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[TIOP] Chapter : 105
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 19:27:41 +0000 UTCThe sudden clash unfolded in an instant, so fast that even their enemies couldn’t help but admire the seamless coordination among the three admirals.
Jack, on the other hand, looked as though he had swallowed a dead fly.
After all, with so many people present, the admirals had chosen to ignore everyone else and strike only at his two sworn brothers.
Jack couldn’t help but suspect that his own brilliance had painted a target on his back, making him the special focus of these three bastards.
Still, while Ace had lost an arm, his life had been spared—and for that, Jack harbored no bitterness.
Instead, he simply made a mental note, jotting their names down in the little black book of his heart. Their reckoning would come later.
"Dragon!" Akainu snarled, eyes burning with menace. "You attacked the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, and now you barge into Marineford to stir up more chaos. Clearly, you have no regard for the Navy or the World Government!"
Dragon's lips curled into a cold sneer.
"This world is sick, and it needs a cure. But you navy dogs aren’t healers—you’re just the guard dogs of a rotting system." His voice was sharp, his gaze wild with conviction.
Akainu’s glare deepened as he suppressed the pain gnawing at his body.
"Then there's only one solution left—war!"
He stepped forward, ready to fight once more.
Behind him, Aokiji and Kizaru followed without hesitation, while the captains of the Revolutionary Army and Whitebeard Pirates squared up in response, equally unyielding. The air crackled—another explosive battle was seconds from erupting.
Seeing the storm about to break, Jack stepped forward, concern flashing in his eyes.
"Sengoku-san," he said urgently, "we may have the numbers, but our men are spent. Casualties are mounting. If this drags on, we’ll bleed ourselves dry. Why not settle this with just the top fighters?"
Before Sengoku could answer, Garp spoke first, his voice heavy with experience.
"In terms of elite power, we can't match the pirates."
He glanced around grimly.
"The only reason we’ve kept them in check is because they’re scattered and disorganized. If they unite—like the Four Emperors have—the Navy would be on the back foot."
Jack shrugged.
"Doesn't matter. We’ve got allies now. Cooperation demands compromise."
He cast a pointed glance at Blackbeard.
Sengoku’s lips twitched.
It was obvious—Jack had set his sights on Blackbeard and wouldn’t stop hounding him until the man was dead. Still, Jack’s plan wasn’t without merit.
Exchanging a glance with Vice Admiral Tsuru, Sengoku weighed the option.
But Akainu wasn’t about to let it slide.
His gaze sliced toward Jack.
"All pirates must be eradicated. Big or small makes no difference. The Blackbeard Pirates lost their Warlord status—they're nothing but criminals now."
His meaning was crystal clear: no pirate walks away, not even Blackbeard.
Jack's brow furrowed.
What’s wrong with this guy?
Couldn’t Akainu see the Navy was already stretched thin? Pushing any further would only wreck the Navy’s foundation and hand victory to their enemies.
Ignoring Akainu, Jack turned back to Sengoku.
"We've achieved our main objectives. Whitebeard is dead, his territory will crumble, and we now have a chance to expand into the New World. Isn’t it time to think about the bigger picture?"
Sengoku’s eyes sharpened.
Jack was right.
With Whitebeard gone, Marco and his men would struggle to hold his sprawling territory. This was the Navy’s long-awaited opportunity to finally establish dominance in the New World.
But if they suffered too many losses here, that plan would collapse before it even began.
As Sengoku deliberated, a new voice thundered across the square:
"How about we end this war right here?"
All heads turned—Red-Haired Shanks had arrived, stepping onto Marineford's blood-soaked square.
"Red Hair? Another Emperor?"
"Wasn't he clashing with Kaido? How the hell did he get here in a day?"
The Navy tensed, nerves fraying. Shanks' sudden appearance shifted the balance yet again.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard’s eyes gleamed.
With all attention riveted on Shanks, Whitebeard's corpse lay momentarily unguarded.
Earlier, Jack had kept a close watch over it, but in the chaos, he had drifted away—leaving a narrow window for Blackbeard’s final move.
Seizing the chance, Blackbeard exchanged knowing nods with his Impel Down recruits.
But Shiryu, frowning, stepped close and whispered something in Blackbeard’s ear.
The pirate’s eyes lit up—and a wicked grin spread across his face as he turned his gaze toward Akainu.
At first, Akainu didn’t sense anything unusual. But Blackbeard’s relentless stare gnawed at his instincts. As a seasoned warrior, Akainu was attuned to the weight of another’s gaze—and when he finally locked eyes with Blackbeard, the meaning was clear.
Blackbeard gave a few subtle signals with his eyes. Akainu, sharp as ever, caught on instantly and offered the faintest nod, betraying nothing to the onlookers.
Blackbeard, emboldened with Akainu's help, stepped forward and made his move. He started running towards Whitebeard's corpse with his crew, obstructing anyone who tried to stop him.
"Teach, you bastard! You dare?!" Jack roared, instantly catching on to Blackbeard's scheme. He lunged forward, but the escapees from the depths of Impel Down surged in to block his path, cutting him off before he could get close.
Blackbeard just grinned, his trademark wicked laughter echoing across the battlefield. "Black Hole! Zehahahaha! Rear Admiral Jack, you’re no match for me!"
With that he took out a dark cloth from his pocket and encased Whitebeard's corpse in it and started to enter the veil.
Jack, seeing that he would not be able to reach Teach fast enough, gathered his remaining haki and sage chakra. Power had started emanating from his body in waves, making anybody who is of weaker will become unconscious under the will of his conqueror's haki.
"Sage Art : Ultimate Galaxy Impact"
His attack tore through the Marineford square; the already weak foundations holding the island after the relentless attacks of Whitebeard's quake powers began to collapse completely, and the whole island began to shake violently. Under these vibrations, the veil covering Whitebeard flew off, and Blackbeard, who was in the process of using his Dark-Dark fruit powers, froze in shock as he realized there would be no further chance to gain Whitebeard's powers today.
But just as the crowd's attention shifted toward Blackbeard, Akainu struck again. Half-shrouded in his molten, elemental form, he slipped through the ranks of distracted pirates like a phantom of fire and fury.
Without warning, he lunged toward the battered warship where Luffy and Ivankov were receiving desperate treatment—and with a single, searing punch, he drove his magma-clad fist straight into the vessel, one that had only just been seized by Whitebeard's scattered remnants.
"Luffy!" Ace and Sabo, though within sight, were still too far from where Luffy lay receiving treatment. They hesitated, conserving what strength they had left—unlike those stationed at the rear, where Luffy was vulnerable.
Clang!
Suddenly, a gleaming blade intercepted Akainu’s blow, halting it cold in its tracks.
"Red-Hair?!" Akainu's face darkened the moment he recognized his opponent.
The Navy had received word just yesterday: Shanks' crew had been clashing with Kaido's Beasts Pirates. And yet, here he stood, less than a day later. Had he flown here?
"It's Shanks! The Red-Haired Shanks!"
The realization rippled through the crowd—Luffy's savior was none other than the captain of the Red Hair Pirates, one of the Four Emperors himself.
"Heh... Fufufu... This war's turning into something far bigger than anyone imagined," Doflamingo chuckled, a glint of madness in his grin.
As Kizaru prepared to rush in and aid Akainu, a click echoed behind him—a pistol cocking.
"Ooohh~ Ben Beckman."
Kizaru turned, finding the vice-captain of the Red-Haired Pirates coolly aiming his weapon at his head.
Meanwhile, off Marinford's coast, the unmistakable silhouette of the Red Force ship came into view, Red-Haired’s banner fluttering high.
"Ooooh, Shanks! Long time no see!" Blackbeard Teach greeted his old rival with a casual sneer, as if the battlefield were his stage.
Today's chaos brought a bitter lesson home: the era of lone warriors was over. As Dragon had warned him, power without allies meant little in this new age. Jack had once believed that absolute strength would be enough to shape the world. But when he alone moved to stop Teach, while the rest of the Navy stood idle, the truth became undeniable.
Thankfully, it wasn’t too late. Jack still had backup plans, and though his fledgling force was weak, he sensed that the tides would turn in time.
Across the square, Sengoku’s expression stayed unreadable. With Red-Haired Shanks' sudden arrival, the battle's balance teetered once more.
"If this war drags on, it'll only leave more bodies in its wake," Shanks declared as he stepped forward, his commanders flanking him. His voice rang with authority. "So if anyone here is still itching for a fight… they’ll have us to contend with!"
"So, you're here to end this?" Jack arched a brow.
"Rear Admiral Jack, do you really think there’s any sense in continuing this bloodshed?" Shanks replied with a knowing smile.
Jack fell silent. His main goals—saving Ace and Luffy and preventing Teach from gaining too much—were only half-fulfilled. Jack alone no longer had the strength to take down Teach's entire crew.
"And what about you, Blackbeard?" Shanks turned, eyes narrowing.
Blackbeard just laughed. "Hah! Even if I haven't got what I came for, it's fine. As for clashing with you now… well, it's not the right time yet!"
With that, he flashed Jack a look of vengeance before leading his crew off the battlefield.
"Next time we meet, Teach… You'll find I’m full of surprises," Jack murmured, watching him go.
Shanks lifted his voice, addressing all gathered: "Let’s call an end to this war—right here, right now!"
Jack couldn’t help but smirk. 'So this is the legendary 'power of conqueror's talk' everyone speaks about.'
Though Marco and the remnants of Whitebeard’s crew grieved their fallen captain, they knew deep down—continuing this fight would only doom them further. They begrudgingly nodded in agreement.
"Sengoku-san," Shanks turned, "let me handle Whitebeard’s burial. The world has already witnessed enough through the Den Den Mushi broadcasts. Let’s not defile his corpse."
Vice Admiral Doberman bristled. "Nonsense! Only by displaying Whitebeard's head can we proclaim total Navy victory!"
Sengoku exhaled heavily. His eyes flicked to Jack—who, for once, looked indifferent—and made his decision. "Fine. Red Hair, since it's you, I'll agree. If anyone has anything to say, I'll just take full responsibility. And now… medics, prioritize treating the wounded!"
With the battle winding down, Jack stepped forward. "Sengoku-san, since the war's over, I’ll be taking my leave."
Sengoku sighed. Though neither Jack nor Garp had gone all out today, their efforts had still tipped the scales—especially Jack's attempt to recover Whitebeard's remains.
With Sengoku's nod, Jack made for the exit. He exchanged a few words with Garp, but as he prepared to go home, he remembered: his house had been obliterated by Akainu. So, without ceremony, he wandered through Marinford's backstreets and claimed an empty, abandoned home. Most residents had long since evacuated—so he made himself at home.
"Time to tally my gains," Jack muttered, excitement creeping into his voice. He pulled up his system interface… and froze.
"What the—?"
No matter how many times he tried, the system wouldn’t open. A quick check of the logs revealed the truth: his diamond reserves had exceeded 200,000, triggering a system upgrade. For now, it was locked.
"Great," he sighed. "Guess power-ups will have to wait."
With no choice, Jack decided to focus on healing. Though his wounds weren’t grave, proper treatment would speed up recovery. After patching up at the infirmary, he went looking for Garp again.
"Sensei, where's Sengoku-san?"
Garp, sporting a fresh bandage across his forehead, waved him off. "He left for Mariejois to handle the situation there. As Marshal, he’s got to handle it."
Jack clicked his tongue. "Figures. Guess I’ll have to wait for him to get back. I wanted to ask about my house. Sakazuki promised compensation, but… let’s be real, the guy doesn’t exactly look like he's rolling in cash."
