Chapter 347: The Final Battle
[Over the past few years, you've had occasional clashes with other powerful figures, and many hot-blooded young pirates seeking to rise in fame have challenged you—hoping to make a name by defeating you. But you have never lost. Every fight ended the same way: you instantly annihilated your opponents.]
[Among them were Crocodile, known as the "Sand Crocodile," and the rookie Moria with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. They came arrogantly, but left in utter defeat—so broken in spirit that their strength regressed instead of improving.]
[No one ever discovered the secret of your invincibility. None of your foes realized that in the instant they fell, you had actually stopped time. After five years of training, you've managed to extend your time-stop duration to fifteen seconds—perhaps the very limit of the human body.]
[Meanwhile, the bounties of your Pineapple Pirates have risen in tandem with their growing strength. The crew is now known as the pirate group with the highest average bounty in history. Shanks carries a bounty of 1.9 billion Berries, and even Benn Beckman's bounty has reached 1.1 billion.]
[Benn Beckman has become the captain of your First Division, Lucky Roux commands the Second, and Marshall D. Teach—thanks to his exceptional power—serves as the Third Division Captain.]
[As for new blood, a remarkably skilled sniper named Yasopp has joined your crew. Despite being a newcomer, his combat ability already surpasses that of your third-strongest fighter, the chef Lucky Roux. His precision—able to hit a target from a hundred paces—is unmatched, showing great potential.]
[On another front, as Big Mom's power continued to expand, she and Kaido, ruler of the Wano Country, were recognized by Morgans as standing on equal footing with you and Whitebeard. Thus, from the year 1504 onward, the sea entered the era of the Four Emperors.]
[In September of 1505, the Pineapple Pirates once again clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World. Just like before, another massive battle erupted—sparked by a simple dispute among crew members. "Why should you be called the White Emperor? Isn't that disrespectful to Whitebeard?"]
[This battle, too, culminated in a one-on-one duel between you and Whitebeard. In truth, there was no real hatred between you—perhaps even a sense of mutual respect—but sometimes, fights break out for the most absurd reasons.]
[Now at the peak of your physical prowess, you completely overpowered Whitebeard. The fight destroyed three deserted islands, and the aftershocks created massive tsunamis. After one hour and forty minutes, Whitebeard could no longer withstand the relentless barrage of Platinum Star's punches and was finally knocked down. (Mission progress: Iconic Battle Scenes 4/5)]
[After your victory, you didn't kill or humiliate Whitebeard. Instead, you let Shanks mediate, and the two crews held a grand, three-day feast together—resolving the conflict in true pirate fashion. You and Whitebeard even became good friends afterward.]
[The aftermath of that battle was far greater than you expected. Your bounty rose once more—to 4.08 billion Berries—second only to Roger's 5.5648 billion and Whitebeard's 5.046 billion. This marked the height of the Navy's alertness toward you. It was even said that the legendary Marine hero Garp, who once captured Roger himself, had joined the effort to hunt you down—an honor previously reserved only for Rocks and Roger!]
[In February 1506, battle erupted suddenly. Near the waters of Dressrosa, you encountered the Navy's strongest force to date—Fleet Admiral Kong, who once commanded the famous Edd War; Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr; Hero Garp; and monstrous newcomers Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—all present. Was the Navy Headquarters abandoning itself entirely?!]
[Yet even in the face of such overwhelming might, you showed no fear. You were the first to strike, launching your assault on the Navy fleet. With your awakened Mist-Mist Fruit, you could blanket the entire sea in fog. If you wished, you could bind more than half the Navy in an instant. Within the mist, Platinum Star could transcend its usual range and freely move anywhere the fog reached.]
[At the same time, the Revolutionary Army—who had been silently amassing strength—entered the fray. Over the past two years, they had occupied the White Earth Island of Baltigo in the New World, recruiting powerful figures such as Inazuma, the Shear-Shear Fruit user, and Bunny Joe.]
[Just days before, Dragon himself had come to you, saying that the time had come. After years of spreading his ideology, countless nations were now filled with people eager to overthrow the world's decaying system. "Let the first spark ignite with the destruction of the Navy's main force!" he declared.]
[What unsettled the Navy most was that Whitebeard's ship, the Moby Dick, suddenly emerged from the depths of the sea to join the assault. Three great powers had reached an agreement not long before—determined to begin, at this very moment, the complete overthrow of the Celestial Dragons' rule.]
[The ensuing battle was unimaginably fierce. Even though the Navy was ambushed, their strength still matched yours. Your top fighters—Shanks, Rayleigh, Benn Beckman, and Teach—all found worthy opponents of their own.]
[In the end, after what would later be called the "Paramount War," your forces destroyed most of the Navy fleet. Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku perished in battle, while Garp, Sakazuki, and Kuzan were gravely injured. The Navy's elite force was nearly wiped out—marking the bloodiest war in Marine history. (Legendary Status +1) Mission Progress: Iconic Battle Scenes (5/5) Complete]
[In March 1506, the sudden war shook the entire world. The Navy's strength was shattered, and its prestige plummeted. Zephyr was promoted to Fleet Admiral, while the new three Admirals—Garp, Tsuru, and Magellan (temporarily transferred from Impel Down)—took command as the Navy retreated on all fronts.]
[From June 1506 to September 1509, after three more years of struggle, you liberated one nation after another—from the St. Dorea Kingdom of the South Blue to the Bridge Nation of Tequila Wolf—freeing countless slaves forced to build bridges. By then, nearly all of the South, East, and North Blues had been freed from the Celestial Dragons' control. In July 1509, you even took Shanks to visit Rouge and Ace, who were living peacefully on Trian Island.]
[They were doing quite well. Thanks to your recent fame and good reputation, when you found Ace, he was playing a make-believe "Marines vs. Pirates" game with a red-haired boy. Draped in a white bedsheet, Ace was pretending to be you, while the other boy had to play the Marine. You smiled—something rare for you—and took Shanks' straw hat, placing it on Ace's head. Shanks didn't object; in fact, he smiled as well.]
[Although Ace pleaded to join you on your voyage, you refused, instead making him a promise: that one day, you would meet again on the seas—and hoping he would continue to grow up carefree until then.]
[In November 1510, at thirty-four years old, you got married. Your bride was a gentle woman from the East Blue named Elena. Benn Beckman, who had bet heavily on you marrying a warrior-like giantess from Elbaf, lost miserably—he had always assumed that someone as domineering as you would choose a woman just as fierce.]
[Not long after the wedding, you began your world voyage—your destination: the fabled All Blue and the final island, Raftel. Rayleigh joined this voyage as well, and soon, you would launch your final assault against the World Government.]