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"To stand above the world, to be the strongest conqueror... you have to defeat all the other conquerors."
"Who can stand atop the summit and not fall?"
"The times are always changing."
"From Rocks's generation, to Roger and me, to Shanks's generation..."
"The era of the new generation will come, as surely as the ocean flows, as surely as time passes."
Whitebeard's voice was quiet.
The battlefield had fallen silent.
His words held the weariness of a hero in his twilight years, but also the admiration and expectation of seeing a new king rise.
—————————
Morning.
A single ray of sunlight broke through the darkness.
Whitebeard and the Moby Dick had withdrawn.
While Jin and Whitebeard had been fighting, the rescue squads had found and retrieved Ace, Vista, and the other crew members.
Their objective had been achieved. There was no need to continue the fight.
Jin didn't pursue them.
For one, Maya, Robin, Reiju, and the others were seriously injured. The G-5 Marines were completely wiped out.
At the Summit War, it had taken the full force of the Marines to defeat the Whitebeard Pirates. And even though their full crew wasn't here this time, if it hadn't been for Jin and his forces, they would have annihilated G-5.
For another, Jin's two objectives—to fight Whitebeard and to take the G-5 base—had been achieved.
If he tried to force Whitebeard to stay, a cornered beast is a dangerous thing.
There was still some fight left in that old man. If he went all out, he could easily sink the entire G-5 island. And then all of Jin's hard work would have been for nothing.
And besides, what was the point in killing Whitebeard? It wouldn't do him any good. It would just be doing the World Government's dirty work for them.
And if his goal was to take on the world, that would be tantamount to aiding the enemy.
So, Whitebeard not only had to live, but Jin also had to find a way to "strengthen" him, to make him cause an even bigger scene at the Summit War.
At the very least, he had to take out an Admiral, or an Admiral-level fighter, to shake the foundations of the World Government's military power.
"It's over..."
"I'm... I'm still alive!"
"We made it!"
From the shattered ruins of the battlefield, the surviving G-5 Marines began to crawl out, taking deep breaths of the morning air.
The air of survival.
They were still trembling.
"We won! We drove back the Whitebeard Pirates!" someone cheered.
Yes, in their eyes, driving back the Whitebeard Pirates was a victory, a massive, unprecedented victory.
A feat to be proud of, to boast about for the rest of their lives.
What? Only a complete defeat counts as a win?
You can go tell that to Whitebeard.
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Facing the rising sun, Jin let out a long breath. The sea was a brilliant blue, the waves rising and falling, the sun casting a golden, shimmering light upon them.
The G-14 and G-1 warships were approaching.
Vice Admirals Doll and Momonga had been circling the perimeter. When the Whitebeard Pirates had withdrawn, they had attempted an ambush, but they had been intercepted by the main fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates, who had come as reinforcements.
The warships docked, bringing food, water, and medical personnel.
Vice Admirals Doll and Momonga disembarked and walked straight up to Jin, their faces filled with admiration.
It is the nature of all living things to be drawn to strength.
To be able to fight Whitebeard, to drive him back... when the news of this spread, the whole world would be shaken.
And it wasn't just them. The surviving G-5 soldiers and officers now looked at Jin as if he were a god.
From the depths of despair, to the glory of survival.
It was a strange kind of camaraderie, the bond of those who have fought and bled together. His stand had inspired them.
(As for why they had been in a state of despair in the first place... that was a question for another time.)
"King Jin," Doll said, "—you're injured. We've brought the best doctors..."
Jin glanced at the four or five doctors and seven or eight pretty nurses behind the two Vice Admirals.
"That won't be necessary," he said with a wave of his hand. "Go help those who need it more. I have my own doctors on my ship."
He was also, instinctively, wary. What if one of the doctors took a sample of his blood and used it for research, creating a "Jin 2.0"?
And it wasn't just him. Maya, Robin, Reiju, and the Germa clone soldiers, both living and dead, were all brought back to the ship.
"Ai, full repair protocol!"
"Right away, Master!"
The boiler burned with the golden flames of souls. Using the insignia as an anchor, it transmitted energy, healing everyone's injuries.
A golden light enveloped them.
The energy became a hot, surging current, stimulating their cells, repairing their wounds, and alleviating their fatigue.
It was like soaking in a hot spring.
Jin even repaired the injured clone soldiers, nourishing them with the soul energy.
He wasn't as heartless as the Vinsmoke family. He didn't just recycle them after every battle. Any who could be repaired, he repaired. The Germa clone program had been shut down to free up research funds for the Seraphim project. These soldiers were a finite resource. Any who could be saved, were saved.
And he had discovered something interesting. After the battle and the nourishment of the golden soul flames, several of the clone soldiers had actually gotten stronger. The stronger the bloodline of the clone, the more noticeable the improvement.
They could grow?
Judge was stunned.
How was that possible?
The clone soldiers weren't like his children, who had been raised from birth. They were flawed, disposable products. Their genetic code had been "programmed." How could they possibly grow?
A new research topic.
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"So Jin didn't die. And Whitebeard didn't lose. And Kaido? He didn't show up?"
Doflamingo couldn't accept it.
The spectacle, the storm he had been waiting for all night... it had just fizzled out?
This battle, no matter who had won or lost, should have changed the entire landscape of Paradise and the New World.
If Jin had died, or been seriously injured, Doflamingo would have immediately gone to Paradise, taken his territory and his business, and had his revenge.
If Whitebeard had died, or been seriously injured, he could have incited more pirates to attack his territory and profited from the chaos.
And just to make things more interesting, he had even contacted Kaido, hoping to get the two beasts to tear each other apart.
But... no one had died. And Kaido hadn't shown up.
Doflamingo was seething with frustration.
"And now, Marine Headquarters is planning to reorganize the G-5 branch. I'll probably be removed from my position as base commander," Vergo's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
Doflamingo was speechless.
He had spent a fortune to get Vergo that position, to cover for his underground dealings. If he were removed, if G-5 were reorganized... the consequences would be dire.
He had tried to play everyone and ended up losing the most.
He felt like he was going to cough up blood.
He had watched the show all night, and in the end, he was the one who had lost the most?
So in the end... I was the clown all along.
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"So it was a draw?" Crocodile said, a mixture of relief and disappointment in his voice.
If Jin had actually defeated Whitebeard...
"You could say that," Jin said with a light laugh. "Or you could say... we both won."
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Marine Headquarters.
"A draw?"
"Unexpected."
"To dare to raise a hand against Whitebeard at such a young age... regardless of the outcome, that alone is worthy of respect."
The assembled officers, having heard the report, were all murmuring among themselves. They, more than anyone, knew the extent of Whitebeard's power.
But Sengoku was more concerned with the reorganization of the G-5 base. Which Vice Admiral should he send?
He posed the question to the other officers.
The room fell silent.
Sengoku and Tsuru discussed it in private. They needed someone who was strong enough to deal with the pirates, but also smart enough to play the political game with the Four Emperors.
"Fleet Admiral," a voice said from the doorway. "I'll go."
Gion walked in and volunteered for the G-5 command.
Sengoku was surprised. He glanced at Tsuru, thinking it was her idea, but Tsuru was just as surprised as he was.
"The New World is a complicated place," Sengoku warned.
"That's exactly why," Gion said, her expression serious. "As an Admiral candidate, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
Jin's battle in the New World had ignited her competitive spirit.
And besides, he had called her...
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