"I'm here to end this war. Please—give me some face!"
The moment the red-haired Emperor, Shanks, released his Haki, the air itself seemed to shudder.
Combined with the overwhelming burst of his Conqueror's Haki from moments earlier,
this single sentence carried unmatched deterrent power.
Even the Marine hardliners led by Admiral Akainu fell silent, their jaws clenched, unable to speak.
Because they had to think carefully.
If the Four Emperors' red-haired Shanks chose to join the battle…
the consequences would be catastrophic.
Against the Whitebeard Pirates alone, the Marines still believed they could prevail.
But—
Add the Red-Hair Pirates into the equation, and the battlefield would change completely.
No—even before any action, just the release of Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had already shifted the tide.
"As expected of the red-haired Emperor… that Haki is truly unmatched,"
Sabo, the young Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, murmured with admiration.
"There might be no weaklings left on this battlefield, but for him to knock out so many instantly with sheer Conqueror's alone… his power is beyond imagination."
The Fairy Queen, Erza, said solemnly.
She had been in the world of pirates for long enough.
Naturally, she had come to understand the power system here very well.
"This war has reached its peak. To have someone like him step forward to mediate and bring it to an end… that's probably the best outcome we could hope for."
The blind swordsman nodded with a faint smile.
"Of course, the red-haired Emperor mediating only concerns the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines. It has nothing to do with us—Fairy Tail."
Robin whispered to herself.
"Marshal!!!"
"Mr. Sengoku!!!"
"Marshal Sengoku!!!"
All eyes of the Marine leadership fell upon Sengoku, awaiting his command.
Whether the war continued or ended—only he could decide.
However…
Just as Sengoku wavered, torn between duty and consequence, uncertain what choice to make—
On the other side of the battlefield, between Fairy Tail and the World Government—
A shocking turn of events occurred.
With Erza, Mirajane, and the others having completed their battles,
only Gildarts remained locked in combat against Fegaland Garin, leader of the Knights of God, and two of his fellow divine knights.
Of course—
The reason the three of them had managed to last so long against Gildarts, despite the gulf in power,
was their meticulous coordination—and, more importantly, the fact that Gildarts wasn't trying to finish off the Speed King quickly.
He wanted to observe their abilities as much as possible.
Even without going all out, Gildarts had still driven Fegaland Garin into total desperation.
Facing an unfathomably powerful opponent, Garin didn't dare relax for even a heartbeat.
His entire attention was locked on Gildarts—
So completely focused that he failed to notice the threat behind him.
Thud!
A blade tore through his waist, driving him backward through the air for dozens—no, hundreds—of meters.
A sharp scream followed.
And then a cold, mocking voice:
"Red-haired brat—your face means nothing."
Rocks, the Overlord of the Sea, sneered.
"Damn you… Rocks! You bastard!!!"
Fegaland Garin roared in fury.
"Shut up. Even a loser like you thinks he has the right to shout?"
Rocks' glare alone made Garin's face turn pale.
"When will this war end? It doesn't matter what you say, red-haired brat. It doesn't matter what Newgate says. It doesn't matter what the Marine Marshal says."
Rocks' voice rumbled across the battlefield.
"The only one who can decide whether this war ends—
is that man."
Rocks, the Overlord of the Sea, turned his gaze toward the battle between Sugisawa Yuuto and the Five Elders.
Every Marine and pirate still standing turned to look as well.
"Jie hahahahaha—
That's right!!!"
High above, Golden Lion Shiki burst into wild laughter.