Marineford, Marine Headquarters. Silence gripped the battlefield. Ever since Sephiroth redirected the cataclysmic attack that had engulfed the entire island, the fighting had ceased. Pirates and Marines alike stared at one another, their will to battle extinguished. Step by step, they widened the distance between themselves and their enemies.
No one could remain indifferent after surviving such devastation. Even Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, the indomitable Yonko, was no exception. "Mamamama!" Her cold laugh echoed across the ruins. "Red Hair, it seems forces beyond our own are at play here. I'll grant you this much face—let's end this war."
She paused, her expression darkening. "But before my people withdraw, I must see that thing for myself." Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble. "If necessary, I'll destroy it completely." With a snap of her fingers, she summoned Zeus, the thundercloud beneath her feet, and soared into the sky toward the San Juan Wolf hidden ten thousand meters above.
Red-Haired Shanks and Luffy exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they grabbed Ace and retreated from the execution platform, reuniting with Whitebeard's crew. None of them wanted any part of what was coming.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo's maniacal laughter cut through the tension. "Fufufufufu! Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Commander-in-Chief Kong have already agreed to a ceasefire. Are you still eager to fight me, Aokiji?" He smirked, his tone dripping with mockery.
Aokiji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze wary. "As long as you stop attacking Marines and leave now, I won't waste any more time on you." The Admiral's voice was calm, but his exhaustion was evident. Their earlier clash had left him at a disadvantage, subtly outmaneuvered by Doflamingo's cunning.
"Fufufufufu! How sensible of you." Doflamingo turned to his subordinates, his voice sharp with authority. "Order everyone to evacuate Marineford immediately." Over time, his influence within the Beasts Pirates had grown, his prestige now second only to Kaido himself. The crew obeyed without question, even King the Plague, though his fury over Kaido's death burned hot.
But as the retreat began, Doflamingo called out to King and Vergo. "You two, come with me." He pointed to the colossal object looming in the sky, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "I want to see what that thing is—and perhaps claim it for myself."
Sephiroth, meanwhile, felt the weight of his exhaustion. The massive spatial gate he had opened to redirect the island-level attack had drained him completely. Though his life force reserves allowed for rapid recovery, a fleeting weakness still lingered in his limbs. After using Swallow Return, he descended slowly, intending to wait twenty or thirty seconds to regain his strength before investigating the clouds above.
But fate had other plans. Big Mom Charlotte Linlin and Doflamingo had already set their sights on the weapon capable of annihilating the island in a single blow, both of them now racing toward it in the sky. Sephiroth sighed softly, knowing he had no choice but to intervene. Yet, as he prepared to follow, a sudden thought gave him pause. He hesitated, his plans shifting in an instant.
It seemed he didn't necessarily need to obtain that thing! What would he do with that thing? Use it to drill holes in this planet, plunging the entire world into disasters of earthquakes and rising sea levels, ultimately leading to destruction?
when it came to powerful weapons, Sephiroth already possessed three Ancient Weapons: Pluton, Poseidon, Gods Breath, and even nuclear bombs were already under development... Therefore, it seemed like having that thing was really useless! Since that was the case, something he didn't want... even destroying it wouldn't benefit them!
Thinking of this, Sephiroth immediately spread the black wings on his back, flapped them, and soared into the air. At the same time, he drew the Nether Flame Blade tucked at his waist, raised it above his head, the tip pointing directly at the colossal object hiding in the clouds above.
Immediately, ripples of fire spread from the blade of the Nether Flame Blade, instantly forming a hundred-meter-diameter disk of fire. Roar! Accompanied by a high-pitched dragon roar, a giant orange-red dragon made of scorching hot flames flew out from the disk and soared through the sky.
Sephiroth put forth all his strength, wrapping his Haoshoku around the fire dragon without reservation, maximizing its attack power. The next moment. The fire dragon, carrying the terrifying might of destruction, surged towards the sky at high speed, its target locked directly onto the San Juan Wolf in the clouds.
Big Mom Charlotte Linlin and Doflamingo, who had already activated their Observation Haki and were flying in the sky, seemed to sense something. Their pupils suddenly contracted, and their faces were filled with shock. In an instant.
The flame dragon soaring in the sky suddenly began to swell and expand, its body abruptly changing from a hundred meters wide to over ten thousand meters wide, emitting waves of oppressive high-temperature heat. The firelight illuminated the entire sky of Marineford. Soon, the flame dragon, with a body ten thousand meters wide, disappeared into the clouds... Boom--!
A heaven-shaking explosion echoed from within the clouds. The unknown weapon that had attacked Marineford burst open as if scattered by a celestial maiden, turning into pieces of wreckage that fell from the sky.
Seeing this scene, the tens of thousands of pirates and Marines on Oris Plaza were all dumbfounded, watching Sephiroth's back as he slowly descended from the air again, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief. This man was incredibly strong, terrifyingly so... Seeing this scene, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin and Doflamingo both had gloomy faces, glaring coldly at Sephiroth.
However, neither of them said anything harsh and simply left in silence. They had both witnessed Sephiroth's strength, and even if they wanted to cause trouble, they had to weigh their own abilities. After all, even Kaido was defeated by Sephiroth. If it were the two of them, they probably wouldn't gain anything either.
Suddenly, a "Rumble--!" vibration came from afar, causing a noticeable earthquake on Marineford island. Subconsciously, the gazes of Sengoku, Kong, Garp, and others all turned towards Whitebeard in the distance. After all, it was well known that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could cause earthquakes...
They couldn't be sure if the world's strongest man, who was already half-dead and severely injured, was preparing to turn hostile. However, when they saw Whitebeard, protected by his sons in the crowd, covering his mouth with his left hand and coughing up a large amount of blood, they immediately dismissed that idea.
Sengoku, Kong, and the others possessed keen Observation Haki. They could clearly sense Whitebeard's life force dwindling fast. Akainu's devastating punch had pierced his chest, searing his internal organs. Even with his legendary vitality, Whitebeard's chances of surviving the war were slim.
The ground trembled violently. Kong frowned, turning toward the Red Line. "This quake feels... off. The epicenter's close to Marineford." He exchanged a glance with Sengoku. "We should investigate the cause immediately."
Before Sengoku could summon the signalmen to organize a scouting party, Lieutenant Commander Brannew rushed over, his cape billowing behind him. His face was pale. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Urgent reports from both Red Ports." He leaned in close, voice low and urgent. "This can't wait."