Chapter 337: ICISEI Episode 323

Episode 323: During the Battle, Whitebeard Is Backstabbed by His Subordinate

『 He roared at the people below: "Didn’t I tell you to cut the feed?! Why are there still so many messy shots? We can’t continue our operations like this!"

The Marine below was also completely helpless. He reported, "One of the Visual Den Den Mushi was snatched by the prisoners from the prison. This broadcast isn’t coming from us!"

"What?"

...

"Foundation!"

"Lighting!"

"Alright, Captain, everything is ready. Shall we begin the second segment of filming?"

Buggy looked at the man next to him wearing a gray hat and holding a fan, asking, "Director, shall we continue?"

"We can!"

A smug grin spread across Buggy’s face. At this moment, the advertising board was moved away. Although the visual was still obscured, the audio from behind it carried clearly into everyone’s ears.

When the screen finally cut back to all the viewers, everyone had one look written on their faces—utter bewilderment!

"Three, two, one, action!"

The billboard was pulled aside, revealing a figure wearing a Marine cape, but with the word ’Justice’ crossed out with a giant ’X’.

The narrator continued to explain in a stiff, dramatic tone:

"My goodness, isn’t this person none other than the legendary crew member from Pirate King Roger’s ship, the sworn brother of the Four Emperors’ Red-Hair, and one of the world’s top pirates—Captain Buggy the Clown?!"

Buggy turned around slowly, striking a cool pose, flashing his pearly white teeth—missing a single tooth—and said with self-satisfaction, "The one and only!"

"Stop them immediately!"

Sengoku, who was usually the epitome of calm, was now red-faced, thick-necked, and absolutely seething with rage.』

『 .....』

『 Viewers of Countless World 』

The audience had never expected that Sengoku, instead of being provoked by Whitebeard, would be driven to such a violent fury by this comedic character, Buggy the Clown!

It really was a case of every person having their own kryptonite.

But thinking about it carefully, Whitebeard was actually the smarter one. Instead of actively provoking Buggy, he chose to join forces with him, which led to the current situation!

.....

『 Under Sengoku’s orders, one of the artillery batteries aimed in Buggy’s direction and fired violently.

With a deafening blast, some of the people around Buggy were blown away, but this did not stop Buggy from continuing to boast!

"Third segment, action!"

"...Having just taken a direct hit from the world’s strongest swordsman, Hawk-Eye Mihawk, and standing before us completely unscathed, just who on earth are you..."

"Is that me?"

"I am Captain Buggy the Clown!"

On the battlefield—

This was no longer a clash between pirates and Marines.

It was a completely one-sided slaughter!

Those weapons continuously flashed, releasing energy, and deafening explosions rang out one after another along the periphery of the battlefield.

"We can’t hold on much longer!"

"How are we supposed to deal with monsters like this?!"

"Don’t give up, everyone! Before we rescue Ace, we absolutely cannot fall!"

"Charge!"

Even though these men were drenched in sweat, knowing full well that stepping forward to fight was practically a death sentence, they still grit their teeth and charged forward for Ace and for Whitebeard!

However, these cold, heartless machines were entirely unmoved. In their eyes, there were only enemies!

As the men rushed forward, the weapons that looked exactly like Bartholomew Kuma opened their mouths one after another, gathering terrifying energy.

Then, giant red spheres of light materialized before the pirates, accompanied by violent tremors and billowing white smoke.

In an instant, countless lives were lost on the field, and the wounded were beyond numbering!

All...

They had all fallen!

Those who had been brimming with fighting spirit just moments ago were now either blown away or reduced to wreckage.

Whitebeard surveyed the explosions all around him. Looking at the struggling pirates, the determination in his eyes did not waver!

"Pops!" Just then, a voice came from beside him.

Whitebeard raised his head slightly and turned to look at the person behind him. The surprise on his face vanished as he asked, "Squard, are you alright?"

Only when Squard stood beside Whitebeard did everyone truly appreciate just how massive Whitebeard was.

He stood there like a small mountain. Even though Squard was considered very tall among pirates, he looked barely half of Whitebeard’s height in front of him.

However, the sword Squard wielded was absurdly large—longer than his entire body, easily over three meters long.

This pair, standing in stark contrast in size, stood at the bow of the ship, overlooking the battlefield below!

"I had someone try to contact you earlier, but we couldn’t get through."

"What did you need me for, Pops?"

"How is the situation at the bay right now?"

Squard replied softly, "The unit I led suffered heavy casualties. I only managed to get here by forcing my way through a breakthrough point."

Whitebeard said, "War is just that cruel. Our opponent is Sengoku, after all. It’s different from what we’ve faced before; he won’t overlook a single mistake of ours. To fight against such a formidable enemy, we must give it our all."

Squard muttered to himself, "Did you figure out the Marines’ plan?"

Whitebeard answered in a low voice, "Sengoku and I have clashed countless times. We know each other inside out."

The continuous explosions around them cast a flickering light on Squard’s intimidating face, giving off a chilling vibe.

This guy had a buzz cut, pink hair, a spider mark on his forehead, and a band of bandages wrapped around his head.

On his own, he was definitely a terrifying figure, but as a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, although he still carried a bit of malice, he didn’t seem quite as frightening overall.

As if thinking of something, he followed up, "I see."

"The Marines want to block our retreat, but that’s entirely within my expectations. It’s time for me to make a move too, to break straight through here."

Whitebeard raised his massive bisento, and the entire deck beneath his feet seemed to shudder! He was about to join the battle!

Finally, Whitebeard was going to make his move personally!

The anxious hearts of the spectators relaxed considerably at the thought of Whitebeard’s immense combat power.

After all, once they made landfall, the effectiveness of those cannons and other advanced weapons would be greatly reduced.

Besides, even if the Marines vastly outnumbered the pirates, they couldn’t possibly sacrifice too many of their own forces to strike the enemy!

Not far away.

Marco looked back in Whitebeard’s direction.

After seeing Squard standing next to him, his brow furrowed, and he muttered to himself, "Why is Squard over there?!"

Logically speaking, having lost contact earlier, Squard should still be outside directing his forces.

Among all the allied captains, Squard possessed the greatest leadership. According to the established plan, he shouldn’t have appeared in this position.

Seeing that Whitebeard was not far away, Marco didn’t say much more, focusing entirely on the enemies in front of him! 』

『 .....』

?Fairy Tail World?

Makarov stared at Whitebeard, who was now exuding his full aura, a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

As someone who was also advanced in years, he could deeply empathize with Whitebeard’s current feelings.

He also had a group of children he deeply cared about behind him, and he had to admit that he was truly getting old, feeling his body gradually weaken.

He felt that it wasn’t just him; every aging powerhouse probably felt the same way, and Whitebeard was no exception!

He downed a cup of sake heavily and muttered,

"Old friend, you must not let the children down!"

—

?Naruto World?

The Tsuchikage stared at Whitebeard on the screen, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

"Are you finally ready to make your move? You old geezer are really imposing. I haven’t had that kind of leader’s presence in the Land of Earth for a long time!"

Recalling the previous information indicating that he would make another appearance in a few years and fight alongside several other Kage, the Tsuchikage felt it was as fantastical as a fairy tale!

In Konoha Village—

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Whitebeard’s figure with deep emotion.

He recalled how he, too, had once been a formidable force on the battlefield, but now he had been sitting in the Hokage’s office for many years...

Although he could sense an air of maturity from Whitebeard that only someone who had survived countless battles could possess, Whitebeard was still active on the front lines of war!

"Whitebeard, I hope you win!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not judge based on the standard of justice. After all, it was a different world with only factions, not good and evil.

He simply couldn’t help but put himself in Whitebeard’s shoes, unconsciously favoring this elderly man.

—

『 Squard took a step forward.

He gazed down at the crowd, then looked back at the ships outside the bay that had been blown to pieces.

His voice was somewhat hoarse as he said, "A total of forty-three pirate crews came here. Every single one of us owes you a great debt of gratitude. It’s fair to say that without you, there would have been no place for us in this world long ago."

"Back then, we all swore to follow you. For you, and for the Whitebeard Pirates, we wouldn’t hesitate even if we had to go through fire and water!"

As Squard spoke, he drew his giant sword, standing tall and exuding a powerful aura.

Squard was brimming with fighting spirit!

Whitebeard glanced at him and said in a low voice, "I am truly sorry for dragging you all into this. But this is..."

Squard shouted in response, "I know!"

"This is a battle fought to protect family! It is precisely because the Great Pirate Whitebeard never abandons his family that everyone willingly came to these waters."

"If, in this crew... People like us... Could also become a part of it, that would be great..."

With a sharp shring...

The scabbard fell to the ground.

The sharp blade was unsheathed.

In the very next instant, the entire heaven and earth, the entire world fell into absolute silence.

There was only the sound of a blade piercing through flesh, echoing in the air like a piece of cloth being ripped apart.

A strange light flashed in Whitebeard’s eyes.

He had used his bisento to block incoming cannonballs, but at the exact moment the cannonballs exploded, a blade plunged straight into his chest. 』

『 .....』

?Dimensional livestream, Chat Room?

[ Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece): "When did someone get behind him?" ]

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Behind him... shouldn’t that be one of his own?" ]

[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Wait, could it be?!" ]

[ Whitebeard (One Piece): "..." ]

[ .....]

『 Marco’s eyes were filled with shock and fury. He had never expected his pops to be backstabbed by Squard, even if he didn’t have much of a favorable impression of Squard to begin with.

At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: to burn Squard to ashes!

The other division commanders also turned their heads, feeling their hearts wrench at the sight.

Luffy’s expression froze instantly.

On the Marine side, Sengoku’s eyes revealed a trace of pity.

Meanwhile, Akainu slowly raised his head, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his lips.

Of course, the person suffering the most from Whitebeard’s injury was none other than Ace, who was kneeling on the execution platform, waiting for his execution while his comrades fought to rescue him.

No!

No!

This can’t be!

"POPS!!" Ace screamed!

For a moment, both pirates and Marines stopped what they were doing and looked toward Whitebeard.

Even among the Marines, most couldn’t believe that Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, would meet such a fate!

After the Marines gradually processed this reality, they began to whisper among themselves.

"This is too unreal!"

"He actually managed to injure Whitebeard!"

"Who did it? Was it a Marine Admiral? No, it looks like one of their own."

"Speaking of which, this is Whitebeard we’re talking about! How could this happen to him?!"

"This is absolutely unbelievable!"

"Is Whitebeard going to die?"

"Who would have thought that there would be a traitor among Whitebeard’s subordinates!"

This Marine’s view was also what most people were thinking!

How could there be a traitor within the Whitebeard Pirates?!

Although Squard looked fierce and was clearly no saint, no one had ever expected him to backstab Whitebeard.

Squard’s hands shook uncontrollably.

In truth, when he made his move, he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.

With Whitebeard’s strength, he should have easily sensed the attack beforehand and then sent him flying or killed him. Either of those outcomes would have been far better than the current situation!

However, now that he had made his decision, he wouldn’t back down!

This strike couldn’t possibly take Whitebeard’s life, as his sword had missed any vital organs. He slowly pulled the blade out, panting heavily.

Whitebeard made no response. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, his brow furrowed, and he stared at Squard with a gaze as sharp as a torch.

Everything was captured by the Den Den Mushi in Buggy and his crew’s hands.

The entire world soon learned of what was happening on the battlefield!

No one could believe what was happening before their eyes.

"Look!"

"Whitebeard..."

"Whitebeard was actually stabbed!"

Watching this scene, the expressions on everyone’s faces distorted, unable to believe the reality before them!

"Who did it?!"

"I can’t see clearly, I don’t recognize that guy!"

"Looking at his attire, he doesn’t look like a Marine. He must be from one of the pirate crews under Whitebeard!"

"I know who he is! He’s one of the allied captains, Squard!"

On the battlefield—

Marco the Phoenix was about to go completely berserk.

He instantly transformed into a massive blue-flamed phoenix and charged fiercely at Squard!

"Squard!"

He roared, looking as if he wanted to tear Squard to shreds.

However, he didn’t strike immediately.

He couldn’t understand why Squard, who had followed Whitebeard for so long and was one of his most trusted subordinates, would suddenly betray him!

"Why did you do this?! Tell me, Squard!"

He punched Squard, pinning him to the ground, and demanded through gritted teeth.

Squard’s mouth was full of blood. If not for this punch, he wouldn’t have known how to face Whitebeard!

There were many things he couldn’t say in front of Whitebeard, but in front of Marco, he could pour them all out!

"Shut up! You guys forced me into this!"

Marco froze, completely unable to comprehend why Squard would say such a thing!

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he suppressed his rage, glaring at the man he had once shared life and death with, and asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean we forced you? Do you even know what you’ve done?!"

Before Squard could reply, Whitebeard beside them slowly knelt down on one knee.

Marco said in concern, "Pops, don’t move! Your body can’t take it!"

Squard shouted at the top of his lungs, "Just stop this ridiculous farce, Whitebeard!" 』

『 .....』

?Dimensional livestream, Chat Room?

[ Jozu (One Piece): "Damn traitor." ]

[ Kurome (Akame Ga Kill): "+ 1" ]

[ .....]

『 Yet Marco did not strike, only staring at Squard with eyes full of shock.

He truly hadn’t expected Squard to utter such words!

"I know it all too well! You guys made a deal with the Marines in secret, didn’t you?!"

"In this battle, your Whitebeard Pirates will definitely survive, and Ace will be fine, because you’ve already agreed to trade our lives for Ace’s safety!"

The entire field fell dead silent!

Even Sengoku was amused by Squard’s foolish display.

To actually fall for such an obvious divide-and-conquer tactic... what on earth was going on in this guy’s head?

The fighting pirates turned back to look at Squard, whispering, "What is Squard talking about?!"

"What is going on?"

"If only the Whitebeard Pirates are going to survive, what about the rest of us?"

"What an idiot! How could you actually believe his nonsense?!"

"I don’t believe it! Pops saved our lives. Our lives belong to him; we’ll do whatever he wants without a second thought!"

The words of a stout allied captain made those around him nod in agreement. 』

『 .....』