Summit War · Conclusion

"So this is how it ends! It seems I am still too weak!"

The entire process of Whitebeard's death played out clearly before the eyes of Chen Qiang, who had just regained his senses. He could not help but sigh with emotion.

"But it's not all bad. At least he wasn't sneak-attacked and wounded by Akainu before he died, and Ace is still alive. That counts as a change, right?"

Chen Qiang comforted himself with this thought. After all, back in his original world, every time he watched this scene of Whitebeard's death, he felt a pang of sorrow.

However, this was no time for Chen Qiang to be sentimental. During the time it took for Whitebeard to pass away, Jinbe and the others had been caught up to by Akainu once again, and he had launched an attack on them.

Because both of his hands were occupied with protecting others, Jinbe was unable to defend against Akainu's assault. His body was pierced through, and after the blow passed through Jinbe, a massive hole was also torn into Luffy's chest.

Fortunately, Akainu's fist had lost most of its momentum by the time it penetrated both men, leaving only a scorched fist mark on Ace's chest.

Even so, it left Jinbe completely unable to continue fleeing, and he plummeted from the air. Luckily, Buggy, who was passing by in his own escape, appeared just in time to catch the three falling figures and carry them away.

As Akainu prepared to pursue them again, the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates arrived and blocked his path.

As for Chen Qiang, he had originally intended to go and assist, but a tall figure suddenly appeared before him, obstructing his way.

"If you were to travel, where would you like to go?"

Before Chen Qiang could even see who it was, the figure posed this question to him!

"Kuma? Weren't you modified into a human weapon? Do you still have your consciousness?"

Hearing the question, Chen Qiang immediately recognized the tall figure as Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Shichibukai. But he was supposed to have been turned into a mindless weapon; why would he suddenly ask such a question? Chen Qiang was puzzled, wondering if the man still possessed a shred of self-awareness.

However, Kuma did not wait for Chen Qiang to reply and swung his palm directly at him.

"Damn it! I'm not done with my business yet; I don't want to go on a trip right now!"

Knowing the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit, Chen Qiang dared not take the hit head-on. As the hand swung toward him, he crouched down and dodged.

"Bang!"

But just as Chen Qiang evaded the attack, a beam of intense light shot directly toward him.

Fortunately, Chen Qiang reacted quickly, rolling across the ground to avoid the blast while putting some distance between himself and Kuma. Since Ace was not yet completely out of danger, Chen Qiang felt he could still go and help, perhaps catching a ride on their ship to leave Marine Headquarters, so he had no desire to engage Kuma in combat.

Yet Kuma had no intention of letting Chen Qiang go. As soon as he gained some distance, Kuma reappeared behind him and swung his palm again.

There was no choice; Chen Qiang could only dodge again. Supporting Ace and the others was clearly impossible now, as his own physical limitations hindered his speed, making him no match for Kuma. No matter how he tried to accelerate, Kuma would catch up with ease.

Fortunately, on Luffy's side, although they were repeatedly caught and attacked by Akainu during their escape, they only suffered injuries and were not in immediate danger of death.

In the end, thanks to the intervention of Law, Luffy, Ace, and the unconscious Jinbe were all rescued and taken away.

On the other side, though not by Blackbeard's design, the Blackbeard Pirates collectively moved to intercept Sengoku and Garp after obtaining Whitebeard's power.

Chen Qiang witnessed this scene as well. Once he stood up again, he stopped trying to evade Kuma's attacks. Since he could no longer shake off Kuma's pursuit and catching a ride was out of the question, he simply stopped dodging and faced Kuma directly. If the man wanted to send him on a trip, he might as well let him.

"I've decided where I want to travel. Could you please send me to the East Blue? I hear the scenery there is quite nice!"

Even as Chen Qiang spoke, Kuma did not stop his movement and swung his palm again. Chen Qiang's figure vanished from the spot. As for whether he was truly sent to the East Blue as he requested, no one but Kuma knew.

Not long after Chen Qiang was swatted away, the Red Hair Pirates appeared, personally intervening to stop Akainu's pursuit and holding back Aokiji and Kizaru, who were closing in from behind.

"Everyone! Give me some face and let this war end here!"

As Shanks arrived at the plaza, a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted, causing the pirates and marines locked in melee to stop fighting involuntarily and turn their eyes toward him.

"Since that is the case, I declare that this war ends here!"

Sengoku frowned upon seeing Shanks, especially after hearing his words. After much deliberation, he accepted the suggestion and issued the order to all marines to cease hostilities and prioritize the rescue of the wounded.

Sengoku knew that making this decision would lead to the World Government holding him accountable, but there was no other choice. Not to mention that all the top-tier combatants of the Navy had sustained varying degrees of injury during the battle against Whitebeard, and the losses among the elite marines were staggering.

They no longer had the strength to stop the newly arrived Shanks. After all, he was one of the Four Emperors, just like Whitebeard. Even if he were weaker than Whitebeard, Shanks was still in his prime; to defeat him, the Navy would have to risk losing all their remaining top-tier power.

Driven by these considerations, Sengoku ordered the end of the war and took the responsibility for the World Government's future repercussions upon himself.

Shanks took custody of Whitebeard's body to return him to his "sons," and the Summit War came to a complete end.

Although the Navy had failed to execute Ace, Whitebeard had remained at Marine Headquarters, which could be considered a victory for the Navy.

This battle, the largest since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, drew to a close. The war had a profound impact, accelerating the momentum of the Great Pirate Era as more pirates took to the seas, setting sail for the final destination, Laugh Tale.

For a time, the seas became even more turbulent, with pirates constantly heading to the New World to challenge those who held the positions of the Four Emperors.

Though the Navy had ended the battle with a nominal victory, their control over the seas weakened significantly in the aftermath.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku resigned to take responsibility, and the Hero of the Navy, Garp, retired to his hometown. The loss of top-tier strength forced the Navy to issue a global draft to recruit new powerhouses.

But those are stories for another time!