Makoto, standing on the sea surface, watched as Nika, carrying Sabo's body, jumped high into the air and then landed on a piece of Marineford wreckage.
Then—
"Arrrrrggggghhhh—!!!"
Nika shouted Sabo's name, his voice heart-wrenching.
He held Sabo's body, kneeling on the ground, tears flowing uncontrollably down his face, mixing with Sabo's blood, dripping onto the stone slab of the wreckage.
"Sabo... Sabo..."
Makoto was a little surprised.
When he saw Koby die, he laughed.
When he saw his own grandfather Garp die, he also laughed.
But when Sabo died, his reaction was completely different.
However, Makoto did not intend to stop here.
He raised his hand again, preparing to send Nika to the afterlife.
But then, something that surprised him happened.
Nika, who had white hair, his hair turned back to black.
His face, which had shown a constant smile like that of a down syndrome child, also grew increasingly serious.
He gently laid Sabo down, stood up, and turned to look at Makoto.
Now, his face no longer bore that possessed-looking smile.
Replacing it was endless determination and resolve.
This expression reminded Makoto of the original work, when in his early days he faced Buggy, Don Krieg, Arlong, and others.
Back then, he was just a boy who had set sail from Windmill Village. He didn't have the Nika Fruit, no Sun God cheat. He only had a never-say-die heart and arms made of rubber.
"I'll beat you up!"
Black-haired Luffy raised both hands, assuming a fighting stance.
Seeing that this man dared to disrespect Makoto, the Gun Devil above, shrouding the sky, raised its mountain-like arm, its gun barrel aiming at Luffy.
However, Makoto waved to the Gun Devil, signaling it not to act.
Makoto also smiled and asked, "State your name."
"I am—"
Luffy took a deep breath, his voice firm and powerful.
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
"The man who will become the Pirate King!"
Makoto smiled at Luffy for the first time from the heart.
Not mockingly, not sarcastically or with amusement.
But with recognition for a true opponent.
Not the Liberator Warrior Nika, not the puppet possessed by Joy Boy.
But simply the boy who wanted to become the Pirate King… Monkey D. Luffy.
Makoto assumed his fighting stance. He himself couldn't remember how long it had been since he had last used such a serious attitude for a battle.
"Come on, Monkey D. Luffy!"
…
The war was over.
Marineford had sunk into the sea. That fortress that had once symbolized the highest authority of Marine Headquarters now had only a few pieces of wreckage floating on the sea's surface.
A large number of ships returned to the island closest to Marineford… the Sabaody Archipelago.
The harbor was packed with ships. There were Marine ships, Revolutionary Army ships, Sun Pirates ships, and Makoto's Otherworlder-Go.
Everyone gathered together.
The scene was somewhat chaotic, but no one fought anymore.
The Marine existed in name only. The World Government had completely collapsed. Imu was dead, the Five Elders were dead, the God's Knights had been wiped out.
And the straw hat boy who had triggered all of this was also dead.
On the deck of Otherworlder-Go.
Seeing Makoto bring back the body of Straw Hat Luffy, Beam scratched his head and asked, "Chainsaw-sama, what should we do with this thing?"
Makoto looked down at Luffy's face… his expression was very serene, the corners of his mouth still curved slightly.
Not Nika's kind of eerie, goosebump-inducing smile.
But Monkey D. Luffy's wild, pure smile.
The smile of that boy who had stood on the shore of Windmill Village, facing the sea, and shouted, "I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
Makoto was silent for a moment. Then he looked up, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, locking on to a certain moss-headed individual.
Noticing Makoto's gaze, Zoro stepped out from the crowd.
"Take him back to the East Blue for burial."
Makoto handed Luffy's body over.
Zoro took Luffy, carrying him with both hands.
He looked at his captain's peaceful face and was silent for a long time.
Then, Zoro looked up at Makoto, his expression filled with complex emotions.
He could tell that at the end of the battle, Makoto had shown a certain appreciation for Luffy.
But before that, why had he tormented him like that?
Makoto saw the confusion in Zoro's eyes.
But he didn't answer.
He just raised his thumb and pointed toward the Going Merry behind him, signaling that they could leave.
To be honest, without the appreciation of the past, how could there be the disdain of the present?
Makoto felt that this trip to the One Piece World was quite good.
His final opponent had been neither Imu, whose brain hadn't developed properly after living for over eight hundred years, nor the intellectually disabled Nika possessed by Joy Boy…
But Monkey D. Luffy.
That youth who had stood on the execution platform in Loguetown and shouted to the world, "I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
Zoro carried Luffy, turned, and walked toward the Going Merry.
Soon, the Going Merry's sails were raised. The sea breeze blew the flag bearing the Straw Hat Jolly Roger.
The hull slowly pulled away from the harbor.
Makoto's women chattered noisily amongst themselves.
Ran rather sympathized with the Marine soldiers... their deaths had been too disgraceful.
Nino said, "Does this mean we can go home now? I really want to go shopping."
Mrs. Yukinoshita expressed regret, feeling that the Seven Warlords had died too suddenly, and their Devil Fruits hadn't been recovered.
Doflamingo's String-String Fruit, Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit... all had turned to white bones along with their masters.
Everyone except Makoto's subordinates looked lost.
The Marine had lost almost all its officers at the rank of Vice Admiral and above.
Sengoku was dead, Tsuru was dead, Aokiji was dead, Garp was dead, the Vice Admirals were dead too.
What would become of the Marine now?
And the World Government had been completely destroyed.
Imu was dead, the Five Elders were dead, the God's Knights had been wiped out, and the Celestial Dragons had also disappeared from this world forever.
What would happen to this world in the future?
But just then, someone stepped forward.
Yukino.
She walked to the center of the square, facing the confused soldiers and Revolutionary Army's warriors. Her voice was clear and firm.
"Everyone in the Marine, everyone in the Revolutionary Army. I hope you will join the New Revolutionary Army."
Her gaze swept over every person present.
"Together, let us fight for true justice."
No one spoke.
But no one left.
Akainu stood where he was, silent for a moment.
Then, he walked toward Kizaru.
"Borsalino, come along."
Kizaru scratched his head, looking troubled.
"Oh my, Sakazuki. After experiencing so many things, I was thinking of retiring from the sea and going back to live out my days..."
His tone still had that lazy drawl, but the usual cynicism in his eyes was gone.
"It's too early to retire just now."
A hoarse voice came from the side.
Zephyr walked over, his mechanical arm gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
"Oh my~ Zephyr-sensei..."
Kizaru smiled wryly.
"Even you say that..."
"Don't you have any desire to change this world at all?"
Zephyr looked at him.
Kizaru was silent for a moment, finally sighed.
"...Alright."
Koala stepped forward and nominated Yukino as the new commander of the Revolutionary Army.
Yukino did not decline.
Previously, she had not been very ambitious for status. She had simply wanted to achieve results, to show Makoto.
But after experiencing so many things, Yukino discovered that the people of this world were really quite lacking in intelligence.
Some things, it seemed, she really had to do herself.
Just then—
[Ding!]
A crisp sound rang in the minds of Makoto and the others.
After decades, the voice of the Reincarnation System sounded again.
[Congratulations to the player for clearing the dungeon: Participate in the Summit War.]
[Congratulations to the player for fully clearing the dungeon world: Pirate World.]
[Most Valuable Player awardees: Ishigami Yu, Nishikawa Makoto.]