[119] The True War beginning

[2100 Words]

Under the overwhelming power of Whitebeard, Ren's body was hurled like a kite in a violent storm, smashing into the anchored battleship along with a fleet of Marine ships. The massive structure, made of sturdy wood and reinforced with iron, was reduced to a pile of wreckage. The ship's glass windows shattered, and debris flew through the air as thick plumes of smoke rose high into the sky, turning the scene into a nightmare that struck fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it.

One blow! One single blow was enough to crush the powerful warlord Ren!

The younger spectators, who had only heard of Whitebeard's legendary strength through stories, now believed those tales. Meanwhile, the older ones trembled as they recalled the terrifying force that Whitebeard was—and still is—a monstrous figure, even in his old age.

At Sabaody Archipelago.

The usual chatter and noise fell into an unnatural silence as journalists and civilians of all ages watched the live broadcast, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"So, this is the legendary power of Whitebeard..."

"Did... did the Black Death Ren really die?!"

"There's no movement, and the dust cloud is blocking the view, so I can't be sure..."

"I don't think he'd die from just one Attack..."

Conversations erupted among the crowd, while journalists eagerly snapped photos of the scene, driven by both greed and awe.

"Is this the end for the ambitious man?"

Away from the civilians' noise, atop a giant tree, an old man with white hair watched the live broadcast with a neutral expression. This man was none other than the legendary right-hand man of the former Pirate King, the Dark King Rayleigh!

....

In Alabasta.

"Captain... h-he..." Vivi's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hands, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

She wasn't the only one with such a sorrowful expression; the Sin crew had been in a foul mood ever since Whitebeard's attack on Ren.

"No... Captain Ren won't be defeated that easily. Trust him, Vivi," Robin said, trying to reassure Vivi and the others. Her words seemed to calm them, but what they didn't know was that Robin's own heartbeat was erratic—she was deeply worried about Ren at that moment.

"Brother..." Leila muttered softly, her voice filled with tension.

Kalifa remained silent, her cold expression unchanged. Internally, she thought: 'He's just a target to spy on, like I used to do, so I don't need to worry about him... On the contrary, if he dies, that would be to my advantage. I could leave this place sooner. But... why am I feeling this strange, unfamiliar sensation?'

At that moment, Kalifa didn't realize that what she was feeling was concern—or maybe she was pretending not to know. Who could tell?

Regardless of Kalifa's thoughts, Zala turned to the anxious Kaya and said in an attempt to reassure her, "I think he'll be alright... after all, he's Captain Ren."

"Mm... that's right, the captain won't go down so easily!" Kaya nodded quickly, without a hint of hesitation.

....

Back at Marineford.

The battlefield remained silent. Marco, who had been rushing to save Vista and Jozu, glanced at the spot where Ren had fallen, his expression gleeful. He then shouted loudly, full of joy, "This is pops power! You got what you deserved!"

"Fufufufu~ Whitebeard's strength really is something else..." Doflamingo laughed wickedly, but his gaze toward Whitebeard was cautious and filled with fear. "But is that really enough to kill you, Black Death?"

'So, this is the power of the world's strongest man...'Hancock whispered under her breath, barely audible, as she gazed at the destroyed battleship. Her face showed an unreadable expression.

"Is this really his end? I don't think so..." Mihawk spoke briefly, his piercing gaze seeming to cut through the dust and debris, focusing on Ren's battered body after Whitebeard's strike.

On the Marine side, Tashigi, who was standing next to Hina, struggled to hide her concern. She silently prayed in her heart: 'Captain Ren, please be okay!'

At the same time, Hina muttered, "It seems Hina won't be able to avenge Smoker-kun and the rest of the Marines on her own..."

"So scary~ If I took that hit, my body would've been completely obliterated..." Kizaru said in his usual slow, dull tone, glancing at Whitebeard and adding a false hint of "fear."

"Arara... it looks like Whitebeard is really angry!" Aokiji, who had earlier exchanged blows with Whitebeard, was preparing for a serious battle with him.

"Hmph, pirates fighting each other—there's nothing better to watch than this," Akainu sneered coldly.

Back with Marco, who was enjoying Ren's defeat, a stark contrast to his joyful mood was Mikita, who had been following him, utterly shocked. Gradually, her shock turned into sorrow, then into rage as she heard Marco's voice. Clenching her fists, she rushed toward Marco at full speed: "Shut up, you son of a bitch!!"

Marco, who had transformed into his phoenix form and was flying in the sky, was ready for Mikita's attack. However, at that very moment, Nami appeared behind him, using Moonwalk. With a cold expression on her beautiful face, she swung her sword mercilessly at his head, aiming to kill!

Marco had no idea that Nami was currently angrier than anyone else due to Whitebeard's attack on Ren. Her killing intent had reached an entirely new level, incomparable to when she fought Jozu and Vista.

"Shit...!" Marco felt danger from both sides. Using Observation Haki, he swiftly dodged and flew away from both Nami and Mikita.

"Damn... These two women are insane," Marco muttered as he realized he was sweating coldly, despite his fiery abilities.

"Rorororo! Pops' power is unbeatable! Who cares if it's the mysterious Warlord? Who cares if he beat Crocodile? Pops is simply invincible!" A man from Whitebeard's crew laughed maniacally amidst the battlefield's tense silence.

This man was Rakuyo, the Seventh Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Rakuyo was a tall man with dark blonde braids. He had a mustache consisting of two sharp, diagonal points. His typical pirate attire included a yellow coat with green linings, a green vest under an unbuttoned shirt, a light green pirate sash, checkered pants, and plain boots.

He approached the wreckage of the destroyed warship slowly, a mocking grin on his face.

"Look at you, dying like a dog!" he sneered, laughing. After all, it was Ren who had captured Ace and cut off his arm. Members of Ren's crew had also killed one of Rakuyo's brothers and severely injured two others. His hatred was fully justified.

At that moment, Rakuyo's actions were being closely observed by everyone on the battlefield. Some were waiting for him to finish off Ren, who appeared unable to stand, while others thought of using Rakuyo as a test to check Ren's condition.

"You bastard... I remember your face well!" Mikita yelled in rage. The smile she had worn earlier had long since vanished, replaced with an expression filled with murderous intent.

Nami, standing beside her, glared coldly at Rakuyo. But in the next moment, a smile spread across her face.

"Rakuyo! Fall back!" Whitebeard shouted at his son, telling him to retreat, but it was too late!

A powerful arm emerged from the dust cloud, grabbing Rakuyo by the neck. Ren rose from the wreckage without a scratch on his body or a tear in his clothes!

In truth, Whitebeard's attack had destroyed Ren's clothes, and even the defense of his "Eternal Clothes" wasn't enough to completely withstand the full force of the attack. However, they helped reduce its impact. Along with his Armament Haki, Ren only suffered 50% of the attack's true power!

Yet, even with the power halved, it was still something Ren's current body couldn't endure. That's why he had been thrown like a broken kite, crashing into the warship and destroying it. But while the world was stunned by his clash with Whitebeard, Ren had purchased a mid-level healing potion from the system shop and consumed it!

If it weren't for the bloodstains on the upper half of his body, people might have not believe that he had taken Whitebeard's attack head-on!

Back in the present, Ren stood on his feet with a cold expression. He looked at Rakuyo, who was suspended in the air by one hand.

Ren was holding him up by the neck with one arm, while his left hand formed a fist, enveloped in Haki.

"Rakuyo!! Stop, you-!!" Marco yelled as he realized what Ren was about to do. He tried flying toward him to stop him, but there was no way he could be faster than Ren's fist, which pierced through Rakuyo's abdomen, tearing apart his internal organs and guts.

"Blaaaaargh!!"

Pain overtook Rakuyo as he felt the crushing grip tighten around his neck. His eyes widened in terror as muffled screams escaped his throat, turning into a torrent of blood-soaked vomit. A gurgling, choking sound filled the air as it became clear his insides were shredded by the sheer force of the blow. The stench of blood filled the surroundings, and at that moment, Rakuyo knew his fate was sealed.

Ignoring the system's notification, Ren tossed Rakuyo's lifeless body to the ground. He then looked at the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the others. "It seems I've disappointed some of you here, haven't I?" His words were directed at those who had rejoiced in his supposed 'death'. The people in question trembled in fear, while Whitebeard could only stare at his son's lifeless body, ignoring Ren's taunting completely.

"Captain Ren!" Mikita shouted joyfully, flying toward Ren at high speed, killing a few pirates along the way who had mocked her captain after Whitebeard's strike.

Nami felt the same rush of happiness and couldn't hold back her wide smile. Similarly, many others across the world—more precisely, many women—were thrilled by Ren's survival. Whether in Alabasta's royal palace, among the Marines, or in Skypiea, every woman who had a good impression of Ren was relieved by his escape.

Nami decided it was time to reunite with Ren. Grabbing the unconscious Vista and Jozu with one hand using a rope founded in the battlefield, she dragged them across the battlefield toward Ren.

"Damn it! I can't let her take Jozu and Vista!" Marco, remembering the mission Whitebeard had given him, shook off his grief over Rakuyo's death and was about to attack Nami again when his Observation Haki picked up something unbelievable.

'My son… forgive me for dragging you into this pointless war—'

Before Whitebeard could finish his sentence, a large sword pierced through his stomach, emerging from his back!

"SQUARD!!! What have you done, you bastard?!" Marco's face turned to pure horror as he screamed at Squard, who had stabbed Whitebeard with a calm expression on his face.

"This can't be… Captain Squard... a traitor?"

"Pops… he's bleeding..."

All the fighters on the battlefield watched this new drama unfold in eerie silence. The focus had already shifted from Ren to Whitebeard, who had been stabbed by his own "son."

Seizing the moment while no one was paying attention, Ren quietly leaped into the air using Moonwalk, landing beside Nami and Mikita who have been stopped by Marco, they hugged him in silence. Smiling at them, he reassured them, "I'm fine, girls."the he turned his gaze to Whitebeard, who was now kneeling on one knee, staring at Squard with a look full of sorrow.

"Squard… what are you doing?" Whitebeard's voice was filled with anger and killing intent. Squard's expression wavered as he heard the tone and saw Whitebeard's towering figure glaring down at him. Trembling in fear, Squard mustered his courage and spoke.

He began explaining to everyone on the battlefield how Whitebeard intended to sell out his allies to the Marines in exchange for Ace's freedom and the safety of his own crew. His so-called "proof" was how the Marines' cannons and soldiers seemed to focus strangely on the allies rather than Whitebeard's main crew members.

As Squard's excuses filled the air, Whitebeard's expression softened, then turned cold again. Just when everyone expected him to kill Squard, Whitebeard did something no one anticipated—except for Ren. He hugged Squard!

"Pathetic..." Ren sneered disdainfully at Whitebeard's actions. The stab from Squard was critical, significantly weakening Whitebeard's ability to free Ace and fight against the Admirals.

"You foolish son!" Whitebeard stood, leaving the tearful Squard behind. "You've been deceived, you fool…"

His gaze then turned icy as he looked toward Sengoku and the rest of the Marines, shouting, "And now, they'll pay the price! Those who trust me, fight with me—let's destroy the Navy!"

*ROAR!!!*

In the moments following Whitebeard's words, the battlefield erupted with more intensity than ever before.

Whitebeard had officially joined the Battle!

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To be continued...

My health is not in the best condition, in fact, it's very bad. That's why today's update is delayed, and future updates might be delayed as well. Until when? Until I recover. ⁦⁦:⁠-⁠\⁩