That's right—he was just meddling. This war had nothing to do with Shanks. The Marines were wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates, what did that have to do with the Red Hair Pirates?

  Shanks wasn't some Devil Fruit user with the power of "Face-Face Fruit." Did he really think that just because he asked for face, Cudius would obediently give it to him?

  Looking at Cudius now, it was clear, if Shanks dared to interfere, Cudius would take him on to the very end. That realization made Shanks feel a bit awkward.

  If he could intimidate the Marines into stopping, that would be for the best. But if things went sideways, would he really go all out for the Whitebeard Pirates and fight to the death against Cudius and CP-X?

  Shanks didn't know Cudius. He had never even met him before, so he had no idea what kind of person he was.

  All he knew was that this guy was truly ruthless, having killed many legends. Even Whitebeard had fallen to his hands this time. A person like that was extremely decisive and wouldn't be the type to yield just because of a simple demand.

  So, Shanks had a strong feeling, this Cudius in front of him would actually fight him.

  And he wasn't wrong. If a fight broke out, Cudius would absolutely see it through to the bitter end.

  Backing down now would have major consequences. Just think about it, why did Sengoku step down after the Summit War in the original story?

  Was it because the war was handled poorly? No, on the contrary, it could be considered a major success. Whitebeard was killed, Ace was killed, and the Whitebeard Pirates were essentially dismantled.

  By all accounts, Sengoku had earned enormous merit. But there were two things he didn't handle well. First, the massive breakout at Impel Down. That prison was a subsidiary of the Marines, and allowing such a huge incident to happen meant Sengoku had to take responsibility.

  The second issue was that he gave way to the Red Hair Pirates on the battlefield. A Fleet Admiral yielding to a pirate? That could be either a minor issue or a massive scandal, but given the war context, it was huge.

  Cudius had enough to deal with at the upcoming Reverie. He couldn't afford to give himself even a hint of a stain. What? Impel Down? That was the Marines' problem. Cudius wasn't going to take the fall for that. If anything, he could help Sengoku shift the bme onto Teach.

  Wasn't Teach one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea under Cudius? Hell no! Cudius had already made it clear countless times, Teach was ambitious. While using him, they also had to keep a close eye on him. In the end, things turned out the way they did. Could he be bmed for not warning them enough?

  But the situation right now was complicated. Just as Shanks had said, if the war dragged on, many Marines would die from ck of timely medical treatment.

  Losing lives in the process of eradicating the Whitebeard Pirates was acceptable, that was part of the mission. But if they then started a war with the Red Hair Pirates, the losses would be devastating.

  The Marines simply didn't have the energy to deal with another war against a fresh Emperor of the Sea. At that point, quantitative losses could trigger qualitative change, escating the damage to an unacceptable level.

  So while Cudius seemed like he was standing firm, in truth, he was also calcuting carefully. He was willing to fight a defensive war if necessary, but he wasn't about to initiate a war against the Red Hair Pirates right now.

  Shanks, however, didn't know this. He thought Cudius was an unyielding force who wouldn't back down no matter what. If he pushed Cudius too far, it could spark an even bigger conflict.

  And if that happened, what would be the point of coming here in the first pce? He came to stop the war, but if his actions just led to more fighting, wouldn't that be completely contradictory?

  So after staring at Cudius in silence for a long time, Shanks finally swallowed his anger and said in a very displeased tone, "We'll settle this account ter."

  Cudius smirked, his lips curling into a disdainful smile. "I'll be waiting anytime."

  Shanks looked toward Whitebeard's body in the distance. Originally, he had hoped that with the war coming to an end, he could at least take Whitebeard's body and let him rest in peace, his way of honoring a final bond.

  But if he pushed for that now, he'd just be humiliating himself further. So in the end, Shanks chose not to say anything.

  "Stay out of this and leave Marineford," Cudius waved his hand dismissively. "I'll see to it that Newgate gets a proper grave."

  Shanks snorted coldly but didn't throw out any more harsh words. He simply raised his hand and ordered, "We're leaving."

  And just like that, the Red Hair Pirates had arrived in grand fashion, trying to leverage their reputation for some influence. But in the end, they were completely stonewalled by Cudius and left in silence.

  Watching the Red Force sail away, Cudius clicked his tongue in annoyance. "If the timing weren't so inconvenient today, the moment he dared step foot in Marineford, I'd have sunk his damn ship first."

  "Furufurufuru… It ended up being pretty dull after all," Dofmingo chuckled.

  "He brought this on himself. If you don't have the power, don't overreach," Crocodile added with some irritation.

  Cudius sighed deeply and said in a low voice, "Even though that guy was meddling, he wasn't wrong.

  We need to wrap up this war as soon as possible. Otherwise, more soldiers who could've been saved will die needlessly! Don't just stand around, there shouldn't be any more surprises now.

  Work with the Marines to round up the remaining Whitebeard Pirates and their allies.

  Capture them alive when possible, no need for unnecessary sughter."

  The fires of Marineford raged from morning until night. As the sun began to set, the war finally came to an end.

  The Whitebeard Pirates had failed to escape. With Kuzan and Fujitora standing in their way, how could they? Swimming for it wasn't an option.

  With no aid from the Red Hair Pirates, the Marines wiped them out.

  Marco and the others were bound with Seastone shackles. With all the chaos at Impel Down, there was now plenty of room in the prison. These guys? They'd be taking those empty cells.

  Sitting on a broken rock, Cudius bit down on a cigar, looking exhausted. The Marines were already mobilizing to rescue their wounded comrades.

  As for the pirates who y on the ground groaning in pain? Sorry, but Marine personnel came first. There was no time to waste treating scumbags. If any of them were lucky enough to still be alive after the Marines were taken care of, maybe they'd get some bandages.

  Just as Cudius was taking a moment to rex with his cigar, Sengoku walked over. Compared to Cudius, Sengoku seemed less fatigued, he had barely fought in the battle, except near the very end.

  "You're not going to bandage that?" Sengoku asked with a slight smile, holding a roll of bandages.

  Cudius had a wound on his forehead. Though he had already stopped the bleeding himself, dried blood still stained his face, making him look like a true battlefield veteran.

  Waving his hand dismissively, Cudius replied, "No need, it's just a scratch."

  "Worried it'll ruin your handsome face?" Sengoku teased.

  "Hahahaha! Damn right! I'm way too good-looking to wrap my head up like a mummy," Cudius ughed.

  Both men chuckled. Then Sengoku let out a sigh and said, "It's finally over."

  "Yeah. Marine victory. Justice always prevails in the end," Cudius murmured.

  "Justice will prevail," Sengoku echoed, gazing at the war-torn ruins of Marineford and the crumbling Fortress of Justice. With a touch of heartache, he whispered, "Yes… justice will prevail."

  Shaking off his sorrow, Sengoku asked softly, "Your Highness, what's next?"

  "Next? The Reverie. And that's going to be a pain in the ass," Cudius smirked.

  Sengoku's gaze flickered. After a pause, he asked, "Do you need Marine support?"

  ***

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