"Based on what!?" a Marine officer snapped, shouting toward Red-Hair. "This is a war our Navy must win!"
"Exactly! The Vice Admiral is right!"
"We won't take orders from a pirate!"
Bolstered by his words, several Marines found the courage to voice their defiance toward Shanks.
Shanks didn't offer a verbal retort. He simply stood there, his gaze steady and piercing, sweeping over every soul present. Akainu, Sengoku, and the rest of the high-ranking Marine officials looked on with grim, tight-lipped expressions.
Sengoku was torn. As the Fleet Admiral, he could feel it—the fighting spirit of the Navy was no longer at its peak. In fact, most of the soldiers were now yearning for the fighting to stop. To his alarm, it wasn't just the rank-and-file; even the officers seemed to be wavering.
Shanks' gaze eventually settled on Sengoku. Whitebeard's intent was already clear: if the Navy agreed to a ceasefire, the war was over.
"Sigh..." After a long silence, Sengoku let out a deep, heavy sigh. A look of profound weariness crossed his face as he looked toward Shanks. "I agree."
As he spoke those words, Sengoku seemed to age years in a single moment.
"Fleet Admiral!"
The surrounding Marines stared at him in disbelief. Sengoku looked over their faces—some were twisted in righteous fury, some were slumped in defeat, and others were a mask of complex emotions.
He then shifted his gaze toward the sea of wounded men lying across the plaza. The soldiers followed his gaze. When they saw their comrades-in-arms groaning in agony and weeping in the dirt, the reality of the situation finally sank in. They lowered their heads in silence.
"It's alright. I will take full responsibility for the consequences," Sengoku said slowly. "The war... is over!"
The declaration rippled across the entirety of Marineford. At the sound of his voice, a collective wave of relief washed over both pirates and Marines alike. Though a few officers still looked indignant, the sight of the broken bodies covering every inch of the harbor silenced any further protest.
War has no right or wrong.
Justice? What is Justice? The Marines fought for their version of it against Whitebeard, while the Whitebeard Pirates carried a burden of their own. Because both sides held their beliefs above all else, they were willing to cast their lives aside.
In this clash, the Navy... had lost.
Garp slowly walked down from the warship's deck, waving a massive hand. "The war is over! All units, tend to the wounded! Medics! Move!"
At Garp's command, the Marines snapped back to reality. They surged across the ruins of the battlefield, racing toward their fallen brothers.
"Medic! Over here!" a soldier screamed, cradling a dying comrade in his arms. "Hurry, he's not going to make it!"
"We need more stretchers over here..."
"I need hands! Move it!"
In an instant, the soldiers mobilized. Seeing so many of their friends on the brink of death due to the delay in treatment, they finally understood Sengoku's decision. Victory was a vanishing dream; the Fleet Admiral was willing to shoulder the shame of defeat to ensure his men didn't all die for his pride.
They were moved.
Though they had failed to secure the execution, they were still willing to sacrifice everything for the Justice in their hearts. The Navy remained the shield of the world. But today, they had failed, and the vortex of the Great Pirate Era was only going to spin faster and more violently from here on.
They knew they had to become stronger to face the chaotic new age that was coming.
"Let's go." Whitebeard gave a grand wave of his arm. With one last look at the silhouette of Red-Haired Shanks, he ordered the Moby Dick to set sail.
They were... leaving.
Drake watched with a lingering sense of awe. Every word and action of Shanks exuded a charisma that left him breathless. Respect and envy were practically etched onto Drake's face.
Top-tier Conqueror's Haki! I want that power!
But with the System behind him, Drake felt his hopes were high. If a man chooses to abandon a quiet life, he should claw his way to the pinnacle of the world. Seeing a man stop a global war with a single sentence—that was the standard Drake now set for himself.
"Drake, why are you out here?" Sabo asked, walking over.
Drake offered a small smile. "Luffy's fine. I just wanted to see the end of it."
"I see."
The Whitebeard Pirates began organizing their own medical efforts, tending to their wounded while maintaining their stations. As Marineford faded into the distance and it became clear no one was pursuing them, Whitebeard walked across the deck.
"Gurararara..."
"Pops!" The crew members who weren't on medical duty looked toward him, their faces beaming with pride and confidence. They had beaten the Marine Headquarters!
In history, such a feat was virtually unprecedented. Though this was the Great Pirate Era, the World Government's power still vastly outweighed any single pirate crew. The three Admirals alone were enough to strike terror into the heart of any outlaw. Even a Yonko crew felt the pressure of the Navy's full might—yet they had triumphed.
This single achievement was enough to cement their status as the undisputed number one crew in the world. A surge of arrogance and pride swelled in every heart. They waited for their captain to speak.
Whitebeard scanned the crowd, his voice steady and resonant. "This war had no winner or loser... we simply brought our family home."
He then turned his gaze toward Ace.
The Commanders smiled. The Whitebeard Pirates didn't care about the glory of victory; they only cared that their family was safe.
Countless gazes fell on Ace, and he could see the genuine happiness on every face.
Family!
Ace smiled, a deep sense of contentment washing over him. He looked at Sabo and Drake. He had family, he had brothers, and he had a younger brother who caused more worry than anyone else... his life was complete. He could feel the preciousness of existence. From the moment he saw his Father and his brothers charging into hell to save him, he knew he had a home. A real home.
"Everyone... I won't say thank you, because I know we don't need to say that anymore... but truly... thank you for coming for me!!" Ace said, bowing low.
"What are you saying, Ace!? You're our Second Division Commander!" the crew roared back.
"Exactly, Ace! We're family!"
"Don't let me hear you talk like that again, you hear me?" Marco said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Ace looked at the crowd, his eyes stinging. "You guys..."
He closed his eyes, a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face.
"Hahahaha!"
The sea breeze blew softly as the Moby Dick glided across the vast ocean. The sound of laughter and joy followed the ship, echoing across the waves into the setting sun.