BZZZ!
A semicircular shockwave burst forth from the repelling force, blasting apart the towering waves above and raising a new tsunami that surged toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
Whitebeard quickly swung his arms again, releasing multiple shockwaves to counter the incoming tsunami, narrowly avoiding the threat of sinking his ship.
However, the show of force he had planned as a warning to the Navy had completely backfired. Worse still, it only boosted the Marines' morale.
"Admiral Shikiryū!"
The Marines below erupted in excitement the moment Kaito made his move, shouting his name in unison.
Kaito glanced to his right at Aokiji and said flatly,
"Kuzan, it's your turn."
There was a hint of command in his tone, but Aokiji didn't show the slightest discontent. He nodded, and in the next second, his figure vanished from the platform, turning into a mass of ice that landed on the sea.
The ice quickly reformed into Aokiji's shape as he pressed both hands against the ocean's surface and said solemnly,
"Ice Age."
The moment his words fell, the seawater began to freeze at a speed visible to the naked eye. The ice stretched outward until it reached the distant horizon.
Once finished, Aokiji looked toward the Moby Dick. It was clear he intended to make a move against Whitebeard.
But then, Kaito's voice rang in his ear.
"Come back. Charging in now would be meaningless."
Aokiji paused and turned his head to look up at Kaito on the high platform, then silently returned to his seat.
Kaito had recalled Aokiji because, at this moment, if he charged in, he'd only get blown to bits by Whitebeard—completely ineffective.
After all, Whitebeard's body hadn't yet deteriorated like it would in the years to come. At this stage, Aokiji stood almost no chance of succeeding.
...
Though Aokiji had returned, just like in the anime, there was still one person eager to test the power of the so-called "Strongest Man in the World."
Mihawk slowly drew the black blade Yoru from his back. Watching him, Kizaru pursed his lips and muttered,
"Looks like Hawk Eyes about to make his move."
And indeed, Mihawk did.
He swung a green flying slash at Whitebeard. As Kaito had predicted, the slash was intercepted—by Jozu.
Jozu's upper body had transformed into a shining mass of diamond. He grinned, clearly proud of his defense.
Seeing the smug grin on Jozu's face, Kaito raised an eyebrow. He reached into his coat, pulled out a Belly coin, and began tossing it lightly in his hand, before pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.
The flickering movement caught the attention of Akainu and the others. Their eyes were fixed on that seemingly ordinary coin in Kaito's hand, wondering what he was about to do.
BZZZ—
A high-pitched electrical buzz echoed out. Purple lightning arcs danced across the coin's surface. Kaito flicked his finger and muttered,
"Railgun."
BOOM!
The coin shot out in a flash of purple lightning, so fast that Jozu had no time to react. It struck him directly, launching him into the thick ice layer below.
The whole scene happened far too fast. All anyone heard was the piercing crackle of electricity—and then Jozu was just gone.
Whitebeard's expression turned grim. He bellowed,
"Get down there and bring Jozu back up!"
Several pirates immediately dove into the ice. Moments later, they dragged Jozu's charred, pitch-black body back to the surface.
Whitebeard rushed over to check on him, only to find that Jozu was barely breathing.
He urgently called for Marco to heal him with his blue flames. Thanks to the flames' restorative power, Jozu managed to cling to life by a thread.
Looking down at the battered and burned Jozu, Whitebeard could no longer suppress the fury boiling inside him. With a mighty leap, he landed on the frozen ocean surface.
A shimmering wave of energy wrapped around his naginata, Murakumogiri, as he gripped the handle with both hands and swung it with all his strength.
A massive crescent-shaped shockwave surged toward Kaito's location.
Fueled by Whitebeard's rage, this strike was even more terrifying than the previous tsunami. Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru instantly rose from their seats, raising their arms as if preparing to intercept it.
But then, Kaito suddenly vanished from his chair.
He appeared in midair, directly in the path of the oncoming shockwave.
Seeing this, Whitebeard's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
"Brat from the Navy, aren't you a little too confident?"
Under everyone's gaze, Kaito calmly reached out a single hand.
The giant shockwave slammed into his palm with a screeching wail, as though it had hit solid steel.
Kaito looked down at Whitebeard with a smile. Then his fingers clamped down tightly on the shockwave—and with a surge of power, it shattered like glass.
Silence.
Everyone had the same stunned expression, wide-eyed, staring in disbelief at Kaito suspended in the sky.
Even Whitebeard was shaken by the strength Kaito had just shown.
"You... what are you? A monster?" he muttered, stunned.
Kaito only chuckled in response, neither confirming nor denying it.
...
While Whitebeard stood frozen in shock, Kaito's body transformed into a flash of lightning and reappeared right above him.
The sudden appearance made Whitebeard's pupils contract. He immediately raised Murakumogiri in defense, sensing danger.
But Kaito was faster.
His lightning-charged leg carved a graceful arc through the air and slammed down onto the blade's handle.
A torrent of lightning exploded from the weapon's hilt, the massive impact launching Whitebeard deep into the frozen sea below.
Landing lightly on the ice, Kaito gazed at the smoking hole at his feet and calmly said,
"Speed is power. Ever been kicked by lightning?"
...
That scene struck terror into the hearts of every pirate aboard the Moby Dick.
Once they snapped out of it, they rushed to the railing and screamed down in unison,
"Pops!!!"
Elsewhere, Kizaru adjusted his tilted sunglasses and looked at Aokiji and Akainu.
"Do we even need to step in anymore?"
Aokiji was still dazed by what he'd just witnessed.
Akainu, on the other hand, was thrilled.
"Kaito did great!"
Higher up, Garp had his classic goofy expression, a long strand of snot trailing from his nose, neck stretched, looking utterly dumbfounded.
...
After a brief silence, the Marines erupted into thunderous cheers, like a tsunami crashing over the battlefield.
In stark contrast, the Whitebeard Pirates were as pale as corpses.
Kaito scanned the pirate ships in front of him.
Every pirate on board who met his Rinnegan gaze felt a bone-deep fear pierce into their very soul.
BZZZZZZ!
That paralyzing electric sound rang out again.
Kaito's right arm turned into lightning, aiming at several pirate ships ahead.
A few division commanders leapt off their vessels and charged at him—they knew if Kaito landed that strike, their ships would be obliterated. It was better to fight and die than do nothing.
Suddenly, a massive figure leapt from the smoking crater and landed in front of the charging commanders.
It was Whitebeard—he had returned.
Kaito didn't look surprised in the slightest. Arms crossed, he smirked and said with amusement,
"Still going strong in your old age, huh, Whitebeard?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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