Under the force of Whitebeard's full-powered shockwave, the atmosphere itself split apart.
With terrifying destructive power pounding against him, Orin was sent flying skyward at supersonic speed.
His body tumbled uncontrollably, rapidly ascending until he reached the height of the clouds.
At the very peak of his flight, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, Orin suddenly curled his mouth into a savage grin.
He twisted his body mid-air, reversing his momentum, and began plummeting back toward the ground.
"This really hurts, Whitebeard..."
"I'll return the favor with one punch of my own!"
...
On the desolate island below, Whitebeard stood, panting heavily, supporting himself with his naginata, Murakumogiri, thrust into the ground to recover his strength.
But then, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming sense of danger.
"Damn it..."
Raising his head toward the sky, the prickling sensation at his scalp made him instinctively recall a certain iron-fisted brat.
From within the clouds, a blinding cross-shaped sun slowly emerged, forming in the hands of the youth descending from above.
"The era has changed!!!"
Orin's lips stretched into a wild grin, his crimson eyes burning like blood-red embers.
"Whitebeard!!!"
"This era belongs to the one called — [Black Emperor]!!!"
Time flows.
A new king rises.
The old titans of the seas begin to fade away.
BOOM!!!
From the colossal cross-shaped light, layer upon layer of space began to collapse inward. The blazing sun that would never set came crashing down from the heavens, pressing toward the earth!
"Galaxy Impact!!!"
Hearing Orin's audacious declaration, Whitebeard froze for a moment, then clenched his jaw tight. His arm muscles bulged explosively as he gripped his weapon, channeling a shockwave into his fist.
"Quit spouting nonsense!!!"
"My era... hasn't ended yet!!!"
Conqueror's Haki Infusion combined with the Quake-Quake power as Whitebeard thrust his massive fist skyward!
HUMMMM—!!!
CRACK!!! CRACK!!! CRACK!!!
"You've gotta be kidding me?!"
"Brace the ships!!!"
"This power... the entire island's going to sink!!!"
A blinding burst of light engulfed the battlefield, the force so great that the island itself began shattering apart.
The combined shock obliterated the view in the center of the battlefield completely, while the unleashed aftershocks nearly sent both the Oro Jackson and the Moby Dick to a watery grave!
WHOOSH—!!!
At the critical moment, a massive emerald-green slash tore through the air, cleaving the oncoming debris into dust.
Above, a colossal phoenix spread its wings wide, shielding the fleet below by smashing apart massive boulders and uprooted trees with its own body.
The sea roared violently as the giant island was utterly shattered, its landmass collapsing under the destructive clash. Countless chunks of land sank beneath the waves, swallowed instantly by the ocean's fury.
At the very center of the battlefield, however, the energy was so intense that even seawater couldn't flow in — the moment it approached, it instantly evaporated into steam.
...
Mihawk pressed his hat down with one hand, his solemn gaze fixed firmly on the island's center.
He could feel it — this battle was far from over.
Even the sky above was chaotic, as News Coo's live-feed birds darted back and forth, narrowly avoiding massive chunks of flying debris while keeping the cameras locked on the battlefield.
Countless eyes around the world were glued to the scene.
As the dust slowly cleared, two towering figures emerged from within the devastation, standing tall and unyielding.
"This..."
Inside the newsroom, Morgans braced himself against his desk, his sharp avian eyes locked on the feed.
When he finally saw the two figures clearly, he inhaled sharply—
SSSHHHHH!!!
Bloodshot veins erupted in his eyes, his beak twisting into a feral grin.
Grabbing the nearest subordinate by the collar, the news-obsessed Morgans roared with a near-maniacal intensity:
"Right now!!! IMMEDIATELY!!! Broadcast this to the entire world!!!"
"The headline will read..."
"'Clash of the World's Strongest Men — Black Emperor VS Whitebeard!!!'"
"Y-Yes, sir!!!"
Morgans was trembling with excitement, his dream finally realized — he could broadcast this to the world!!!
His subordinates scrambled to connect every transponder snail — plaza lines, news feeds, private connections for subscribers across the globe.
And then, without warning, shimmering light screens began projecting the broadcast across every corner of the world.
The Four Seas.
Paradise.
The New World.
Even Fishman Island and Mary Geoise.
From public squares to private homes, countless Morgans subscribers everywhere now saw the same feed.
"Oi!!! Look at this!!!"
"A sudden news alert! What's going on?!"
"Looks like two monsters are fighting!!!"
...
Inside a special chamber, a CP0 agent adjusted the transponder snail while even the Elders themselves sat on a sofa, transfixed by the unprecedented live broadcast.
"Morgans, that lunatic... he's actually live-streaming this battle?"
"Could it be..."
When the smoke finally cleared on-screen, revealing the two combatants, the Elders' pupils shrank instantly, their faces frozen in shock.
"Orin... he..."
"He's actually winning!!!"
...
As the broadcast spread, the entire world erupted in chaos.
In the very heart of the battlefield, Orin stood unscathed on the right, his long hair flowing wildly in the wind.
On the opposite side, Whitebeard's body was drenched in blood, deep gashes carved into his chest and back, and even his iconic mustache had been shattered in half.
The entire sea boiled over in uproar!!!
"No way!!! That's the Black Emperor fighting Whitebeard — the gap's this huge?!"
"Oi oi oi, this is insane!!! How can he come out without a single scratch against Whitebeard?!"
...
"Gulp..."
Many powerful figures watching the live stream swallowed hard, cold sweat dripping down their temples as they came to terms with reality.
This era...
Perhaps it truly belongs to the Black Emperor!!!
The global uproar reached its peak!
Once, when people said the Black Emperor's title surpassed even the Four Emperors, many scoffed, insisting Kaido and Big Mom could rival Whitebeard's power.
But now — the name 'Black Emperor' stood unchallenged, in a league of its own!!!
"Listen up, boys!!! Celebrate my dear friend Orin's glorious victory — it's party time!!!"
"To think that guy could push the Whitebeard Pirates' captain this far... damn impressive, kid..."
"Today, the entire Golden City's entertainment is FREE for everyone!!!"
Every person tied to Orin began popping champagne in wild celebration, completely oblivious to the pale exhaustion hidden on Orin's face.
Of course...
The toll was immense.
In truth, his injuries weren't much lighter than Whitebeard's — the unscathed appearance came at the cost of enormous stamina.
Purely in raw strength, Orin lagged just slightly behind. But if he abandoned restraint and fought dirty, he could still seize victory.
Breathing heavily, Orin silently assessed the situation, his calculations steady and precise.
Whitebeard, across from him, wasn't in good shape either. His unyielding will and monstrous power were the only things keeping him on his feet.
"Looks like we won't be deciding the winner today, Whitebeard."
Orin dispersed the surging seawater threatening to flood the battlefield, letting out a quiet sigh.
This damn island... it couldn't take another clash like that.
"..."
Whitebeard leaned on his naginata, his weary gaze sweeping over the encroaching tsunamis being held at bay.
He didn't want to take advantage of Orin while he was dividing his focus. Winning like that wouldn't be honorable.
Besides... deep down, he knew.
He couldn't take down this kid anymore.
After a brief silence, he came to a decision.
"In that case..."
The two men locked eyes across the ruined battlefield.
"Let's end it here." ×2