Filled with boundless fury and killing intent, Whitebeard sought to execute Blackbeard before his own death—to avenge Thatch.
Yet, facing the enraged strike of the world's strongest man—
Blackbeard showed not a trace of fear.
Instead, he burst into wild laughter.
"Zehahahaha! Old man, you still don't know what power I stole when I killed Thatch, do you?"
"Good! Today, I'll show you the might of the strongest Devil Fruit—the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
Black smoke began to seep from Blackbeard's body.
The ground beneath his feet was swallowed by a layer of blackness.
The Dark-Dark Fruit was mysterious—
Capable of creating a gravity-like void that devoured everything.
But its most terrifying ability—
Was nullifying other Devil Fruit powers.
Blackbeard raised his hand, swirling black mist toward Whitebeard's quake-covered fist.
"Black Vortex!"
Buzz—
The quake force that could shatter the air—
Was absorbed into the darkness and vanished.
Whitebeard's pupils contracted in shock.
Blackbeard grew even more arrogant.
"See that, old man? This is the power I wield now!"
"Your Tremor-Tremor Fruit means nothing before my darkness! Zehahahaha!"
He threw his head back in laughter.
It felt incredible.
All the humiliation he had suffered at Luo Xing's hands—
Was finally being released.
As Whitebeard struck again—
Blackbeard absorbed the quake force once more, even landing a hit on Whitebeard's jaw.
At that point, he was practically dancing with pride.
"Zehahahaha! Look at you now, old man—how pitiful! How tragic!"
"I used to admire you so much… but you're finished!"
"Your era is over!"
"The future belongs to me—Blackbeard!!"
But in that moment of arrogance—
Whitebeard calmly tossed his bisento, Murakumogiri, into the air.
Then he struck again with quake power.
Blackbeard absorbed it easily—
Growing even more careless.
And then—
Murakumogiri fell.
Whitebeard caught it midair, spun it—
And slashed down.
In Blackbeard's stunned gaze—
The blade cut deep into his chest.
"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts!!"
Blackbeard screamed, rolling on the ground.
"Arrogance… and recklessness… are your greatest weaknesses, Teach!"
Whitebeard stepped forward.
He pinned Blackbeard's hands underfoot—
And seized his throat with one massive hand.
Quake force gathered once more.
Fear flooded Blackbeard's eyes.
He begged desperately:
"D-Don't kill me, old man! I'm your son!"
This was Blackbeard.
A man who would do anything for his ambitions—
Endure humiliation, ambush, betray, assassinate, beg—
Whatever it took.
Many despised such a person.
Yet ironically—
People like him often gained the most.
Sometimes, they even became the final victors.
But his flaw—
Was his arrogance.
His tendency to lose himself in triumph.
If not for Whitebeard's strength already being nearly exhausted—
Blackbeard might have truly died here.
BOOM!
The earth shook violently.
Whitebeard's strength—
Was finally spent.
Blackbeard, battered and bleeding, survived.
Enraged and humiliated, he ordered his crew to attack together.
"Kill him! Finish off this old relic!"
Gunfire, blades, and attacks rained down upon Whitebeard.
And yet—
He still stood.
When Blackbeard and his men were left gasping for breath—
Whitebeard remained upright.
Even—
Able to speak.
Blackbeard staggered back, terrified.
"Y-You… you're a monster…"
Whitebeard no longer looked at him.
He no longer had the strength to kill him.
Instead—
He turned his gaze toward Sengoku.
"Sengoku… you and the World Government… have always feared it, haven't you?"
"That great war… destined to engulf the entire world!"
Sengoku trembled.
"Whitebeard! You're dying—what are you trying to say?!"
"Gurararara…"
Whitebeard grinned.
"The 'D' clan… are the enemies of the gods. Roger once told me their secret."
"But your enemies… are not just them."
"There's also Kaido's son-in-law—Luo Xing."
"That unpredictable man."
The newspapers had already spread across Marineford.
Whitebeard knew everything Luo Xing had done.
Destroying Impel Down.
Seizing Sabaody.
It was clear—
That man intended to ignite a full-scale war against the World Government.
His actions were faster—
More ruthless—
Than even the D clan.
Something even Roger himself had never achieved.
Combined with Luo Xing's earlier miraculous inventions—
Even Whitebeard couldn't help but admire him.
What a terrifying young man.
Sengoku clenched his fists tightly.
How could he not understand the gravity of the situation?
Even if the Marines won this war—
They would still face an unprecedented threat.
Impel Down destroyed.
Sabaody lost.
Their authority had fallen to its lowest point in 800 years.
Sengoku could already foresee—
Once this war ended—
The Five Elders would order him to reclaim Sabaody at any cost.
Another massive war was inevitable.
Even Sengoku—
A man who had weathered countless storms—
Felt utterly exhausted.
As for that coming battle—
He had no confidence at all.
The forces under Luo Xing alone were terrifying enough.
A legion of the worst criminals.
An undead army.
Top-tier fighters like Zoro, Enel, Shiryu, Jinbe, Avalo Pizarro, Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, Sanjuan Wolf—
And even the monstrous Oars.
And if that wasn't enough—
Luo Xing could use the Anywhere Door to summon Kaido, Big Mom, the Calamities, the Flying Six…
How could such a war even be fought?
Sengoku had no answer.
Only a splitting headache and deep fatigue.
Whitebeard, seeing this, couldn't help but feel a trace of amusement.
Though he had clashed with Kaido many times—
For some reason—
He admired Luo Xing.
Perhaps—
This was the mutual recognition between great figures.
"Roger… perhaps even you couldn't have imagined it."
"That in the era after yours… a young man not of the D clan would arise…"
"And shake the entire world."
"Gurararara… what direction the future will take…"
"I'm truly curious…"
Whitebeard thought silently.
Then—
He drew in one final breath.
And spoke his last words to the world:
"The One Piece… is real!!!"
Thus—
Edward Newgate, the strongest man in the world—
A rival to the Pirate King—
A man without ambition for the throne, who only cherished his family—
Fell.
The countless scars on his chest—
And the unmarked back that never fled from battle—
Were the greatest proof of his legend.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Jinbe broke down in tears.
Even Luo Xing fell silent.
He respected true great figures—
Like Zephyr…
And like Whitebeard.
Whitebeard's life bore no stain.
A man who upheld his beliefs to the very end.
He wielded the most terrifying power in the world—
Yet carried the gentlest love for his family.
A tiger's heart—
With a rose's tenderness.
Perhaps that described him best.
Luo Xing watched as Whitebeard passed.
And murmured:
"An era has ended."
"A new one will rise… upon its ruins."
"Celestial Dragons… Five Elders… Imu…"
"Can you hear it?"
"Your funeral bell has already begun to toll."
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