A raw, domineering aura swept outward from the man. At this moment, Whitebeard radiated the grandeur and sheer magnanimity of a true Great Pirate, the strongest man in the world. He feared no challenge and would never back down before any opponent.
Ying Zheng's objective was crystal clear: he was coming straight for him.
Would Whitebeard yield? The answer was certain, absolutely not.
This battle was unavoidable; in fact, it had already begun in the minds of everyone watching.
From this moment on, Whitebeard stood firm on the prow of the Moby Dick, like an unshakeable, colossal mountain. His eyes, though often clouded with age and weariness, grew sharper with every passing moment.
The syringes had long been removed from his body; this aged Great Pirate's formidable physiology was recovering rapidly, drawing on a lifetime of raw power.
His very presence grew more formidable, his immense strength pooling and accumulating within him.
Even the ancient ship, battered by time and countless storms, seemed to adjust to his readiness. Though Whitebeard's body had declined with age, weakened by the hidden injuries of countless battles, and sustained by infusions and medicine, he would now exert every last ounce of his strength to face the mightiest opponent of his life.
The pride of an Expert, the honor of the strongest man of his era, Whitebeard refused to surrender to anything, especially not to a young king.
The winds of the New World grew stronger, the foreboding storm and the awe of nature leaving everyone breathless. Though the battle had not yet formally begun, hearts raced with anticipation.
"Old man!"
The Whitebeard Pirates watched their captain anxiously from the deck, their ease replaced by unease.
Ying Zheng's momentum had been unstoppable these past years. Whitebeard was aging, yet Kaido had been in his prime, at his absolute strongest, and had still fallen to the Qin's Nation King. Now, facing this old man, even those most loyal to him felt an undeniable sense of dread.
Unlike Kaido, who seemed unable to die, if this aged Whitebeard fell in battle, he could very likely face death and oblivion.
Time passed slowly, agonizingly so. On the third day, at sunrise, the Whitebeard Pirates, who had not slept for three nights, saw a distant black dot rise above the horizon.
"The Qin's Nation flagship!" Marco said gravely, his voice cutting the tension.
Immediately, everyone aboard the Moby Dick snapped to attention, stepping up from the deck or leaning over the rail.
Without exception, every member of the Whitebeard Pirates wore a serious, stern expression.
Ying Zheng! After defeating Kaido, his reputation had skyrocketed, elevating him to a level comparable to Whitebeard himself. Considering his age and rapidly growing territorial influence, some analysts now speculated that Ying Zheng had become one of the pinnacle figures in the world. They went further, concluding something astonishing:
If this young king continued his ambitious, unstoppable rise, one day he could unify the entire world, becoming the sole world ruler, a true Kaiō!
Terrifying. Shocking. Incomprehensible.
As the half-circle sun rose, the distant black dot grew clearer and larger.
First came the layers of strange cylindrical cannons, then the steel-clad, fearsome bow, and finally the massive flagship itself swung fully into the view of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"I heard from the Marines that these people come from an Otherworld."
"A ship made entirely of steel that sails the sea… this must be their unique civilization."
"If I could set aside our differences, I'd genuinely like to see what that Otherworld is like."
The Whitebeard Pirates whispered amongst themselves. Despite their anxiety, they maintained their calm and composure.
What kind of mockery would it be if they showed fear? They were the Whitebeard Pirates, the strongest of the Four Emperors. They would not be seized by fear merely for facing an enemy, no matter how strong.
After a few tense murmurs over the sea breeze, silence returned.
Marco pressed his lips together, his eyes locked on the rapidly approaching steel behemoth.
Behind him, the other Captains crossed their arms, their gazes focused and sharp. Among them, one man with a simple, friendly smile had eyes that flickered as if deep in thought.
"Teach, are you nervous?" a crew member suddenly asked him from behind.
The man with the simple, friendly smile froze for a moment, then laughed heartily, his booming voice chasing away the tension. "Why be nervous? This is a battle that will shake the entire world!"
"Don't you believe it? After this battle, the balance of the world will change drastically, the true era of chaos will finally arrive."
He paused, inhaled deeply, and chuckled again.
"Neither the Marines nor the pirates will be able to control the unstoppable march of this new era!"
The pirates behind him were stunned, their faces showing shock, and for a long moment, no one could speak.
Teach stopped talking, but the expression on his face changed, shifting from a simple grin to a cold, eerie smile that exuded a sense of danger and dark menace.
A little while later, everyone aboard the Moby Dick was staring directly across the water at the Qin's Nation flagship.
The massive steel warship emitted a deafening "wooo" sound, like a roaring steel beast, whipping up a powerful wind as it advanced.
At the same time, the figures aboard the flagship became clearly visible to the Whitebeard Pirates, and their pupils immediately contracted in shock.
"King Ying Zheng!"
"Beast Kaido!"
"Destroyer World!"
"And that colossal man-of-war, Sanjuan Wolf the Evil Wolf!"
Each sighting caused the Whitebeard Pirates to tighten their gaze and feel their hearts race. This lineup, once feared, legendary Great Pirates and criminals, were all right here, visible in this very moment.
"Too… too terrifying!"
"This most ferocious king in history has gathered such a frightening group of villains!"
"Who could possibly stop him? Dad… can you?"
The Whitebeard Pirates fell into a tense, heavy silence. The enemy's lineup, their very presence, was simply overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard remained with his eyes closed, standing at the bow like a mountain, massive, steady, and utterly unyielding. The wind rustled his white robes quietly, exuding calm and awe-inspiring majesty.
"Hey, old man Whitebeard! We're all here, stop pretending to sleep!"
World, seated cross-legged at the bow of the enemy ship, shouted with a cold, mocking laugh.
This brazen outburst immediately angered the Whitebeard Pirates, and Marco shot back:
"An old man who plays with marbles should stay in Impel Down! Appearing in front of the captain, do you want to be sent to the bottom of the sea?"
World's face darkened, and he snapped angrily, "You---"
But before he could finish, Whitebeard, who had kept his eyes closed until now, suddenly snapped them open.
"Even at my age, I still get to see a bunch of familiar faces!"
(End of Chapter)
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