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[TIOP] Chapter : 101
🕑 Added 2025-04-23 16:55:21 +0000 UTC"What’s going on? Captain Buggy, do you know that guy?" One of the pirates asked, eyes wide with admiration.
"Of course I do," Buggy said, a nostalgic glint in his eye. "We clashed more than once back in the East Blue. Never settled who was stronger, but... he definitely left a mark on me."
"Whoa~! That’s amazing! You really are a legendary pirate!" the crew gushed, practically starstruck.
"Argh—it hurts! Let go!" Blackbeard cried out in pain, his attempted sneak attack on Whitebeard backfiring spectacularly as the old man gripped his skull with one massive hand.
"Your arrogance and recklessness will be your downfall, Teach," Whitebeard growled. He slammed Teach to the ground, the raw power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit crackling in his hand.
"Pops… Are you really gonna kill your own son?" Blackbeard stammered, panic rising in his voice.
BOOM!
Whitebeard didn’t hesitate. He unleashed a full-force quake strike—but his remaining strength, though still fearsome, wasn’t enough to finish the job. Teach, battered and bleeding, scrambled out of range, drew his pistol, and fired.
Whitebeard didn’t flinch. The bullets struck him, but he stood firm. He turned his gaze to Jack, still locked in combat nearby with the Blackbeard Pirates, and smiled.
"Kid... still after my head?"
Jack grinned. "Whitebeard! I’ve come for your head!"
As his conqueror's haki surged outward, those surrounding him suddenly felt their strength drain away. Shocked and overwhelmed, they abandoned their assault without hesitation.
"Hah! Bunch of cowards," Jack sneered. "Pirates aren’t the type to lay down their lives for others. That’s why justice will always prevail. And now, Whitebeard—your time is up!"
He withdrew from the skirmish and charged straight at the legendary pirate.
Whitebeard laughed, that familiar “Gurararara” rumbling through the battlefield.
"The more I see of you, kid, the more I like you. It’s a shame… my time’s almost up."
His mind drifted back to a memory—Roger’s words echoing in his ears from a long-ago meeting: “I won’t live much longer.”
Now, Whitebeard finally understood what that meant.
"The Will of D… Just as someone once inherited Roger’s will, another will carry on mine. Blood doesn’t matter—the flame of their spirit won’t die. It’s been passed down through the ages, generation by generation."
He looked toward the horizon, his voice rising with conviction.
"And one day, someone bearing the weight of centuries will rise and challenge the entire world."
Then, turning his words toward Sengoku, he declared with a smile:
"The World Government fears that day—the day of reckoning that will shake the world to its core. I may have no interest in that treasure, but mark my words… it will be found. That day will come!"
As Jack approached, those words hung in the air like a prophecy.
His mind raced: “What treasure? When was it found? Was it a person? A Poneglyph? A hidden truth?”
No clear answers came, but one thing was certain—Jack saw Sengoku’s face twist with grim realization. The words had hit their mark. He knew exactly what Whitebeard was talking about.
“Jack—kill him!” Sengoku’s voice thundered across the battlefield.
“Gurararara... One Piece... it exists!” Whitebeard roared with laughter, his final declaration echoing like a prophecy.
He made no attempt to resist. No dodging, no defense—just acceptance.
“Whitebeard...” Jack whispered as his palm pierced the old man's chest, the blow clean and decisive. Yet, even in death, Whitebeard stood tall, a faint smile still on his face.
“Heh... who would've thought... the mighty Whitebeard—would fall like this,” Blackbeard sneered as he and his crew began to surround Jack.
Jack exhaled deeply, then shouted, “Marco!” His voice carried authority and sorrow. “Out of respect for Whitebeard, I’ll return his body to you. But in exchange, the Whitebeard Pirates must surrender their territory in the New World to the navy. Do we have a deal?”
Marco and his crewmates froze in disbelief, still reeling from the loss. Before they could respond, Blackbeard’s eyes flared with fury.
“You bastard! We can't let him succeed—kill him!” Teach roared.
The Blackbeard Pirates charged, clearly intent on seizing Whitebeard’s remains.
“Oi, oi... have you even considered the consequences of attacking a Marine Rear Admiral on Navy HQ grounds?” Aokiji appeared in an instant, deflecting a wave of attacks with icy precision.
“It’s not your job to protect my disciple.” Garp emerged beside Jack, his expression grim.
Before Sengoku could even ask, Jack explained, “Fleet Admiral, Blackbeard’s real objective is Whitebeard’s corpse. His unique body structure allows him to use the Dark-Dark Fruit to absorb the powers of other Devil Fruits. If we let him succeed... we might create another Whitebeard.”
Sengoku’s face paled. “What?! All units—protect Rear Admiral Jack! Eliminate the Blackbeard Pirates!”
The battlefield erupted in chaos.
“Marco! We can’t let them desecrate our father’s body like this!” shouted one of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Marco clenched his fists. “Then we fight—for our father’s honor!”
They had failed to protect Whitebeard in life. Letting his corpse be stolen or defiled was a disgrace they could not accept.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
“Count me in. We’re taking Dad’s body back!” Ace emerged, wounded but resolute, gripping his arm tightly.
“Ace... you—” Marco started, but Ace shook his head.
“I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
Marco nodded solemnly. “Then it’s decided. We fight. The goal is simple—get dad’s body back.”
“OHHHH!!” the pirates responded with a united roar.
Meanwhile, Jack was knocking back Jesus Burgess—the so-called “Champion”—as he turned toward Blackbeard.
“It’s over, Blackbeard. Surrender—you’re out of options!”
Most of Blackbeard’s crew, drawn from the depths of Impel Down, were battered and broken. Against vice admirals of the HQ, they stood no chance.
“Damn it! How do you know about my ability?” Blackbeard gasped, blood trailing from his lips as Aokiji landed another crushing blow.
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t just Ace’s target. I was hunting you too. But back then, you had no bounty—no identity. You were a ghost. Now you’ve shown yourself... and I won’t let you slip away again!”
He unleashed the Emission imbued with sage chakra punches, each strike echoing like thunder.
“Close!” Blackbeard countered, absorbing the blow with his vortex-like ability. But his eyes weren’t on Jack—they were scanning the battlefield, looking for opportunity.
Then they lit up.
“Marco!” he shouted. “Let’s work together! If we don’t push the navy back now, neither of us will get what we want!”
Jack cut in before Marco could speak. “Don’t be a fool. If you join forces with him, the escape route Whitebeard carved for you will vanish. The war will swallow you whole.”
Marco hesitated. “We don’t want a war with the navy… but we have to retrieve our father’s body.”
Jack nodded. “That’s why I’m offering a deal. Give up your New World territory—what’s the point of holding it now, without Whitebeard? The other emperors will move in. Withdraw your forces, and the navy will not pursue you during this transition. Once we officially announce Whitebeard’s death, his body will be returned to you, quietly… with honor.”
“This brat... do you think I’m just a figurehead now? Negotiating with pirates on behalf of the navy?!” Sengoku burst out before Marco could even respond.
“Haha, I actually think the kid’s impressive,” Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a smile. “If this weren’t such a delicate time, I might have nominated him for fleet admiral myself. After all this, do you really think you’ll keep your position?”
Sengoku’s face darkened. With a heavy sigh, he replied, “Even if the World Government stays quiet, I already plan to resign. Someone needs to take responsibility for this war… and I’m the best candidate.”
“Don’t forget the Mariejois incident,” Tsuru warned, narrowing her eyes. “If the losses there are as bad as expected, you’ll be lucky to walk away with your reputation intact.”
“Hah! Do they think I’m that easy to bring down?” Sengoku said with a defiant grin.
He may have decided to step down, but it wasn’t because of attack on Holy Land—or any orders from the Celestial Dragons. As a Fleet Admiral, Sengoku was not someone easily controlled.
“So,” Tsuru asked casually, “who are you planning to recommend as your successor?”
There was a long silence before Sengoku answered, quietly, “Aokiji.”
“He’s the one with the clearest vision. I believe he can lead the navy through the storm that’s coming.”
Tsuru gave a small nod. “And what about Jack?” she asked softly.
Sengoku paused, then sighed again. “Didn’t you say it yourself? He’s still too young. His foundation within the navy is too shaky. If we gave him power now, he might stir up even more chaos. The navy needs stability. Let Aokiji lead for now—and promote Jack to admiral after this war. If he really has ambitions to become fleet admiral, he’ll need to grow beyond the shadow of his... unreliable mentor.”
Tsuru nodded in agreement. Jack had incredible potential, but his youth was both his strength and his weakness. After this battle, the navy would be left wounded and vulnerable. If Jack pushed too aggressively, it could spiral into irreversible disaster. But with Aokiji maintaining order, the navy would recover—and then, Jack could rise when the time was right.
—
Meanwhile, Marco had no desire to continue the war—but the thought of the navy taking and possibly exploiting Whitebeard’s body pushed him into action. Reluctantly, he rejected Jack’s offer and rallied the remaining Whitebeard Pirates who could still fight. The battle reignited, and the navy was forced to engage again.
The fiercest fighters now clashed near Whitebeard’s fallen body, keeping the larger conflict somewhat contained. But lives continued to be lost—marines and pirates falling with every passing second.
“Hahaha, yes—let chaos reign!” Blackbeard cackled as he watched Marco enter the fray. “Only in chaos can I rise!”
“That damn vulture… always swooping in to ruin everything!” Jack cursed, clashing with Marco and then quickly retreating from Whitebeard’s body.
“We cannot lose Whitebeard’s body,” growled Vice Admiral Doberman. “Only by displaying his head can we prove the navy’s victory!” With fierce determination, he led a squad of elite marines back toward the corpse.
“Idiot,” Jack muttered, his frustration rising. “Doesn’t he realize Blackbeard is the real threat here?”
Doberman, a staunch ally of Akainu Sakazuki and a leading hawk within the navy, was focused only on vengeance and symbols of power.
“Forget Whitebeard—for now, I want Ace’s head more,” Aokiji said coldly, stepping beside Jack. His usual lazy demeanor had vanished, replaced with rare intensity.
“Then why not let them wear each other down? Once they’re both weakened, we move in and clean up the rest.” Jack’s voice was low and tactical.
Aokiji raised an eyebrow. “So that’s your strategy?”
He had always suspected Jack sympathized with the Whitebeard Pirates. Even though Jack had delivered the killing blow, anyone paying close attention could see it had been an act—one final performance between Jack and Whitebeard.
