In those few moments when Shiryu blocked Sel, Blackbeard had already managed to get back on his feet. His expression was grim, as if his carelessness had nearly cost him his life. In fear and fury, he swung his fist to knock Sel back.
— Click... Boom! —
The air cracked, and the surrounding area collapsed again. Sel was hurled back dozens of meters by the shockwave, but he remained unharmed.
The best moment to attack Blackbeard was missed. One by one, his crew members appeared behind him. Combined, they could pose a real threat, but Sal doubted he could defeat the Blackbeard Pirates alone, especially with their fleet backing them.
Suddenly, something caught Sal's attention, and he shifted his gaze to the port entrance, muttering to himself:
— He's here. It seems the butterfly effect didn't affect him.
Now that he was here, it seemed pointless to continue fighting. Feeling the gazes of Blackbeard and his crew on him, Sal turned and walked away.
— Damn it, don't even think about running! —
Blackbeard wanted to continue the attack, but not long ago, that bastard Sal had nearly killed him. He was still in shock. The dangerous situation had shaken him out of the complacency that had settled after he acquired the "Tremor-Tremor" Devil Fruit.
Lafitte, standing behind him, grabbed Blackbeard, hinting that the fleet was still pursuing them and they couldn't afford to waste time.
— Hmph, he's lucky. Next time, I'll definitely kill him. But Augustus D. Sel... I feel like I've seen him somewhere. A familiar face... —
On a whaleboat docked nearby in Marineford's outer harbor, Buggy, wearing a large red cloak, watched the battlefield through a telescope. Behind him were his loyal pirates. Their ship could only set sail after Sal returned.
— Vice-Captain Rayleigh, do you think Captain Roger is okay? There are still three admirals and two veterans at Marineford, not to mention that fat Blackbeard who appeared out of nowhere. —
Rayleigh, leaning against the mast, remained calm. He had no doubt that Roger wouldn't be in trouble.
— Don't worry, Buggy. As long as Blackbeard and his crew are having their fun, no one will be able to stop Roger... "Hey, who's that?"
Rayleigh suddenly changed the topic mid-sentence, prompting Buggy to curiously aim the telescope in that direction. He saw a massive pirate ship approaching them at great speed. Standing on the bow of the ship was a man with short red hair, a familiar face.
The man had a scar over his left eye, wore a long black cloak, cropped brown pants with a pattern, sandals, and the famous sword "Gryphon" hung at his waist.
"Shanks, that bastard, is here!"
Buggy was so startled by Shanks' unexpected appearance that he nearly dropped the telescope.
Red-Haired Shanks himself, one of the Four Emperors, had arrived on his flagship, the "Red Force."
When Buggy saw Shanks, Shanks also noticed him and Rayleigh, and immediately waved to them from afar. As the ships drew closer, he shouted:
"Buggy... Rayleigh, long time no see."
"Bastard Shanks, what are you doing here? Looking to take advantage of the moment to destroy the fleet and what's left of the Whitebeard Pirates? You're damn cunning!"
Buggy, as always, came up with brilliant ideas, leaving Rayleigh puzzled: "That's the whole point, you invented this plan yourself!" But Shanks' response was, as always, predictable. Given his character, that's exactly what he would have done.
"I'm here to put an end to this war."
"What war? Roger will return, and we will leave Marineford. You're too late, Shanks."
"It's over? And Captain Roger?"
Shanks scratched the back of his head, thinking he might be a little late, but since he was here, he should come in and see how things were going.
Beside Shanks appeared a hefty fellow holding a piece of meat. It was Lucky Roo, the cook of the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the strongest members of the Four Emperors' crew, known for his agility.
"Captain, you're too weak. If this trip turns out to be pointless, don't blame your friends for not giving you face."
Seeing the "Red Force" dock at the shore, Rayleigh also decided to make his way and follow it. Staying here was a bad idea. Buggy also unconditionally followed them, despite Shanks making him eat a Devil Fruit, the bastard!
However, relying on the strength of his pirate crew, one of the Four Emperors, he could be confident that there would be no more serious wars. The main thing was not to let Shanks steal the glory.
Sal watched from afar as Shanks and his companions landed on the shore. Shanks paused, noticing Sal's figure. He was filled with doubts and surprise about the sudden resurrection of Captain Roger.
He grew up in Roger's pirate crew and was very devoted to him; otherwise, he would not have been so upset when Roger was executed. That day, he cried.
Roger and Rayleigh were his idols, his family.
Pushing aside the questions that troubled him, Shanks headed to the fleet. They had reunited, and he could question Captain Roger later.
The appearance of the flagship of the Four Emperors, the "Red Force," triggered alarm among the fleet. Shanks and his seven powerful comrades forced Sengoku and others to prepare for battle.
Light thickened, and Kizaru's figure materialized on the mast of an abandoned ship. His squinted eyes were focused on the group of more than a dozen strong individuals below, especially on their leader, Red-Haired Shanks, and his deputy, Ben Beckman.
Suddenly, Beckman looked at Kizaru; their eyes met and then parted.
"Wow! Worthy of being the deputy of the Four Emperors, they say he's a monster comparable to his own Captain."
The emergence of another pirate group belonging to the Four Emperors created a strange atmosphere on the battlefield. All battles that had just been occurring came to a halt. While the opponent's intentions were still unclear, no one wanted to make the first move.
Sengoku hadn't yet dealt with the Blackbeard Pirates when he loudly asked Shanks:
"Red-Haired Shanks, what are you doing here?"
"I am here to put an end to this war. Enough fighting."
Sengoku asked in an emotionless voice:
"Shanks, do you intend to interfere with the Fleet's affairs? This isn't your territory in the New World."
Sengoku was much calmer than before. With Shanks's appearance, he realized the war was over. He had indeed asked the Five Elders about the other side's objective, which was to maintain balance at sea. A strange goal.
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