Thank you all so much for your support!!
<><><><><><>
Sorry for the late update!!
<><><><><><>
Dressrosa.
Doflamingo stood at his window, gazing out at the sea. "A storm is coming."
...
Whole Cake Island.
"Mamamama... a tea party..." Big Mom was singing and dancing with her homies, eagerly awaiting her tea party.
...
Marineford.
The lights were on. Sengoku, Borsalino, Tsuru, Gion, and Tokikake, all the top brass of the Marines, were gathered, listening to a live broadcast from Vice Admirals Doll at G-14 and Momonga at G-1.
...
Alabasta, Rainbase.
Crocodile was not asleep. He sat in his chair, his hands clasped, his elbows on his desk, his eyes fixed on the Den Den Mushi.
'Whitebeard... can he win against that man who is even more of a monster?'
He couldn't help but remember the day he had challenged Whitebeard and had been so utterly, hopelessly defeated.
If he had known Jin was going to challenge Whitebeard, he would have been there. He would have shown Whitebeard that he hadn't given up, that he was still preparing to defeat him.
...
Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle.
The Five Elders were also awake. And with them was another man, the current commander of the God's Knights, Saint Figarland Garling.
The news of Jin's challenge to Whitebeard had reached them. They could not ignore a battle of this magnitude.
In fact, Sengoku had only agreed to let Jin use G-5 as a battlefield because the Five Elders had given their permission.
They, too, wanted to see what Jin was capable of.
Would he be defeated?
Or would he take Whitebeard's head and make a name for himself overnight?
"If he can survive a defeat," one of them said, "we can grant him a holy name, make him a Celestial Dragon, and recruit him into the God's Knights."
"And if he wins..." another said, "then we will have to be very careful. If he becomes another Rocks..."
—————————
At G-5, before the fight had even begun, Jin had known that this battle would change the future. It would draw the attention of the Five Elders, of Imu, of the God's Knights.
But he hadn't hesitated.
Why?
Any man who aimed for the top, when faced with the strongest man in the world, who could resist the urge to test their blade?
If you want to take the world, you have to have the courage to draw your sword.
When it was time to be cautious, Jin was cautious. But when it was time to draw his sword, he did not hesitate.
Besides, given Whitebeard's physical condition, the chances to have an all-out battle with him like this were few and far between. It would have been a shame to miss it.
Jin leaped and brought his sword down in a powerful slash. Whitebeard blocked it, and the two blades screeched, sparks flying.
They had moved from the ships to the island, and the force of their blows kept everyone else hundreds of meters away.
"GURARARARA..." Whitebeard laughed, looking at the impossibly young man who now stood before him. He was reminded of the old days, of his clashes with Roger and Shiki.
"It brings back memories."
Even Whitebeard, who never admitted defeat, had to acknowledge that with age and his failing health, he no longer had the same indomitable spirit he once had. He had begun to rely on his sons to handle things.
But now, the hot blood, the will to fight, the spirit that had lain dormant within him, was reawakening, supporting his aging body.
They traded blows, their blades a blur of motion.
A sense of admiration began to grow in Whitebeard's heart.
"Hey, kid," he asked, "what's your goal?"
"My goal? The world, of course," Jin replied without hesitation, his aura flaring.
THUD!
Whitebeard braced himself against the prow of a ship, his feet cracking the ground.
"The world?" A sharp glint entered his eyes. He laughed. "GURARARARA... it's been a long time since I've heard that. It really makes me wish I wasn't so old. Alright then, let's have one last good brawl! But don't get cocky, kid! The path to the top is not so easy."
Whitebeard swung his Murakumogiri, and a white sphere of energy appeared at the tip of the blade. It crashed down, and the very sky seemed to crack.
The Paramecia Gura Gura no Mi.
Transparent cracks, like a spiderweb, spread through the air.
The air shattered, the sky broke, the sea trembled, the earth split. The power was terrifying.
Faced with this attack, Jin sheathed his sword.
Whitebeard was surprised.
Could it be...?
"That's right," Jin said, his stance firm, his presence radiating an unshakeable confidence. "My strongest weapon is my fists."
He met the Murakumogiri with his bare hands.
His fist, wreathed in Haki, shot forward, a brilliant light erupting from it, an unparalleled force that sent a shockwave blasting out in all directions.
The punch broke the sound barrier, the air cracking, and an endless torrent of Haki dyed the sky red.
The sheer force of it made everyone's hearts tremble.
For a moment, Whitebeard thought he saw Garp's shadow.
The fist and the blade collided.
Shockwaves of force and vibration radiated outward.
The air exploded, the sound deafening. The sky was torn apart, the dust and smoke swirling.
The island itself was shaking. The spectators all retreated. And the two men at the center of the storm were both sent flying back.
"Kid!" Whitebeard roared, planting his Murakumogiri in the ground. He raised his fists, and waves of vibration began to emanate from them.
The veins on his arms bulged, the power of his prime surging through him.
Transparent cracks spread out from him in all directions, and the trees, the cannons, the rocks... everything was shattered.
He swung his fists down.
Jin's hair whipped around his face, his eyes blazing. A brilliant blue light erupted from his body, and he was transformed into a being of pure lightning.
He didn't need "despair" as a catalyst.
He had become a thunder god, a being of pure electricity, the light from his body blinding.
"I was lying," he said. "My fruit is just as strong."
He threw a punch.
Lightning flashed, and thunder rolled.
The two fists collided, the power of the quake meeting the power of the thunder. They were locked in a stalemate, their power flowing into each other.
Jin's elemental body began to crack.
Whitebeard was also taking damage.
Lightning arcs danced across his skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the air, and blood began to trickle from his mouth.
<><><><><><>
~ 80 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
~# Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~# Add to Library!