Chapter 237: Whitebeard's Death, Mission Conclusion!

Chapter 237: Whitebeard's Death, Mission Conclusion!

"Oh, right, where's Song Haitang?"

Someone finally noticed something amiss: "Why isn't Song Haitang on the battlefield? Didn't she come to the Spirit Realm?"

"Are you an idiot?" Someone nearby scoffed, "How could Song Haitang not come to the Spirit Realm? She just didn't need to be on the battlefield. That guy Zhao Zheng single-handedly held off Whitebeard, and even used the Tyrant's Aura to knock out ninety percent of the pirates. He's already maxed out his contribution points."

Another Extraordinary Being nodded, "Their Divine Evaluation is definitely set."

"Sigh! Having strength is so refreshing! Easily earning a Divine Evaluation..."

"Stop chattering and go collect some heads! We need to earn some contribution points."

As the words left his mouth, the ground suddenly shook violently, causing a powerful tremor.

The combatants on both sides nearly fell, hastily stopping their fight.

Everyone looked towards the abandoned island, their faces filled with horror!

They knew that the island was located several dozen kilometers away from the Naval Headquarters.

Even at this distance, the aftermath of the battle was still felt...

It was evident that the fight between those two monsters was terrifying!

...

No one knew what had transpired in the battle between Zhao Zheng and Whitebeard on the island.

About twenty minutes later, the members of Whitebeard's pirate crew were on the verge of collapse.

Ordinary pirates suffered heavy casualties, and even captains like Marco were exhausted and injured.

They couldn't even think about rescuing Ace; their own survival was at stake!

Warlord Admiral Sengoku was also in a bad state, deliberately not ordering Ace's execution, keeping the Whitebeard Pirates in suspense.

Because if Ace died, the pirates would lose their purpose and would likely choose to flee.

If they decided to break through, some of them might actually escape...

Originally, Warlord Admiral Sengoku didn't plan to capture the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

But after witnessing Zhao Zheng's true strength, his ambition grew, intending to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates to intimidate all pirates in the New World.

"Captain Marco, we can't hold on much longer."

"When will Old Man Whitebeard return?"

"Damn the Navy, I'll fight you to the end!"

As Marco watched his comrades and subordinates fall one by one, he was filled with grief, his confidence from before now shattered.

Marco turned his gaze towards the execution platform.

Over there, Ace was already in tears, unable to even lift his head.

Ace couldn't bear to see his former comrades screaming as they fell.

"Ace..."

Despite Ace being within arm's reach, Marco couldn't take a step closer.

"Hey! Don't get distracted during the battle!"

A voice sounded from behind Marco.

Marco was startled.

By the time he wanted to dodge, it was too late.

"Whoosh!"

A golden laser beam instantly pierced through Marco's shoulder.

Marco screamed and fell to the ground.

As he turned back, he saw Yellow Monkey standing not far away, looking at him coldly.

At this moment, a golden light shone on Yellow Monkey's palm once again.

Marco's expression turned to despair!

Just then, a thunderous roar echoed through the air.

In the next instant, Whitebeard's massive body descended from the sky.

Seeing Whitebeard's arrival, all the Navy members' faces changed.

Marco and the other pirates were invigorated.

"Old Man Whitebeard!!"

Many pirates cheered.

Marco felt the same.

However, he soon noticed something amiss.

Whitebeard's body was currently relaxed, his skin wrinkled, his eyes lifeless with gray pupils, and even age spots appeared, making him look incredibly old.

If someone said he was eighty or ninety years old, many would believe it.

"Old Man Whitebeard!"

Marco was shocked, only then realizing that Whitebeard was able to stand only with the support of Zhao Zheng, the Vice Admiral.

Hmm... The other party wasn't tall enough, so he was flying to support him.

Others also noticed Zhao Zheng.

Warlord Admiral Sengoku immediately questioned, "Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng, why did you bring him back alive? I demand an explanation!"

His tone was severe.

"Warlord Admiral, can't you tell that Whitebeard is about to die?" Zhao Zheng waved his hand dismissively, "Bringing him back is just to let him say his last words."

"He's also a legendary figure; he shouldn't die without leaving a legacy."

Warlord Admiral Sengoku: "..."

His teeth were nearly ground to bits, but he didn't dare say more.

After all, provoking Zhao Zheng would be a catastrophic disaster for the Navy!

"And you all," Zhao Zheng's gaze shifted to the Navy members still fighting, including the two Navy Admirals, and he said, "Stop fighting! Let Whitebeard say his last words."

Hearing this, the Navy members obeyed and paused their battle.

Admiral Yellow Monkey readily stopped fighting.

Only Admiral Kazama was a bit defiant, thinking there was no need to be courteous to the Navy.

However, considering Zhao Zheng's terrifying power, Admiral Akainu compromised and refrained from taking further action.

Diamond Jozu managed to escape death by a hair's breadth.

"Old Man!!!"

Without the pressure of a formidable enemy, the captains, including Marco, were finally freed from the battle and quickly rushed to Whitebeard's side.

They had all heard Zhao Zheng's words and knew that Whitebeard was on the brink of death. Tears streamed down their faces, and they couldn't stop sobbing.

Looking at these sons he had protected so well, Whitebeard sighed.

"Now, I will give my final order as captain!"

Whitebeard mustered his last bit of strength and spoke loudly.

"Final?"

"Wait, Old Man, what do you mean?"

"We don't want to hear such ominous words!"

The surviving pirates were almost frantic.

Whitebeard paid no heed to his sons' cries, for he could feel his life rapidly slipping away.

The normal efficacy of that pill was indeed half an hour for a regular person.

But that was for normal people.

For a giant like Whitebeard, the effect would naturally be discounted...

"After I die, don't resist. Choose to surrender!"

As he spoke, Whitebeard glanced at Zhao Zheng and continued, "You might still have a chance to return to the New World. I bid you farewell here."

Seeing Whitebeard's demeanor as if he were leaving his last words, many pirates struggled to hold back their emotions.

In their hearts, Whitebeard had long been as important as a father to them.

"Old Man!" Marco shouted, "Are you planning to die here?"

Whitebeard didn't deny it but said, "I am a remnant of the old era. The new era has no place for my ship!"

Upon hearing these words, Admiral Sengoku and Garp's expressions became somewhat emotional.

Whitebeard called himself a remnant of the old era, and they were no exception.

"Whitebeard..."

Admiral Sengoku looked at Whitebeard with a complex expression.

One of his dreams was to capture this great pirate, Whitebeard.

But now that he saw Whitebeard was about to die, he felt a sense of emptiness, and even a twinge of sorrow.

For he, too, had grown old...

Suddenly, Whitebeard summoned his last ounce of strength and roared towards the sky.

"One Piece is real!"

His voice was incredibly powerful and penetrated the entire venue, reaching everyone watching the live broadcast worldwide.

After uttering these words, Whitebeard's breath left him completely.

Even in death, his robust body remained standing tall like a mountain.

However, the coat on Whitebeard's body slipped off, as if symbolizing that his era had come to an end!

...

When Whitebeard shouted those words, Admiral Sengoku's face changed dramatically.

"This bastard!"

As a marshal, he was well aware of the immense impact of those words.

In the past, Roger had ignited the era of the Great Voyage by revealing the existence of the great treasure "One Piece," which led countless people to become pirates and venture out to sea.

There was not a single mistake in the content of the book, which was published in 1691.

However, after so many years, no one had been able to find One Piece, dampening the enthusiasm of many.

Rumors had even spread that One Piece was a hoax.

But now, Whitebeard's words were like an endorsement of Roger's claim, increasing the credibility of Roger's statement.

It was easy to imagine that in the future, countless individuals would choose to set sail in pursuit of the Pirate King's treasure.

Just thinking about this made Admiral Sengoku's head ache, wishing he could tear Whitebeard apart.

Unfortunately, Whitebeard was already dead.

His anger had nowhere to vent.

...

At this moment, seeing Whitebeard lifeless, Marco and the other pirates wept uncontrollably.

On the execution platform, Ace was in utter despair.

For a moment, the entire battlefield was filled with the pirates' cries.

The Marines stood silently to the side, not taking any action.

After the pirates had cried for a while, Zhao Zheng shouted, "How long do you plan to cry? You heard Whitebeard's final wish, didn't you? If you don't want your old man to rest in peace after death, then follow my orders!"

Hearing this, Marco and the others turned to look at Zhao Zheng.

Their gazes were filled with hatred.

This was understandable.

After all, in their eyes, Whitebeard had died at Zhao Zheng's hands.

Zhao Zheng didn't bother explaining that Whitebeard had died from exhaustion.

Let them hate if they wanted to!

A bunch of stinking pirates, they even dared to rebel? If it weren't for Whitebeard's plea to spare the lives of his remaining crew as much as possible, he wouldn't have gone through such trouble to specifically bring Whitebeard back.

"We... surrender!"

Marco struggled to utter these words.

With this statement, the war had finally come to an end.

In the presence of all the Extraordinary Beings, a prompt appeared in their left eye:

【Attention: Abnormal situation detected. The remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates have surrendered, and the mission is ending prematurely!】

【In nine hours, all personnel will be forcibly removed from the site.】

【The rewards for this mission will be settled after departure...】

Everyone was stunned by the prompt, and then their faces changed.

Except for Zhao Zheng, their mission contributions were pitifully low!

One could imagine the outcome.

After leaving, the mission rewards would surely be disappointing.

"What the hell? Is it over already?"

"Damn, what a rip-off!"

"I didn't get a single head, I'm so screwed..."

"It's all because of that guy Zhao Zheng. If he hadn't taken out Whitebeard early, how could the mission have ended so abruptly?"

"Yeah! This bastard should compensate us!"

"Brother, don't say it here! If you've got the guts, go say it to Zhao Zheng's face."

...

Many Extraordinary Beings felt wronged.

Zhao Zheng, with his exceptional hearing, noticed their complaints but expressed his inability to help.

He had merely followed the plan.

If anyone was to blame, it was their bad luck...

At that moment, a strange sound echoed.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

It was the sound of boiling magma.

Zhao Zheng immediately turned his head towards Akainu.

Admiral Sengoku also noticed Akainu's abnormal behavior and hurriedly asked, "Sakaski, what are you doing?"

Akainu swept his gaze across the pirates and coldly declared, "All pirates are despicable trash. I will execute them, and the Navy should not accept their surrender!"

Goodness!

This was extreme!

Upon hearing Akainu's words, countless faces changed.

Marco and Diamond Jozu, among others, wore expressions of anger and quickly took up battle positions.

They certainly wouldn't sit idly and wait for death.

The war was about to break out again.

"Akainu, I advise you to take back what you just said!"

The speaker was, of course, Zhao Zheng.

At this moment, Zhao Zheng stared at Akainu with an emotionless expression.

Although he had consumed a significant amount of energy after using "Immortal Demon Body,"

He still had more than enough strength to deal with Akainu.

As strong as Akainu might be, he could only hold his own against the late-stage Whitebeard. If he encountered Whitebeard in his prime, he would only get a beating.

Since Zhao Zheng had promised Whitebeard, he had to keep his word.

"Hmm?"

Akainu's gaze immediately turned towards Zhao Zheng, and he said coldly, "Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng, mind your position. You are a Navy officer, not a pirate! Furthermore, I am your superior, so watch your attitude."

"I think you're just itching for a fight!"

As Zhao Zheng's words fell, he immediately activated his Armored Color Domination, and crimson lightning flashed on his fist.

"Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng, what are you planning to do?" Admiral Sengoku hurriedly shouted.

He was now in a very difficult situation.

The war had ended, but his two subordinates were causing trouble?

Kizaru also came over to advise, "Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng, let's talk this out calmly. Don't be impulsive..."

Zhao Zheng really wanted to ask if this guy had also eaten the Face-Face Fruit.

"I promised Whitebeard that as long as his crew is willing to surrender, I will spare their lives!" Zhao Zheng explained, "I'm a man of my word, so Marco and the others can only be detained, not killed!"

Upon hearing this, Admiral Sengoku's face turned grim.

He realized that Zhao Zheng's previous politeness was just a facade, and his true character was untamed and unruly!

However, at this moment, he had no choice but to accept Zhao Zheng's decision.

After all, Zhao Zheng had fought valiantly against Whitebeard, earning great merit.

And...

Zhao Zheng's strength was terrifying!

It was genuinely fearsome!

Forcing such a powerful individual to join the enemy's camp would undoubtedly be a nightmare for the Navy.

Admiral Sengoku was well aware of this.

Just as he was about to agree, Zhao Zheng added, "This includes Fire Fist Ace. Halt the execution and just imprison him in Impel Down."

As soon as these words were spoken,

Old Man Garp's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhao Zheng with gratitude.

Admiral Sengoku, on the other hand, was so enraged that his face turned red.

"Fine, I agree with you!" Admiral Sengoku gritted his teeth and said, "However, due to your unilateral decision, the Navy has suffered significant negative consequences. Therefore, all the merits you have earned in this battle will not be rewarded!"

Hearing this, Zhao Zheng showed a nonchalant smile.

He didn't care about the rewards from the Naval Headquarters...

...

Next,

Marco and the others were handcuffed with mirage stone and prepared to be transported to Impel Down along with Ace.

During this time, Vice Admiral Garp took the opportunity to approach Zhao Zheng and quietly thanked him.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, a rash voice echoed from a distance:

"Ace! I'm here to save you!!!"

Upon hearing this voice, Garp's face changed dramatically, his mouth wide open in shock.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end