Whitebeard had learned the general situation of Impel Down through the limited information Jinbe had relayed.
He had initially thought it was the result of luck, timing, and everyone working together.
But now, seeing Luffy in person, feeling that powerful aura that could be clearly perceived even from such a distance—
And seeing the people gathered around Luffy—
Whitebeard knew: this was no fluke!
This was the result of absolute strength!
Just moments ago, Luffy had directed a hint of hostility toward Whitebeard. The terrifying aura came rushing at him.
It was the kind of testing pressure that only occurred between strong fighters of the same level.
Looking at Whitebeard in the distance, Luffy said, "I heard Ace wants to help you become the Pirate King."
He paused, then continued, "If that's the case, we're rivals."
Rivals?
Rivalry between pirates wasn't exactly a friendly relationship.
Was this a declaration of war?
The battles between Marines and pirates had unconsciously come to a halt.
The prisoners huddled together, tears streaming down their faces. At a time like this, everyone needed to be friendly and united!
Thud!
Whitebeard slammed Murakumogiri down on the deck, producing a dull thud.
He looked Luffy up and down.
"So you've set your sights on the position of Pirate King now?"
Whitebeard's voice lowered. He smiled. "Interesting brat. I've heard your name from quite a few people."
His gaze lingered a moment on the straw hat atop Luffy's head. A deeper smile spread across his face.
"So? Do you want to prove to this old man right now that you have the qualifications to claim that position?"
"Yeah. That's what I was thinking."
Luffy nodded, without any modesty or retreat.
"Kurararara! Good!"
Whitebeard hadn't met someone this interesting in a long time. He laughed boldly. "Then after we get out of here, find some time and prove it to me properly!"
With one sentence, he elevated Luffy's status to a shocking degree.
One had to understand, as Whitebeard himself had said, there were countless pirates who wanted his head or wanted to challenge him.
But those pirates had to first get past his division commanders—proving they had the right to challenge an Emperor—before they could even stand before Whitebeard.
And now, Whitebeard had skipped all those steps and was treating Luffy as a rival on his own level!
A direct challenge—this was the highest form of recognition!
Watching the two men, separated by the ice field and the fleet, yet their presences faintly clashing, Doflamingo spread his arms and let out an excited, strange laugh:
"Fufufufufu! This is so exciting!"
Were they about to witness the transfer of power from the old king to the new? The coronation of a new monarch?!
"The most important thing right now is getting out of here."
Whitebeard scanned the surrounding Marines. "These guys are trouble."
"Well, they are trouble right now."
Luffy said, "But there's also an opportunity."
He looked at Whitebeard and grinned. "Don't you think there are too many people here?"
The Marines were constantly pouring onto the routes they needed to escape.
"Oh?"
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes. Then he clearly felt a restrained aura from Luffy begin to seep out little by little.
It wasn't otentatious, but it carried a king's presence that made even him take notice.
"Gurarara! Interesting brat."
Whitebeard laughed. He lifted Murakumogiri with one hand and rested it on his shoulder. "You're right. There are too many people here. They're making my ears hurt!"
"So let's test it out. Are you still up for it, old man?"
Luffy tilted his head, looking at Whitebeard. "If your body can't handle it now, forget it. I don't want to pick on the elderly."
"Brat!"
Whitebeard's eyes widened. A terrifying presence, like something solid, pressed down. "Who do you think I am?!"
"I know exactly who you are!"
Luffy showed no weakness. He glared right back!
Their gazes met in the air. It seemed like sparks were flying!
"Damn it, these two!"
Sengoku instantly understood what they were about to do. His expression changed dramatically. He immediately reached for the Den Den Mushi to give orders.
But it was too late.
Hum!
Two completely different yet equally terrifying presences erupted from Luffy and Whitebeard.
Behind Whitebeard, pitch-black Conqueror's Haki—dark as an abyss, devouring everything—shot up into the sky, dyeing half the heavens a deep ink-black!
Behind Luffy, dark red Conqueror's Haki—like boiling magma interwoven with leaping lightning—also surged violently outward, dyeing the other half of the sky red!
These two Conqueror's Hakis—one representing the peak of the old era, the other the strength of the new—collided violently.
In an instant, heaven and earth lost their color!
Centered on the point of collision, the visible dark red and pitch-black Conqueror's Hakis intertwined like a frenzy. Massive bolts of black-red lightning, like madly dancing dragons, spread wantonly across the sky.
Marines and pirates who were a little too close felt their eardrums rupture. Blood flowed from their ears.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's come to this already?"
Aokiji looked up. His expression was grave.
Crack!
Above them, the thick, low-hanging clouds—under the impact of these two extreme forces of Haki clashing—were forcibly torn apart.
A massive gash appeared across the sky!
"M-Monsters!"
"The sky split?!"
"Is this the Conqueror's Haki of the World's Strongest Man and the Fifth Emperor?!"
Countless Marine soldiers looked up at the split sky, feeling the terrifying presence pressing down on them like divine punishment. The blood drained from their faces. Their eyes filled with primal fear!
Even many seasoned Marine officers were now struggling to breathe. Their hands and feet were cold.
"Garp. Is this your grandson's potential?" Vice Admiral Tsuru looked toward Garp's position. He hadn't gotten up yet.
"Jihahaha! Terrifying, kid!"
At the edge of the Conqueror's Haki collision, Golden Lion's long hair and coat were blown wildly about by the raging winds. But he laughed with excitement.
This era wasn't bad at all!
Crocodile's expression was grave.
Straw Hat's Conqueror's Haki had already grown to the point where it could hold its own against Whitebeard's?
No—at least in terms of sheer volume, Whitebeard still had the advantage.
But the quality of Luffy's Conqueror's Haki—its vibrant, infinite, seemingly endless potential for growth and possibility—sent chills down the spines of every perceptive strong fighter.
"The same Conqueror's Haki as Pops?!"
The Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders gasped. They watched in shock as that dark red Haki stood its ground against Pops.
Marco looked at Whitebeard with concern.
He knew Pops's physical condition. Unleashing Conqueror's Haki at this level and clashing with it took an enormous toll.
Now was not the time for Pops to be using Conqueror's Haki so freely.
Many of the weaker Marines and pirates were already collapsing in droves like cut wheat.
Then, the collision stopped abruptly.
The dark red and pitch-black Hakis receded like the tide.
The gash in the sky remained a shocking sight, but the suffocating pressure was gone.
Luffy exhaled.
Clashing with Conqueror's Haki at this level was terrifyingly draining.
Whitebeard's expression didn't change. He relaxed his hands.
It was Luffy who had actively withdrawn his Haki.
Otherwise, Whitebeard's stamina might not have held out.
The young people of today were truly terrifying.
"Old man, after we get out, you're buying me a drink," Luffy said with a grin.
"Gurararara! Interesting brat. You've got a deal!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily. "That hat really suits you."
The brief exchange ended.
Thanks to the clearing out just now, the number of Marines still standing on the ice plain had decreased by at least thirty percent!
Those who had fainted were the ones with less resolve.
Likewise, on the pirates' side—including many Impel Down escapees—many had collapsed as well.
The effect was significant.
Apart from the Marines' top combatants, their 100,000 elite soldiers were their most effective tool for dealing with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even with a one percent chance, if even a single bullet could hit Whitebeard's body, that would be a success.
A terminally ill old man's body couldn't take much.
"Now is not the time for you to be chatting!" Sengoku said angrily.
With two roars—
An unusually large Marine giant Vice President appeared, wielding a massive blade the size of a door, charging at Luffy!
Another giant Vice President roared and swung his blade at Whitebeard on the bow of the Moby Dick.
"Get lost!"
"In the way!"
Whitebeard didn't even move his feet. He just clenched his empty left fist. The muscles in his arm bulged. A white orb instantly covered his fist. He threw a casual punch at the giant's incoming blade.
Thud!
The moment fist and blade met, the power of the Gura Gura no Mi activated.
Crack!
The fine steel giant blade shattered like glass, inch by inch. The terrifying shockwave traveled up the blade into the giant Vice Admiral's massive body.
Whitebeard leaped up, grabbed the giant Vice Admiral's head, and activated the Gura Gura no Mi again, shattering the decorative horned helmet on his head.
The giant Vice Admiral screamed and his eyes rolled back.
Whitebeard casually tossed him aside.
Facing the charging giant Vice President, Luffy shifted his footing slightly and easily dodged the powerful but somewhat clumsy swing.
Then, in the moment the giant Vice President couldn't retract his blade in time, Luffy raised his foot and gently stepped on the massive blade.
"Slow."
Luffy looked at the giant Vice Admiral. "Just relying on strength won't work."
That seemingly light step made the giant Vice President feel as if a mountain had pressed down on his blade. No matter how hard he roared and strained, the blade wouldn't move an inch.
"I-I can't move?!"
The giant Vice Admiral was horified.
What kind of terrifying strength was this?
Luffy casually swung the black blade Magi, resting on his shoulder, backward. The blade didn't even touch the giant Vice President's body—it just created a condensed gust of wind.
Thud!
The giant Vice President's mountain-like body was struck hard. The armor on his chest instantly caved in.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His massive body lifted off the ground, flew in an arc, and crashed heavily into the broadside of another warship in the distance, leaving a dent in the thick hull. Then he slid onto the ice, his fate unknown.
In just one exchange, two powerful Marine giant Vice Admirals—one unconscious, one severely injured—had been completely taken out of the fight!
This sight made the already demoralized Marines, after the Conqueror's Haki clearing, even more terrified!
So this was the power of an Emperor?
"Snap out of it, all of you!"
Sengoku was furious. His voice rang across the battlefield through the Den Den Mushi. "The advantage is still on our side!
That's just a terminally ill old man and a brat who just set sail!
Justice will prevail!"
"Gurarara. You sure know how to talk, Sengoku." Whitebeard sneered.
His words did have an effect.
The Marines here were all elites after all. Some had already woken up from their stupor.
Some of the stronger officers and soldiers, those with greater resolve, forced down their fear and regrouped, roaring as they launched another attack.
And at the same time, the Marines' strongest forces began to move.
The Admirals were finally showing their true terror!
"How terrifying~ But now seems like a good opportunity.
Not on guard against me, Whitebeard? It seems you're getting old."
Kizaru's body dispersed into countless dazzling golden photons, rising into the air. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his tone still slow and drawling.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
The next second, countless brilliant, massive light bullets burst from his body like a golden storm, raining down on Whitebeard at the bow of the Moby Dick.
Cut off the head, and the body would fall.
His target was clear.
"Don't underestimate us, Kizaru!"
Blue phoenix flames shot into the sky!
Marco transformed into his phoenix form. Spreading his wings like a most solid shield, he positioned himself between Whitebeard and the light bullets.
Boom, boom, boom!
The light bullets slammed into the phoenix flames, causing continuous violent explosions. Flames and golden light intertwined, dyeing that area of the sky a color of destruction.
"Arara. The Whitebeard Pirates are monsters too." Kizaru instinctively raised a hand in front of his face.
Marco was already in front of him. He kicked out. "Don't be ridiculous, you monster."
Watching this, Whitebeard slammed Murakumogiri into the deck and clenched his fists, positioning them at his sides in a posture that made the entire world tremble.
"My sons!"
Whitebeard's voice—like a war drum—beat against the hearts of every Whitebeard Pirate.
"Cut a bloody path and bring Ace back to the sea!"
"Raaaaaah!!"
The pirates let out a roar like a mountain torrent.
Whitebeard smiled. "Let's all go home together!"
His fists, wrapped in white orbs, then hammered into the air at his sides.
Thud. Thud.
Two dull sounds rang out.
Like the sound of knocking upon the very walls of the world.
Centered on Whitebeard's fists, the atmosphere cracked!
Crack!
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Terrifying cracks, like a shattered mirror, spread crazily from the points of impact.
Wherever the cracks passed, space twisted, producing a sound that made the scalp crawl.
An indescribable force spread along those cracks to the seas on either side of the ice plain.
"Sp-Space is being shattered?!"
The Marines were horified.
"Look at the sea!"
"No—it's a seaquake!"
Under countless horified gazes, at the edges of the sea on either side of the ice plain—which Aokiji had frozen—the thick ice exploded. Seawater, as if violently churned by an invisible giant hand, formed giant columns of water larger than the Marines' largest warships.
"So this is the World's Strongest Man's power?" Mihawk watched the scene and murmured to himself.
With a wave of his hand, he brought about a natural disaster!
In his first move, Whitebeard showed the world what it meant to be the World's Strongest Man.
"So that's the old man's ability?"
Luffy looked up, excited. "That's not bad at all."
No wonder this man had stood at the top of the sea for decades!
"A bunch of complete monsters."
Aokiji looked up, glanced at the water columns around him, and his face remained expressionless. "We'll proceed with Sengoku's plan."
There would be heavy casualties.
But fighting a naval battle against the Whitebeard Pirates—with Whitebeard himself present—was the stupidest choice.
The Marines all knew that man's abilities.
The warships would all be swallowed by the tsunamis.
That left only one option.
Aokiji leaped lightly into the air, spread his
arms, and exhaled cold air.
"Ice Age."
Absolute cold erupted from Aokiji. The water columns froze into ice.
Starting from the top, crystalline ice spread downward at a visible speed.
In just a few breaths, even the outer seas had frozen over, extending all the way to the Gate of Justice.
If they couldn't have a naval battle, they would fight a close-quarters battle.
"Gurarara. Aokiji, you brat, you've grown into quite a monster too."
Whitebeard glanced up.
"Not as much as you, old monster."
Aokiji exhaled a stream of cold air.
"Sakazuki!"
Sengoku looked to the other side.
"Hmph. Filthy pirates."
Akainu Sakazuki, wearing a red suit and an Admiral's coat, had somehow already taken his place at the very front of the fleet.
His expression was grim. His gaze swept over Luffy, Ace, and Whitebeard on the Moby Dick. His eyes showed undisguised disgust and killing intent.
"All of you—turn to ash."
He slowly raised his fists. His arms instantly transformed into a searing, molten, constantly dripping magma form!
"Dai Funka!"
He punched both fists toward the sky!
Boom! Boom!
Two enormous magma fists shot into the air. After reaching a height, they exploded!
"Ryusei Kazan!"
The exploding magma fists split into countless magma meteors trailing red tails—like apocalyptic meteor showers—raining down indiscriminately on the ice plain battlefield and the Moby Dick.
The sky was dyed red!
The scorching heat made the air twist. The ice began to melt.
The Admirals were finally going all out!
And for Luffy and Ace, from their position on the ice plain to the Moby Dick, the path was still filled with dense Marine elites, powerful Vice Admirals, and the watching Seven Warlords of the Sea.
It wouldn't be easy to get through.
Luffy could ask Golden Lion to use his ability to fly everyone out—but he would need things to stand on.
Apart from chunks of ice, Marine warships were the most ideal.
But—
"Jihahaha. Don't look at me like that, Sengoku."
Golden Lion locked eyes with Sengoku on the warship. "I haven't seen such a lively scene in years. I'm not leaving so easily."
Sengoku said coldly, "Then you and Whitebeard can die here."
The remnants of the Rocks Pirates needed to be eliminated one by one.
Golden Lion was also a madman. Of all people, he was the least likely to leave this war.
Besides, it was already impossible for Whitebeard to leave the quagmire of this war—not as long as his sons were still here!
***
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