Chapter Seventy-Two: The End!

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

At this moment, Kamiel had already arrived, standing atop the crest of the tsunami that Aokiji had frozen.

Watching the vivid scenes of battle below, he found the real thing much more colorful than any anime adaptation.

Whitebeard now was nothing like the old, sickly man from the original story. After Kamiel’s intervention, Whitebeard was still vigorous and full of life. This abnormality left Sengoku and Garp, standing on the execution platform, exchanging bewildered glances.

They had never expected Whitebeard’s strength to remain so undiminished by age; in fact, he was even stronger than he’d been at his peak in their memories—a great deal stronger, at that. Even the captain of the First Division was not weak in the slightest, already comparable to the three Admirals, perhaps even stronger than Akainu upon close observation.

Below, Marco and Akainu were locked in a fierce battle. One possessed the top-tier magma Logia fruit, while the other wielded the rarer Mythical Zoan Phoenix fruit. Marco, after Kamiel’s training, was formidable—there was little doubt as to who held the advantage.

Yet no matter how strong they were, the Navy’s numbers were overwhelming. Despite suffering heavy casualties at Kamiel’s hands, the world’s yearning for peace meant many still joined the Navy to eradicate evil.

Since Whitebeard himself hadn’t taken action yet, his crew was at a slight disadvantage. But on the Navy’s side, Garp and Sengoku showed no intention of moving either, as they were awaiting Whitebeard’s entry.

Glancing at Aokiji, Kamiel saw him locked in mortal combat with Diamond Jozu, their fight appearing deadlocked.

The Seven Warlords had already joined the battle, but Jolya and Hawkeye had not appeared. As for Hawkeye, he was off sparring with Zoro, while Jolya had outright abandoned the title of Warlord. Sengoku was baffled by Jolya’s resignation, but her response nearly made him faint—they spoke via Den Den Mushi, and when Jolya explained that Kamiel was her mentor, Sengoku’s reaction was priceless.

Old K and the others hadn’t come to join the battle; only Jinbei arrived, while Ivankov and his group had withdrawn to the Revolutionary Army.

This time, Whitebeard hadn’t suffered betrayal from his own; he stood alone at the prow of the Moby Dick, exchanging silent stares with Sengoku and Garp.

Seeing that the battle might drag on for half a day, Kamiel frowned and muttered, “Let’s finish this quickly. I need to get back to training with Nami.”

With a subtle step, Kamiel vanished and reappeared between Garp and Ace, sitting just as Garp did.

Kamiel’s sudden appearance nearly made Garp jump in fright. Whitebeard, sharp-eyed even at a distance, was the first to notice him, as he’d been watching Ace closely, wary that Sengoku might suddenly execute him.

Kamiel’s arrival was broadcast worldwide, causing an instant uproar as everyone speculated about his intentions. Was he here to save Roger’s son, Ace?

Sengoku’s face darkened at Kamiel’s appearance, but seeing he wasn’t looking for a fight, he relaxed—if only slightly.

The next moment nearly made Sengoku cry out.

Kamiel winked at the bewildered Ace, then disappeared, reappearing on the battlefield between Marco and Akainu.

“Red Dog, I’ve been annoyed by you for a long time. Today, die by my blade—at least your long life won’t have been for nothing.” Kamiel’s light words drifted into Akainu’s ears. Akainu’s body jolted, and in Marco’s stunned gaze, his face twisted in shock as his body split slowly in two from head to toe, crashing to the ground. Not a drop of blood spilled from the bisected corpse, as if it had been frozen solid. In Kamiel’s left hand, where there had been no blade, now appeared a red-and-black pineapple-shaped Devil Fruit—the Magma Fruit. A faint flash of violet shimmered over it, and then it vanished from Kamiel’s hand. All of this happened in an instant; no one saw Kamiel perform this shocking deed, and Marco, distracted, had missed it too.

By the time Kamiel returned to Ace’s side, Akainu’s body was only just collapsing to the ground.

When Sengoku realized what had happened, his face turned ashen. Kamiel had slain one of his Admirals, and he hadn’t even noticed. While he was awed by Kamiel’s power, he couldn’t help but wonder—what was he doing here?

“Could you all stop? Give me some face.” Kamiel sat atop the execution platform, speaking in a calm voice. Though not loud, everyone heard him clearly; his tone brimmed with disdain for all, as if the world’s people were mere ants. Pirates and Marines alike turned toward him in shock.

At the sight of Kamiel, gasps erupted from both sides, but the Navy in particular fell into panic. Most of these Marines had participated in the previous Amazon Lily assault, and Kamiel’s awe-inspiring might still haunted their memories.

Sengoku could contain himself no longer. After signaling his men to cut the live broadcast, he asked grimly, “Aeros D. Kamiel, why have you come here?” He didn’t dare mention Akainu’s death; while he’d often found Akainu’s methods satisfying, he’d made plenty of enemies. There was no point provoking this harbinger of calamity any further.

“Heh, must I spell it out?” Kamiel dusted off his clothes, glanced at Whitebeard, then turned to Ace, who stared back in shock. Ace had long heard the thunderous reputation of Kamiel, often mentioned by his “Old Man.”

Under the astonished gazes of tens of thousands of Marines and Whitebeard’s men, Kamiel approached Ace, his right hand tousling Ace’s unruly hair.

“Ace’s father once saved my life. Now his son is in trouble—shouldn’t I lend a hand?” Kamiel’s words drifted through the crowd. Ignoring Sengoku’s surprise, he tapped Ace’s seastone shackles; with a faint hiss, they crumbled to dust.

Grabbing Ace by the arm, Kamiel vanished from the platform, reappearing before Whitebeard. He tossed Ace onto the deck, exchanged a smile with Whitebeard, and turned to the battlefield below.

“Today’s battle ends here. Sengoku, I don’t care how you explain this to the world, but you are not to use anything regarding Roger to manipulate public opinion. If you do, and I find out, this place will cease to exist.” With that, he glanced at Ace, then back at Whitebeard.

“That Teach fellow—I’ve already sent him to hell. The rest is up to you. I’ll be leaving first.” With those words, Kamiel stepped lightly and disappeared before Whitebeard.

Kamiel had no interest in what happened next. There would be no more fighting. With another Admiral dead, the Navy would have to think long and hard about managing the fallout—especially since it was the same man responsible for both deaths. If word got out, the Navy might as well close down.

Now, Kamiel was already on his way “home.”

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I had to work late today, so this update is coming out a bit late—sorry, everyone. If you’ve finished reading, cast your votes and get some rest!