
But with Zephyr dead, Sengoku engaged in battle with Kaidou, Akainu, and Kizaru closely watched by Whitebeard, even enduring the blows from both, Whitebeard did not allow them to intervene in other battles.
Garp couldn't possibly chase after his grandsons. As for Kuzan, although Yamato slipped away, Kuzan rejoined the battlefield. However, he didn't have the same obsession with Ace and Luffy as Sakazuki did.
Even for Whitebeard, enduring multiple attacks to hold them back was difficult.
Whitebeard didn't possess a Mythical Zoan body, nor the Steel Balloon talent, but from the moment he arrived at Marinfanto, he had no intention of leaving alive.
At seventy-two years old, he had little attachment to life. During the days of forming the Whitebeard Pirates, he had gained what he desired. The company of family made him feel immensely fulfilled.
The people he knew in his youth were coming to an end, disappearing, making Whitebeard feel like a relic of a bygone era.
Like Zephyr, he wanted to find a suitable place for his own exit.
No matter how much Whitebeard's body was cared for, it was inevitably decaying. At this moment, regaining youthful vigor was a rare experience.
Moreover, even until today, he wasn't concerned about himself but rather the future of his crew. That final command as Captain was for them.
The Whitebeard Pirates without Whitebeard was already a shadow of its former self. Without a Four Emperors Level force, the Whitebeard Pirates would automatically withdraw from the position of Sea Emperor. Considering the current situation on The Sea, no one could fill this gap.
The rise of the Hundred Beasts was already a foregone conclusion.
Whitebeard admitted that Kaidou's intervention indirectly made the rescue more successful. But he knew well there was no camaraderie between him and Kaidou; Kaidou's actions were solely for the sake of the battle.
A decade ago, during a battle with Kaidou, he already felt a sense of powerlessness. He would lose, would perish, but it was an outcome Whitebeard could accept.
He feared that his foolish sons might take it too hard and seek revenge against the Hundred Beasts.
Such behavior would undoubtedly be suicidal, but that's the nature of pirates. Even knowing the risks, they would rush in headlong. To prevent this, Whitebeard issued the so-called captain's command.
"The... final captain's command? What are you saying, old man! Don't say such ominous things! We should return to the New World together and then build our new ship!"
"Gurararara, I'm a relic of the old era. The New World no longer has a ship to carry me! Remember my command! Return alive! No... revenge!"
Across the cliff he created, Whitebeard issued his final command, and during this process, he never looked back, always facing his sons with his back.
"What a joke, you pirates... should all be wiped out here! Meteor Volcano!"
Akainu wanted to continue his attack, but Whitebeard didn't give him the chance. With both fists hammering the air before him, Whitebeard interrupted Akainu's attack wind-up.
"Lava brat, I'm your opponent. Don't even think of interfering in other battles!"
Whitebeard didn't know where Kaidou was, nor was he that enthusiastic about battle, but no matter what happened, he wouldn't let these people who could threaten his sons go unnoticed.
"Borsalino! I'll hold them off here. You go after those fleeing individuals!"
Akainu called out Kizaru's name, engaged in combat with Whitebeard. Akainu didn't know what was happening on other battlefields, so he planned to stall Whitebeard alone, allowing Kizaru to go after the fleeing Ace.
Whitebeard had been fixated on them; escaping was impossible for him. Only Kizaru, through his abilities, could create distance from Whitebeard.
Upon hearing this, Kizaru immediately turned into a beam of light, intending to exit from the fight with Whitebeard.
Whitebeard naturally wouldn't allow Kizaru to leave. After pushing back Akainu, he attacked Kizaru in the sky.
Taking advantage of this gap, Akainu's entire body transformed into magma, charging towards Whitebeard's body. However, his Observation Haki suddenly sensed a signal of danger, and his body instantly turned into dispersed magma.
Simultaneously, Kaidou's Wolf Fang Club had already struck down.
"This old man is my opponent. You Navy guys, can you get lost?"
To stall Kizaru, Whitebeard even abandoned defenses against Akainu. If Akainu's attack landed, Whitebeard's body couldn't withstand it, a scene Kaidou didn't want to see.
His battle had already been interrupted twice, and to prevent further disruption of this pivotal fight, he moved to stop Akainu.
"Newgate, your son has already been rescued. Isn't it time to fulfill your earlier promise?"
"This isn't considered a real escape, Kaidou."
"That's why your sons are too weak, even needing others' help to escape. You really found a bunch of burdens."
Watching Kaidou, who was conversing with Whitebeard, neither Kizaru nor Akainu acted rashly.
Kizaru's character needs no further explanation. He had already been forced to exert himself quite a bit in this war. Akainu simply didn't want to face both Four Emperors at once.
With Kaidou's tone, it was clear he came to fight Whitebeard. Pirate infighting presented an opportunity for the Navy; he didn't want to assist Kaidou and Whitebeard to form a unified front.
How to ensure Whitebeard and Kaidou continued fighting while he pursued those fleeing pirates was Akainu's dilemma. However, he didn't dwell on it long because the top forces of both sides had already gathered nearby.
Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, Arceus, and Red Hair were all present. At this moment, the assembled elite forces exceeded those of the Divine Valley incident.
"Have you become stronger again? Did you find your thing already?"
"I have, but why are you taking so long? According to the plan, it should be over by now."
"There are always surprises, like that thing in the sky. Handle those pesky ones for me. The remaining battle won't last long."
Seeing Arceus arrive, Kaidou didn't believe there were any unexpected factors capable of interfering with his fight. If Arceus couldn't prevent such surprises, it would only lead to a more advanced all-out war.
Compared to Kaidou's ease, the Navy wasn't having it so simple.
The Hundred Beasts' Vice Captain along with the Red Hair Pirates, this wasn't good news.
"Red Hair Shanks, why are you here?!"
"It's simple. I hope this war ends here. Is there any need to continue?"
"What a joke! The Navy has made such enormous sacrifices, and you want us to abandon this war just because of a few words from you!"
Listening to Shanks, Akainu immediately refuted his words.
For this paramount war, the Navy dedicated tremendous effort and time but reaped no significant results. If it ended just like that, it would indeed be a disgrace for the Navy.
"No, I just hope you recognize the current situation. If the battle continues, the Red Hair Pirates will also be your enemy."