Nagato swung his Susanoo's blade, forcing Shanks back as Garp stepped in, fists coated in haki, striking straight through the armored blade. Sengoku followed with shockwaves that rattled the Susanoo's frame. Konan moved constantly, paper attacks forcing Shanks to split his focus while Limbo clones pressured Garp from blind angles.
Shanks countered with another Conqueror's-infused slash. Nagato met it head-on. The clash pushed both back.
Garp closed the distance again, landing a punch that cracked the Susanoo's ribs. Sengoku capitalized, striking the same point. Nagato was forced to retreat half a step, Limbo clones intercepting the follow-up.
"You're slowing," Garp said.
Nagato didn't answer, but even he knew his chakra was beginning to drain.
Konan surged forward, paper wrapping around Sengoku's arm for a split second. Shanks cut it away, but the opening let a Limbo clone strike Sengoku square in the side, sending him skidding back.
Before anyone could press the advantage,
A sudden impact slammed into Sengoku from above. He was driven into the ground in a single blow. Silence hit the battlefield.
A figure stood where Sengoku had fallen.
Dragon.
Shanks' eyes widened. Garp froze.
"That presence…" Shanks muttered.
Nagato reacted instantly.
He appeared in front of Garp, chakra surging, and struck. Garp raised his arms too late. The blow tore through his guard, sending him crashing backward. At the same time, a Limbo clone struck Shanks, launching him across the battlefield and skidding him to a stop.
Before anyone could recover, Nagato was already above Sengoku.
His hand plunged forward.
Sengoku's body stiffened.
Nagato pulled his soul directly out of his body and crushed in his grasp.
The Buddha form collapsed instantly, Sengoku dying on the spot.
Panic spread instantly throughout the marines, even Shanks' crew stiffened.
Garp stared at Sengoku's body, then at Nagato.
Rage exploded from him.
"You—!"
He stepped forward, then stopped.
Dragon was already between them.
Garp turned on him, veins bulging.
"Dragon!! What are you doing here, you troublesome brat?!"
Dragon didn't flinch.
"I'm ending this," he said calmly.
Garp clenched his fists, shaking with fury, but he knew.
Against Nagato and Dragon together, this fight was already lost, even if he teamed up with shanks to fight them to death, the damage would be even worse to Marineford.
Before anyone could react,
"STOP!!"
Koby's voice cut through the battlefield.
He stood between the forces, trembling, bloodied, shouting anyway.
"Please stop fighting! People are dying for nothing! Whitebeard already died! If this keeps going, there won't be anything left to protect!"
Silence spread.
Even the battlefield paused.
Garp stared at him. Shanks did too.
Nagato looked down at the boy, his eyes narrowed.
Dragon didn't move, but he didn't attack either.
Koby continued, tears streaming."This isn't justice! This is just slaughter!"
He looked at Nagato
"You've already achieved your goal haven't you?!"
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Shanks stepped forward.
"That's enough," he said. "The war ends here."
Garp exhaled slowly, shoulders heavy. "…Damn it."
Nagato's eyes shifted across the ruined Marineford. Sengoku was dead. Akainu was gone. Dozens of vice admirals and numerous lower ranking soldiers had been killed. The marines were breaking.
His goal had been achieved, and he himself knew with his current amount of chakra, if he continued fighting it'd likely only be mutual destruction.
He raised a hand.
"All Akatsuki," Nagato said calmly. "Withdraw."
Konan moved to his side. The others began pulling back immediately.
Dragon turned away first, already leaving.
Shanks watched Nagato as the Susanoo faded.
"This world just became far more dangerous," Shanks said.
Nagato met his gaze."It always was."
He summoned a bird, Itachi, Kisame, Konan and Kakazu getting on with him, while the rest of the Akatsuki rode on a clay dragon Deidara had created.
The war was over.
Marineford was all but completely destroyed, and the marines had suffered devastating losses. The only bright side could be said to be Whitebeards death. But this battle also revealed to the world that the Akatsuki allied with the revolutionary army.
It was only after they left that people realized something
"Admiral Kizaru.. is missing!" The marines were thrown into further panic and despair at this news.
At the same time, the red hair pirates who had been stalling blackbeard and his crew regrouped, both crews decisively leaving Marineford, although Shanks crew took Whitebeards body, planning to meet up with the Whitebeard Pirates who had fled earlier.
Garp stood above Sengokus body, tears rolling down his face, while he shook in anger.
"Sengoku you bastard! Why'd you have to go and die? I don't know what to do anymore, did I make the choice you would've wanted, by not continuing the fight?"
Before he could mourn any further, Tsuru appeared before him and began issuing orders to the surrounding marines, count the bodies, begin helping the injured, and she and Garp would personally handle the issue of burying Sengoku.
And thus the Marineford War ended in a crushing defeat for the marines. Although they had killed an old Whitebeard, they sacrificed too many in the process. The fleet admiral killed in action. Akainu killed, Kizaru's status unknown. They hadn't even managed to execute Ace. And now the world had to worry about not only the Akatsuki's alliance with the revolutionaries, but they also had to worry about Blackbeard who had somehow stolen Whitebeards devil fruit, and had a crew full of monsters from the sixth level of impel down.