Chapter 844: Victory (Finale)
Years had passed, and although Buggy the Clown had never managed to find any true treasure, he had finally caught a big fat sheep!
The entire fleeing Celestial Dragon noble fleet was completely ransacked by the Buggy Pirates. The Celestial Dragons, who usually strutted around arrogantly, were now stripped down to nothing but their bare skin...
Buggy-sama was still merciful, at least. He didn't let his men take the Celestial Dragons' bubble helmets, and he didn't kill them either. Instead, he tied them all together with rope and kindly marooned them on an island.
And before leaving, Buggy-sama was kind enough to inform the Celestial Dragons that the country on this island had long been a non-World Government allied nation, deeply persecuted by the Celestial Dragons themselves...
So, after Buggy and his crew left excitedly with their ships loaded with gold, silver, jewels, and treasures, the Celestial Dragons, tied up in a bundle, found large numbers of figures gradually appearing around them.
These figures held hoes, scissors, and various sticks and axes that could serve as weapons. Without a word, but with eerie tacit understanding, they approached and surrounded the Celestial Dragons.
Regardless of whether they were men, women, elderly, or children, they all shared one common trait: their eyes were filled with intense hatred and burning rage...
"Y-you... you filthy commoners! What... what do you think you're doing!?" the Celestial Dragons shouted in panic, trying to stand and retreat, but they were tied so tightly they couldn't move at all.
"That helmet, that tone of voice—they're Celestial Dragons, no doubt!"
The people who had surrounded them confirmed with their eyes that these were the targets of their revenge. The next second, the Celestial Dragons were overwhelmed by countless weapons...
For hundreds of years, the resentment the Celestial Dragons had heaped upon the world finally erupted on this day. After the fact, it was confirmed that all 631 Celestial Dragon nobles and their descendants who had escaped from Mary Geoise were dead! They had been beaten into a pulp by the very "commoners" they so often derided, using all kinds of weapons...
And so, the title of "World Noble" was completely erased from this world...
Meanwhile, Ian, who had been flying at supersonic speed, arrived at the Red Line from the East Blue.
Looking down from the sky, the Marine Headquarters at Marineford below was ablaze with cannon fire. Tens of thousands of Marines were locked in battle with the Revolutionary Army, both sides suffering heavy casualties.
On the mountaintop at Mary Geoise, massive explosions also erupted from time to time.
Because they had been in the thick of battle, many hadn't seen the live broadcast of Uranus being slain. Both sides of the war were now bloodthirsty. The Marines were defending their pride in justice, while the Revolutionary Army fought for their own ideals of justice. At this point, words could no longer convince the other side; the only option left was to beat them into submission!
Such a battle was beneficial to neither side, only increasing casualties. Ian understood this principle. That's why he had come here—to end this war!
After a moment's thought, Ian fired off two Black Dragon Waves in quick succession.
He didn't control these two black fire dragons to attack anyone; instead, he had them circle widely around him. Meanwhile, he himself radiated powerful Conqueror's Haki as he slowly descended.
The sudden appearance of the black fire dragons in the sky, along with the intense heat from their flight, caught the attention of many Marines and Revolutionary soldiers. Instinctively, they stopped fighting and looked up blankly at Ian descending from the sky.
"Stop! The war is over!" Ian shouted loudly from his vantage point.
Under the intimidation of his Haki, upon hearing Ian's words, the weaker soldiers on both sides collapsed unconscious, naturally unable to fight. The remaining ones stared at Ian in confusion.
"It's over? Which... which side won?" someone asked dazedly.
Ian glanced in the direction of the voice and shook his head. "Winner? There's no need to decide a winner. Just know that this war is over!"
At Marineford, there was currently no Marine Admiral in command. The battle was being led by Vice Admirals like Momonga. These Vice Admirals naturally couldn't stop just because Ian said so. Gritting their teeth, they were about to speak out.
But at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out: "All Marines at Headquarters, stand down! Drop your weapons!"
The Marines turned to look and saw several figures approaching. At the forefront was former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, flanked by Marine Hero Garp and Chief of Staff Tsuru!
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
Their ingrained obedience to orders led many Marines to instinctively lower their weapons upon seeing that the speaker was Sengoku.
At the same time, Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff Sabo issued a similar order, and the Revolutionary soldiers also put down their weapons.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, old man Garp!" Ian greeted them.
Garp laughed heartily, while Sengoku looked at Ian with a complex expression. Their presence here was no coincidence. In fact, they had been at Marineford all along, not participating in the battle but watching the live broadcast of Ian slaying Uranus.
Ian's stunning slash that split the sky and the sea had made Sengoku realize Ian's current strength. If the Marines insisted on continuing the war with the Revolutionary Army, once Ian intervened, the Marines would likely suffer a great loss. So, upon seeing Ian appear, he and Garp quickly stepped in to order the Marines to stop.
Uranus was dead, meaning the Celestial Dragons and the World Government had lost. With their final trump card gone, the Revolutionary Army would gain the support of all member nations to establish a new world government. Where would the Marines go from there?
Sengoku had a clear grasp of the situation, so he asked Ian, "Will the Marines be preserved?"
Ian smiled. "This world will never lack pirates..."
Sengoku immediately understood Ian's meaning. He nodded and turned to the assembled Marines. "Drop your weapons. The honor and justice of the Marines will still exist!"
Clang! One Marine dropped his weapon. Then, like a chain reaction, one after another, large numbers of Marines threw down their arms...
Seeing this, both Ian and Sabo breathed a sigh of relief. It meant the war was truly over!
So, the senior Revolutionary Army officers who had participated in the battle, led by Sabo, gathered in Marineford's plaza and stood behind Ian. Similarly, Sengoku, Garp, and the other Marine Vice Admirals also stood behind Ian. Everyone looked at him.
"Let's go," Ian said with a slight smile. "To Mary Geoise!"
When the Five Elders, already exhausted from the fighting, saw Ian leading both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army into the holy land of Mary Geoise, their expressions aged even more in an instant.
Kizaru, Momousagi, and Chat Don—the three Marine Admirals—also stopped their movements, looking with complex emotions at Ian, who walked at the front.
They understood perfectly well what this scene represented.
Though they had vaguely sensed it was coming, seeing the World Government truly overthrown still left them with mixed feelings.
And the greatest contributor to all this was the young man before them...
"Oh my, although I wanted to fulfill my duties to the end, it looks like this old man really needs to retire..." Kizaru scratched his head irritably. "Well, it's fine. The bonsai that Akainu left behind can finally be properly cared for..."
With that, without greeting anyone, he turned and left.
Aokiji watched Kizaru's retreating back in silence. Even now, he couldn't fully understand Kizaru's true intentions. But his departure undoubtedly acknowledged Aokiji's return...
Realizing the sounds of battle had ceased, the kings of various countries, who had been protected by guards in safe zones, also emerged and gathered toward the scene.
The towering building symbolizing the World Government was now riddled with holes and badly damaged. Cobra, the king of Alabasta, glanced at the building and said to the Five Elders, "It seems you must hand over your power. Let me be clear: I support the establishment of a new world government!"
"Haha, me too!" King Riku of Dressrosa laughed.
How could the Five Elders be willing? Hadn't they assisted the Celestial Dragons with all their might precisely to maintain the World Government's power?
But what could unwillingness achieve? What happened today made it crystal clear to them that true power wasn't granted by the Celestial Dragons but by the nations of the world!
So, after a moment of struggle, the Five Elders finally deflated. They asked Dragon, "What will the Revolutionary Army do with us?"
Dragon scanned each of the Five Elders and said, "The Revolutionary Army will not arbitrarily take your lives. Doing so would make us no different from you. So, the Enies Lobby courthouse will be reopened. The crimes you committed while indulging the Celestial Dragons will be judged there. But this time, the jury will come from nations around the world!"
"I see. In the end, we too are to be sent to Impel Down?" The Five Elders exchanged bitter smiles and then collapsed weakly to the ground, unable to rise...
The moment they fell, the Revolutionary Army members who had come with Ian erupted into earth-shattering cheers. Countless clothes, hats, gloves, and even weapons were thrown into the air!
"Victory!!!"
This scene of celebration was also broadcast live to people all over the world...