The expected response made Whitebeard laugh, even though a beam pierced his chest once again.
"Gurarara, Roger, thank you for fulfilling my last wish before I die."
It was a rare expression of gratitude. It was remembered that Whitebeard rarely thanked anyone, let alone asked for anything.
[Character SS-rank Whitebeard feels positive emotions towards the Host, high level of friendliness, experience reward 50,000]
[Special achievement "The Last Wish of the Four Emperors" completed, 50,000 points earned]
[Current number of points: 143,896]
The unexpected increase in points allowed him to surpass 100,000 again. Adding the level 70 bonus, he now had enough points to make two purple draws.
"Why didn't you ask me to help your children?"
"Gurarara, my children are my pride. Without my protection, sooner or later, they will be able to stand on their own. And Ace won't let me down... At some point... "
Whitebeard's voice gradually faded. The relentless attack of the Marine Patrol didn't give him the chance to converse, not to mention he had no strength left for talking at this critical moment of battle.
Suddenly, as all the pirates were retreating, a pirate schooner with an external wheel passed over them. It was very unexpected.
"Destruction... destruction..."
Due to external factors, the pirate ship could move directly on land, crushing the earth and rocks. At the bow stood the giant Whirlpool Spider, Squard, holding a long sword in his hand.
Squard's face at that moment was twisted in pain. The death of his father, which happened on the opposite side, was a consequence of his actions, causing him intense guilt. Their pirate group's desperate attack was meant to atone for the foolishness they had committed. They wanted to use their pirate ship to cover the retreat of their comrades in arms.
And what was particularly surprising was that the members of their pirate group all agreed with this decision and were ready to die to protect their comrades.
That's the kind of people sailors are. As long as they have fire burning within them, they often commit reckless acts.
"Let's buy time for Ace, Marco, and the others. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. It's my foolishness that killed our father and you guys."
"Ha-ha, what nonsense, Captain? We're going to teach the Marine a lesson and avenge our father!"
"You're just hesitating for our sake. Don't let the Captain die!"
The enormous pirate schooner relentlessly moved forward, and Sal himself was not far from it. He couldn't help but sigh, thinking about how many foolish children Whitebeard had.
Here he was, the "King of Pirates," blocking their path, so why are you, Great Whirlpool Spider, sacrificing yourself?
Suddenly, Sal took a few steps forward to block Squard's way. Without waiting for Squard to alert them, he already grabbed the bow knot of the ship, causing the entire pirate schooner to jump several times and come to a standstill, unable to move further.
— Click, click, click...
The wheel that powered the pirate schooner began to crack, and the ship's stern rose upward.
Sal, who attempted to stop the ship with one hand, hardly moved. The massive impact of the pirate schooner didn't budge him much.
Squard, nearly falling over from the momentum, struggled to his feet and questioned the cause of his delay.
— Roger, why are you stopping me? I want to make amends to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Sal ignored Squard's desperate cries. Squard's former pirate crew had been destroyed by Roger's pirates, after which he joined the ranks of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Normally, Sal would have just ignored him, but not today, since Whitebeard had just sacrificed himself for them.
Sal stared at the "Whirlpool" pirate crew with a piercing gaze. Even without using the conquerors Haki, only relying on his strong aura of intimidation, they involuntarily took a few steps back, and some even wore frightened expressions.
— Squard, I don't care how you want to sacrifice yourself to satisfy your feelings. Newgate now wants to sacrifice himself to buy you time. I will not let his death be in vain.
If you wish to seek revenge afterward, I will not stand in your way, even if you later launch a suicidal attack on the Marine. Now all of you, get out of here...
A regal aura swept through like a gust of wind over everyone, instilling a chilling sense of fear in their hearts. Regaining his composure, Squard took a deep breath and responded.
— Roger, I have a score to settle with you, but I, Squard, will repay your kindness in this matter. "Turn immediately, guys, and catch up with Marco and the others."
The pirate ship with a foreign flag sailed straight ahead, but Marco unexpectedly returned. He stood nearby and witnessed Whitebeard's last moments. As Whitebeard's first mate, it was his duty to see his father off on his last journey.
"Thank you, Roger. Thanks to you, we managed to save Ace, and in his final moments, Father was content. In fact, Father's body was already worn out, and he only had a few years left to live. This war accelerated the exhaustion of his life."
"Call me Sal, Roger is already dead. In truth, Newgate was satisfied as well. He met you in his lifetime and died in battle in his last moments, rather than lying on a bed waiting for death."
Marco wiped his damp eyes, perhaps dying in battle was indeed his father's final destination.
"Boom… …
'Yasakani no Magatama'"
Kizaru released countless light projectiles to drown Whitebeard. When the smoke and dust settled, only a tall and majestic figure remained standing amidst the Marine Patrol. Despite numerous fatal wounds and not many unscathed parts of his body, Whitebeard was still standing.
This scene momentarily silenced Garp and Sengoku. The death of an old man from the bygone era even touched Sengoku a bit. How many years would this group of old Marine officers stick to their justice?
Sal silently watched Whitebeard's body. He met him today for the first time, yet seeing him dead felt like losing an old friend. A quiet rage slowly boiled in his heart. The retreating remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates soon boarded their respective pirate ships. The battle with more than 20 Pacifistas soon ended. Under the assault of Rayleigh and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Pacifistas soon suffered heavy losses.
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