One Piece: New Order-Chapter 67: End of the Battle of Sgri

Aboard the Oro Jackson.

Whitebeard's eyes snapped open from unconsciousness.

For a long moment, he simply stared at the ceiling above him. Then, slowly, he turned his head and took in his surroundings—Roger's ship. When he glanced to the side, he saw Marco dozing quietly in a chair beside the bed.

A soft smile tugged at Whitebeard's lips. He raised a massive hand, reaching toward Marco's head, but paused midway. Instead of ruffling the boy's hair, he let his hand drop gently, not wanting to wake him.

With a low grunt, he unplugged the IV needles still stuck in his body. Grabbing the naginata leaning against the wall, he rose to his feet and made his way outside. He stepped onto the deck and gazed at the people gathered there.

"Gurararara... Roger, Shiki, Linlin."

The three turned at the sound of their names. None of them spoke. They understood what this was: a final surge of life before the end.

Roger was the first to break the silence. "Newgate."

Whitebeard grinned wide, his deep, hearty voice echoing out. "Gurararara! No need to get sentimental, Roger. My journey just ends here. But..."

His smile faded slightly as his voice dropped. "I'm sorry. For dragging you all into this."

His gaze swept over everyone on deck, as if etching them into memory.

A hush fell over the ship.

Just then, a tearful voice called out from behind.

"Pops!"

Marco had woken up. He rushed forward and threw himself into Whitebeard's chest, crying loudly.

The latter's giant arms wrapped around him. One large hand gently stroked the top of Marco's head. His eyes softened as he looked down at the child in his arms. It was as if memories began to return... family.

Then he turned to Roger and said calmly, "Roger, I'm leaving this kid Marco in your care from now on."

Marco looked up with red, swollen eyes and cried, "Pops."

Whitebeard patted his head one last time, then gently set him aside. He looked at the others on deck and gave them a wide, radiant smile.

"Everyone, I'll be heading out first."

With a heavy step, he turned toward the bow. He planted his naginata into the deck with a loud thunk and walked slowly forward. Behind him, Roger, Shiki, and Big Mom all closed their eyes. None could bear to watch.

"Newgate..." they each whispered.

At the bow, Whitebeard stared into the distance. Far ahead, five figures stood atop the burning field of magma.

He smiled faintly. "Marines."

Drawing a deep breath, he tensed his body. His skin flushed red, muscles bulging beneath the surface. Steam hissed from his pores, and the deck beneath him groaned from the heat radiating from his body.

Raising both arms high above his head, he summoned every last ounce of strength. The energy of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surged to his fingertips.

He began to pull his arms down, slowly, with great effort. It felt like the air itself was resisting. Some unseen force tried to hold his hands in place.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Whitebeard let out a furious roar, his face twisted in pain. The muscles in his arms bulged and tore apart as if they could no longer hold on. His hands kept pulling down until they reached his waist.

As his trembling arms completed the movement, dragging his hands from above his head down to his core, his body froze. The red glow of his body began to fade. The rising steam slowly disappeared. His massive frame went still—completely lifeless.

All that remained was the curve of his lips, curled into a faint smile that mirrored his crescent-shaped mustache.

His eyes stayed open, gazing into the distance.

The moment Whitebeard died, everyone in the entire sea felt it. A wave of deadly pressure swept across the battlefield. The Marines, in particular, felt it even more strongly—a primal fear, deep and instinctive.

RUMBLE!!!

A deafening boom tore through the sky. It sounded ancient, like the roar from a time long forgotten.

The heavens and the sea flipped.

The ocean swallowed the sky. Dark clouds gathered low over the water. Then, as if torn from the seafloor, massive chunks of land were hurled into the air and came crashing down.

It wasn't an illusion. This was the final, awakened strike of Whitebeard.

Sky and sea twisted together. Countless islands were wrenched from their foundations, flung across the battlefield, and shattered on impact. The entire ocean shook. Reality itself seemed warped. The upside-down world looked strange, yet somehow terrifyingly real.

Then, as quickly as it came, the chaos ceased. The distorted sea and sky returned to normal.

But the damage was already done.

The ocean had cracked and shattered like the earth itself. Deep chasms split across the water's surface. In that single instant, both the Marines and the pirates suffered immense losses.

BOOOOM!!!

Another quake rolled through. The heavens and the earth trembled, refusing to settle.

The entire Sgri Sea had been erased. No more islands. No more life.

Only fragments of the pirate and Marine fleets remained, struggling to survive in the wreckage...

...

In the year 1492 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the Battle of Sgri broke out in July.

The battle involved most of the top-tier forces from both the pirates and the Marines.

The Golden Lion fleet was nearly wiped out.

The Roger Pirates suffered heavy losses, nearly half their crew dead or wounded.

From the Big Mom Pirates, several of Charlotte Linlin's own children were killed in battle.

The Whitebeard Pirates were annihilated, with only Marco surviving. Everyone else perished.

The great pirate "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate fell in battle.

On the Marine's side:

Admiral Zephyr was gravely injured. He resigned from his post and transferred to the Marine Academy as Chief Instructor.

Vice Admiral Sakazuki was critically wounded and remained unconscious.

Admiral Sengoku suffered serious injuries and went missing.

Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Kong, though injured, returned to Marine Headquarters to take control of the situation.

Nearly half of the Marine fleet was destroyed.

Post-battle statistics reported a death toll of 23,747 Marines.

A towering memorial stone, hundreds of meters high, was erected in the plaza of Marineford to honor the fallen.

In the years following the Battle of Sgri, the seas entered a strange and unsettling silence...

...

Half a year after the Battle of Sgri.

Year 1493 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Marine Headquarters Hospital.

Sakazuki, who had been unconscious for six months, suddenly opened his eyes. A wild pressure burst out from his body, surging across the entire Marineford before vanishing in an instant.

At that moment, it was as if Sakazuki had undergone some kind of transformation.

Crack!

A thunderclap roared out of nowhere.

Enel smashed through the window, landing inside with a look of surprise and joy as he stared at Sakazuki.

The vice admiral looked at the boy, whose presence had grown even stronger, and a faint smirk appeared on his face.

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