Sabaody Archipelago erupted into absolute chaos.
Den Den Mushis screamed across every island.
Journalists shoved one another aside, papers flying everywhere as the broadcast from Marineford continued.
One reporter nearly fell off the scaffold he was standing on as he yelled into his transmitter.
"HEADQUARTERS!!" His voice cracked from panic and excitement. "THERE'S BIG NEWS OUT OF MARINEFORD!!"
People below him immediately looked up.
"What happened?!"
"Did the war end?!"
"Who won?!"
The journalist swallowed hard.
Then screamed at the top of his lungs—
"WHITEBEARD IS DEAD!!"
Silence. Pure silence.
Then the entire archipelago exploded into panic.
"WHAT?!"
"No way!!"
"The Strongest Man in the World lost?!"
"Whitebeard is DEAD?!"
"Impossible!!"
Bars erupted into shouting.
Pirates stood up so fast chairs crashed behind them.
Civilians covered their mouths in horror.
Even bounty hunters froze.
Because Edward Newgate the monster who ruled the seas for decades was gone.
——————-
Across the world the news spread like wildfire.
On distant islands, people dropped newspapers in disbelief.
In kingdoms and islands protected under Whitebeard's flag, civilians cried openly.
Because everyone understood what this meant.
The balance of the world had shattered.
——————
Back in Sabaody, high above the chaos, a lone man sat quietly on one of the massive scaffolds overlooking the sea.
A bottle rested in his hand.
His expression calm.Yet tired.
Silvers Rayleigh.
The Dark King listened silently to the broadcast.
Then slowly he let out a small laugh. A tear rolled down his cheek.
"…So you passed too, Whitebeard."
He took another drink. The wind blew quietly around him.
"…Roger's really gathering all the old monsters now, huh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face. But there was sadness behind it.
"…You stubborn old fool."
He looked toward the distant horizon. Toward Marineford.
"…What a troublesome era you left behind. Roger."
——————-
Back at Marineford the battlefield was deathly quiet.
Smoke drifted through the air. The smell of blood and gunpowder lingered everywhere.
And in the center of it all Whitebeard stood dead. Still standing. Like a mountain refusing to fall.
Near the battlefield Doflamingo laughed wildly.
"FUFUFUFUFUFU!!" His grin stretched wider than ever.
"This is GREAT!!" His voice echoed across the battlefield. "Things are REALLY going to change now!!"
He spread his arms dramatically.
"The death of Whitebeard!"
"The fall of an era!"
"The balance of the world collapsing!"
His eyes gleamed with madness.
"But even before that…" His smile slowly sharpened. "I don't think things are settling down anytime soon."
He looked toward Blackbeard and his crew.
"The most heinous criminals from Impel Down…"
"The former Head Jailer…and Blackbeard at the center of it all…"
He chuckled darkly. "…What exactly are you planning, Teach?"
The remaining conscious Marines trembled.
Their morale had completely collapsed.
One Marine stared blankly at Whitebeard's corpse.
"…Whitebeard…"
"…is really dead…"
Another clenched his fists nervously.
"But those words he said…"
"The bloodline…"
"…what did he mean?"
Another Marine looked pale.
"He said the bloodline of the first pirate would take the One Piece…"
"That's what he meant…"
A Rear Admiral gritted his teeth.
"How absurd…"
"First Roger…"
"Now Whitebeard…"
"With words like that…"
He looked terrified.
"…more pirates will resurface."
Another Marine slammed his fist against the ground.
"What the hell is this war anymore?!"
"First Whitebeard!"
"Then Straw Hat!"
"Then the Impel Down prisoners!"
"Then the Nyx Pirates!"
"And now Blackbeard too?!"
His voice shook.
"How are we supposed to fight all this?!"
Nobody answered him.
Because deep down they all felt the same fear.
Then Blackbeard slowly stood up. Blood still covered his face. But his grin was wider than ever.
"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
He looked directly at Whitebeard's corpse. "He was so damn tenacious…"
His grin twisted. "But it's good…to finally see him dead!!"
Marco trembled violently. Blue flames erupted around him uncontrollably.
"That bastard…" His voice cracked with rage.
Vista immediately grabbed his shoulder tightly. "Marco!!"
Marco gritted his teeth. "I know, Vista!"
His fists shook violently. "I KNOW!!"
The other commanders looked no better.
Jozu clenched his jaw so hard blood dripped from his mouth.
Blamenco lowered his head.
Curiel looked ready to charge forward at any second.
Because all of them wanted Teach dead.
Vista suddenly turned and roared toward the retreating Whitebeard Pirates.
"HURRY UP AND GET ON THE SHIPS!!"
"DON'T FORGET YOUR CAPTAIN'S FINAL ORDER!!"
The pirates froze. Then grit their teeth.
"…Damn it…"
"Pops…"
But they obeyed.
Because Whitebeard's final command was absolute.
Meanwhile, Laffitte stepped calmly beside Blackbeard. "It's proceeding exactly as planned so far."
He smiled lightly beneath his hat. "Now's the time, Captain."
Blackbeard's grin widened even more.
"…Yeah."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"ALRIGHT THEN!!"
"LET'S BEGIN!!"
The Blackbeard Pirates suddenly pulled out a massive black cloth and covered Whitebeard's corpse completely.
The battlefield reacted instantly.
"The hell are they doing?!"
"They're hiding Whitebeard's body!"
One Whitebeard Pirate screamed furiously.
"TEACH!!"
"What are you trying to do to Pops now?!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly beneath the cloth.
"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"I'm about to put on a show…that'll shake the entire WORLD!!"
Then a voice interrupted him. Cold. Sharp.
Dangerous.
"Have you forgotten about us?"
The battlefield froze instantly. Everyone turned.
The Nyx Pirates stood there. All of them. Like monsters descending upon the battlefield.
Ada stood at the front.
Mihawk beside her.
Bullet grinning like a beast.
Enel crackling with lightning.
Loki towering over everyone.
The rest of the Nyx Pirates behind her.
The Marines visibly flinched at the sight alone.
Even Blackbeard's crew stiffened.
Ada stepped forward slowly. Her eyes never leaving Teach.
"You know…"
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
"I did not interfere with your fight against Whitebeard."
A pause.
"Out of respect."
"For an old friend."
"For an old comrade."
Her eyes sharpened.
"But…"
The air suddenly became heavier.
"…do you really think…I'll let you do whatever you want now?"
The Marines nearby visibly recoiled hearing her tone.
Because they remembered.
Akainu. The crater. The haki. The fear.
Jesus Burgess suddenly stepped forward, laughing loudly as he rolled his shoulders.
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" His booming voice echoed across the battlefield.
"The Nyx Pirates?!"
He looked them up and down exaggeratedly before bursting into another fit of laughter.
"So these are the monsters everybody keeps talking about?!"
He cracked his knuckles arrogantly.
"Leave them to me!"
He pointed directly toward Ada's crew with complete disrespect.
"What a joke!"
His grin widened mockingly.
"A bunch of nobodies hiding behind one strong captain!"
He pointed toward Perona specifically and laughed harder.
"What's this supposed to be?!"
"A little ghost girl?"
Then toward Carrot.
"A rabbit?"
Then Loki.
"A giant idiot?"
Then Enel.
"And who the hell is this guy supposed to be? Some wannabe god?!"
Lightning crackled around Enel instantly.
The air grew dangerous. But Burgess kept going.
"They call themselves the Nyx Pirates?!"
He spat on the ground.
"Hah!"
"Backwater pirates with no guts!"
"Without Ada carrying you people, you'd be nothing!"
Some Marines nervously stepped backward. Even they knew he had gone too far.
Shiryu slowly exhaled smoke from his cigarette.
Then glanced sideways at Burgess like he was looking at a dead man.
"…You idiot."
Burgess blinked.
"Huh?"
Shiryu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Saying something like that…in front of them?"
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"You must have a death wish."
Even Catarina Devon chuckled nervously.
"Well… he certainly knows how to provoke monsters."
Laffitte adjusted his hat elegantly.
"Well…"
His calm smile remained.
"…it's too late now."
He looked toward Perona who was glaring daggers at them.
Then toward Mihawk.
Then Bullet.
Then Ada.
His smile thinned slightly.
"…I do wonder…"
"…just how strong she is."
Even Blackbeard's grin faded a little at those words.
Because every instinct in his body was already screaming at him—danger.
—————-
Silence. Heavy. Dangerous.
The moment Burgess called them "backwater pirates" the entire Nyx crew stopped moving.
Even the air itself felt colder.
The Marines nearby immediately sensed it.
"…Uh oh…"
One Marine slowly backed away.
"That idiot…"
"…he pissed them off."
Another swallowed nervously.
"Didn't he just insult the crew of the woman who nearly killed Akainu…?"
"No…"
A third Marine looked pale.
"He insulted their family."
Then Perona froze completely.
"…Backwater…"
Her voice trembled. Not from fear. From anger. Darkness slowly spread across her face.
"…pirates?"
Ghosts began appearing around her body.
One.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
The sky behind her darkened under the sheer number of Hollows emerging around her.
Even the Blackbeard Pirates stepped back slightly.
Perona's eyes twitched.
"How dare you…" Her voice cracked with fury.
She pointed violently toward Burgess.
"CAPTAIN!!"
"LET ME GO!!"
"I'LL KILL THEM MYSELF!!"
Beside her Carrot's fur visibly puffed up.
"THAT JERK!!"
She stomped her foot angrily.
"We're NOT backwater pirates!!"
Her ears twitched violently.
"We sailed everywhere with Lady Ada!!"
"We fought Marines! Warlords! Sea Kings!"
"And he calls us nobodies?!"
She looked ready to bite someone.
Lilith adjusted her goggles slowly. But unlike usual she wasn't smiling.
"…Wow. That might actually be the stupidest thing anyone's said this entire war."
She looked at Burgess with genuine disbelief.
"You insulted the most dangerous pirate crew on the planet…"
A pause.
"…while standing right in front of them."
She shook her head.
"You deserve whatever happens next."
Hiyori's calm expression darkened. Rare. Dangerous.
"Lady Ada gave all of us a home."
"She protected us."
"Raised us."
Her eyes sharpened.
"To insult the Nyx Pirates…is unforgivable."
Even Okiku beside her nodded quietly.
"…Agreed."
Her hand slowly moved toward her sword.
"They have disrespected our family."
Fisher Tiger crossed his arms tightly. The veins on his forehead bulged slightly.
"…Careful what you say, human."
His voice carried restrained anger.
"Some of us gave our entire lives to this crew."
A pause.
"And Ada saved mine."
The surrounding air grew heavier. Tiger rarely showed anger openly. Which made it even more terrifying.
Loki slowly stood to his full height. The giant shadow he cast covered the battlefield itself.
"Backwater pirates…?"
He laughed once. But there was no humor in it.
"GABABABABA…"
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Say that again."
The ground beneath him cracked from the pressure of his grip alone.
"I dare you."
Even San Juan Wolf instinctively stepped backward seeing Loki glare at him.
Tesoro adjusted his gloves calmly. But his smile had vanished completely.
"You know…"
His gold slowly spread across the ground beneath his feet. "I worked very hard to leave the backwaters behind."
He looked directly at Burgess. "So hearing that…really irritates me."
Even Enel looked offended.
"…Backwater? Fake God?!"
Lightning exploded violently around him. The sky above Marineford rumbled.
"You dare call a god…backwater?"
His grin became dangerous.
"Oh…You're definitely dying."
Douglas Bullet cracked his neck loudly. His monstrous aura exploded outward.
"Hahahahaha…"
But unlike normal his laughter sounded cruel.
"You've got guts."
He stared at Burgess like prey.
"Too bad you're too stupid to survive them."
Then Ada finally moved. She glanced toward Perona calmly.
The entire battlefield instantly went silent again.
Then she nodded once.
"Permission granted, Perona."
Her voice turned ice cold.
"Kill them all."
BOOM.
The battlefield shuddered from the sheer killing intent released by the Nyx Pirates.
Even Blackbeard's crew visibly stiffened.
Then Ada looked behind her.
"Mihawk."
"Bullet."
"Enel."
"You three assist her."
Bullet grinned instantly.
"Well…"
He cracked his knuckles loudly.
"I was hoping for a fight anyway."
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Finally. Something entertaining."
Mihawk slowly pulled Yoru halfway from its sheath.
SHING.
The sound alone made nearby Marines flinch.
"Fine."
His golden eyes sharpened.
"It has been quite some time…since my blade tasted blood."
Lightning exploded around Enel.
"Do we kill all of them, Ada?"
Ada answered without hesitation.
"Yes. No mercy."
Then she looked toward Blackbeard. Her eyes cold enough to freeze the battlefield.
"I'll handle Teach myself."
Blackbeard's grin twitched slightly and for the first time since arriving. Teach felt it. Danger.
Tesoro smirked lightly as he watched Perona floating forward surrounded by thousands upon thousands of dark Hollows.
"Well…"
He adjusted his gloves slowly.
"Looks like they're hogging all the fun."
Gold began spreading beneath his shoes. The ground itself slowly turning metallic.
"…What a waste."
Then Loki suddenly laughed deeply.
"GABABABABABABA!!"
The giant slammed his massive weapon against the ground hard enough to shake Marineford itself.
"I wanted to smash someone too!!"
His huge grin stretched across his face as he stared directly toward San Juan Wolf.
The so-called Great Battleship visibly stiffened.
Loki pointed at him excitedly.
"OI ADA!!"
His booming voice echoed across the battlefield.
"LET ME JOIN THE FUN TOO!!"
He pointed again toward San Juan Wolf.
"I'LL HANDLE THEIR GIANT!!"
San Juan Wolf blinked.
"…Eh?"
Loki grinned wider.
"You're huge."
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"But so am I."
The air around him trembled from excitement alone.
Ada glanced at him calmly. Then nodded once.
"Have fun."
That single sentence made Loki burst into laughter.
"GABABABABABA!!"
"YOU HEAR THAT?!"
He pointed his weapon toward San Juan Wolf dramatically.
"SHE GAVE ME PERMISSION!!"
San Juan Wolf immediately panicked.
"W-Wait a second—!!"
Loki cracked his neck loudly. "I've been bored this whole war."
A massive wave of pressure exploded from him. "Try entertaining me before you die."
Even the Marines nearby ran away in panic.
"MOVE!!"
"THE GIANTS ARE ABOUT TO FIGHT!!"
"We'll get crushed!!"
Fisher Tiger crossed his arms while watching Blackbeard's crew carefully.
"…Those idiots chose the wrong crew to provoke."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And the wrong captain to disrespect."
Then Perona moved.
Burgess laughed loudly despite the horrifying ghosts surrounding the battlefield.
"OHOHO?!"
"The Ghost Princess herself?!"
He spread his arms mockingly.
"Let's see what a little girl like you can do!!"
He pounded his chest proudly.
"I'm one of Captain Teach's strongest men!!"
"You think some spooky ghosts scare me?!"
Perona stopped floating. Her expression became completely cold. No whining. No dramatics. No childishness. Just pure fury.
"All of you…"
Thousands of ghosts emerged around her.
Massive. Terrifying. Dark.
The sky above Marineford dimmed from their sheer numbers.
"…really piss me off."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Even Marines backed away instinctively.
"What the hell are those?!"
"So many ghosts!!"
"This feels creepy as hell!!"
"I can't breathe!!"
One Marine dropped his weapon entirely.
"…Why do I suddenly feel depressed?!"
Perona slowly raised her arm.
Then screamed.
"DEATH HOLLOW!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The ghosts exploded forward like a black tidal wave.
Screaming. Wailing.
Devouring everything in their path.
The entire battlefield darkened under the sheer number of Hollows rushing toward Blackbeard's crew.
Burgess's confident grin faltered.
"…Huh?"
For the first time instinct screamed danger.
"What the hell are these things?!"
Catarina Devon's eyes widened instantly.
"BURGESS!!" She actually shouted. "MOVE YOU IDIOT!!"
Shiryu's expression darkened. "…Too late."
The ghosts were already upon him. Far too fast. Far too many.
Burgess tried to move.
But the Hollows passed through him instantly.
"…What…"
His gigantic body froze.
"…what is happening to me…?"
The massive muscles across his body visibly shrank. Like life itself was being drained from him.
His confidence shattered.
His spirit collapsed.
His eyes lost all meaning.
"…I'm…worthless…"
His knees buckled.
"…maybe…I should've never existed…"
His voice became weaker.
"…Captain probably never needed me anyway…"
Then his skin began cracking. Drying. Withering.
The Blackbeard Pirates stared in horror.
"Oi—!!"
"What the hell is happening to him?!"
Burgess reached out weakly.
"…help…"
Then his body crumbled. Slowly. Piece by piece. Turning into ash. Dust. Nothing.
The wind blew across Marineford.
And Jesus Burgess was gone. Erased. Not even a body remained.
Silence. Absolute silence.
The battlefield froze completely. Marines stared with pale faces. Pirates stopped breathing. Even the Blackbeard Pirates looked shaken.
One Marine dropped his weapon.
"She…"
"…she killed him instantly…"
Another trembled violently.
"He turned into dust…"
"What kind of Devil Fruit is THAT?!"
A third Marine backed away in fear.
"That girl's a monster!!"
Catarina Devon grimaced. "…That creepy little brat…"
Even she looked disturbed now.
Vasco Shot slowly stepped backward.
"…I suddenly don't wanna fight her anymore…"
Laffitte's smile finally cracked slightly.
"My my…how terrifying."
Shiryu narrowed his eyes while gripping his sword tighter.
"…One hit."
"…She erased him in one hit."
Even Blackbeard himself stopped laughing. For the first time since arriving at Marineford.
Teach looked genuinely shocked. His eyes widened as the ashes of Burgess scattered into the wind.
"Burgess…?"
A pause.
Then—
"BURGESS!!!" His roar echoed across the battlefield.
The Blackbeard Pirates flinched.
Teach stared at the empty space where his crewmate had just been standing moments ago.
Gone. Completely erased. Not even a corpse remained.
Then his head slowly turned toward Perona and for the first time there was visible anger in his eyes.
"You brat…!!"
Darkness leaked from his body instinctively.
The air around him grew heavier.
Perona floated there silently. Ghosts circling around her like demons obeying their queen.
Her eyes remained cold.
"He insulted my family." Her voice echoed quietly across the battlefield. "So he died."
Mihawk watched calmly from behind her.
"…He clearly angered her."
His eyes stayed on the spot where Burgess once stood.
"For her to use Death Hollow immediately…"
A pause.
"…she intended to kill him from the start."
Bullet smirked beside him.
"The power of negativity."
"To completely destroy someone's spirit."
His grin widened.
"Looks like the little ghost princess became terrifying."
Enel laughed softly while lightning exploded around him.
"…Looks like the ghost girl…"
His eyes gleamed dangerously.
"…became a monster too."
Then he looked toward the rest of Blackbeard's crew.
Lightning crackled violently.
"So. Who's next?"
Teach's expression twitched.
"DAMMIT!!"
He clenched his teeth hard. "That idiot died because of his own damn mouth!!"
His rage exploded. "He just HAD to provoke her!!"
Teach glared toward the rest of his crew.
"And now he dragged all of us into this mess!!"
Then his expression hardened completely.
The joking atmosphere vanished.
"OI!!"
He roared toward his crew.
"ALL OF YOU—"
"GET READY!!"
Darkness exploded around his feet.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THESE MONSTERS!!"
The Blackbeard Pirates immediately stiffened.
Even Shiryu quietly drew his blade.
Laffitte's smile disappeared entirely.
Vasco Shot sobered up instantly.
Catarina Devon's eyes narrowed carefully.
Because now they understood.
The Nyx Pirates were not just Ada.
Every single one of them was dangerous.