"Is it... over?"
I heard someone murmur.
From the direction it came from, probably someone on the Pirate side.
"Yeah... it's over, finally..."
"Red Hair stepped in to mediate, huh..."
"B-but... is this really okay!? Pops' killer is still... and Teach is still out there!"
Relief in some voices, but not all. The hot-blooded ones who'd been fired up through the whole battle weren't happy about being told to stand down, even if the order came by way of one of the Four Emperors.
They wanted to take down the Marines, take down Blackbeard, avenge Whitebeard.
I could spot a few people scattered around who clearly felt that way.
...Including a certain combustion-type young man standing right next to me.
But ask them, 'So are you gonna fight Red Hair, then?' and the answer would be no. And the mood didn't seem like it was going to spread and catch fire the way it had earlier. Small mercies.
"...!"
Even so, there were still people who looked like they had things to say, who looked like they wanted to throw more punches.
For the umpteenth time: right here next to me.
"Ace... this is where it ends. Stand down."
"Come on, it's over. Put those flames away already."
"Marco... Sue...!? But... I... Pops'...!"
"Anything more than this is just too much. Besides, the Marines picked this fight, and Teach is nothing but Ingrates, so they're one thing, but... turning on Red Hair when he stepped in to mediate? That ain't right."
"You've gotta be running on fumes by now. After using your Powers on that scale, your stamina must be shot. And before all this, you were locked up in Impel Down. That place barely feeds you on top of everything else being miserable. You've been running on empty this whole time. You can't keep going."
"But!! Then... Pops... like this... ending it like this...!!"
Ace couldn't get any further than that.
...From his perspective, on top of losing the man he revered, there was the guilt of knowing he'd been one of the triggers for this entire war.
Thinking about that, it made sense he'd want to avenge Whitebeard no matter what, to claw back even a little of what was lost.
The grief and frustration on Ace's face right now. Looking at it, I could understand.
Marco, the other commanders too... they understood. They shared those feelings. That's why none of them could say anything.
...Well, nothing for it. I'll stick my nose in, just a little.
Praying I wouldn't get told off for talking like I knew anything as an outsider...
"Ace. I know this is gonna sound like I'm talking out of turn, but..."
"...?"
"Worrying about Whitebeard's name and all that right now isn't going to do any good."
"...!? Hey, what's... what's that supposed to mean?"
...He took it the wrong way. Ace's demeanor shifted, edging toward hostile.
I could feel stares from the people around us who'd overheard, angry and accusing. Marco and Vista looked more confused than anything, at least.
Intimidating, but grit your teeth and bear it... I need to say this right.
"...We fought together. I don't think this, and I don't wanna think it, but... you're not speaking lightly of Pops, or making fun of him... right?"
"Of course not. ...And really, even if I did have some hidden agenda, nothing I could say would change a thing. I'm nobody important enough for that."
"...?"
"Whitebeard's name, his greatness, his pride... are those really so fragile that a bunch of outsiders who barely knew him can undo them by running their mouths?"
Not just me. Akainu, and all those other Marines too.
How he lived, what he held dear... none of us really know. At best, we know the tiniest fragments of what the world has passed along.
And even that's been heavily distorted by the Marines and the World Government... so the truth we actually know is probably vanishingly small.
Unlike Ace and the others, who traveled with him, laughed with him, fought alongside him, lived alongside him.
"Let them talk... all they can do is run their mouths and twist information. No matter what they say, it doesn't change a single thing about the Great Pirate Whitebeard that you all know. It doesn't change a single thing about the man called Whitebeard that people the world over know. That can't just be undone. You all know this already."
If anything, it was only natural for the Marines to badmouth him. They'd only ever seen Whitebeard as an enemy. That was the nature of the relationship... you could even say there was no point worrying about it.
More importantly... his 'sons,' of course, but also everyone who'd been protected by Whitebeard, who knew the magnitude of his presence, the greatness of the man. They understood.
Whitebeard wasn't that small a man. He was a great man, worthy of respect.
Sure, anyone would be furious if someone they loved was mocked, and there was nothing wrong with being angry about it.
For those who loved Whitebeard, it had to be absolutely unbearable.
But even so... I had a feeling Whitebeard himself would just laugh it off and say, 'Let them say what they want'... and instead focus on protecting what truly mattered, what he'd never compromise on.
"At the very least, nothing you do here and now is going to affect Whitebeard's honor one way or the other, for better or worse. You've already done everything you could on this battlefield. ...So now that the name is secure, it's time to protect his will, and above all... his treasure."
"His will... and treasure..."
Hearing that, Ace's face changed, and one after another, the Pirates' expressions shifted too, like something had clicked.
From the looks of it, they got what I meant.
Good... if they'd just stared blankly and said 'Treasure?' without getting it, I would've had to drag over a giant mirror and plop it down right in front of them.
'See? It's right here.'
"You're the only ones left who can do this. If you turn your backs, then Whitebeard truly left nothing behind. He died alone. You're the only ones who understand what Whitebeard truly wanted to protect, what he held dear... and you're the only ones who can keep protecting it from here on out."
"...!"
"Straighten up! Ace! No, all of you, Whitebeard Pirates! What are you to Whitebeard!?"
"...That's..."
"That's right, we're... we are... Pops'...!"
"Pops' crewmates... his 'treasure'... and...!"
"""We're his family!!"""
Everyone's voices rang out together.
Including Ace's, of course.
"See? You already knew. Then there's nothing left for an outsider like me to say, is there?"
Hearing that, I broke into a smile before I could stop myself.
Behind Ace, I could see Marco and Vista wearing expressions of relief.
"If you understand that... then there's nothing to hesitate about, and nothing to be ashamed of before anyone."
"It doesn't matter if you're a demon's child or anything else. Whitebeard said it himself and showed you."
"And if that's still not enough, then prove it yourself by living from here on. Show them your path... and the will that Whitebeard protected to the very end. Show the world, and show your Dad. Along with that mark on your back."
"It doesn't matter whose blood runs in your veins, or who you're related to or not. No matter what anyone says, you are Portgas D. Ace and no one else. You couldn't be anyone else. Gol D. Roger has nothing to do with it. Show them your own way of life, show them what you all stand for!"
"Live with your head held high!"
***
One look at Ace's expression, like a weight had been lifted and replaced by fierce resolve... and I knew there was nothing left to worry about.
Yeah. He'd be fine.
"Well... sorry about that, Akagami-san. Didn't mean to steal the show."
"Nah... I got to see something good. Thanks for that... Little Literary Master."
Being told that with a grin... yeah, that's a bit much. I'm flattered, really.
I'd been running on momentum for a lot of that, so... I-I didn't say anything weird, did I?
I had the vague sense that Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face had gone all 'You...!' at some point during my speech, but that was just my imagination, right!? Did I do something!?
A-anyway, after that, things moved smoothly into cleanup mode.
Both sides recovered their wounded. The Pirates prepared to withdraw while the Marines assessed the damage. Some groups boarded warships and headed off somewhere.
Naturally, there were moments where both sides came into close proximity, and I could see plenty of hostile, resentful glares being exchanged... but it didn't escalate into any brawls, so that was good.
It looked like Ace and the others would be heading home on the ships of their allied Pirate Crews.
...Come to think of it, during the fighting in the bay, every single Whitebeard Pirates ship had been sunk or destroyed. Even the fifth ship had been wrecked when Oars forcibly turned it into a landing craft, leaving it in no shape to float.
Oh, and Oars himself was still alive, by the way. He was recovered along with his severed leg.
Then I spotted Hancock commandeering a warship and heading off in pursuit of Luffy... or rather, to rescue him. That part was the same as the Original Work.
As for Luffy himself, I'd been too caught up in everything to keep track, but it seems he managed to escape safely. Good thing too... both Akainu and Kizaru had been coming after our group, after all. Ha ha.
Now then, how were we supposed to get home...? Just as I was thinking that,
another ship descended from the Sky.
Not falling. A proper, controlled descent... coming down at just the right speed to avoid damage, landing in the bay waters with a splash.
It appeared to be unmanned... but painted on its mast was the Golden Lion Pirates' Pirate Flag.
...Ah, thanks for the ride, Papa. So you want us to take this one back.
And the reason he'd sent a full-sized ship instead of a small boat...
"Lady! We... we want to follow you!"
"Us too! If we can sail on the ship of the Golden Lion Pirates, the ship of a Legend, there's no greater honor!"
"Please, take us with you!"
Had he anticipated this?
Somehow... the prisoners whose post-incarceration career path in the Original Work had been pretty much exclusively Buggy now had my crew as an option.
Or rather, this had been happening since the warship ride over... there were quite a few people who'd pledged their devotion to me rather than Buggy.
Probably because I beat Magellan... maybe? Plus the Golden Lion name carried some weight too.
And on top of that...
"Are you two... really sure about this?"
"Yes... I had no particular destination to begin with. And honestly, I'd been feeling the limits of going it alone from here on... so the timing felt right."
"I mean, I wanna go pick up the brats I left behind at some point, but I've got nowhere to be either... and it'd be lonely just saying goodbye here. We went and got close, after all... I'd be happy if you'd have me."
Blume and Beauty were coming along too.
For my part, the two of them already felt like comrades-in-arms, so having them join us made me genuinely happy... and reassured.
Impel Down had been an absolute nightmare, but some good came out of it too... so I suppose I could call it all's well that ends well.
With all the prisoners who'd chosen to follow me (men and women both), Blume and Beauty, my three daughters, the entire Maid Squad, and the former BW members all aboard, I was just about to say let's get going when...
"Wait... Sue."
Right before I could board, Ace called out to me.
Or rather, it wasn't just Ace... the main members of the Whitebeard Pirates were all lined up there. Um, what?
There didn't seem to be any particular agenda, but... with a lineup like that, the sheer presence was overwhelming. Sorry, but you're a little scary.
Um... aren't you guys going home?
"Before we go... let me say this much. Thanks to you... we didn't lose sight of what mattered. What Pops left behind for us... what we need to protect going forward... we were able to take it back, hold it in our hands, without letting it slip away."
Then, arms pressed neatly to his sides, he bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
"Thank you!"
"""Thank you!!"""
All of them, really!?
Some were bowing crisply like Ace, others had their feet shoulder-width apart in that fired-up athlete stance with an 'Osu!' kind of energy, and others gave just a light nod, but... regardless, the entire Whitebeard Pirates lined up like that was... the pressure was overwhelming (second time).
As I stood there blinking, Ace continued,
"And let me say one more thing... this isn't just for you. It's for everyone watching."
"...?"
"We lost something precious in this battle. How long it'll take for these wounds to heal... we don't know yet. What we lost was too great... we can't even begin to imagine."
But, he continued.
"We're not done... we will rise again. No matter how long it takes, no matter how much we suffer... we will absolutely get back on our feet, start over, and make this flag the greatest in the world once more! Pops did protect something in this war... he did leave something behind... and we will prove it, with our own hands! We are..."
"The Whitebeard Pirates!! And we're not done!!"
The roar that followed was deafening.
The vague pressure from before was blown away, replaced by something far stronger. Their iron will, their resolve... it came through loud and clear.
Distance didn't matter. Everyone felt it.
The Marines watching from afar looked rattled, some staring with fear in their eyes, others with bitter resentment.
Some of them were probably thinking, 'Can we really let these people walk away...!?'
Well... the war with the Marines had just ended, and here they were boldly declaring 'We're going to keep pirating harder than ever!' Practically a declaration of war.
Shanks seemed to realize as much, wearing a 'These guys, honestly...' kind of expression, but... he was also smiling with genuine happiness.
"I see... I'll look forward to it. Though, you know, I'm flying a different flag myself."
I said that with a wry smile, then gave them a proper, warm smile in return... and boarded the ship.
Before long, the ship began to rise... The Surface, the people, the buildings, the ships, all growing smaller and smaller.
While the female prisoners were making a commotion, going 'We're really flying!', I said my farewell to Marineford, the stage of the Summit War, and to the comrades I'd fought alongside.
...And then, shortly after,
right around when we'd risen above the Cloud line... there was a clank from somewhere near the bow. Ah, there we go.
"Honestly, making me go through all that trouble... looked like you were having a grand old time raising hell down there, you idiot daughter."
"What are you even saying... it was seriously rough, okay? Ugh, I'm starving and sleepy... I just wanna eat, sleep, and rest. Can the debriefing and everything else wait?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. Well, anyway... I'm glad everyone made it back in one piece. Looks like you brought some souvenirs too. Alright then, guess I should say it..."
With that, Papa looked around at the prisoners, who were trembling and going 'Th-the Golden Lion...!' 'It's really him...!', and after enjoying the sight, he looked down at me with a grin.
"Welcome home!"
"Mm! I'm home!"
End of the Summit War Arc!!
To be continued...