The Emperor of the Sea's Final Choice!
Battlefield in the Center of the Deserted Island
The flames have died down, but the Scorched Earth is still warm.
A suffocating sense of oppression quietly permeated the world.
The Whitebeard stood silently between the cracks in the ground, Murakumogiri, his shoulders trembling slightly, and the veins on his forehead bulging.
His gaze pierced through the embers of the flames, fixed on the figure ahead.
Roy had his left hand behind his back, while his Right Hand was still gripping the severely injured Teach.
Its enormous body slumped like a tattered sack, its entire body charred black, its breath faint, yet its eyes remained fixed on the black wooden box in Ace's hand, its greed undiminished.
"Pops! Help me! Help me now--!" Teach screamed hoarsely, like a wild dog struggling wildly in a quagmire.
That "Pops" struck the softest spot in Whitebeard's heart once again.
After a few seconds of silence, Whitebeard slowly raised his head, his cloudy but determined gaze fixed on Roy.
"... Roy."
His voice was low but carried an unquestionable authority. "Give Teach back to me."
Roy looked quietly at the old man in front of him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"You still insist on protecting him?"
Even if he... destroys your family in the future?
The Whitebeard remained silent.
Roy didn't press further, but simply shook his head gently, his voice as soft as falling snow. "Your obsession with family... you've finally grown old."
"Boom--!"
At this moment of extreme oppression, the earth trembled!
One powerful aura after another surged in from the other side of the forest like a raging tide!
The next moment--
A group of figures descended upon the Battlefield like a storm!
"Diamond" Jozu!
"Flower Sword" Vista!
Thatch, Fossa, Blamenco, Rakuyo, Blenheim, Namur, Curiel, Kingdew, Haruta, "Water Buffalo" Atmos, Speed Gil, Izo... All fourteen division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates were present!
They saw the scene before them—
The standoff between Whitebeard and Pops Roy!
Roy was holding the heavily injured Teach in his hand!
In the distance, the mountain rocks crumbled, Marco, covered in blood, lay among the broken walls and rubble!
Anger instantly ignited everyone!
"You bastard!!"
"What are you doing?! Put Teach!!"
"Navy!! You're asking for it!!"
With a roar like thunder, the fourteen captains instantly formed battle formation!
Diamond Jozu, clad in Armament Haki, transformed into an indestructible diamond giant, charging ahead to Whitebeard's path!
Vista drew his twin swords, their sword energy swirling like a whirlwind, his killing intent boiling!
Thatch gripped his knife, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, coldly locking onto Roy!
The others unleashed their weapons, their Haki shaking heaven and earth!
At this moment, all of the Whitebeard Pirates' core combat forces were focused on Roy alone!
Roy stood still, not moving.
His gaze swept across the angry faces before finally settling on the Whitebeard.
His eyes were cold, yet held a hint of probing. "Is this your choice?"
Whitebeard slowly took a step forward, Murakumogiri slammed into the ground with a thud!
"Boom--!"
A ring of Conqueror's Haki, so realistic it seemed to emanate from him, exploded outwards!
The sky and earth changed color, and the air surged like thunder!
Whitebeard roared, as if a god were enraged. "I am Whitebeard!!"
"My son... I will protect him!!"
The wind howled, the war drums had not yet sounded, yet a storm was brewing!
In the distance, from the collapsed mountain rocks, a bluish-green flame suddenly burst open, shattering the rocks.
"Cough..."
Marco slowly struggled out of the broken rock layer, his body covered in wounds, with Blue Flames surging. His right arm was bruised, and the scars and cracks from when he was "slapped away" remained on his forehead.
He staggered, but did not fall. Blue Flames burned fiercely on his shoulders, transforming into a pair of trembling fiery wings.
He looked up at the very center of the Battlefield: Roy, Whitebeard, the fourteen captains, and Teach, who was being held in the air by Roy.
The air still seemed to linger with the echoes of their deafening conversation.
He had heard every single word in Roy's conversation with Whitebeard.
"They even dared to adopt Rocks' offspring as their son..."
Even if he were to kill your other sons for the fruit...
"You've always known, but you're unwilling to admit it..."
These words were like knives, Cut through Marco's mind with each sentence.
His fingertips trembled slightly, and his gaze fell on Teach.
The man's body was charred black and his bones were broken, but the mad, greedy look in his eyes remained undiminished!
That gaze, fixed intently on the black wooden box in Ace, was not the gaze of a human.
That was... the look of a mad dog.
Marco's heart sank.
He had seen that look in countless battles—the light of a mad dog about to devour its prey.
Marco's fist slowly clenched.
He looked down at the Blue Flames in his palm, a calmness he had never shown before surfacing deep in his eyes.
"If what he said is true... then Teach isn't my brother, Marco's brother."
"Even Pops isn't always right."
He took a deep breath, and the Blue Flames on his body were no longer violent, but instead solidified like blades.
"If you dare to hurt my brothers..."
"I, Marco, will take care of you myself."
At that moment, he neither yelled nor questioned.
But in his heart, he silently set an ironclad rule for himself and for the Whitebeard Pirates.
The focus returns to the center of the Battlefield.
Roy was still holding Teach, the fourteen captains around him were furious, and Whitebeard exuded Haki. The atmosphere was about to explode!
He glanced slightly to the side, looking at the man opposite him.
In Whitebeard's eyes, that familiar fighting spirit and paternal rage rekindled.
Roy raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled faintly, and already understood.
"It seems... things won't end well today."
Just then--
"Boom!!"
Flame jet!
A figure descended from the sky, landing heavily beside Roy!
Ace!
His shoulders were still stained with blood, flames flickered around his arms, and his eyes were as firm as iron as he stood fearlessly beside Roy!
"Roy!" Ace roared, "How can I back down at a time like this?!"
Roy paused for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter—a long-lost feeling of exhilaration, unbridled freedom, and youthful passion!
"Haha... Great!!"
He casually tossed the Blackbeard like a rag into the open ground!
Teach tumbled through the air and crashed to the ground with a scream, but no one showed him any sympathy.
Roy took a deep breath and looked at the Whitebeard Pirates that could be described as an "Emperor-level battle formation":
"Then let's go."
"Let the two of us brothers take a good look--"
"What exactly are these so-called 'Four Emperors' of the Pirate?!"
Ace, enraged beyond measure, his flames surging like dragons, took a step forward and shouted, "Whitebeard—! Come and fight!!"
The might of the Four Emperors is pressing down upon us!
The fourteen captains' fighting spirit soared!
Flames, sword energy, Conqueror's Haki, killing intent--
The Battlefield is about to erupt!
--But just a second before this violent battle erupted.
Suddenly, a sound that only he could hear rang in Ace's ears, like a whisper, like a dream, like a dream...
"Ace."
"Later, throw the box... to one of the people on the other side."