Sing the World
Naval Headquarters — Marineford.
The long-awaited Summit War had finally come to an end.
This time, the Son of Destiny, the Straw Hat boy, never appeared.
Without his intervention, the course of fate had completely changed — and the war lost many of its unpredictable twists and possibilities.
Everything had proceeded just as the Marines had planned.
The execution of Fire Fist Ace went ahead without disruption.
The world's strongest man — Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors — had fallen in a grueling battle of attrition.
Even the remaining forces of the Whitebeard Pirates were being hunted down and eradicated.
This war was nothing like the one history once recorded.
Over ninety percent of the Whitebeard Pirates were annihilated in battle.
Of course, the Marines had paid a heavy price as well — far greater than the cost in that "original" timeline.
Casualties among Marine forces were more than double what anyone could have anticipated.
But even so…
To Marshal Sengoku and the hawkish generals, it was a price worth paying.
For them, this day marked the dawn of a new age.
"Gentlemen!"
On the execution platform, Marshal Sengoku, his boots stained with Ace's blood, raised his voice over the battlefield.
"Today's war — thanks to the courage and sacrifice of everyone here — has brought us an unprecedented victory! A corner of the New World has fallen; one of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, and his pirate fleet have been completely destroyed by our hands!"
His words thundered across the plaza.
"Celebrate! Rejoice! Thanks to your hard work, the rampant pirate forces that have long threatened this sea will be curbed at last! We have safeguarded the peace of ordinary citizens — and upheld justice!"
Marshal Sengoku's postwar speech burned with fervor and pride.
"Uwoooohhh—!"
The crowd of Marines erupted into cheers and applause that shook the air.
"Phew… what a relief, Sister Tsuru,"
Under the execution platform, Gion wiped the sweat from her brow, letting out a long sigh.
"What's 'too good'?" asked Vice Admiral Tsuru, her voice calm but weary.
"Of course — that we defeated the Whitebeard Pirates, and that neither Fairy Tail nor Sugisawa Yuuto interfered in the war!" Gion replied with a smile.
Tsuru, however, only muttered softly, "If only that were truly the case…"
"Eh?" Gion blinked, caught off guard.
Following Tsuru's gaze, she saw Vice Admiral Garp walking silently toward the shattered Marine headquarters, his expression dark and unreadable.
Sabaody Archipelago — Live Broadcast Plaza
"It's over!"
"The war's… finally over!"
"As expected — a grand victory for the Marines!"
"The Fire Fist has been executed! Whitebeard — one of the Four Emperors — is dead! The Whitebeard Pirates have been crushed! Incredible! Just incredible!"
"The strongest man in the world? The great Whitebeard? Hah! Even he couldn't stand against Marine justice!"
"Hahaha! The era of pirates is finished! The seas will finally know peace!"
"The strongest man in the world has already been replaced! Whitebeard is old news. The real strongest man now… is the one from Fairy Tail!"
The square erupted in a chaotic roar of laughter, debate, and awe. People wept, cheered, and shouted over one another, the world trembling in their excitement.
"Hey, reporters! What are you standing around for? The war's over — publish the story already!"
"That's right! The whole world is waiting for your news!"
"Of course we know that!" one of the reporters snapped, sweating nervously. "But… it's useless!"
"What do you mean?"
"We've tried countless times! Since just now — we can't contact the outside world!"
"The signal across the entire island has been completely cut off!"
A cold silence spread among the crowd.
"This is only natural," murmured Basil Hawkins, his tone grim. "The very space we're in has already shifted."
"It's far too early to celebrate victory," said Capone Bege, voice low and heavy.
"From the very start," added Trafalgar Law, "things have been veering down an unknown path."
"The Summit War… isn't over yet," muttered X Drake, his face darkening.
"More like," rumbled Urouge, the mad monk, "everything's just beginning."
"Oi, Kid," said Killer, turning toward his captain. "Who's really behind all of this? Fairy Tail?"
"No one knows until it's over," growled Eustass Kid, his eyes shadowed by black lines of frustration.
Floating Sky Island — Central Plaza
"Jiehahahaha! Whitebeard, your time has finally come! Looks like the legends of the old era have all fallen — except for me!"
The Golden Lion Shiki laughed maniacally, his voice echoing across the sky.
But beneath that laughter… there was a trace of regret.
"…Why did it come to this? Ace… the Whitebeard Pirates… everyone…"
Ever since witnessing Ace's execution, Yamato's face had been deathly pale, her expression frozen in disbelief. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks.
"Don't dwell on sorrow too long," Ulti muttered, patting her shoulder — for once, showing restraint.
"Ace… Luffy's brother is gone. If Luffy finds out…" Rebby's eyes turned red, tears spilling freely.
"It can't be helped," said another softly. "Without the Master's orders, we can't act rashly."
"To be honest… I always kind of liked the Whitebeard Pirates," one Fairy Tail member admitted. "They were pirates, sure, but they protected civilians without asking for anything in return."
"They hunted other pirates and used the bounties to sustain their people."
"Their fall won't bring peace to the seas — it'll only cause chaos."
"And that Ace…" another whispered, "…he might've been reckless, but he was a good man."
"Not many people in this world would give everything to protect a land they barely knew."
The Fairy Tail girls fell silent, heads bowed in quiet sorrow.
"Wrong."
The voice cut through the air.
Everyone turned to Erza, whose eyes burned with conviction.
"What do you mean, Erza?" asked Nami.
"Knowing the Master as I do," Erza said firmly, "there's no way he'd miss such a grand spectacle. The fact that he left alone a week ago — that's all the proof we need."
"You're right," Mirajane nodded gently. "The night before he left, he took several top-secret commissions — from both Marine Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates."
"So… what's happening now?" Vivi asked, her voice trembling.
"Look!" Lucy gasped suddenly, pointing upward. "Everyone — look! That's him! The Master…!"