Chapter 155 - 155: The Meaning of Protection
The third day of the great battle...
Residents of the small town gradually stepped out, growing bolder as they looked toward the south where several mountains had disappeared.
"Unbelievable..."
"They actually flattened those mountains."
"I didn't expect such powerful pirates to be on this island."
"That was Red the Aloof."
"A pirate as famous as Gol D. Roger and the Golden Lion."
"Truly dangerous."
"Yeah, it really is."
People living in the New World had seen more than those in the Four Seas.
They merely sighed at the strength and danger of pirates.
Garp stood in the center of the square, sensing the state of the two people far in the distance.
"It's about to end."
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded.
"Let's go."
The two rushed toward the distant mountains, while the Marines maintaining order boarded their ships in formation.
...
On the mountain that had been sliced in half—
The ground, smooth as a flat plane, was riddled with craters large and small.
Kong's arms, legs, neck, even the area in front of his heart bore countless sword marks.
One could see how fierce and deadly the battle had been.
Kong, covered in blood and gasping for breath, looked at Redfield across from him.
"This is the end..."
"Patrick Redfield."
Redfield wasn't in any better shape.
His chest was completely caved in, and his left arm hung limp at his side.
Blood soaked his crimson clothes. Using his sword to support himself, he knelt on the ground.
After a few deep breaths, Redfield slowly stood up.
"Is that so."
"You can still take one more slash?"
Raising his right hand, he pointed his longsword at Kong.
Kong gave a short laugh.
"Then go ahead and try."
He didn't consider whether he could withstand the next strike, but instead challenged Redfield.
Unable to sense the outcome with Observation Haki, Redfield gave up on it and instead gathered all his strength.
Kong stomped his foot—BOOM!
A massive crater opened beneath him. His entire body, cloaked in Haki, surged forward like a giant boulder.
He charged at Redfield.
Behind him, white explosions burst out, forming concentric shockwaves.
Redfield's eyes flashed red, and the muscles in his thighs and arms instantly swelled to three times their size. He stepped forward.
Raising his longsword, a massive spectral sword aura enveloped his body as he thrust forward.
From afar, it looked like the sharpest spear clashing with the hardest shield.
With a deafening boom, sparks exploded from the collision.
The two passed each other by several dozen meters before halting.
BOOM—!!!
The mountain behind Kong was struck by an invisible shockwave, blown apart and reduced to a rain of debris.
SHRIIIP—!!!
Everything in front of Redfield was torn to shreds. His all-out strike seemed to slice the world in half.
Thud...
The sound of someone collapsing echoed behind him.
A deep sword gash appeared on Kong's shoulder, slashing down to his back. He collapsed, unconscious.
Redfield slowly sheathed his sword and staggered a few steps.
"I... won..."
His eyelids drooped, fighting to stay open.
Three days of an all-out duel, using nothing but swordsmanship and speed, had finally worn Kong down.
But he himself was completely drained—and there were still so many Marines outside... damn it.
He sensed with Observation Haki the presence of two figures rapidly approaching.
Once the two sensed that Kong had fallen unconscious, they burst forward at full speed.
Garp rocketed ahead, the air behind him exploding with violent force.
The shockwaves around him tore through everything—trees, rocks, whatever lay ahead.
...
Back on the battlefield—
BOOM!
Garp appeared in mid-air, fist raised as he dove down.
"Die!!!"
"Redfield!!!!!!"
Redfield looked up with difficulty, his pupils contracting.
He watched helplessly as Garp's Armament Haki-coated fist came crashing down on him.
"Damn—"
Before he could even curse aloud—
Garp's Fist smashed directly into Redfield's skull.
CRACK—
The sound of bones shattering echoed.
Redfield's consciousness was instantly swallowed by darkness...
"Dead..."
In the year 1500 of the Sea Calendar—
Patrick Redfield, known as the "Red the Aloof," who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Whitebeard—Edward Newgate, Golden Lion—Shiki, and the Pirate King—Roger...
Engaged in a titanic battle in the New World with the current Fleet Admiral, Kong.
After three days and nights of nonstop fighting, it ended with Fleet Admiral Kong collapsing from exhaustion.
And the utterly drained Patrick Redfield was arrested by Vice Admiral Garp, who had arrived in time.
The imprisonment of Red the Aloof shocked the world.
It also marked the complete end of the old era once represented by Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Roger.
....
Several days later.
North Blue, "Scouring the Four Seas" Operation.
On the third massive warship, Sakazuki was holding a Den Den Mushi and speaking into it.
"Hmm."
"Alright."
"I understand."
Click—
He hung up the Den Den Mushi and called over a messenger.
"Pass down the order—starting today, there's no need to collect heads anymore."
"Just deal with them on the spot."
The messenger saluted.
"Yes, sir!"
He ran off to relay the order.
Sakazuki stepped onto the top deck and looked toward the back of the warship, letting out a quiet laugh.
He slowly walked into the room.
...
Near midnight.
The sentries on duty were waking the next shift of soldiers.
"Wake up!"
"Your turn!"
"Get up quick—there's a surprise outside."
The relieving soldiers blinked groggily, confused.
"A surprise?"
"What kind of surprise is there on the sea?"
"What the hell."
"So mysterious."
But curiosity took hold, and the soldiers quickly got dressed and headed out.
The moment they stepped outside, they were stunned.
"Whoa!!!"
"What is this!!!!"
"There weren't this many yesterday!"
"Why are there so many today!!"
"It's beautiful!"
"Told you, didn't I?"
"Come on, it's your shift now."
"Coming, coming."
After changing shifts, the soldiers who had just come off duty didn't leave. Instead, they stood alongside the new shift—
Gazing blankly into the distance, at the lights twinkling like stars.
"No matter how long I look... it's never enough..."
Suddenly, Sakazuki's voice rang out.
"Quite the sight, isn't it?"
The nearby soldiers froze and turned quickly.
"Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Sakaz—"
Sakazuki waved his hand to silence them.
"No need for formalities."
He walked to the railing and looked at the ships gathered behind the warship.
Thanks to the Scouring the Four Seas Operation, they could sail freely across the seas, and the number of ships was growing by multiples every day.
There were merchant ships, private boats, national fleets, even tiny touring vessels—a huge variety.
The lights they emitted sparkled like a sea of fireflies.
He quietly watched those sea-bound stars for a while.
Then turned to the freshly relieved soldier.
"What are your thoughts?"
The soldier, gazing at Sakazuki with admiration, replied:
"Proud."
"And honored."
"This is what we fight for."
Sakazuki's lips curled into a faint smile. He softly said:
"Yes."
"This is what we fight for."
"And this... is only a small part of the world."
"Each person only lives once."
"Some choose peace and quiet. Others bear the weight and move forward."
"The moment you choose to bear that weight—"
"You're destined to face trials of life and death."
"Behind us are countless lights—families, lives."
"We have no way back."
"I'm proud of the choice you made."
The relieved soldier was taken aback, his voice trembling with emotion.
"You... You still remember me."
Sakazuki chuckled lightly.
"Not many kids with guts like you."
"Fourteen years ago, I believe."
"When we were sweeping pirates in the West Blue—you tried to stab me with a wooden sword because I killed a pirate you admired."
"At a supply stop on some island... I think it was Sicily, right? You had a fake mustache and a toy sword."
The soldier chuckled awkwardly.
The surrounding soldiers laughed and teased him, turning his face bright red.
"You remember all that so clearly?"
Sakazuki smiled.
"Why didn't you choose to go out to sea?"
The soldier's expression darkened a little. He clenched his fists.
"I..."
Clearly, something cruel had happened to him...
The surrounding soldiers sensed it and fell silent.
Sakazuki patted him on the shoulder.
"Keep working hard."
"One day, on these seas—"
"There will be no more pirates. The people of the world will be able to travel freely and openly across the oceans."
"Then, there will be no more tragedies like that."
The soldier raised his head and took a deep breath.
"Yes, sir!!!!"
His eyes shone with hope.
As if he were already envisioning that scene...