Chapter 65: Retreat, BIG MOM Arrives

Words : 1245 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Holy Land Mary Geoise, in the Room of Authority. The Five Elders sat on the sofa, with Sengoku standing before them. It wasn't the Five Elders who had just shouted, but Sengoku himself. The one most shocked by the news of Garp's defeat wasn't the Five Elders, but Sengoku, because he knew Garp's strength all too well. Even Garp was defeated. Unbelievable. Garp actually lost to the Whitebeard Pirates. "Who defeated Garp, Tsuru?" Sengoku asked urgently. "The Whitebeard Pirates' second-in-command, their new Vice Captain, Edward Roy," replied Vice Admiral Tsuru. "How is that even possible? To think we underestimated him... He actually has the power to defeat Garp?" Sengoku said in disbelief. "Even with his age, Garp's combat ability shouldn't have weakened so much. How did he lose to someone like that? What's the current situation?" Saint Saturn asked. "All Marine personnel except for the Vice Admirals have lost combat ability. Outer Marine soldiers are currently trying to break out. The subordinate pirate crews of the Whitebeard Pirates weren't fighting alongside the main force; they were at the periphery and had tied down our outer forces." "The soldiers who had been taken hostage at Egghead were ambushed. About 90% of them were killed by pre-planted explosives—casualties are heavy." "Due to Roy's Conqueror's Haki attack, there are fewer than a hundred people still able to fight on the battlefield," Tsuru reported. "A single man turned the tide of the entire battle?" Saint Nasjuro asked. "Yes. Two of the Warlords were defeated, and two withdrew from combat," Tsuru replied. "You can't be serious?" Saint Peter's eyes narrowed. "That is the current situation," Tsuru said calmly. There had originally been a live broadcast by Morgans, but it was interrupted by Roy's Haki. The equipment had fallen into the sea, and its whereabouts were now unknown. The Five Elders looked at one another, surprised by the unexpected turn of events. "If the losses are too great, order a retreat. We've received reports that Big Mom is heading toward your location right this moment. End the battle now and withdraw the remaining forces," Saint Warcury declared. "There's no need for a fight to the death. If it were just Whitebeard alone, we might've taken him down. But this 'Roy' has disrupted our plans. For now, command the retreat," Saint Nusjuro agreed. "Understood. I'll issue the orders immediately." Tsuru nodded. Roy heard Tsuru's conversation and even caught the discussion between her and the Five Elders. "I don't understand... why even start this war, it was moronic" he murmured. "If not for you, would the Whitebeard Pirates still exist?" Tsuru asked him. "They wouldn't," Roy replied. He nodded. According to the original timeline, the Whitebeard Pirates were supposed to fall. His presence gave them a second wind, allowing them to survive. "Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino—by the highest order received. The war is over," Tsuru's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed across the battlefield. Even if Akainu was dissatisfied, he had no choice but to retreat. Egghead was Marines territory, and now the Whitebeard Pirates were occupying it. There was no denying that the Whitebeard Pirates had won this war. Marco and the others didn't expect the battle to end just like that—and with seemingly minimal losses. The biggest "loss" was that everyone had been knocked out by Roy's Haki blast. But in doing so, he had minimized actual casualties. Looking closely at the battlefield, one could see that although the fighting appeared fierce, apart from the initial prisoners who were killed in the explosion, the Marines didn't suffer heavy casualties. The same was true for the Whitebeard Pirates. Of the four Warlords who joined, Roy forced two to retreat, defeated one, and repelled another. The war appeared grand, but actual casualties were only a little over twenty thousand. With the war over, Whitebeard sent word to the pirate crews on the perimeter to cease attacking and let the Marines retreat. Both sides began regrouping. The Marines' outer forces started large-scale rescue operations, retrieving the wounded and returning them to their ships for treatment. The Whitebeard Pirates did the same. The Marines moved quickly, cleaning up the battlefield in no time. With an unwilling expression, Akainu watched as the Marine ships sailed away. One by one, the Whitebeard Pirates regained consciousness and began cheering. "We won?!!" Many still hadn't grasped what happened. They won... just like that? They had passed out, and by the time they woke up, the war was already over. "Of course, we won. But we need to leave quickly. This is still Marines territory, we need to return it," Marco said. "Huh? We have to give it back?" "Of course! This place belongs to the Marines. What would we want it for? The Marines only retreated to the G-14 branch—they didn't return to headquarters. They could strike again at any time," Marco said. "Commander, when do we leave?" "When Pops gives the order." Whitebeard, sitting on a rock with his naginata in hand, looked at Roy and said: "What should we do next?" "What else? Rest and leave. No need to stay. You survived this ordeal." "Gurarara, looks like I don't need to die anymore," Whitebeard said with a laugh. Roy had told him in advance when he would die. Now, it seemed that death was no longer imminent, though how long he had left was uncertain. "I'm a bit frustrated... I didn't get to fight to my heart's content," Whitebeard said. "Oh, come on. You really think you could hold off the Marines and the Warlords without me? Imagine what would've happened if I weren't there," Roy replied. "You're too pessimistic," Whitebeard said. "And what if the battlefield had been Marineford?" Roy asked. Whitebeard fell silent. His original plan had been to raid either Impel Down or Marineford to rescue Ace. He'd never considered kidnapping Marines and drawing them into the New World. Had things gone as they did in the original timeline, both he and Ace would have died, and the Whitebeard Pirates would've been annihilated. "No matter what, Ace has been rescued. What will you do next?" Whitebeard asked. "You're leaving that to me?" Roy asked. "Yes, it's in your hands now. In this last battle, I truly felt my age," Whitebeard nodded. "Then I'll make some changes to the Whitebeard Pirates. Some people need to be held accountable," Roy said. "Do what you have to. I'll support you no matter what. I've already handed it over to you," Whitebeard said. "Good. Just don't go back on your word when I start cleaning house." "I won't." "Pops! Bad news!" "What is it?" Roy and Whitebeard both looked up as Rakuyo rushed over. "The Big Mom Pirates are heading this way!" "Charlotte Linlin is coming!!" Whitebeard stood up at once. "See? If we had kept fighting the Marines, do you really think we'd have stood a chance now?" Roy hadn't expected the Big Mom Pirates to actually show up. Clearly, they hadn't yet learned that the Marines had already retreated. "Perfect timing. I didn't get to fight enough just now," Whitebeard said with a grin. ... If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead. [email protected]/DaoistJinzu

Chapter 65: Retreat, BIG MOM Arrives

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