Members of the Whitebeard Pirates knelt solemnly beside Whitebeard's corpse, still reeling from grief.

Marco, bruised and bloodied, stumbled forward. Unlike the others who wept openly, he only lowered his head, silent.

Moments earlier, Chiga had passed on Whitebeard's final words—he had made a deal with the Navy, securing the lives of his crew in exchange for surrender.

Marco's voice was heavy as he said, "The old man made a deal with the Navy. He gave up everything to spare us. Don't make his sacrifice worthless. We're leaving."

He shifted into his phoenix form, his fiery wings gently cradling Whitebeard's body, and soared toward the Moby Dick.

Despite their heartbreak, the remaining Whitebeard Pirates had no choice but to follow Marco to their remaining ships. Their numbers had already dwindled, and while some ships had been destroyed during the battle, enough remained to carry them away from Marineford.

With both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates withdrawing, only Shanks remained—pinned to the ice by a black spear formed from a Truth-Seeking Orb.

The white wedge embedded in his abdomen dimmed steadily. Once extinguished, his body would be completely erased by the Truth-Seeking Orb's power.

But suddenly, the spear pulled free, returning to the black orbs that floated behind Chiga. The white wedge vanished. Shanks, overwhelmed by weakness, collapsed.

A dark cube—Chiga's advanced sealing technique, the Dark Prison—formed around his unconscious body. A portal opened in the sky, and the cube floated through it, vanishing from sight.

Chiga then rose high above Marineford, facing the Navy officers, soldiers, and the global audience watching through the live broadcast. His voice carried across the wind.

"This war is over. Victory belongs to the Navy."

A beat of silence passed—then thunderous cheers erupted across the headquarters. From Fleet Admiral Sengoku to the foot soldiers, every Marine shouted with clenched fists and teary eyes, the burden of war lifted from their shoulders.

---

Cocoyasi Village

The celebration had already begun. Chiga's victory solidified the village's loyalty to the Navy.

Nami grabbed Nojiko's hand and jumped excitedly, her cheeks flushed.

"Chiga-nii is amazing, right!? Don't you think so, Nojiko!?"

Nojiko beamed brightly and nodded. "Of course! Chiga-nii is the strongest in the world!"

---

Windmill Village

The villagers had just begun to stir, having fainted during the intense climax of the battle. As they awoke to the sounds of victory, they glanced around, confused.

Makino leaned down to wake the sleeping Luffy. He shot up, wide-eyed, and immediately shouted,

"ONE PIECE is real!!!"

The villagers laughed, shaking their heads. To them, Luffy's dream was still nothing more than a child's fantasy.

Luffy ignored them. That shout had been more to himself than anyone else. But then, his expression turned serious.

He turned to Makino. "Makino-san, what about Shanks? Is he okay?"

Makino hesitated. Though she didn't care much for Shanks, she knew how much he meant to Luffy. She was worried that the truth might crush him.

Before she could speak, Luffy asked another villager.

That man, unfiltered and direct, replied, "He's been sealed inside a black cube by Admiral Purple Kirin. Probably going to be executed."

"Nani!?"

Luffy staggered, the world spinning around him. Without a word, he turned and began walking out of the village.

"Luffy, where are you going!?" a concerned villager asked, grabbing his arm.

"I'm going to save Shanks!!!"

"Idiot! That's suicide!" others shouted, but Luffy didn't stop. His head hung low, fists clenched.

Makino rushed in front of him and slapped him across the face.

Luffy stared at her, stunned.

"Makino-san… will Shanks die?"

She softened her voice. "He won't. If Chiga wanted to kill him, he would've done it already. He spared him for a reason. Calm down, Luffy."

Luffy's shoulders relaxed. He nodded silently, subdued at last.

Makino sighed in relief and gently pulled him back toward the village, away from the growing celebration. She didn't want the noise to stir his emotions again.

As they walked, Luffy's fists tightened. He made two vows in his heart:

He would save Shanks.

And he would find the ONE PIECE.

---

World Reactions

The conclusion of the battle shook the entire world. Thanks to Chiga's Gyakuji-no-Mikoto, the Navy had miraculously suffered zero casualties. In contrast, the Four Emperors had been decimated.

Two had perished, one had fled, and one—Red-Haired Shanks—was sealed in an unknown dimension, his fate uncertain.

The Navy's prestige skyrocketed. Enlistment numbers soared. People everywhere were inspired by the strength and justice shown at Marineford.

On the flip side, piracy entered a decline. Small pirate crews disbanded and faded into obscurity. Some surrendered. Some fled. In many places, citizens no longer feared pirates.

The sea had turned against them.

They were no longer called pirates… but Sea Vagrants.

---

Marine Headquarters – Conference Room

The mood was cheerful. Laughter and relaxed conversations filled the air, a sharp contrast to the grim days before the war.

Aokiji entered casually. As he approached his seat, Akainu—already seated—gave him a slight nod.

Aokiji froze.

Was he seeing things?

He leaned in and stared at Akainu's face. This wasn't normal. Usually, he'd get a cold glare or sarcastic remark for being late.

Had Akainu hit his head?

From the head of the table, Sengoku finally called out, his voice sharp.

"Kuzan! Late again. Sit down already!"

Aokiji quickly dropped into his seat, still glancing sideways at Akainu like he was a puzzle to be solved.

Sengoku sighed and leaned forward.

"Everyone, I have something important to announce…"

---