"That's enough…"
Kizaru ignored Ivankov, who was fleeing with Marco.
To be honest, he had no real animosity toward Whitebeard. Compared to other infamous pirates—even the Pirate Emperors—Whitebeard, who only sought the warmth of family, was practically a saint.
However, after this war, Whitebeard's reputation would soar to unimaginable heights, making his very existence a threat to the Navy.
"Gurararara! Before I die, I have a world-shaking secret to reveal! Roger's treasure—"
Whitebeard laughed fearlessly.
Other than missing the chance to see how strong Kizaru had truly become, he had no regrets in this life.
"Shut up! Light-Speed Meteor Strike!"
Kizaru's eyebrows twitched slightly, his entire body glowing with blinding light.
In the next instant, he crossed the distance between them, and with lightning-fast speed, his right arm pierced through Whitebeard's chest, crushing the heart of the "Strongest Man in the World."
Whitebeard's words were cut short, but Kizaru had already guessed what he was about to say.
As someone in a position of power, he had to act accordingly.
Even though Kizaru personally didn't care about Roger's Great Pirate Era, he couldn't let Whitebeard declare the legend of the One Piece right in front of him.
There was no denying it—Whitebeard was already a shadow of his former self.
Even his Haki defenses had weakened to the point where he couldn't even slow down Kizaru's attack.
Smack!
Yet in the very next instant—despite being on the brink of death—Whitebeard's left hand clamped down on Kizaru's right arm like a vice.
Blood poured from his mouth, but his face bore a grin as fierce as a demon's.
His right fist, still radiating the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, exploded forward—aiming straight for Kizaru's head!
This was his final attack.
If he could seriously injure Kizaru, the Navy wouldn't have the strength to continue their pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted.
A shockwave of destruction and a towering cloud of smoke and debris engulfed both Whitebeard and Kizaru.
At the exact same moment—Kizaru didn't hesitate.
He threw his own punch forward to meet Whitebeard's blow head-on.
The Past Strongest vs. The Present Strongest!
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit and Glint-Glint Fruit clashed in full force.
The impact shook all of Marineford.
Even Akainu and Shanks, locked in a deadly duel, paused for a brief moment—stunned by the sheer intensity of the clash.
All eyes turned to the battlefield, locked onto the smoke-shrouded arena where the battle's outcome would be decided.
Could anyone truly withstand Whitebeard's final strike?
But Marineford was overflowing with powerful figures.
With so many top-tier Conqueror's Haki users interfering, even the strongest Observation Haki failed to perceive the result in advance.
Even Benn Beckman, known for his exceptional foresight, found himself unable to predict the outcome.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Soft footsteps echoed through the fading smoke.
A wave of relief and excitement spread across the Navy's ranks.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's expression was filled with expectation.
The Whitebeard Pirates refused to lose hope.
Even with a fatal wound to the chest, that man was still their Whitebeard—
The man who had never fallen.
The man who had never been defeated.
The man who stood against any enemy and never wavered.
But… miracles did not happen.
When the figure finally emerged from the smoke, countless Marines erupted into deafening cheers.
"We won! Admiral Kizaru took down Whitebeard!"
"Kizaru-sama, banzai!"
"Glory to the Navy!"
From that moment forward, Kizaru's image in the Navy changed forever.
For years, he had been seen as lazy, unreliable, and indifferent.
But when he personally struck down Whitebeard, he was instantly hailed as a hero—the second legend of the Navy, following Vice Admiral Garp!
And as the man who defeated Whitebeard, Kizaru was now recognized worldwide as the new "Strongest Man in the World."
"…That was close. A fraction of a second slower, and I would've been the one on the ground."
Kizaru casually patted the dust off his clothes.
Despite the sheer impact of the clash, he had spared enough energy to use Armament Haki and keep his uniform completely intact.
As the smoke gradually cleared, Whitebeard's body came into view.
His body was covered in wounds—big and small.
Over a dozen deep cuts, so deep that bone was visible, had been inflicted by Kizaru's blade-like attacks.
His right chest had a gaping hole punched clean through—wider than an arm, revealing the shattered fragments of his heart inside.
His right hand was reduced to bloody pulp, crushed by the combined explosion of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and Glint-Glint Fruit's power.
In his final desperate struggle, Whitebeard had no Haki left to protect his arm.
And yet—even in death, bathed in blood, Whitebeard still stood.
As if declaring to the world:
Not even death could bring this man to his knees.
"Old man!!"
The Whitebeard Pirates howled in grief and rage.
They had never imagined that the man who had always protected them would one day fall at the hands of the Navy.
"Run! Don't let Pops' sacrifice be in vain!"
"Live! If you don't survive, how will we avenge him?!"
"Do you want to let him die for nothing?!"
At the crucial moment, the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates gritted their teeth and held back their grief, desperately restraining those who had lost themselves to rage and wanted to kill Kizaru for revenge.
It wasn't just Whitebeard's own crew—even the 43 allied pirate crews under his flag were furious, and countless pirates burned with vengeance.
"He's really dead… Whitebeard! The Strongest Man in the World!"
"Unbelievable… are Admirals really this powerful?!"
"Finally! That monster is gone!"
Across the world, people watching the live broadcast erupted into cheers.
Compared to other infamous pirates, Whitebeard had never been particularly cruel.
But as the most famous pirate of this era, many still associated him with all the evils of piracy.
"Tch, killed by the Navy? Guess Whitebeard really was getting old."
"Damn it! He never got to finish his sentence! Where the hell is Roger's treasure?!"
"Hahaha! You guys still believe in that so-called 'Great Treasure'? Whitebeard was probably about to say that the One Piece doesn't even exist!"
Pirates across the world reacted in different ways.
Some had just finished pillaging a town, standing over the corpses of civilians as they watched the broadcast.
For pirates, Whitebeard was an icon—the legend they pursued and worshiped.
After Roger's death, Whitebeard was not only the Strongest Man in the World but also the strongest pirate alive.
But now—even Whitebeard had fallen to the Navy.
Many rookie pirates, or those considering setting sail, suddenly felt fear creeping in.
If even Whitebeard wasn't strong enough… what chance did they have?
Would setting sail now be anything more than a death sentence?
Of course, some pirates saw this as an opportunity.
They dreamed of surpassing Whitebeard—even Roger himself.
But such individuals were few and far between.
---
[Live Chat Comments]
[Random Viewer: Bro, I'm dumbfounded… Kizaru is insane! He took out both Blackbeard and Whitebeard?!]
[Kobayashi: Man, these pirate names crack me up. Blackbeard, Whitebeard, Red Hair—what's next? Green Mustache? Hahahaha!]
[Haibara Ai: Hold on—wasn't that idiot always saying Whitebeard and the Admirals were on the same level? Why does it look like Kizaru won way too easily?]
[Fubuki: This is crazy. That Whitebeard guy might've been stronger than even a Dragon-level threat, and yet… he still lost.]
[Tony Stark: Oh great, looks like I need to upgrade my Iron Man suits again. This world is way too dangerous.]
[Xiao Mei: These people are insanely powerful… Even our clan leader—no, even a legendary Dou Huang or Dou Zong wouldn't be this strong!]
[Orochimaru: Hehehe… I can't wait to get my hands on the remains of these warriors. Their physical durability is simply fascinating…]
[Jotaro Kujo: This world is overrun with pirates. Disgusting.]
[Orochimaru: Disgusting? With so many incredible Devil Fruits, and treasures like Pure Gold, how could you not see the beauty of this world?]
[Tony Stark: Hey, do you guys think that Pure Gold stuff can really make someone immortal?]
[Orochimaru: Hehehe, I don't know for sure… But judging from how the rulers of Admiral Kizaru's world act, the effects of Pure Gold are probably real.]
[Random Viewer: Well, getting Pure Gold isn't actually that hard. Kizaru-sama will definitely have to personally escort it to Mary Geoise for the Five Elders.]
[Random Viewer: We could pick a world where time flows the slowest compared to One Piece's world, let Kizaru-sama stay there for a while, and by the time he returns, only a few minutes would've passed for him. Besides, I have a feeling Kizaru-sama might have… other plans.]
[Tony Stark: Ohhh, I get it now! In those few minutes, a long time will have passed in the other world—plenty of time for us to study the properties of Pure Gold!]
[Fubuki: Kizaru-sama could come to my world. I tested it before with Haibara-chan—time flows really fast there!]
[Haibara Ai: That's true. Based on the time ratio from when Kizaru last visited other worlds, if one month passes in Fubuki-chan's world, only 17 minutes would pass in Kizaru's world.]
[Tony Stark: Wow! That's perfect!]
[Orochimaru: Then, after the livestream ends, I'll personally suggest it to Kizaru.]
…
As usual, the chat completely derailed into an unrelated discussion.
But by now, no one doubted that the pirates had lost all hope of turning the tide.
---
"Eliminate all pirates!"
Akainu roared his command.
Even though he knew he had no chance of competing with Kizaru anymore, he refused to give up.
If he couldn't become Fleet Admiral, then he would fulfill his duty as an Admiral to the bitter end.
With Akainu's orders, the Navy—already riding high on morale—launched a relentless pursuit of the fleeing Whitebeard Pirates.
The pirates were grieving and furious, but the difference in power was simply too great.
Unless the ones who had already boarded the ships abandoned their escape, there was no way they could withstand the Navy's assault.
'BOOM!'
Just then—a monstrous wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted, sweeping across all of Marineford.
For a moment, it was as if a bolt of thunder had exploded inside everyone's minds.
By the time they snapped out of their stunned state…
A lone figure stood in the way of the Navy's pursuit.
Face expressionless, Shanks blocked their path—alone.
"You shall not pass!"
His voice was firm and unwavering.
Originally, his goal had been to escort Whitebeard's crew safely out of Marineford.
But now—Whitebeard was dead.
If the main force of the Whitebeard Pirates was also annihilated, then the entire New World would descend into utter chaos.
With Whitebeard's territories unclaimed, a massive war was inevitable.
Especially with two certain Emperors—both eager to expand their dominance.
Whitebeard's death was a golden opportunity for them.
As for Shanks himself—his crew's ideology meant that they had no interest in claiming territories.
But if Whitebeard's lands fell into the hands of Kaido and Big Mom…
The New World would belong to them.
"Ignore him! Charge forward!"
Even with a Yonko standing in their way, Vice Admiral Onigumo showed no fear.
For years, the Navy had been obsessed with ending this so-called Great Pirate Era.
Now, after finally taking down the strongest pirate—Whitebeard—they had to press the attack and wipe out the remnants of his crew!
Leading the charge, Onigumo—a key figure in the Navy's hawk faction—knew exactly how Akainu thought.
There was no way Akainu would let Shanks help the Whitebeard Pirates escape.
"Great Eruption!"
Just as Onigumo predicted—the moment Akainu saw Shanks blocking their path, he charged in immediately.
His rage—built up after clashing with multiple powerful enemies—had nowhere else to go.
Even before he reached the battlefield, he had already launched a massive blast of molten magma toward Shanks.
For fighters of their level, decisive victories were hard to achieve.
Even if one of them was fully committed to the fight, it was still difficult to stop the other from withdrawing.
And Akainu?
At this point, he was far from his peak condition.
After clashing with so many powerful opponents, his stamina was drained, and his frustration had only grown.
Now—against Shanks, an Emperor whose strength matched his own—he was completely overwhelmed.
After just a few exchanges, Akainu couldn't gain the upper hand at all.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily shaken off when Shanks unleashed his Conqueror's Haki earlier.
°°°
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