Six hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The battlefield had become absolute chaos.
Smoke, fire, ice, wind, lightning—everything overlapped. The sea was littered with wreckage, broken masts, sinking hulls.
Screams mixed with explosions, and at this point, no one could tell who was fighting whom anymore.
Pirates clashed with pirates.
Marines clashed with pirates.
Former allies turned into enemies mid-battle.
---
A pirate captain froze.
Across from him stood Sabo, his pipe resting on his shoulder, Haki swirling faintly around his arm.
The pirate captain's eyes widened
" Second in Command of Revolutionary Army—Sabo huh, let's see if you are worth the position."
" Captain of Seafloor Pirates, Seafloor SINK
Bounty 756,000,000 berries
Let's fight. "
Just then a shout came out of nowhere—
"SABO!"
Sabo, startled at hearing his name shouted so loudly across the battlefield, turned toward the source.
A familiar ship cut through the smoke and flames.
The Thousand Sunny
The moment Sabo saw it, he recognised it.
"Luffy…"
Standing at the bow, Monkey D. Luffy waved with a wide grin, stretching his arm high in the air. Seeing him alive, smiling, and standing there—
Sabo smiled back.
But that moment lasted less than a heartbeat.
"HEY!!"
Seafloor Sink's face twisted with rage.
"You dare ignore me?!"
Before Sabo could even turn fully back, Seafloor Sink charged forward. His massive arms darkened instantly, veins bulging as he swung both fists together, compressing the air itself.
This was his fighting style. The reason behind his name.
Every punch carried power capable of shattering warships and dragging them straight to the ocean floor.
BOOM!
The fists crashed down.
Sabo reacted instantly. He spun his metal pipe, Armament Haki coating it jet black, and met the attack head-on.
The collision sent shockwaves rippling across the sea, cracking the surface beneath their feet.
On the other hand—
Luffy's smile vanished.
His reunion with his brother— Interrupted.
Something snapped.
Without hesitation, Luffy bit down on his arm.
"Gear Fourth—Snake Man."
Steam exploded outward as his body transformed mid-air. In the very next second, Luffy leapt from the Thousand Sunny, blasting forward like a cannonball, his eyes locked onto Seafloor Sink.
He wasn't thinking about strategy. Or the battlefield. Or consequences.
He just wanted this fight over.
Zoro and Sanji exchanged a glance.
Just three days ago, Luffy had watched one of his brothers die. After that, he had been unconscious for days. Even now, his mental state was fragile—barely holding together.
They understood immediately.
If their captain wanted to reach his brother— Then it was their job to clear the path.
Zoro drew all three swords in a single smooth motion.
"Three Sword Style…"
He leapt toward the Seafloor Pirates' ship.
"Sanzen Sekai—Onigiri!"
At the same time, Sanji stepped forward, fire igniting around his leg.
"Tch… picking a fight with our captain's family?"
He vanished in a blur and reappeared mid-air, twisting his body and driving a devastating kick straight toward Seafloor Sink.
The Straw Hats had entered the battle.
---
Ten minutes later—
Sabo stood on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, quietly watching as a massive pirate ship slowly disappeared beneath the waves.
The Boat Crusher. The flagship of the Seafloor Pirates.
Now reduced to wreckage, cracked and broken, dragged into the depths by the combined force of Sabo, Luffy, and the Straw Hats.
No one felt regret.
On the deck, Luffy clung to Sabo, crying openly, his words coming out broken and uneven as he spoke about Ace—about everything they had lost. His fists trembled, gripping Sabo's coat as if letting go would make him disappear too.
Sabo listened in silence.
His own chest felt heavy.
He had known about Ace's death long before this war. He had known the reason too.
Ace had made his choice.
If Ace hadn't attacked Mariejois, the World Government would have attacked the Whitebeard Pirates anyway. Ace hadn't had a path where everyone survived. And Sabo understood that.
Still—
Regret lingered in his eyes.
If only the three of them could have gathered once more. Shared sake. Laughed. Argued. Had a stupid party like old times.
That thought hurt more than any wound.
After a while, Luffy finally loosened his grip and wiped his tears with his sleeve. He looked around.
The battlefield was still raging.
Ships continued to arrive. More pirates. More Marines. More explosions.
Instead of shrinking, the war was growing.
Luffy clenched his fists.
"Sabo…"
"When will this end?"
His voice was quiet, almost lost beneath the noise of battle.
Sabo followed Luffy's gaze, scanning the endless chaos.
"It won't end easily," he said calmly.
Then he asked, "Luffy… do you know why this war is happening?"
Luffy blinked and looked back at him, then glanced toward his crew. He scratched his head.
"I dunno. I didn't really read the newspaper."
Robin stepped forward, her expression composed.
"Isn't it for control?" she said.
"The throne… the authority to rule the world?"
Sabo nodded.
"That's right."
He continued, his voice steady and clear.
"The World Government has effectively collapsed after Ace's actions. Right now, the world has only a few remaining pillars of power."
He raised one finger.
"First—the pirates.
The Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords, and countless pirate captains worth billions."
A second finger.
"Second—the Marines.
Admirals, fleets, and their remaining elite forces."
A third.
"Third—Impel Down.
A prison that still holds monsters capable of turning the tide of the world."
A fourth.
"The Revolutionary Army.
By sheer numbers, we're second only to the pirates."
And finally—
"The kingdoms.
The alliances of nations still standing."
Sabo exhaled slowly.
"This war isn't about annihilating each other. It's about measuring strength."
"Deciding who gets how much of the world."
He glanced toward the battlefield.
"And the fewer people left standing… the bigger the slice of the cake."
Silence fell over the deck.
"Don't misunderstand," Sabo added.
"Admirals and Emperors probably won't die today."
"But pirates below the billion-berry level?"
"They will fall in droves."
He looked at the sinking ships.
"Just like Seafloor Sink."
Everyone remained quiet.
Then Luffy spoke again.
"Hey, Sabo…"
"Do those pirates know this?"
"If they know they're just going to die…"
"Why are they still coming?"
This time, everyone looked surprised.
Not because the question was foolish— But because it was painfully accurate.
Sabo smiled faintly.
"Luffy… what do you want to be?"
Luffy didn't hesitate.
He looked up at the sky, eyes clear despite the tears.
"I want to be the King of the Pirates."
Sabo nodded.
"Then look around."
He gestured to the battlefield.
"The strength gap here is absurd.
Some can destroy mountains with a single attack.
Others can't even scratch their enemies."
"And yet—they all came."
"Why?"
He met Luffy's eyes.
"Hope."
"Hope for the One Piece."
"Hope for the throne."
"Hope for riches, glory, desire, greed."
"At the end of the day," Sabo said quietly,
"most pirates below a billion berries either can't control their desires… or truly believe they can reach the top."
Luffy listened carefully.
Then—
He nodded.
---
Four days passed.
Four days since the war began.
And now—after four days of uninterrupted chaos—the battlefield finally fell silent once more.
The sea was calm again, unnaturally so, as if exhausted by the destruction it had witnessed. Broken ships floated like corpses, some half-submerged, others reduced to nothing but splintered wood. Smoke still rose in thin trails, but the roar of battle had vanished.
The strong had stopped fighting.
One by one, the major forces withdrew to their respective ships, tending to wounds, counting casualties, assessing losses—both inflicted and suffered. This war had not been about victory or defeat. It had been about proof. About showing fangs.
Luffy and the Straw Hats had spent these four days moving alongside the Revolutionary Army, helping Sabo suppress the remaining pirate groups that had descended into madness once the balance of power shattered.
And in those four days—
They had grown stronger.
Not through training. But through survival.
Real combat always changed people faster than practice ever could. Just like Luffy's two years of training had been dwarfed by a few battles against Kaido—the difference was undeniable.
Finally, Dragon moved.
His ship advanced slowly, deliberately, toward the center of the battlefield. Seeing this, the other major forces followed suit.
Soon, all movement stopped.
The sea between them became a neutral ground.
The four great powers arranged themselves naturally, forming a massive circle.
One side—the Four Emperors.
One side—the Marines.
One side—the Revolutionary Army.
And the last—the alliance of powerful pirate captains and notorious criminals who had survived long enough to matter.
Silence reigned.
Then Dragon spoke.
"The Revolutionary Army will form the new government."
His voice was calm, unwavering.
"Who wishes to join it?"
The sea itself seemed to pause.
No one answered immediately.
On the Marine side, Garp glanced at Sengoku. Sengoku's face was rigid, conflicted, burdened by responsibility and decades of belief.
Finally, he spoke.
"What will the structure of this new government be?" Sengoku asked.
Dragon didn't answer directly.
Instead, he looked toward Sabo.
Sabo nodded.
He stepped forward and pulled out a thick stack of documents. Without saying a word, he began moving—ship to ship, force to force.
Revolutionary ships. Marine ships. Pirate ships. Kingdom vessels.
Each captain received a copy.
No one interrupted.
Ten minutes passed.
Pages were read. Eyes narrowed. Expressions shifted.
Finally—
Sengoku closed the document and looked up.
"The Marines will join the Revolutionary Army," he said slowly.
A ripple ran through the battlefield.
"But," Sengoku continued, "the Marines will act as the shield against pirates. If you truly intend to build a just world, then we will be your strongest blade."
Dragon nodded once.
No arguments. No celebration.
Then Dragon turned.
His gaze fell upon the Four Emperors—finally stopping on Yamato.
"Yamato," Dragon said, "our agreement still stands?"
Yamato met his eyes.
She nodded.
Kaido frowned.
He understood immediately—something had been decided behind his back. A deal between Yamato and the Revolutionary Army. One he hadn't been part of.
For a moment, Kaido considered asking.
Then—
He scoffed.
After four days of unrestrained battle, his blood was satisfied. For the first time in decades, he was free. No chains. No obligations. No Onigashima to guard.
Whatever happened next—
That was Yamato's problem.
All Kaido wanted now was to fight every few days, defeat monsters, and drink himself into oblivion.
Dragon's gaze shifted again.
This time—
To Whitebeard.
"Edward Newgate," Dragon said calmly.
"I was asked to convince you."
Whitebeard remained silent, his massive presence unmoving.
"The Revolutionary Army intends to take control of the territories currently under the Whitebeard Pirates," Dragon continued. "As stated in the documents."
"The seas will be unified under one authority."
"Your crew may join us—or not. The choice is yours."
Dragon's voice softened slightly.
"You're getting old."
"In ten… twenty years… even you don't know what will become of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Silence lingered after Dragon's words.
Then, finally, Whitebeard spoke.
The question was simple—
"Did Ace's death… have something to do with you?"
"Did you force it?"
All eyes turned toward Dragon.
Dragon lowered his head slightly, shadows crossing his face. A few seconds passed. Then—
"He met me two years ago," Dragon said.
His voice was steady, but deep with weight.
"Even before we met… Ace had already foreseen his own death."
A ripple ran through the gathered forces.
"Using future observation," Dragon continued, "Ace saw it clearly. He knew how it would end."
The sea remained utterly still.
"Two years ago, Ace came to me. And together—we formed a plan."
Whitebeard clenched his fist.
"For those two years, he traveled the world exactly as he wished. No regrets. No hesitation."
"Then, when the World Government declared war on you… Ace stopped traveling."
Dragon lifted his gaze.
"In the end, it was his will."
A pause.
"…Though I won't deny that I played a part in it."
No one spoke.
Dragon remained silent.
The division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates looked toward their captain. Whatever he decided now—
They would follow.
Minutes passed.
Then Whitebeard inhaled deeply.
"The Whitebeard Pirates are disbanded."
The words hit harder than any earthquake.
Shock exploded across the battlefield.
Marco's eyes widened.
Jozu froze.
Vista clenched his teeth.
Tears welled up among the crew.
They had expected many things—
Joining the Revolutionary Army.
Becoming allies of the new world order.
But disbandment?
That was something none of them had imagined.
Just as voices were about to rise, Whitebeard raised his hand.
"I said disbanded," he said firmly.
"But listen well."
He smiled.
"You're still my family. Every single one of you—my sons."
Emotion surged through his voice.
"Sphinx Island is still our home."
Laughter echoed faintly as Whitebeard continued.
"My health is failing. I've fought long enough."
"So I'm retiring."
"From now on—each of you chooses your own path. Stay with me on Sphinx Island… or travel the world freely."
"This decision is for all of you."
For a moment, the crew thought he was abandoning them.
Then—
They laughed.
Tears streamed down Marco's face as he stepped forward.
"Pops," Marco said, smiling through grief,
"Then let's build Sphinx Island into a new Mary Geoise."
A murmur spread.
"But not the Mary Geoise of the World Government," Marco continued.
"A place for pirates, abandoned people, and orphans."
"A city that accepts everyone."
The laughter grew louder.
Whitebeard's smile widened.
" Gurarararara"
"…That sounds good."
The strongest pirate crew in the world did not fall that day.
They chose peace.
And with that decision—
The old era truly came to an end.
---