Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Amidst cries of agony and angry curses, the continuous roar of falling lava meteors completely engulfed everything.

"Boom boom boom!"

A few breaths later, the sea was a scene of devastation, with most of the hundreds of pirate ships destroyed by Admiral "Akainu" Sakazuki's "Meteor Volcano".

Even the pirate ships that survived were in terrible condition and had lost most of their power.

Seeing this, Sakazuki's resolute face remained unchanged. Instead, he lowered the brim of his hat and said disdainfully.

"When the ocean's debris clumps together, it will only be more easily burned away by the lava."

Immediately, Sakazuki picked up the Den Den Mushi beside him and coldly commanded, "In the name of absolute justice, leave no one alive!"

The next moment, the ten naval warships that had been preparing at the port of "G-1 Branch" launched their attack and began to hunt down the surviving pirate crew who had been terrified.

As for Admiral Sakazuki himself, he did not move away from the "G-1 branch" to avoid being lured away from the mountain, and guarded this most important bulwark of the Navy in the "New World" waters.

And that is Sakazuki's mission.

It serves as the Navy's last line of defense in the "New World" waters, preventing pirates from escaping from the "New World" waters to the first half of the Grand Line.

It also ensured the retreat route for that naval fleet; otherwise, if the "G-1 branch" were breached, that naval fleet might not be able to leave the "New World" waters.

Sakazuki was well aware that as long as he stood atop the "G-1 Branch," there was no possibility that the "G-1 Branch" could be breached, thus echoing the operations of that naval fleet from afar.

"Humph!"

Watching the surviving pirate ships gradually sink to the bottom of the sea as pursued by naval warships, Sakazuki snorted disdainfully, but then clenched his fists with some resentment.

"If the fleet's operational plan fails, Borsalino, Yann, I will never forgive you."

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P.S.: Happy New Year, everyone!

[Chapter 501. The Pirate's Resolve]

As for what's happening outside, at this moment, on this island that has become a battleground between the Navy, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Beasts Pirates, and the Red-Haired Pirates, no one has the extra energy to pay attention to what's going on outside.

In this incredibly dangerous battlefield, even a powerful figure like a Vice Admiral from the Marine Headquarters could be killed instantly if one is not careful.

As for those weaker beings, they are in constant danger of perishing.

"boom!"

On one side of the "Red-Haired Pirates", the collision between Yann and "Red-Haired" Shanks was intertwined with a large number of black and red lightning bolts.

Numerous cherry blossoms imbued with "Conqueror's Haki" danced in the air as "Red-Haired" Shanks unleashed the most powerful slashes of the sea, precisely deflecting each drifting cherry blossom with his "Famous Sword Griffin," constantly attempting to close the distance with Yann and seek an opportunity for a fatal blow.

As a top-tier expert in both Haki and swordsmanship, Shanks's combat prowess is beyond doubt, and his strength is terrifying.

however……

"How come there are so many cherry blossoms?"

Even though Shanks' mind was unusually calm, after deflecting countless waves of cherry blossoms and being clashed with Conqueror's Haki countless times, Shanks couldn't help but gradually become impatient.

"Moreover, Lieutenant General Yann is incredibly fast, and his fighting style is even more shameless than Borsalino's."

In particular, Shanks, the "Red-Haired," raised his eyes and stared at Yann's figure in the distance, who seemed to be strolling leisurely. Despite being in the midst of a chaotic and brutal battlefield, his clothes were not even covered in dust. Shanks felt a strange sense of helplessness, as if he had the power to do nothing.

It was unrealistic to expect to defeat "Red-Haired" Shanks with an attack of this magnitude, but Shanks also had no chance to get close to Arn, causing the battle to degenerate into a war of attrition.

However, Shanks, the "Red-Haired" man, knew very well that he didn't have the time to waste like this.

Furthermore, having already fought Kaido of the Beasts, Shanks' stamina and energy had already decreased significantly, and he could not withstand such a drain.

"The navy really seized a good opportunity this time, this is troublesome..."

Shanks, the "red-haired" man, thought silently, his eyes constantly glancing at his companions.

The situation... has deteriorated significantly...

"They are indeed a group of monsters on par with Mihawk. If the fight continues, the chances of my companions winning are very slim."

A hint of urgency flashed in Shanks' eyes, especially as he looked at Beckman, who was being relentlessly bombarded by countless thunderbolts. He noticed that half of Beckman's body had turned charred black, and he clearly wouldn't last much longer.

As for the rest of the comrades, some were in even worse condition than Beckman, and some had already fallen and were no longer able to fight.

"Could it be... that our journey is about to end here?"

Shanks, who had been steadily approaching Yann, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Seeing this, Yann carefully chose not to pursue rashly, but maintained a safe distance, manipulating a large number of cherry blossoms to continuously flutter and swirl around him.

Aeon never underestimated monsters of the "Four Emperors" level.

Especially for top-tier powerhouses like "Red-Haired" Shanks, whose information is scarcest and whose understanding is the shallowest, no amount of caution is excessive.

Moreover, Yann knew very well that he did not need to eliminate "Red-Haired" Shanks quickly. In fact, he wanted to prolong the war as much as possible in order to better attract the attention of the entire ocean and allow the "Lean Trading Company" to move forward with its plans quickly.

As for covering up the potential buzz surrounding an event, Yann naturally understood that it would simply mean creating other, more attractive and attention-grabbing events.

Faced with the intense heat generated by the war between the "Four Emperors" and the Navy, let alone a small company like the Lean Trading Company seeking "distributor cooperation," even if Vivi, as the Queen, announced that she would hold a solo concert, it would not cause any reaction at all.

More importantly, if this situation is delayed a little longer, the Revolutionary Army should be able to buy more time, right?

Aon narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced subtly in the direction of Wano Country.

The source of Seastone is not only coveted by the World Government, but also holds immense appeal for the Revolutionary Army.

After all, possessing Seastone means not only controlling one of the hardest materials in the ocean, but also having the most powerful weapon against Devil Fruit users. This is an irresistible temptation for any force on the ocean.

'Now that the battle has been going on for half a day, shouldn't Dragon be making its move soon?'

While Yann was thinking silently, his Observation Haki was constantly locked onto the dangerous man, "Red-Haired" Shanks.

However, to Arn's surprise, the red-haired man in front of him suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, this is really bad. This situation is much worse than I imagined. If this continues, we may really be doomed here."

Yann frowned slightly, completely baffled as to why "Red-Haired" Shanks could still laugh at this moment.

Is it because they are fearless and have nothing to fear? Or is it because they are too open-minded and carefree?

Unable to quite grasp Shanks' thoughts, Yann asked, "As a pirate with a romantic side, are you prepared to face defeat?"

"Redhead" Shanks answered naturally.

"I was prepared for this when I decided to join the Roger Pirates and become a free man of the sea."

"Is that so? If that's the case..."

Yann took out something wrapped in a white cloth from his pocket, threw it far in front of "Red" Shanks, and then spoke.

"Then let's not waste our energy. If you are willing to lead the 'Red-Haired Pirates' to surrender, I can guarantee that your crew members will be safe and sound."

After a pause, Yann spoke.

"And while you're imprisoned in Impel Down, I'll use my personal connections to ensure your entire crew receives a level of treatment that's a cut above other pirates. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, Shanks glanced around and easily identified the white cloth covering a pair of Seastone handcuffs.

"Lieutenant General Yann, thank you for your kindness, and I believe you are not a man who goes back on his word. However, my resolve is to give up my life for freedom, not to give up freedom to preserve my life."

"Red-haired" Shanks said cheerfully, his carefree tone revealing no hesitation or lingering affection.

[Chapter 502. Give Me Some Face]

"Is that so? That's definitely one of those typical pirate thoughts..."

As someone with his own personal values, Yann might admire Shanks's awareness, but he wouldn't agree with it, and instead he would offer his own evaluation.

"Letting individuals indulge in unrestrained freedom, guided entirely by their own ideas rather than being regulated by institutions, will only lead to endless chaos in the world, which is also the root of countless evils."

Shanks nodded, not denying Yann's statement.

Or perhaps what Yan said is true.

Pirate crews like the "Red-Haired Pirates," whose overall values ​​tend to be benevolent, naturally do little damage to the underlying conditions of the sea. In fact, they might even occasionally change things they don't like based entirely on their personal beliefs.

However, pirate crews like the "Red-Haired Pirates" are extremely rare. In the boundless freedom of the sea, anyone with power can easily plunder anything they desire.

Wealth, women, fine wine...

Without institutional oversight, the desires of most pirates will gradually spiral out of control and be amplified, leading them to continuously plunder the weaker.

“Vice Admiral Yann, it seems you are indeed a born Marine. No wonder you were able to fully uphold your beliefs, awaken Conqueror’s Haki, and master the technique of ‘Conqueror’s Haki Entanglement’ while being a Marine.”

After a pause, Shanks, the "Red-Haired" man, spoke.

"However, you've got one cause-and-effect sequence wrong. It's not that individual indulgence in freedom led to the collapse of the system, resulting in chaos on the sea. Rather, it's that the system on this sea was already broken, which caused the suppressed freedom of countless people to erupt."

"So it wasn't the freedom that pirates pursued that created this era, but rather this era that created countless pirates who pursued freedom."

"Whether it's you or me, we're all just people being swept along by the tide of this era."

Upon hearing this, Yann couldn't help but look at "Red-Haired" Shanks with newfound respect.

In a sense, Shanks's idea is quite correct and quite objective.

However, given Arn's position as a member of the Navy, it was impossible for him to express his approval in such a public setting.

Otherwise, once the war ends, someone from the World Government's CP department might come and talk to Yann in person, trying to confirm his thoughts by observing his facial expressions, tone of voice, and psychological fluctuations.

"So that's how it is. Is this the excuse that pirates use to justify their constant indulgence in freedom? But I'm different from you. I'm not someone who's been swept along by the tide of this 'Great Pirate Era,' but someone who wants to stop and change this era."

Yann answered Shanks with a statement that was quite correct from the Navy's perspective, and... in a sense, Yann did not hide his true thoughts and stance, but expressed them frankly.

Upon hearing this, Shanks did not directly deny Yann's pursuit.

Even in the eyes of "Red-Haired" Shanks, as long as certain things do not change substantially, the tide of this "Great Pirate Era" will not be stopped, no matter how powerful the Navy becomes.

Ironically, there are some things the Navy cannot change.

"This ocean will not deny any dream, and I hope that Vice Admiral Yann's idea will one day come true," said "Red-Haired" Shanks.

“How about we start with you that day?” Yann asked.

"Since Lieutenant General Yann wants to give it a try, then let's go, but..."

At this point, "Red-Haired" Shanks asked, "Has Vice Admiral Yann heard of the massive war involving Captain Roger?"

"The Battle of Ete Volt against 'Golden Lion' Shiki?" Yann asked.

"No, it was a different war. Because his comrades were hurt and insulted, he destroyed the entire army of a country in a fit of rage, and..."

"Red-Haired" Shanks' tone gradually turned cold as he said, "A war that shaved half of that island away."