Marine Headquarters.
The vast battlefield that had been roaring with chaos moments ago now fell eerily silent—
frozen beneath the weight of Sugisawa Yuuto's gaze.
Even the spectators across the Sabaody Archipelago—the so-called "melon-eaters" watching from afar—were stunned speechless.
They all knew that the Marine Headquarters had gathered the entire world's greatest military might here.
Moments earlier, they had annihilated the Whitebeard Pirates, a crew once hailed as the strongest in existence.
Though the Marines had suffered terrible losses—more than half their forces wiped out—their remaining power was still formidable.
And yet… this overwhelming military fortress had been brought to a standstill—
by the eyes of one man.
A single Four Emperor.
The reason was simple.
Beyond Fairy Tail's positive reputation, the Marines did not wish to provoke them.
But more importantly—Sugisawa Yuuto and Fairy Tail were far too powerful.
The world still called Whitebeard "the strongest man alive," but the Marine's top brass knew the truth.
In overall might, Fairy Tail had already surpassed the Whitebeard Pirates.
Against absolute power, numbers meant nothing.
Just over six months ago, Fairy Tail had wiped out the Beasts Pirates' twenty-thousand-strong army.
Even if the Whitebeard Pirates had fifty thousand soldiers, their fate against Fairy Tail would've been no different.
And now—
the same truth applied to the Marines themselves.
If they clashed with Sugisawa Yuuto at this fragile moment, it would spell disaster.
Their wounded would never receive treatment, and their casualties would multiply beyond repair.
Of everyone present, Marshal Sengoku was the most troubled.
His heart twisted tighter when he saw Garp—the very man who had provoked Yuuto into appearing—walking toward him as if nothing had happened.
If Garp hadn't acted, Yuuto would've simply stayed a spectator—watched the war in silence, then left quietly. Nothing more.
"Sengoku," Garp said, his tone oddly calm. "I know what you're thinking. But this war… isn't over yet. It's like a dream, isn't it?"
Sengoku frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Earlier, Garp had remained cautious because he didn't know who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
But now that he knew it was Sugisawa Yuuto, his tension eased.
Even the grief over his grandson's death dulled slightly.
Because deep down, Garp had a feeling…
"Garp… what are you trying to say?"
Sengoku's chest tightened with unease. An ominous feeling coiled inside him.
At that moment, Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Chief of Staff, rushed toward them.
"Sengoku! Bad news!"
"What is it?" he barked.
"I just tried to contact the outside world—to announce the outcome of the war—but every communication channel has gone dead! The signal can't transmit or be received anywhere!"
"What…?" Sengoku froze, completely thrown off. "Impossible!"
Before he could make sense of it—
a thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield.
Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shellfire rained down like a storm, all aimed directly at the spot where Yuuto and Uta stood.
Fireworks of destruction blossomed across the sky.
Smoke and dust billowed, swallowing everything in sight.
"What the hell?! Who ordered the bombardment?!" Sengoku shouted.
A calm yet fiery voice answered.
"I did."
From the smoke emerged Admiral Akainu, his body wreathed in molten heat.
"Marshal Sengoku," Akainu said sternly, "this is the sacred Marine Headquarters! We just defeated the Whitebeard Pirates! How can we allow another outlaw to strut in here and toy with our soldiers?! The whole world is watching!"
His words rang out like cannon fire—firm, righteous, unyielding.
And though Sengoku said nothing…
he couldn't deny the truth in Akainu's words.
Sugisawa Yuuto had humiliated a Vice Admiral right here in Marineford.
And as Marshal, Sengoku hadn't dared to stop him.
To the sailors who had just won the greatest battle in Marine history, this was a thunderbolt from clear skies.
The triumph they'd felt moments ago vanished.
Their morale—crushed.
But still…
Even knowing all that, Sengoku did not want to start a fight with Yuuto.
For six months, ever since the World Government had begun meddling in Fairy Tail affairs, the relationship between the Marines and Fairy Tail had dropped to freezing point.
By some miracle, they had avoided open war—but Sengoku knew the truth.
Yuuto's patience was running thin.
If he ever decided to unleash it… it would be like the wrath of a storm god.
The barrage of gunfire ceased.
As the smoke cleared—everyone held their breath.
Just as many had expected, Sugisawa Yuuto and Uta stood completely unharmed.
A shimmering golden barrier surrounded them, glowing like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
"Is that... the Fairy Sphere?!" one Marine gasped.
No.
Yuuto had indeed earned the legendary Fairy Sphere as a guild reward—
but this barrier wasn't his doing.
And besides, mere artillery fire didn't require such magic.
This shield was Uta's creation.
Because here—
they stood inside the World of Song.
Her world.
A realm where Uta's voice was law.
Where she was omnipotent.
"Uta," Yuuto said softly, reaching out to pat her head. "It's my duty to protect you. I told you that."
"But… I want to do something for you too, Guildmaster," she whispered. "I want to help…"
Her words trailed off—
interrupted by a deep, rumbling growl.
Gurgle—!
Blorp—!
The ground itself began to boil.
Streams of molten magma burst through the shattered earth, spewing clouds of black smoke and blistering heat.
Admiral Akainu had made his move.
"I already said," Akainu's voice roared, "this is the sacred Marine Headquarters! Not a place for thieves to whisper sweet nothings!"
A monstrous magma hound surged from his arm—
the same infernal beast that had pierced Whitebeard's chest and sealed his fate.
Now it tore through the air, lunging straight at Yuuto and Uta.
But Yuuto didn't flinch.
His expression remained as calm as ever, utterly unbothered.
A Four Emperor facing an Admiral—
the air trembled with tension.
And then—something extraordinary happened.
Before Yuuto could even move,
Uta stepped forward.
Her lips parted.
A single, pure note spilled out—
a melody so divine it seemed to pierce the heavens.
Instantly, Akainu's blazing magma froze in midair.
The burning heat that could melt the atmosphere itself suddenly went still—
as though time had stopped.
Then, before anyone could comprehend it—
the magma shattered.
It dissolved into a thousand shimmering music notes, scattering across the battlefield like falling starlight.
The once-devastating scene transformed—
from terror to breathtaking beauty.
For a long, suspended moment—
everyone inside and outside Marineford stood in stunned silence, staring at the impossible.