Faced with Koby, who tried to block his way, the fact that Yukimura didn't cut him down on the spot was already the last bit of restraint he had left.
"Get out of the way if you're a coward! Those who still have the guts, come fight alongside me!"
And at that moment, a voice calling for help once again echoed in Koby's mind.
"Rear Admiral Yukimura, stop this — go help rescue the wounded instead. These ordinary pirates aren't even the main target of this war. Sacrificing more soldiers for them isn't worth it."
"You're shaking the morale of the troops."
Yukimura, blinded by bloodlust, kicked Koby to the side. The intense pain made Koby curl up into a ball, while Yukimura threw himself back into the battle.
Meanwhile, Buggy, who was holding the Visual Den Den Mushi, had also become the center of attention on the battlefield.
While everyone else was fighting tooth and nail, Buggy acted like a director, repeatedly filming take after take.
"Look! That's... that's a former crewmate of the Pirate King himself! A man who is sworn brothers with Red-Haired Shanks! Even Whitebeard would choose to compromise when facing him! He is our god! Captain Buggy!"
Amid this ridiculously awkward recitation, Buggy walked into the frame and couldn't help but sneeze.
"Damn it, do it again!"
Watching his utterly unprofessional filming skills and acting so awkward it was painful to behold, the reporters on Sabaody Archipelago were so furious they snapped their pens in half. They didn't want to watch this clown putting on a show — they just wanted to know how the war was actually progressing.
In the end, it was Kuzan's appearance that finally saved the reporters.
"Ice Age!"
A cold wave swept over the area, instantly freezing all of Buggy's underlings into ice sculptures. Only Buggy, relying on his Chop-Chop Fruit powers, managed to fly into the air and avoid being frozen into a block of ice.
"Aokiji?!"
"I'm not interested in you, Red Nose. But would you mind handing over that thing in your hand? This war is getting more and more irritating."
Shayna, King, and Beckman were all tasked with finding the Den Den Mushi. The Marines weren't going to leave such an important task solely to pirates, so Kuzan—who had stayed away from the heart of the battle—was given the same order.
This wasn't a simple matter either — on a battlefield of hundreds of thousands of people, finding a pirate hiding somewhere to do a live broadcast wasn't easy. King and Shayna had searched from the sky for a long time without spotting Buggy.
It was just that Kuzan had a bit more luck and managed to find Buggy first.
However, he wasn't particularly interested in Buggy, since Red Hair had already made his stance clear.
A pirate worth a mere fifteen million Berries simply wasn't worth disturbing a war that was finally nearing its end. Besides, Kuzan had already spotted Beckman in the distance — the latter's gun was now aimed at his head. Kuzan had no intention of getting into a fight with Beckman.
At that moment, King's figure flashed past Buggy, and the last Visual Den Den Mushi had already changed hands to King.
After losing the Den Den Mushi, no one cared about Buggy anymore and instead returned to the final battle. However, Buggy received a new round of adulation.
Once those frozen pirates were thawed out, they actually believed that Buggy had given up his chance at fame in order to save them, that he had voluntarily handed over the Den Den Mushi. Having "saved" them twice in a row, Buggy became an unshakable savior figure in their hearts.
In the place where Whitebeard and Kaido were fighting, as time passed, their fighting style also changed — from a battle full of skill to a pure slugfest.
After entering the Tremor Mode, Whitebeard concentrated all the power of his vibrations into a single point. Coupled with the unique nature of vibrations, his fists could practically achieve the effect of true damage. [TN: True Damage: This is a specific type of damage that completely ignores all forms of defense and resistance and directly injures the target.]
Even Kaido, when struck by Whitebeard's fists, would suffer internal injuries — no matter how strong his scales and Armament Haki were, they primarily protected his exterior. Against an attack that bypassed external defenses to strike internally, pure defense was hardly effective.
But Kaido didn't care. Even with blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, his laughter didn't diminish at all. Meanwhile, the injuries Whitebeard sustained were even more severe.
Kaido hadn't eaten the Quake-Quake Fruit, yet his fists were no weaker than Whitebeard's. Whitebeard's body simply couldn't match Kaido's physique. Under Kaido's heavy blows, even Whitebeard's crescent-shaped white mustache had been stained with a touch of blood-red.
"Gurararara, Kaido, you don't want to fight here for days and nights, do you?"
Whitebeard's stamina, though inferior to Kaido's, was still monstrous — far beyond that of an ordinary human. In his prime state, he could indeed fight the current Kaido for several days straight.
But this was Marine Headquarters. Although they didn't have to worry about collateral damage from the battle, they couldn't just duel endlessly for days and nights either.
"I don't give a damn — no matter how many come at me, I'll take them all!"
"....."
Kaido's reply completely blocked off Whitebeard's next words. Looking at Kaido, who was utterly consumed by the thrill of battle, Whitebeard realized he was still mistaken — he simply couldn't understand what exactly was going on inside Kaido's mind. So he decided to just say what he was thinking.
"Enough. You're not really interested in dragging this fight out either, are you? One move — let's settle this with a single final move. It just so happens that I've grasped something new."
Whitebeard didn't mind fighting for days himself, but his subordinates couldn't afford it. Both sides had already suffered heavy losses in this war. If they withdrew in time, many of the injured could still be saved through treatment. But if the fight really dragged on for days and nights, those people would be beyond saving.
Not to mention, this was Marines territory. If the battle dragged on too long, it would give the World Government enough time to deploy new reinforcements. That was why Whitebeard wanted a quick end to this.
"One move? You're pretty confident, aren't you, Newgate? Fine, then — show me what you've learned."
Kaido figured that, based on Whitebeard's personality, proposing a single move wasn't an act of suicide.
Since Whitebeard dared to say it, it meant he believed this move could inflict serious damage — and that was exactly what Kaido wanted to see.
"Fine then. In that case, I'll end you with my strongest form."
"Gurararara! You'd better take this seriously. Otherwise, you might just die, brat."
Buzz!
The power of the vibrations swept across the battlefield. Whitebeard's whole body was once again wrapped in a milky-white glow. The Murakumogiri, which had been thrust into the ground beside him, was pulled out once more — but this time, a faint mournful cry could be heard from the blade itself.
[Sorry, old friend. I'll have to trouble you to accompany this old man on one last journey.]
Looking at the weapon he had wielded for decades, Whitebeard felt a trace of guilt in his heart. Murakumogiri seemed to sense his feelings too, and amidst its sorrowful cry, there was also a hint of newfound resolve.
At the same time, Kaido also made his move. The bracelet on his right wrist began to shine with a seven-colored radiance. Then, this light spread along Kaido's arm, eventually covering his whole body, like a layer of multicolored crystal armor.
This was a detail even Yamato hadn't noticed. Originally, Kaido's wrist accessories were just two ordinary spiked metal bracelets. After the plate radar was created, the radar replaced one of the bracelets — and during that time, the other spiked bracelet also transformed into a transparent crystal bracelet.
That wasn't an ordinary bracelet — it was a Tera item.
Tera crystals are a unique product of the Paldea Region. The locals have even crafted them into Tera Orbs, which store Terastal energy. When Terastallization is activated, a Pokémon's type changes.
Each use depletes the stored energy inside, requiring a professional to replenish it.
Out on these seas, the only one capable of replenishing Terastal energy is naturally Arceus, and its role goes far beyond just changing types.
Kaido is a human, not a Pokémon, and his ability has not been fully modified yet.
Although, thanks to Arceus's power, he has the ability to learn Pokémon moves, he remains fundamentally very different from a Pokémon.
Through the power of Terastallization, he can further strengthen his body, allowing him to more perfectly wield Pokémon powers — including some extremely rare moves.
The Tera Bracelet Arceus specially created for Kaido is, naturally, of the Dragon type. After Terastallizing, Kaido can fully unleash the power of the Dragon type.
At this moment, he was already wrapped in a layer of crystals, with only his head lacking any strange adornments.
Hassaikai was once again gripped in Kaido's hand, and his energy and Haki were continuously being injected into Hassaikai. Purplish-red energy coiled around the kanabo, and the phantom image of a giant dragon slowly rose behind Kaido.
"Dragon Energy."
This purplish-red energy is not Dragon Dance but rather the signature move of Regidrago who is a legendary giant. The Pokémon of the legendary giant army are all very special, each representing the pinnacle of a single type, and Regidrago embodies the culmination of Dragon-type power.
By using the special Dragon Tera crystal crafted by Arceus, Kaido can use Regidrago's signature move, and even developed his own adaptations of it.
In Kaido's hands, Dragon Energy was no longer just a simple energy beam; it had been integrated into his own "Bagua" series.
"Worororo! Newgate, brace yourself! You're the first to see this move — it was supposed to be a surprise for my foolish daughter! Lord of Death Legendary Dragon Bagua!"
The Flame Clouds surrounding Kaido had already been stained purple by the overflowing energy within his body. At this moment, Kaido resembled a demonic dragon emerging straight out of hell, charging at Whitebeard with a terrifying dragon's shadow trailing behind him.
Seeing Kaido's new form, Whitebeard remained silent as his body was enduring an intense recoil from the power of vibrations. Pouring all his Haki into Murakumogiri, he swung the weapon in a crescent moon arc to meet Kaido's attack.
Boom!
In that instant, all of the power of vibrations Whitebeard had been holding within his body erupted in full force. Even Marineford, being an island, couldn't withstand it. With Whitebeard and Kaido as the center, Marineford shattered into fragments.
Countless rocks and chunks of earth were obliterated under Whitebeard's power, while a hideous gash appeared across Kaido's chest. Blood gushed uncontrollably from the wound, gathering into a pool of blood beneath his feet.
"Worororo, as expected of you, Newgate. You've taken the power of the vibrations to this level, huh?"
The power of the Quake-Quake Fruit had been compressed by Whitebeard into a single point — only then had it broken through Kaido's defenses, even shattering the Tera Armor.
"But it's a shame… I've won, Newgate."
In the clash just now, both of them had simultaneously avoided each other's weapons and struck directly at each other's bodies.
Kaido had been left with a terrifying wound by Whitebeard, but Whitebeard's own chest was left hollow — as if some terrifying beast had pierced straight through him.
With that final blow, Whitebeard had fought with the intention of taking Kaido down with him — hoping to reduce the danger his sons would face in the future.
Kaido understood Whitebeard's intent, but didn't complain. After all, both of them were fighting with the mindset of killing the other.
But in terms of the result — Whitebeard had lost.
"Kaido… you've won."
Thanks to his tenacious vitality, Whitebeard did not die immediately. Relying on his Murakumogiri for support, he still managed to remain standing.
It was at this moment that Shayna and King returned, carrying a Den Den Mushi.
"Let the era submit to you, Kaido… I'll give you one final gift."
"Hmm? What are you planning, old man?"
"Gurararara… it's not exactly a gift for you. I just don't want the Marines to get what they want."
A mouthful of blood spilled from Whitebeard's lips. Watching as King tossed the Den Den Mushi toward Sengoku's direction, Whitebeard solidified his resolve.
Then, with the last of his strength, Whitebeard shouted out the iconic words.
"ONE PIECE… is real!"
As those words fell, Whitebeard peacefully departed from this world with his eyes closed. In the very end, there was no resentment in his heart — only worry for his sons.
[Farewell, my children. Thank you for spending the latter half of my life with me. But from here on, you'll have to walk your own path.]
Memories of the past flashed through Whitebeard's mind, and his time came to a halt here.
Thus ended the life of Edward Newgate — captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the strongest man in the world — at the age of 72.
In this battle, Whitebeard sustained a total of 127 blade wounds, was hit by 147 bullets, and struck by 34 cannonballs.
Seven magma burns, eleven laser wounds, twenty-three blunt force injuries — and one fatal blow.
But even in death, Whitebeard's body never fell — and in his entire pirate life, there was not a single scar on his back which was from fleeing.
Zzzing!
A laser streaked through the air — Kizaru's attack destroyed the Visual Den Den Mushi. But it was already too late. Though the scenes from the spinning Den Den Mushi were unclear, Whitebeard's words had already been transmitted across the entire world.
And after those words, Whitebeard's body began to undergo a change.
Like a shattering glass figure, his body became covered in cracks from head to toe. As the cracks deepened, his body ultimately disintegrated into powder and was scattered by the wind across the battlefield. Even his weapon, which had accompanied him for so many years, couldn't bear the strain and broke into two pieces.
Compressing the power of the vibrations within his own body had always been a tremendous burden — and Kaido's final "Legendary Dragon Bagua" had injected a vast amount of Dragon-Type energy into Whitebeard's body, which ultimately led to this result.
"Pops!!!!"
Watching Whitebeard disappear, Ace was overwhelmed with emotion. He broke free from those restraining him, attempting to rush back — but what met him was Marco's fist.
Marco didn't hold back in the slightest. His punch landed squarely on Ace's face.
"Ace, listen to me carefully! All of this — everything that happened today — is because of you! But this was Pops' own decision! Your life from now on is no longer just yours — it's a life paid for by Pops, by Oars, by everyone who died in this battle!"
"Pops' only request was for the rest of us to return alive! So no matter what — you have to live!"
"Whether it's through grief or regret, you must carry this sin and Live! On!"
"So under no circumstances are you allowed to throw your life away like a fool!"
Marco's eyes were filled with tears, but he still pinned Ace to the ground beneath him.
Sorrow enveloped the Whitebeard Pirates. Those very division commanders who never once flinched in the face of swords or fire were now weeping uncontrollably.
Even the usually carefree Luffy chose to stay silent, holding back his words. Under any other circumstances, he would never stand by and watch his brother take a beating—but now was different.
The "kidnapped" Mr. 3 stared blankly, unable to believe he had lived to witness a moment this monumental.
But among the crowd, one person was acting particularly strange.
"Dad… please… stop giving that devil of a father new things!!"
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