"Jovian, stop messing around. The war is over. You can stand down now!"
Sengoku looked at Jovian, who had defeated the entire Blackbeard Pirates by himself. While he was shocked, he also stopped Jovian from continuing the fight. After all, he had just declared that the war was over and that the Marines had won. If they kept fighting now, wouldn't he be slapping himself in the face?
"Huh? Fleet Admiral Sengoku, aren't you misunderstanding something? I'm not a Marine. I'm just a pirate hunter passing through…"
Jovian glanced at Sengoku and smiled.
"You…"
After hearing Jovian's words, Sengoku suddenly realized the problem. Jovian's achievements on this battlefield had been far too eye-catching. To be honest, he had even overshadowed the three Marine Admirals, Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru, to the point that even Sengoku had almost started thinking of Jovian as a Marine.
"I don't hold any position in the World Government, and I'm not an ally of the Marines. I'm just a passing pirate hunter. Make sure you all remember that!"
What Jovian meant was clear. He had no obligation to obey the arrangements of the World Government or the Marines.
Sengoku frowned, his expression slightly displeased, but he said nothing, because Jovian was right. He truly had no obligation to follow Sengoku's orders.
"If you insist on acting on your own, then I won't stop you. But the Marines will not provide you with any help. Also, this is Marine Headquarters. If you want to fight, go fight on some other island!"
Sengoku looked at the wounded scattered all over the ground behind him, then at Jovian and the Red Hair Pirates facing each other, and spoke coldly.
Whether it was a pirate hunter or an Emperor of the Sea, he had to tell them whose territory this was and whose orders mattered here.
"I never needed help from you Marines in the first place."
Jovian could not be bothered with Sengoku. From beginning to end, he had never asked the Marines for help.
"Best that way…"
As Sengoku spoke, he turned around and stopped looking at Jovian. The meaning behind his action was to tell the Marines they could withdraw. The war was over.
However, when Sengoku turned around and most of the Marines began leaving, Akainu, blood flowing from his forehead, slowly exhaled. He stood in place without moving, still seemingly facing off against the remaining Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates.
"Sakazuki…"
Sengoku turned back and looked at Sakazuki, who was openly disobeying his order. He was somewhat displeased.
"Mr. Sengoku, even if you give the order to retreat, that doesn't mean I can stop. The pirates have already entered Marine Headquarters. If we just let them leave like this, will the Marines still have any authority left? If these pirates can leave Marineford alive today, next time they'll dare to storm the palaces of kings, or even the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. So, Mr. Sengoku, forgive me. I cannot obey."
The gaze beneath Akainu's cap was incredibly firm. Since he was still standing here, how could he let pirates run wild as they pleased? If he did that, what kind of Marine Admiral would he be? He might as well go guard a claw machine in some arcade like a washed-up loser.
"Sakazuki!"
Sengoku had not expected Akainu to say something like this at a time like this. More importantly, what Akainu said was completely reasonable. Who were they? They were the Marines. They were the army funded by the World Government's member nations specifically to fight pirates. Seeing pirates and not capturing them was a betrayal of their duty and of the justice behind them.
"Sakazuki…"
"The enemy is the Red Hair Pirates. They're all monsters."
Borsalino curled his lips and came to Sakazuki's side.
"What? Are you scared?"
Sakazuki heard him and looked at Borsalino beside him.
"What are you talking about? I'm asking whether you need my help."
Borsalino curled his lips. Wearing a brand-new yellow suit with only the soles of his shoes slightly stained with dust, he smiled at Sakazuki.
What a joke. This was a man who would not fear even Big Mom Charlotte Linlin and Kaido of the Beasts if those two Emperors of the New World teamed up. How could he be scared by a single Emperor crew? If he really were scared, that would disgrace his status as one of the World Government's highest combat powers.
"Man…"
Kuzan, who had originally planned to slack off, looked at his two seniors preparing to fight and sighed helplessly. If he backed down now, his support rate within the Marines would probably fall to rock bottom. For the sake of becoming the new Fleet Admiral, he could only bite the bullet and go along with it.
"The Admirals! The Admirals have decided to fight!"
The Marines who had originally planned to withdraw stopped one after another when they saw the Admirals preparing for battle. They tightened their grips on their weapons, turned around, and prepared to keep fighting the Red Hair Pirates.
"We even defeated Whitebeard! What's one Red Hair acting tough for?"
"Today, we'll drag down two Emperors of the Sea!"
"Ohhh!"
Hawkish members among the Marines took the chance to raise their steel blades and shout loudly.
"Damn it…"
Sengoku's expression changed sharply as he looked at the Marines, who had suddenly become fanatical. He knew the situation had completely slipped out of his control. Right now, these Marines genuinely intended to test themselves against the Red Hair Pirates.
"Shanks…"
Benn Beckman kept smoking the cigarette in his mouth. Seeing the Marines grow aggressive, his expression changed. He knew Shanks' Face-Face Fruit had failed. A hard fight was coming.
"Yeah…"
Shanks knew what Beckman wanted to say. As he drew his famous sword, he looked toward Buggy.
"Take Luffy out of here. Right now!"
Shanks spoke to Buggy seriously.
"Shanks, I want to fight with you!"
Straw Hat Luffy looked at Shanks, clenched his fists, and shouted.
"Luffy, this battlefield is still too early for you. Luffy's brother, I remember your name is Ace, right? Take Luffy away from here immediately. As far away as possible!"
Shanks understood Luffy too well. He looked at Ace behind Luffy and spoke.
"I understand!"
After hearing Shanks, Ace clenched his fists tightly. Whitebeard was already dead. He could not lose his little brother too. He had to take Luffy away from the battlefield.
"Shanks, do you need a hand?"
Marco looked at Shanks and asked.
"A hand? Who do you think I am? I'm Red-Haired Shanks."
Shanks smiled when he heard that. He drew the famous sword Gryphon from his waist and slashed toward the Marines.
"Kamusari!"
A black crescent seemed ready to tear heaven and earth apart. This slash was called Kamusari, and its meaning was that even a god would have to avoid this strike.
Unfortunately, the person this strike was aimed at was someone even stronger than a god.
Jovian snorted coldly and blocked Shanks' attack with one hand. He crushed the violent crescent in his palm and said carelessly, "Cheap trick."
"What a monster."
Shanks frowned as he looked at Jovian, who could even block that slash with his bare hand. The strength Jovian had shown was far beyond his imagination. His physical stats even surpassed the strongest person Shanks knew. Even that monster Kaido of the Beasts, whose body was comparable to a giant's, who had horns on his head, and who had eaten the strongest Zoan Devil Fruit, did not possess this level of strength and physique. It seemed the title of strongest creature on land, sea, and air would have to change hands.
"Red Hair!"
Just as Red-Haired Shanks was marveling at Jovian's terrifying physical ability, Jovian's figure had already appeared in front of him.
"Not just strong? He's this fast too?"
Shanks' pupils shrank sharply.
"Your face isn't worth anything to me!"
The instant Jovian finished speaking, one hand pressed down on the hand Red Hair used to hold his sword, while his other hand smashed hard into Red Hair's cheek.
As for why Red-Haired Shanks did not use his other hand to block, unfortunately, Shanks had bet that arm on the new era.
"Shanks!"
In the distance, Straw Hat Luffy, who had already boarded a ship, saw Shanks get sent flying and shouted in agitation.
"Luffy! Remember your helplessness right now. One day, we'll turn today's humiliation into strength and take back everything we've lost!"
Ace held down Luffy, who was about to rush out. Right now, whether it was him or Luffy, running into Marine Admirals, Four Emperors, or other top fighters in the world was no different from throwing their lives away.
"Shanks…"
Luffy called weakly, lowering his head as unwillingness and regret filled his eyes.
The battlefield did not stop because Luffy and Ace had left. The fighting continued.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Jovian bully Red Hair by exploiting his missing arm and continuously attacking him, Beckman pulled out his pistol, preparing to support Red-Haired Shanks.
"Hey there, Benn Beckman. Your opponent is me."
Unfortunately, with a golden flash, Borsalino blocked Benn Beckman's path.
"Bastard!"
Benn Beckman looked at Kizaru, Borsalino, who had come out to interfere. Aside from cursing, there was nothing else he could do.
"Damn it! Hurry and support Captain Red Hair!"
The crew members of the Red Hair Pirates shouted anxiously when they saw their captain, Shanks, being repeatedly suppressed.
"Man…"
"Don't get so worked up. Getting excited is bad for you."
Marine Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan, spoke casually. The terrifying cold radiating from his entire body instantly made the pirates lose their chance to speak.
"What Iron Wall Pirates? That's all they've got…"
On the other side, Sakazuki used his magma iron fist to instantly kill an officer of the Red Hair Pirates. The terrifying heat wave directly melted half of the man's body.
"Sakazuki, your methods are too brutal."
Borsalino was still fighting Benn Beckman. For a short time, neither of them seemed able to do anything to the other.
"Bastards!"
Sengoku, who had originally intended to let the Red Hair Pirates go, cursed when he saw the Red Hair Pirates and the Marines fighting on their own. Golden light radiated from his body as he transformed into a giant Buddha. Endless shockwaves wrapped around his hand and struck toward the members of the Red Hair Pirates.
"I already said it! You bastards! Settle down for a moment!"
Sengoku's words were aimed at both the Red Hair Pirates and the Marines, but the shockwaves in his hands were aimed only at the Red Hair Pirates. The terrifying shockwaves swept through everything. Even the officers of the Red Hair Pirates could not block them.
"Shanks, you bastard! If it weren't for you, Luffy would definitely have become an outstanding Marine soldier!"
"How are you planning to compensate me for my grandson?"
Garp went completely berserk. Whether they were ordinary members of the Red Hair Pirates or officers of the crew, no one could withstand one punch from him.
This time, the title of Garp the Fist was thoroughly burned into the hearts of these pirates.
"Buddha Sengoku, Garp the Fist, Akainu Sakazuki, Aokiji Kuzan, Kizaru Borsalino, and the world's greatest pirate hunter, the godlike Jovian. With six top-tier fighters here, no matter how powerful Red-Haired Shanks is, he can't escape!"
"Fuffuffuffu…"
"After Whitebeard, another pirate Emperor is being dragged down. Seriously, two Four Emperors falling in a single day. Just how chaotic will this world become because of that? It really makes me… look forward to it!"
"Fuffuffuffu…"
Doflamingo gently stroked his cheek and laughed loudly. He seemed to be looking forward to a world full of conflict. He was already sick of this unchanging, unbearably boring world. Whether it was those damned Celestial Dragons who refused to accept him, or the Four Emperors entrenched in the New World, they could all go to hell. Let this boring world explode.
"Shanks…"
Mihawk looked at Shanks in trouble. After hesitating for a moment, he finally drew the blade from his back.
"Mihawk, what are you planning to do?"
The person blocking Mihawk's path was Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords like him.
"Are you trying to stop me?"
Mihawk looked at Doflamingo and asked.
"Fuffuffuffu… What are you talking about? Why would I stop you? Do whatever you want."
Doflamingo laughed loudly. He picked out one of the weaker officers of the Red Hair Pirates and planned to get a little exercise with him to waste some time.
At the same time…
Jovian pressed Shanks' face down and kept smashing it into the ground. His immense strength directly shattered the stone floor of Marineford's inner bay.
Shanks kept counterattacking. His powerful Haki made even Jovian feel that he was a bit troublesome.
But only a bit troublesome. It was just one Shanks. Jovian was still confident he could handle him however he wanted.
Just as Jovian was thinking about what method would be best for dealing with Shanks, a massive emerald-green slash, reaching from sky to earth, came cutting toward him from behind.
Caught off guard, Jovian was sent flying by the slash.
"Dracule Mihawk…"
Jovian steadied himself in midair. He did not need to look to know who had released that slash. After all, on the current battlefield, aside from Shanks, who was fighting him, only Mihawk, the world's publicly recognized greatest swordsman, could unleash a slash that could stop him.
"So you want to fight me?"
Jovian looked at Mihawk and asked.
"I just think bullying a man with only one hand isn't very interesting, so I wanted to play with you instead."
Mihawk spoke with absolute calm.
"Good. Then you can die together."
Jovian nodded, then announced it even more calmly than Mihawk had.
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