Chapter 178 Ends!
At this moment, after a brief period of confusion, the navy began to regroup.
Before long, they had all assembled behind Sengoku.
A line of admirals and several of the most powerful officers in the world stood with grave expressions, their eyes fixed on the chaos ahead.
Aokiji and Kizaru had retreated from the battlefield and now stood to Sengoku's left and right.
Only Akainu seemed lost, still dazed from his earlier clash with Whitebeard.
"What the hell is that?"
Akainu stared at the monstrous three-headed hellhound before him, dumbfounded.
But then it clicked—this wasn't a Devil Fruit ability registered with the navy.
Which meant... this thing was with the pirates.
And since the others had all fallen back, this was obviously a prime opportunity for him to shine.
No hesitation.
Thinking this was his chance to show off, Sakazuki launched forward and engaged the beast head-on.
Meanwhile, Garp and Tsuru returned to Sengoku's side.
"Sengoku, what's going on here?" Garp asked, watching the wild scene with furrowed brows. "Shouldn't we be out there instead of hiding back here with Ryuunosuke?"
From the outside, it looked like they were doing nothing.
The battlefield appeared brutal, but in truth, they were just sitting back, like they were watching a theater show. All that was missing were some stools, melon seeds, and peanuts.
This level of slacking was... impressive, even by his standards.
"Akainu's fighting Blackbeard," Sengoku replied grimly. "That bastard's trying to take advantage of our war with Whitebeard and the Dragon Hunter Pirates. He's hoping to showcase his strength and make a name for himself."
"He wants the world to recognize his power. That's his whole plan."
Sengoku offered his analysis, though he still didn't fully understand the situation himself.
This wasn't a proper war anymore. It was more like a chaotic mess.
Everyone fighting everyone. No clear lines. Total confusion.
"Isn't that exactly what Ryuunosuke predicted earlier?" Garp muttered.
Ryuunosuke had told Garp from the start—Blackbeard's real goal was to become famous, to use this battlefield as his stage before building his own superpowered pirate crew.
After all, the only way to attract strong allies was to prove you were strong enough to lead them.
Guys like Luffy were exceptions—recruiting powerhouses without status or reputation. That kind of luck was rare.
Not everyone had the luxury of being the story's chosen son.
---
Ryuunosuke's Side
"Captain, are you sure we're just going to sit here?"
"If we strike now, we can probably take Blackbeard out for good."
Chrollo's voice was tinged with excitement.
He didn't personally hate Blackbeard, but ever since the guy turned into a mythical beast, Chrollo couldn't help but want to collect him.
That monstrous form—it was screaming to be turned into a specimen.
"No need to rush," Ryuunosuke said, calm as ever. "That's not our objective."
"We've already achieved what we came for."
"Now... we just wait for the end."
He turned toward Yahiko.
"You ready?"
"Almost," Yahiko replied. "Captain, can I borrow that warship over there?"
He pointed to a nearby marine vessel.
Ryuunosuke gave a nod. "Go ahead."
"From here on out, we just sit back and enjoy the show. Let the navy handle the cleanup. If they don't take some action, they'll just end up shutting themselves down."
Ryuunosuke chuckled.
He didn't know if the navy was done for yet—but Akainu definitely was.
First, he got thrashed by Whitebeard.
Now, he was the only one stupid enough to fight Blackbeard alone.
And Blackbeard wasn't just tough. He had resilience too—more than Akainu.
Most of Akainu's magma attacks were ineffective.
One of Blackbeard's heads swallowed the magma whole. Another reflected it back.
Physical and sword attacks? They barely scratched the surface. The guy had a massive health pool—it wasn't going to be a quick kill.
And all the while, Akainu had to guard against counterattacks.
"Let me help you."
A calm voice interrupted from behind Akainu.
"Why are you—Ryuunosuke?!"
Sakazuki staggered back the moment he saw him.
Ryuunosuke was a pirate too. His sudden appearance couldn't mean anything good.
"Shit…"
Blackbeard caught sight of Ryuunosuke and immediately bolted.
He wasn't afraid of most people entering the battlefield.
But Ryuunosuke? That was a different story.
Last time, the guy nearly killed him. He had zero interest in another fight under these conditions.
He expelled all the magma he had swallowed earlier, then opened up a dark void and vanished into it.
Leaving just like that.
Ryuunosuke blinked, dumbfounded.
He hadn't even lifted a finger yet. He just wanted to watch and maybe observe how Blackbeard's unique physique handled multiple Devil Fruits.
That kind of data would've been useful for future battles.
But before he could do anything, the bastard ran off.
And Akainu? Still suspicious of him.
Ryuunosuke let out a sigh. "Guess that's it, then."
With that, he rose into the air.
Appearing alongside him was Yahiko—Tendou Pain.
"Akatsuki!"
"You're a Warlord of the Sea!"
Sengoku shouted, his eyes widening. He didn't know what they were planning, but whatever it was—it wasn't good.
"Akatsuki? No no," Yahiko replied, his voice steady. "That's just our codename."
"We've never called ourselves the Akatsuki Pirates."
"Let me formally introduce myself."
"I am Tendou Pain—Yahiko."
"Captain of the Third Division of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"Tengai Shinse!"
He pressed his palms together.
Two massive meteorites manifested in the sky and plummeted toward the earth.
"Well, I'll join in too," Ryuunosuke said casually, mirroring the same motion.
Four enormous meteorites now thundered toward the battlefield, stunning everyone present.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, Tsuru sprang into action.
She leapt into the air and crossed her arms.
The nearest meteorite slowed, then stopped midair—washed clean and hung out to dry by her Devil Fruit ability.
But the rest of the pirates had already begun to evacuate.
"You came here today, huh?" Tsuru said coldly.
"Then don't think you're leaving so easily!"
"Marineford is not a place you can waltz in and out of at will!"
She was pissed.
Everything had spiraled out of control.
If this didn't end cleanly, it would look like the World Government had lost all authority.
More importantly, the navy's dignity had been trampled.
And that was something she would never allow.
With a wave of her hand, the outer walls crumbled away.
They had been camouflaged by her powers until now.
Behind them, massive artillery barrels were revealed—one after another.
Previously concealed by Tsuru's ability, they now stood tall, ready to fire.
"Jigodu, it's your show now," Yahiko said calmly.
With that, the Dragon Hunter crew began their retreat.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Shells fired like a torrential storm.
But just then, several figures stepped forward—Pacifistas.
"Whrrrrrrr—BOOM!"
Laser beams burst forth from their mouths, intercepting the oncoming shells.
"Pacifistas?!"
The battlefield exploded into uproar.
They could understand betrayal by humans.
But machines?
Since when did emotionless cyborgs turn traitor?
Had the World Government screwed up again?
Everyone turned toward Doflamingo suspiciously.
"Oi oi, what the hell are you all looking at me for?"
"I only brought one, alright?"
Doflamingo held up his hands, clearly annoyed.
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