After the light dissipated, what appeared before everyone was Shanks encased in ice like a frozen statue.
Laffitte and the others were overjoyed at the sight. Teach wore a vicious grin, convinced that the freezing weapon that stinking cat had made was surprisingly effective.
Naturally, he would not miss such a rare opportunity.
He immediately unleashed a powerful Tremor Punch at Shanks.
The space around Shanks shattered like glass, followed by a series of cracking sounds as countless ice fragments scattered through the air.
However, the joy on Teach's crew's faces vanished instantly.
The shattered ice was nothing more than a thin layer covering Shanks's body.
Meanwhile, the smile seemed to transfer directly onto Shanks's face.
With his level of Haki, how could he possibly be frozen so easily?
He had merely been curious and decided to play along for a moment.
The instant he realized Shanks was completely unharmed, Teach felt a chill run down his spine.
Just moments ago, he had been praising the freezing weapon in his heart. Now he was cursing it as a worthless piece of junk.
Shanks noticed Teach's two rows of missing teeth and immediately recalled the scene years ago when Buggy kicked Teach square in the face.
A grin appeared on his lips.
His figure shot into the sky.
With one hand, he grabbed the freezing weapon's barrel and ripped it away effortlessly.
Before Teach could retreat, Shanks's fist smashed heavily into his face.
Bang!
Teach let out a miserable scream as several bloody teeth flew from his mouth.
Without even sparing the weapon another glance, Shanks casually tossed it into the sea.
Then his fists came down like a storm.
Punch after punch crashed into Teach's body.
Blood sprayed continuously from Teach's mouth as he suffered a merciless beating.
The sight was so brutal that it made everyone's scalp tingle.
Yet Laffitte and the others could do nothing.
The difference in strength between them and Shanks was simply too vast.
It was an insurmountable gap.
Fortunately, Teach's durability was monstrous.
Despite enduring so many heavy blows from Shanks, he remained conscious.
Not only that, he could still use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to launch counterattacks.
At this point, Teach had completely entered a desperate life-or-death state.
He fought Shanks head-on in close combat high above the sea.
Unfortunately, after only a few exchanges, Shanks's fist struck him squarely once again.
Teach crashed onto the deck below like a meteor.
The force of the impact nearly punched a hole straight through the ship.
When Teach emerged again, his body had already undergone a dramatic transformation through the power of the Munch-Munch Fruit.
He had entered his so-called Bodybuilder Form.
Unfortunately for him, when compared to Shanks's Divine Dragon Form, the transformation looked pitifully insignificant.
Like a skinny stray dog standing before a true dragon.
Still, the form significantly enhanced Teach's physical abilities in every aspect.
When he charged at Shanks once more, the battle became noticeably less one-sided than before.
But only slightly.
Teach's current strength could only be considered among the lower ranks of the Yonko.
Compared to Shanks, the gap remained substantial.
As a result, he abandoned the idea of engaging in prolonged close combat.
Instead, he fought while retreating, repeatedly creating distance and unleashing the devastating power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Massive tsunamis rose from the sea one after another.
Towering waves surged toward Shanks with overwhelming force.
Before long, the already heavily damaged pirate ship could no longer withstand the punishment.
A gigantic wave crashed into it.
The vessel finally broke apart completely.
The shattered remains split into several massive pieces that drifted across the sea.
Teach no longer cared about the destruction of the ship.
A ship could always be replaced.
They could build another one or simply steal one.
But if he died today, everything would be over.
As the battle dragged on, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for him.
Shanks grew more energetic with every exchange.
Teach, meanwhile, became visibly exhausted.
Even the tremors around his fists began appearing intermittently.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit possessed unparalleled destructive power.
However, its drawbacks were equally severe.
Not only did it consume an enormous amount of stamina, but every use also inflicted significant strain on the user's own body.
Even Whitebeard's legendary physique had not been able to completely avoid those consequences.
The old injuries and illnesses that plagued Whitebeard in his later years were proof enough.
Compared to veteran monsters such as Garp, Sengoku, and Rayleigh, Whitebeard's physical condition had deteriorated far more severely.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit undoubtedly played a major role in that decline.
Because of this, it was never a Devil Fruit suited for prolonged battles.
Had Teach not possessed his abnormal body, he would already be lying unconscious on the ground.
Shanks's Divine Dragon Fruit was completely different.
Zoan-type Devil Fruits were famous for their endurance and recovery abilities.
Among them, the Divine Dragon Fruit stood at the very top.
Even after such an intense battle, Shanks remained full of vitality.
One side was growing stronger.
The other was steadily weakening.
Teach's defeat had become inevitable.
Van Augur sat cross-legged atop a floating piece of wreckage.
One of his shoulders had suffered a serious injury, yet his expression remained remarkably composed.
Looking ahead, he spoke quietly.
"The captain won't be able to keep this up much longer."
Laffitte hovered in the air with his wings spread.
His expression was dark and ugly.
Thanks to his ability, he could flee at any moment.
But behind him floated the Red Force.
He was not foolish enough to believe Benn Beckman and the others would simply let him escape.
He suspected that Yasopp's rifle was already aimed directly at him.
Nearby, Doc Q's horse carried the unconscious Burgess.
Chiffon stood beside them with tears filling her eyes.
One hand gently rubbed her swollen belly as she whispered repeatedly,
"Daddy will be okay..."
Yet the moment she finished speaking, Teach's agonized scream echoed across the battlefield.
Chiffon immediately looked up.
What she saw made her face turn pale.
A barrage of dense cyan wind blades launched Teach high into the sky.
His body became covered with deep cuts.
Blood poured from countless wounds.
Shanks instantly appeared beside him.
His gaze briefly swept across Chiffon and the others floating in the distance.
Then he delivered a powerful kick.
Boom!
Teach shot across the sky and landed precisely before Chiffon and the others.
He collapsed onto a floating plank, groaning in agony.
Chiffon rushed forward immediately.
Kneeling beside him, she cried uncontrollably as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Swish!
Shanks appeared before them.
Laffitte and the others were too frightened to move.
Yet Chiffon unexpectedly threw herself over Teach's body, shielding him with her own.
Her voice trembled as she shouted,
"Please don't hurt my husband!"
Before Shanks could respond, Teach suddenly opened his mouth.
"Wah!"
To everyone's shock, a figure emerged from his mouth.
Whitebeard.
The scene left everyone frozen.
Even Shanks frowned.
Whitebeard lay in a puddle of saliva with his eyes tightly shut.
His chest rose and fell weakly.
The overwhelming presence that had once dominated the seas as a Yonko had long disappeared.
Teach's face was deathly pale after spitting him out.
He turned toward Whitebeard lying beside him and let out a miserable laugh.
"Zehahaha..."
"Old man... we meet again sooner than expected..."
Whitebeard remained motionless.
Before being swallowed, his body had already reached the brink of collapse.
Only the unique abilities of the Munch-Munch Fruit had barely preserved his life.
Without Teach sustaining him, Whitebeard could die at any moment.
After observing the situation for a short while, Shanks raised a hand toward the Red Force.
The crew immediately understood.
Benn Beckman and the others quickly sailed over.
Teach's entire group was taken aboard under guard.
Once back on the Red Force, Shanks immediately ordered the ship's doctor, Hongo, to examine Whitebeard.
After making the arrangements, he swiftly took out a black Den Den Mushi from his pocket.