"Doing this will only doom your family!"
But seeing Whitebeard remain utterly unmoved, Sengoku grew increasingly anxious. He would love nothing more than to execute Whitebeard right here, but if this dragged on, the boy really would escape. Sakazuki was held off by Kaido. Kuzan was blocked by Marco. And Borsalino...
Sengoku remembered something. He quickly turned toward Borsalino, who was still intercepting the other commanders, and shouted, "Forget the others! Stop Mock! He absolutely must not escape. You are authorized to kill him on the spot."
"I didn't expect things to turn out like this. What a headache."
Hearing Sengoku's order, Borsalino dropped his usual slacker demeanor. He crossed his arms over his chest and unleashed his ultimate move.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
He transformed into a dazzling streak of light. Instantly, a compact, blinding star erupted in the sky. It shattered into countless bullets of light that rained down upon Mock like a torrential downpour.
Yet even this terrifying barrage failed to halt Mock's charge. Clad in the latest armor manufactured by Vegapunk, he plowed straight through the explosions. While the armor lacked offensive power, its survivability was top-tier. Vegapunk had upgraded it recently, adding an automatic healing function. Once the wearer suffered critical injuries or lost consciousness, the system injected Healing Se specially extracted by the Princess of the Tontatta Tribe, guaranteeing survival. Damage like this was completely useless against him.
The only one faring worse was Teach, strapped tightly to Mock's back. Not only had he tanked a direct hit from Enel's thunder earlier, but now he had to endure Borsalino blowing small holes right through his limbs. The sheer agony jolted him fully awake.
"P-put me down!" Teach scowled at Mock, his voice weak. "I can run by myself! Mock~"
"Teach, you're awake?" Mock smiled warmly at the words, followed by a solemn declaration. "Your body is still weak, and it's too dangerous here. I am absolutely not putting you down. Don't worry, I will get you out of here. No one can stop me!"
Teach stared in utter despair at the man hauling him.
Dangerous? Mock was the most dangerous one here! The Marines target was this bastard. Staying strapped to his back just made Teach a walking bullseye.
Yet, no matter what he said, Mock refused to let him go. What could Teach do? He forced a miserable smile to thank him, silently cursing his name. At this moment, Teach decided: once he successfully escaped, he would stay as far away as possible from the so-called Son of the Pirate King. He's cursed!
After unleashing his ultimate move, Borsalino was once again swarmed by the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace and Jinbe, who had been kicked away earlier, charged back into the fray. This time, the Shichibukai didn't even bother pretending. Jinbe openly intercepted the Admiral while ordering nearby pirates to ready their ship for extraction.
It was time to retreat.
For a moment, with the Marines top combatants tied down, the battlefront reached a bloody stalemate. No, facing Newgate and Kaido at the same time, the Marines had lost their advantage entirely. The pirates even had the spare capacity to prepare their escape routes.
Sengoku was furious. Kaido's arrival, placing two Emperors on the field, had shattered his original plan. He knew they couldn't let this drag on. Once Mock boarded a ship, their absolute justice would fall apart.
But where was there any spare top-tier combat power now?
Wait. There actually was.
Sengoku turned his head toward the rogue Marines and shouted, "East Blue Rebels! If you intercept him, I can propose to the World Government to recognize your nation, making you an Affiliated Nation!"
The plaza froze in shock. Even the pirates were astonished. They couldn't believe the Marines would actually make such a desperate concession.
Marine rebels... would the World Government ever acknowledge them?
Yet faced with such a massive temptation, Dante refused without hesitation. "An Affiliated Nation? Forget it. In our backwater region, we could never pay the Heavenly Tribute!"
This punk refused over a mere handful of Berries? Did he have any idea the sheer weight of becoming affiliated with the World Government?
Watching Mock drift closer to the sea, Sengoku grew frantic.
"I can propose to the higher-ups to exempt you from the tribute!"
"Propose? Forget it! What if they reject it?"
"You brat..." Sengoku choked on his words, stung by Dante's blunt logic. "I will do everything in his power to secure it for you!"
"I don't buy it. What if you resign by then?!"
"What will it take for you to believe me?!"
"Simple! Someone, start recording!" Dante waved his hand.
Instantly, familiar faces stepped out of the rebel ranks, hoisting several Camera Den Den Mushi and pointing them straight at the Fleet Admiral.
Dante watched him with a smile. "You must swear this in the name of the Marines, and that's still not enough. Marine HQ must also recognize the legitimacy of the East Blue Marine!"
Sengoku's hands trembled. Shaken by Dante's sheer ambition, he nearly took a lethal slash from Newgate. He glared at Dante, screaming at him. "Are you out of your mind, or am I? You've got some nerve making a demand like that."
"So? Do you refuse?"
"No!" Sengoku shot a glance at Mock, then locked eyes with Dante. "I agree!"
So what if they acknowledge it? This world belonged to the Celestial Dragons. They made the rules. Even for an Affiliated Nation, the Celestial Dragons could revoke membership whenever they pleased, let alone for a mere rebel army.
Dante knew this too. In this world, power had always been the final word. With enough strength, any promise could be torn up in an instant. But he had no real intention of using this to gain their recognition. He was targeting the World Government itself.
The two men stared each other down, a pointed look passing between them.
At that moment, a massive shout shattered their fragile accord.
"Gurararara! Are you treating me like I don't exist?" Newgate lunged at Sengoku, his bisento cleaving the air. "No one touches my sons!"
"He is not your son!" Sengoku cursed inwardly, hurriedly blocking the blow. He rounded on Dante. "Are we done yet?! Stop Mock, he's about to get away!"
"No problem." Having settled the deal, Dante didn't hesitate. He drew his sword and charged straight at Mock. He planned to cut down Blackbeard to give Marine HQ some peace of mind, spar with Mock for a few rounds, and then 'accidentally' kick him into the ocean so he could escape.
Having him pursue Mock was the safest way.
However, just as Dante swung his blade, Teach's insticts told him he was going to die.
*We're done for.*
Just as Teach despaired, a sharp clash rang out. Someone had blocked Dante's strike. Before anyone could blink, both Teach and Mock were kicked straight into the churning sea.
Before Dante could react, a hearty laugh followed the splash.
"Hahaha, looks like I'm not too late!"
Standing before him was an old man with long, silvery hair and a matching beard. He wore glasses, bore a vertical scar over his right eye, and held a drawn katana.
"Crocus told me about you." The old man's eyes flickered, wonder coloring his voice. "I just didn't expect him to underestimate you."
His tone brightened. "Could you do Crocus and me a favor and hold back? Oh, right, Marine HQ's promises can't be trusted. Those bastards love going back on their word."
"Rayleigh!" Sengoku realized who had arrived. "What are you doing here, you old coot? Don't forget your agreement with the World Government."
"Haven't forgotten, of course I haven't!" Rayleigh grinned. "But I also didn't expect Roger's son to be this bold, just like my bastard captain. Don't worry. This is the last thing I'll do as a crewmate for my dead captain."
He glanced at the dark waters where Teach had been smashed, then at the man floating back up. He sighed. "Let the brat sink into the sea. As for whether he survives... that's up to him."
"He has to die!" Sengoku wasn't so easily pacified. He glared at Rayleigh. "You know exactly how much trouble he's caused. Get out of here right now, or the World Government will reinstate your bounty!"
"Oh my." Rayleigh sighed. "Looks like my favor isn't worth enough." He spread his empty hands. Then he turned toward the gates of Marineford. "I wonder if adding that kid's favor will be enough?"
Just as he spoke, everyone noticed the pirate ship slowly sailing toward the ruined bay. Sengoku hadn't even given the order to blockade the sea yet.
At the bow stood a one-armed, red-haired man, smiling at them. "Am I late again? Looks like the brat got away after all." He looked at the livid Fleet Admiral. "The World Government won't be sending anyone else. Sengoku, give me a favor and let this go."
He swept his gaze over the bodies scattered across the plaza and sighed heavily. "This war has already cost enough lives."
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