A powerful surge of thick, overwhelming lightning haki shot straight into the deep sky.
The fierce clash of the monsters instantly blew away the tables and chairs arranged on the deck.
The massive Moby Dick suddenly began to tremble violently, as if it could fall apart at any moment.
Members of the Whitebeard Pirates began collapsing in large numbers, foam spilling from their mouths.
Even the division captain-level fighters weren't all unscathed; the weaker ones were sweating, their faces pale, almost about to collapse to the ground.
"This kind of haki!!"
Vista clenched his jaw tightly.
Indeed, only someone on par with Pops could possess such an imposing aura!
This was not a fight they could participate in!
"Everyone, fall back a little!"
Marco shouted loudly, "Clear the area for Pops!"
At the same time, he called out, "Vista! Teach! Protect Moby Dick!"
Honestly, fighting Ian on this ship was never a good idea.
They were still dozens of nautical miles away from the nearest island.
If Moby Dick got damaged, it would be a huge disaster.
"Understood!"
Vista responded loudly, "Teach! Use your Armament Haki!"
"Got it!"
The hefty Blackbeard, Teach, didn't hesitate to agree.
After all, he was on this ship now.
Almost simultaneously, the three of them unleashed their Armament Haki, instantly reinforcing the entire Moby Dick. The massive ship was enveloped in a deep black aura.
Now, this ship could withstand the collision of two monsters without a scratch.
The clash of swords finally ended. Ian took a few steps back.
He looked up at the unyielding Whitebeard. "Impressive Haki!"
The Armament and Conqueror's Haki were not inferior to Kaido-sensei's at all!
Though his raw strength couldn't match Kaido, the immense destructive power from Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit made him even more formidable.
The world's strongest man was no joke.
Even now, Kaido-sensei could probably only match him evenly.
"You brat—"
Whitebeard's gaze toward Ian was filled with shock.
This was the first time he had fought against a kid like Ian.
So where did this monstrous strength come from?
Stronger even than Kaido? And he was only sixteen?
His Haki was so strong that he didn't seem like a kid at all!
Ian was truly someone worthy of standing on the same stage as Whitebeard.
"Ha!"
Whitebeard's shock lasted only for a moment before his left fist suddenly slammed into the air ahead.
The atmosphere shattered as countless spiderweb-like cracks spread out, accompanied by a powerful shockwave.
"This move won't work on me."
The flaming holy sword in Ian's hand suddenly turned bright red. With a casual swing, he sliced through the air, creating a massive vacuum in front of him.
The howling shockwave abruptly stopped and rushed past him from both sides.
"Watch out, Pops!"
Marco saw the black-and-red flames surrounding Ian's sword, enhanced by Haki, and shouted sharply, "That's the destructive Red Flame!"
He was the first to suffer under this move.
Jozu was also killed by this bastard's attack.
"Kururararara! Who do you think I am, Marco!"
Whitebeard laughed wildly and repeated his trick, throwing another punch through the air. The mighty shockwave surged again toward Ian.
"Hm?"
But Ian sensed something different this time.
"Whitebeard-san, you're so sneaky. Trying to trick me, huh?"
Ian chuckled lightly, raising his destructive sword to meet the incoming shockwave with its tip.
Though Whitebeard's two attacks looked the same, they were completely different in essence.
The first air shockwave was released, then infused with Haki, using air as the medium.
But this punch was essentially Whitebeard releasing a Haki shockwave first, then reinforcing it with a shockwave, using Haki itself as the medium.
That meant Ian could no longer simply destroy the air to create a vacuum and directly dispel the shockwave.
Truly a seasoned veteran—his mind moves swiftly.
But to think such an attack would hit me? That's impossible.
The roaring shockwave suddenly slammed against the sharp tip of the Flaming Sword.
Like a rushing river crashing into a reef standing firm in its center, no matter how furious the waves, they had to disperse around it at that moment.
Ian stood calmly, his Sword of Destruction parting a safe space for him like Moses splitting the sea.
"You brat!"
However, that safety didn't last long.
A massive naginata came slashing from the side, tearing through the air like a flash of lightning!
Red light flickered in Ian's eyes, but his body had already leapt up, instantly lunging before Whitebeard's huge head. Without mercy, he thrust the Sword of Destruction straight at the elder's skull.
"Foreseeing the future? Don't think you're the only one who can!!"
Whitebeard showed no fear and charged headfirst at Ian's crimson blade.
To be honest, he was the first person daring enough to block the destructive fire aimed at such a vital spot!
Ian's pupils shrank as he saw the future.
Buzz!!
The air vibrated.
Whitebeard's forehead darkened, an invisible shield formed by his wildly spreading Armament Haki.
Normally, even Whitebeard's Haki shouldn't be able to stop Ian's Sword of Destruction—just like with Kaido.
But now it was different. Whitebeard's Haki trembled!
The already intense Armanent Haki now shook at a terrifying, staggering frequency.
Ian could feel the Sword of Destruction shaking wildly in his hand, making it tremble as if afflicted with Parkinson's.
It wouldn't pierce through!
The Sword of Destruction hovered in midair. Just a few centimeters from Whitebeard's forehead, yet it couldn't go any further!
"Ha!!"
Whitebeard let out a furious roar, his right fist clenched tightly as he threw a powerful punch straight at Ian.
Ian, however, showed no fear. He drew his sword and stepped back, then kicked forward.
A surge of haki crackled like lightning, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Ian leapt upward, flapping his wings to hover in midair.
He looked down at Whitebeard, whose once dark forehead was gradually clearing. "Impressive, Whitebeard-san," he said.
Truly bold. Whitebeard had concentrated most of his haki in his forehead, creating an ultra-dense haki defense.
Combined with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, it actually blocked Ian's destructive sword.
But precisely because his haki was so focused, the power of his next punch was significantly weakened.
"However, Whitebeard-san," Ian smirked, vibrating his wings to rise even higher into the sky, "what will you do next?"
I can fly!
Holding the crimson sword high, brilliant red flames instantly shot skyward, forming a spectacular inverted river of fire. Ian seemed to grasp the source of the raging river itself.
"Burn the city to ashes!"
With a downward slash of the crimson sword, a roaring wave of red flames surged forward like a tsunami toward Moby Dick.
This was no ordinary fire. Ian had used Life Return to thicken the flames, then infused them with haki.
The fire had the consistency of molten lava — solid and deadly.
In the next moment, the entire Moby Dick would be reduced to ashes!
"It's so hot!!"
Vista was instantly drenched in sweat. Even before the flames had fallen, he felt as if he was about to be vaporized.
This guy was beyond monstrous!
"Pops!!"
Teach screamed out in alarm.
If that strike landed, he would probably be destroyed instantly, turned to ashes in a blink.
"Marco!!"
At that moment, Whitebeard shouted angrily.
"Coming, Pops!!"
In an instant, Marco transformed into a huge blue bird and swooped in. In a flash, he had grabbed Whitebeard's shoulders, and with a powerful flap of his wings, they soared into the sky together.
"Huh?"
Ian stared, surprised. "Can it do that?"
Whitebeard-san, where did you get a Dragon Slayer Mage?
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