BOOM!!!
As the first shockwave dissipated, several parts of the Moby Dick's railing were shattered. Both the Whitebeard Pirates and San Juan Wolf, who was swimming next to the ship, now had fresh wounds. However, for someone as thick-skinned as San Juan Wolf, they were nothing more than minor scrapes.
Hancock's face was marked with a dark line of fury as she raged, "What did that bastard Whitebeard do to my master?!"
Elder Nyon quickly stopped her. "Wait, Alucard isn't someone who can be taken out so easily. More importantly, Empress, look behind you first!"
Hearing Elder Nyon's words, Hancock froze and looked back. Her expression tightened as she saw that the shockwave had knocked many of her subordinates to their knees, while the younger ones were sprawled on the ground, with some even having fainted.
Hancock looked up at the great figure cloaked in white on the Moby Dick. "This Conqueror's Haki..."
While she was amazed by the power of Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki, Hancock also recognized the weakness of her own crew. Even though Haki was a required discipline for the Kuja, they still couldn't compare to the Whitebeard Pirates...
"Do you understand now, Empress? This isn't the time for you to blindly chase after men. If you want to survive in the New World, you must further strengthen your subordinates."
Elder Nyon's words were earnest and meaningful. This time, Hancock didn't retort or throw her away.
At the same time, on the Moby Dick, Marco and the others cried out in alarm as they saw Whitebeard, who was holding his naginata. "Pops!"
They weren't worried about who would win between Whitebeard and Alucard, but rather about Whitebeard's own health. The crew members all knew that behind that terrifying Conqueror's Haki lay a ticking time bomb within Whitebeard's body.
"What kind of pirate doesn't respond when a foe provokes them?!"
Whitebeard pulled out the last two huge needles connected to his right arm, raising his great naginata with a single hand. He spun the blade, creating a storm before slamming it down on the deck. "I am… Whitebeard!"
"Hehehehe…"
Alucard's face was filled with pure delight. He pulled out Jackal and Casull from his coat, pointing both guns at Whitebeard. "This is exactly how it should be! How could it be any other way?!"
"In that case, Pops, you don't need to fight him. We'll handle him!" Marco stepped forward, and Jozu and the others behind him immediately agreed.
"Yeah, that's right!"
"Leave it to us, Pops!"
Whitebeard hadn't even given a reply when two gigantic hands suddenly gripped the Moby Dick's hull on either side. San Juan Wolf's face, which resembled an upside-down radish, blocked out the sky as he said to Marco and the others, "Wait! Your opponent is supposed to be me!"
Marco gritted his teeth. "San Juan Wolf…"
Whitebeard glanced toward the Kuja on the shore. While the Empress was strong, judging by the fainted girls behind her, they were still too green. He then said, "For those little girls, our fight would be a bit too intense. How about we take this somewhere else?"
Whitebeard wasn't just trying to avoid involving the Kuja; he was also doing Alucard a favor. If the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit were unleashed, a single island couldn't withstand it.
"Wolf…" Alucard said plainly, uttering just a single word.
"Aye, Captain!" San Juan Wolf replied, grabbing the Moby Dick's stern with both hands and swimming away. Soon, they had left the waters of Amazon Lily.
"Master!!" Hancock cried out in worry as she watched the ships move away.
"Empress, take care of your people first. I told you, that man won't be defeated so easily. He and us are on a different level," Elder Nyon reminded her once more.
"Shut up!"
This time, Hancock had reverted to her usual self. She grabbed Elder Nyon by her hair and threw her into the sea. She was already flustered, and Elder Nyon's "help" had only made her angrier.
"Those who can still move, carry the injured back. They'll wake up soon from the Conqueror's Haki, anyway," Marigold directed.
'Our strength is still insufficient for the New World?' Sonia thought, crestfallen.
In reality, Elder Nyon had intended to humble the Kuja. In the New World, while the Kuja's strength wasn't top-tier, it was certainly respectable. However, in front of the Whitebeard Pirates, it was undeniably lacking.
They had to understand the gap between themselves and a world-class pirate crew because working under Alucard meant not only protection but also endless danger.
Meanwhile, after swimming about thirty miles away from Amazon Lily, San Juan Wolf finally stopped and said to Alucard, "Captain, is this far enough?"
"I'm tired of waiting. Come on, Edward Newgate!" Alucard yelled with both guns raised high in the air, his voice full of exhilaration.
"Gurararara! Kids these days are too cocky!"
Whitebeard slammed the ground with one hand, instantly sending Alucard flying to a solitary island a hundred meters away. Whitebeard then took a massive stride, his mighty, majestic body landing heavily across from Alucard, like an insurmountable giant.
A phantom of two primordial beasts, one white and one red, seemed to appear from the two men, facing off.
"Guraaa! Ahhhhh!"
Whitebeard roared and took a step forward, raising his naginata to attack with a thrust.
Alucard dodged the attack with a sidestep. Casull, the white gun, fired continuously. Whitebeard separated one hand from his weapon and punched the air, stopping the bullets mid-flight. As the space shattered around them, the bullets were sent flying elsewhere.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the ground as a shadow spread rapidly. Shadowy hands emerged and grabbed Whitebeard's legs, immobilizing him for a moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Casull took the opportunity to fire even more bullets. Whitebeard, in response, simply plunged his naginata into the earth next to him and raised both hands, making a gesture as if he were pulling on something.
Seeing this, Marco and the others cried out in alarm. "Pops is about to get serious! Hurry! Turn the ship to three o'clock!"