Countless Marines who had fallen into the water bore the full brunt of the electrical discharge, as the seawater acted as a perfect, relentless conductor. Those with weaker constitutions were rendered unconscious or worse by the residual currents coursing through the waves.
This single strike possessed the raw power to end worlds.
"Incredible..." The members of the Whitebeard Pirates were left in awe. At sea, the power of lightning was amplified to its absolute zenith. While it lacked the sheer world-shaking terror of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's ability to displace the ocean, it undeniably ranked as a top-tier offensive force.
"Huff... huff..." Kenshin landed back on the deck, gasping for air. It was clear that unleashing a technique of that magnitude had drained a significant portion of his stamina.
"Sabo, who is he?" Ace asked, genuinely impressed by Kenshin's display of strength.
Sabo offered a faint smile. "Kenshin belongs to Drake's crew."
"A pirate?"
"Yeah."
"Kenshin, nice to meet you. I'm Drake's brother, Ace." Ace stepped forward to greet him.
"I know," Kenshin replied with a small smile.
"Right."
Whitebeard glanced at Kenshin, his eyes reflecting a hint of surprise as he surveyed the smoking remains of the Marine fleet. "We're moving out."
The Moby Dick began its steady departure into the distance.
"KILL THEM!" However, roars of defiance erupted from the smoke.
Warships surged forward in pursuit of the Moby Dick, with Akainu standing at the prow of the lead vessel, his face dark with fury. Ship after ship emerged from the haze.
"It looks like they're set on a grand battle, Pops. Do we engage or keep moving?" Marco asked, standing beside Whitebeard. The current situation made it clear the Navy had no intention of letting them leave easily.
"Is this Sengoku's will...?" Whitebeard murmured to himself.
"It has to be," Marco replied, puzzled. "Who else could order the Navy to pursue us so relentlessly?"
"I don't think so." Whitebeard shook his head. If it were Sengoku, having witnessed their advantage at sea, he wouldn't be so hell-bent on a suicidal pursuit. Even if the Navy won, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Whitebeard's gaze shifted to the figure leading the charge: Akainu.
He had a pretty good guess as to who was really driving this.
"Who's afraid of them!?" The Whitebeard Pirates were incensed. You've been on the losing end this whole time, and you still want more?
"Whitebeard Pirates! Do you dare to face us!" Akainu's fleet was closing in with aggressive momentum, the Marines forcing themselves to fight with everything they had.
The Navy had the numbers, but by now, many were wounded, and many more were dead. The groans of the rank-and-file went unheard in the heat of the moment; everyone was hovering on the edge of life and death—no one had the luxury of looking out for anyone else.
On one of the warships, Koby's eyes were wide. He felt as though he didn't even need his eyes to sense the movement around him—or even the hearts of the men nearby!
Wailing. Countless Marines were screaming in their hearts, desperate for the fighting to stop. They had the resolve and the will, but... who would choose death if they could live? Everyone had someone waiting for them or something they cherished. At this point, they had essentially lost. Even if they threw away every soldier's life, they might not reclaim Fire Fist Ace. Whether they could even defeat the Whitebeard Pirates was a total unknown.
A sense of desolation began to rise among the Marines at the thought of such senseless sacrifice. As soldiers, they blamed no one but themselves. If they had been more useful in this war, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
They only felt sorry for the loved ones waiting for them back home.
Even those who appeared normal on the surface, shouting about killing pirates and defeating Whitebeard—what was happening in their hearts? Perhaps in their struggle, they didn't dare think about their softer side, fearing that if they did... they would lose the will to die. They would be gripped by a deep, soul-shaking terror of death, and they would loathe themselves for it. It would be a betrayal of their commitment to Justice!
The final decisive battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Great Marine Fleet was on the verge of erupting, with neither side willing to yield an inch.
"Whitebeard..." Akainu gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing as he barked an order. "RAM THEM!"
The sailors didn't dare disobey. The warship carrying Akainu sped directly toward the Moby Dick. Akainu stood tall, his mere presence exerting a massive pressure on the pirates.
"All units—" Vista started to shout, then froze.
BOOM!!
A massive ship, featuring a figurehead resembling a dragon-bull hybrid, glided into the path of the two opposing forces, interposing itself directly in front of Akainu's warship. The hull was a striking shade of red, and its sheer majesty left all who saw it in awe.
The pirate flag—a skull over crossed sabers—fluttered in the wind. A group of people slowly walked onto the deck.
The first to appear was a man with vibrant red hair and three prominent scars over his left eye. He wore the standard attire of a world-class powerhouse: sandals and shorts. A long black cloak emphasized his immense aura, and the un-sheathed blade at his hip radiated a silent, sharp lethality.
Standing alone with his sword, he suppressed the murderous atmosphere of the entire battlefield, striking terror into the hearts of everyone present.
Behind him, his crew stepped forward one by one. Each looked casual and unbothered. There was a massive man constantly chewing on meat, a man with a monkey on his shoulder, another calmly smoking a cigarette...
The only thing they shared was the way they held their weapons—with the seasoned, practiced grip of men who had come specifically for a fight. They looked relaxed, and their blades remained in their sheaths, yet the pressure they exerted was nearly suffocating.
The harbor fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sound of meat being torn away from bone. Both Marines and pirates stared in shock at the uninvited guests.
"A Yonko! The Red-Haired Pirates!"
Even high-ranking officers swallowed hard, the terror on their faces impossible to hide. The man at the front with the red hair was one of the four Emperors ruling the New World: "Red-Haired" Shanks! And behind him stood the crew that made the world tremble: The Red-Haired Pirates!
"The rumors said Red-Hair was fighting Kaido in the New World! How is he here!?"
"It's only been a day since that news broke!"
SCREECH—!
The warship Akainu was on slammed its metaphorical brakes, coming to a halt before the Red-Haired Pirates.
"Red-Hair..." Akainu's expression turned grim as he looked at the unexpected interloper.
As the crowd reeled from the shock, the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, sheathed his Black Blade and turned to leave.
"Hawkeye! Where are you going?" a Marine shouted.
Mihawk offered a single glance that chilled the speaker to the bone. "The agreement only stated I would fight Whitebeard. Red-Hair was not part of the deal."
Without looking back, he departed, leaving the Marines in a state of stunned disbelief.
Inside the cabin of the Moby Dick, hearing the commotion outside, Drake was beyond excited. He knew Shanks was here! There were few pirates in this world who commanded such universal respect, and Drake, like anyone else, had his favorite characters.
"Red-Haired" Shanks was a man Drake deeply admired. Suppressing his excitement, Drake desperately wanted to go outside and see the legendary Emperor with his own eyes.
He had seen the Strongest Man in the World, and Whitebeard truly lived up to the title. Now, another Emperor had appeared, and it was a character he genuinely liked... Drake could feel his heart racing, the rhythm becoming more frantic.
Eventually, he felt a sense of lightheadedness. He swallowed hard, his gaze falling on the face of the sleeping, smiling Luffy.
He was torn.