Tens of thousands of Whitebeard Pirates slowly retreated toward the rear.
Yet almost every single crew member glanced cautiously toward Luffy before boarding their ships, as if trying to memorize the image of this man forever.
Along the way, the Marines made no aggressive moves, quietly tending to the wounded and collecting the fallen.
In war, the unlucky are always the weak, the nameless ones.
"Ace, don't overthink it!"
Seeing Ace still looking bewildered, Luffy approached and slung a hand over his shoulder.
"Remember what I'm telling you!"
"The achievements of those before us are never meant to stop us from chasing our own goals!"
"What we have to do is… ourselves!"
"Become our own legend!!!"
…
Ace shook his head lightly, exhaling with a sigh.
Yet when he lifted his head again, the confusion in his eyes was gone entirely.
"Just trying to catch up to you… already leaves me breathless!"
"Catch up to me?!"
"Then maybe you should consider ruling the world instead!"
"That's at least easier than chasing me!"
"Luffy, you brat!!!"
"Hahaha…"
…
One by one, ships flying the Whitebeard flag departed the Marineford battlefield.
Shanks glanced at the scene quietly, then nonchalantly placed his straw hat on his head. He turned and whispered to his crew:
"Let's go…"
Without another look, he walked toward his ship.
This time, the youngest Yonko seemed to have done nothing but show his face and watch Luffy show off.
For Shanks, being reduced to a background figure while someone else shined in front of everyone was a new, strange feeling.
However…
Among those present, he was one of the few who fully understood Luffy's words.
In a shadow barely noticeable to others, a glint appeared in Shanks' eyes, only to disappear instantly, returning to his usual calm expression.
Buggy, standing at the bow, observed every subtle change in Shanks' demeanor and nodded knowingly.
Shanks was no fool, and Buggy was no idiot.
Otherwise, neither would have served on Roger's ship.
If Buggy had ill intentions, Shanks would never have remained his friend for so many years.
In their youth, the two had spent countless nights stargazing and talking until dawn.
Perhaps, in this world, Buggy was the only one who truly understood Shanks.
Jesus Burgess looked at Usopp, and before parting, gave a thumbs-up, smiling with satisfaction.
He then strode after his captain, preparing to set sail once again.
Usopp responded with a thumbs-up toward his father.
"Hey, Usopp… is this really okay?!"
Zoro, slightly bowing and half-turned, asked Usopp with concern.
Watching his father board the pirate ship, Usopp lowered his head slowly and replied:
"A man of the sea has to be like this…"
"Moreover!"
He suddenly straightened, flashing a confident smile.
"We still have many days to meet in the future."
"I just have that feeling!"
…
Soon, the Red-Haired Pirates and Buggy Pirates followed, leaving Marineford.
The colossal battle, which had shaken the world, had ended almost absurdly.
Only Luffy's group and a few Marines, including Garp and Sengoku, remained.
Garp silently glanced at Luffy, said nothing, and turned away.
Luffy had grown up. He no longer needed his grandfather to guide his path.
He had already… found his own way.
Though bittersweet, pride outweighed all else for Garp.
After all… that was his grandson!
"Sengoku… for all of this, I can only say sorry."
"And thank you for watching over me all these years."
"What I do may not always be right."
"But it's what I want to do. No one can stop me!"
As one by one, the key figures departed, only Sengoku remained among the Marines.
Luffy looked at the old man who had devoted his life to the Marines and spoke slowly.
Change is not always right.
Every era brings unknown transformations.
Moreover, this time, Luffy had fully revealed his strength and goals.
The forces controlling the world would surely not remain idle.
And that was exactly Luffy's intention.
"If we're going to play, let's play for real!"
"Moria! Crocodile!"
Before Sengoku could speak, Luffy shouted, his back to the sea.
A purple-black blur shot past in an instant!
The shadow, massless and moving at near light speed, reached Luffy's back.
A gentle swirl of dust gathered beside the shadow, forming into the shape of Crocodile.
Above it, the darkness shifted, revealing Moria's pale skin.
"Luffy!"
"Luffy!"
Both men, now appearing fully, bowed slightly in respect, their arrogance on the battlefield replaced with humility.
"Hm…"
Luffy responded gravely and asked:
"Did you understand what I just said?"
"Understood!" Crocodile answered immediately.
Moria, less informed, looked embarrassed and murmured:
"Not really…"
"That's fine." Luffy ignored it and continued:
"At least now, you should know…"
"A new era is coming!"
…
At that moment, Doflamingo's signature laughter rang out.
"Can I ride the wave of this new era too, Luffy?"
White threads emerged rapidly from the marble floor, weaving together as Doflamingo appeared beneath them, wearing his pink flamingo coat, grinning widely.
Luffy turned to him and asked:
"You plan to welcome the new era with just this thread clone?"
…
From a distance, Doflamingo walked toward Luffy, stepping carefully.
"Not trying to disturb your little chat, Luffy, just being careful…"
He flicked his hand, and the thread clone on the ground instantly vanished.
Behind Doflamingo, two other Shichibukai arrived: Mihawk and Boa Hancock.
"Long time no see, Hancock, Mihawk-senpai!"
Luffy greeted them warmly.
"Hmph!"
Hancock responded with a light huff, yet her eyes sparkled as she looked toward the Starry Sky Pirates.
Mihawk, similarly, replied with a nasal grunt before shifting his gaze toward the Starry Sky Pirates.
"If you're looking for Robin and Zoro, they're over there…"
Luffy pointed with amusement, indicating their location.
Hancock glanced and saw Robin smiling back, which brightened her expression.
She then focused back on Luffy:
"No! We want to know what you meant earlier!"
"What are the Celestial Dragons, really?!"
Because of her childhood experiences, Hancock reacted strongly to the mere mention of Celestial Dragons.
Every time their name arose, a faint pained expression appeared on her face.
So Luffy's repeated references to the Celestial Dragons caught her attention immediately.
…
"I have some knowledge that might help you, Luffy!"
"Oh? Don't you still have your mission?" Luffy asked curiously.
"Mission…" Doflamingo met Luffy's inscrutable gaze and said with a sigh:
"Doesn't matter anymore!"
"Because destiny… seems to have been… broken!!!"
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Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria