Of course—
It would only be in the form of a Grand Fleet.
Marco and the others would still captain their own ships.
Leno's crew would never have men at its core.
—
Whitebeard's swing with Murakumogiri paused slightly.
He looked at Leno, expression complicated.
Just moments ago, they'd been enemies.
He didn't want to admit it—
But Leno was right.
His condition had improved somewhat.
But after being sneak-attacked and heavily injured—
There was no way he was leaving Marineford alive.
And if he died—
His sons' fate would be miserable.
The Marines wouldn't spare them.
Nor would the predators of the New World.
Ace was important.
But so were the others.
Red-Hair…
Shanks had originally been his intended guardian.
But Leno—
Leno needed manpower.
And someone who needed them—
Wouldn't abandon them.
Shanks' crew wasn't lacking in strength.
They wouldn't protect the Whitebeard remnants for long.
This was a father's love.
All for his sons.
"…Sigh."
Whitebeard exhaled deeply.
Even with his health partially restored—
The ending hadn't changed.
He would still die here.
At least—
He had long prepared for death.
Was Leno reliable?
He didn't know.
But he had no better choice.
Their exchange had been shielded by Conqueror's Haki.
Shanks, Sengoku, Akainu—none could hear.
"…Fine!" Whitebeard decided.
"I accept! Remember your promise!"
He inhaled deeply—
Then roared toward his sons:
"Brats! Listen up! Withdraw from Marineford immediately!"
"From this day on—"
"You follow Leno!"
"This is your captain's final order!"
Marco knocked a Vice Admiral aside and turned in shock.
"Old man?!"
"What are you saying?!"
Jozu and the other division commanders were equally stunned.
But one look at Whitebeard's eyes—
Filled with resolve for death—
And they understood.
He was trading his life for theirs.
They couldn't refuse.
This was his final command.
—
At the same time—
Leno shot a glance toward Domino and the others.
His lips formed one word:
"Retreat."
They understood instantly.
Sure, they were weak—
But they were obedient.
Even worried, they began withdrawing while fighting—
Moving toward the ships at the bay.
—
Shanks watched the Whitebeard Pirates retreat alongside Leno's crew.
Disbelief filled his eyes.
He hadn't imagined this outcome at all.
Weren't Leno and Whitebeard enemies?
A few whispered words—
And Whitebeard was handing over his legacy?
Did he miss an episode?
"What did Leno say to him?"
Shanks was confused. Deeply shaken.
He had thought—
Whitebeard would entrust his crew to him.
Their brief clash earlier shouldn't have erased decades of connection.
Yet Whitebeard chose a rising pirate instead.
That stung.
—
Unlike Shanks' confusion—
Akainu didn't overthink.
He was a Marine.
Kill pirates. That was enough.
Shanks had politics to weigh.
Akainu did not.
"Don't even think about it!"
Magma boiled violently.
"Not one of you escapes!"
Whitebeard might be willing to die buying time—
But Akainu wouldn't allow Leno to leave.
Sengoku realized Whitebeard's intent almost instantly.
His face darkened.
Shanks' original target had been Leno.
He too didn't want that monster escaping.
For Luffy's sake.
Whitebeard had already agreed to Leno's deal.
He wouldn't let them through.
Murakumogiri swung again.
A quake-laced slash intercepted Shanks.
"Your opponent is me!"
Shanks raised Griffin defensively.
He couldn't pursue Leno.
Akainu and Sengoku were forced to guard against Whitebeard's quake power.
"Disgusting AoE…"
Both wore grim expressions.
—
Meanwhile—
Leno slipped away.
But not entirely.
The next instant—
He reappeared on the opposite side of the battlefield.
Right near Aokiji.
Aokiji's face drained of color the moment he saw him.
He hadn't recovered from his earlier injuries.
Otherwise—
He'd have already demanded a one-on-one.
Instead—
It had been admirals ganging up on Leno.
Leno grinned.
"Whether you live or die… depends on your luck."
Aokiji's Observation Haki flared to its limit.
Frost energy surged around him.
He preemptively turned intangible.
Leno noticed.
Didn't care.
"Annihilation of All Things!"
"Take this farewell gift properly!"
This time—
No holding back.
Chop-Chop power.
Munch-Munch absorption.
Conqueror's coating.
All combined into his strongest strike.
Aokiji's pupils shrank.
"So strong… This is the same level as Garp's punch…"
He had thought—
Garp fell because of a sneak attack.
Now he understood.
It wasn't carelessness.
It was Leno's terrifying growth.
Aokiji tried to evade by full elementalization.
He didn't counter—
Because in his injured state—
Any attack he launched would be overwhelmed.
The blow landed.
Even after evasion—
The left half of his body was clipped directly.
"PUH—!"
Blood mixed with shattered ice sprayed outward.
He flew like a broken kite—
Blasted straight through the middle of Whitebeard and Sengoku's clash.
Smashing through several ruined buildings—
Before crashing down heavily.
Unconscious.
Before blacking out—
He could no longer feel his left arm or left leg.
Then darkness.
—
The sight stunned Sengoku.
Whitebeard.
Akainu.
Even Shanks.
The frontliners actually stopped fighting for a moment.
Kuzan had physically forced a ceasefire—
With his own body.
Truly touching.
—
And Leno?
He escaped cleanly.
And before leaving—
He crippled a Marine Admiral.
It was like planting a flag of humiliation right on Marine Headquarters' head.
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