"So, this… is that power?"
Xiao slowly clenched his fist.
The shockwave he had just absorbed still trembled faintly in his palm, like a living thing struggling to escape.
A crooked smile spread across his face.
He stepped forward—
And assumed a stance.
A stance so familiar that every member of the Whitebeard Pirates felt their scalps go numb.
Because they had all seen it before.
And after being beaten by it countless times—
They had become Whitebeard's "sons."
"Air Shock~"
Xiao punched forward.
The atmosphere split.
White cracks spidered through the sky.
The exact same shockwave Whitebeard had launched—
Was returned.
"Dad's earthquake power?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"That bastard Teach!"
Panic erupted through the Whitebeard ranks.
No one understood the Tremor-Tremor Fruit better than they did.
If that blow landed—
Half their forces would be wiped out instantly.
On the execution platform—
Aokiji, who had just stood up, slowly sat back down.
"…Interesting."
Akainu narrowed his eyes, faint approval flickering across his face.
"Even if he's a pirate… he's useful."
Kizaru scratched his chin.
"Ooooh… scary. They're both monsters, aren't they?"
This time, he wasn't being sarcastic.
He meant it.
Whitebeard snorted.
He didn't dodge.
He extended his arm.
The returning shockwave met his palm—
And vanished.
The vibrations were absorbed into him.
Because he was the Earthquake Man.
The man who ate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
He could generate vibrations.
And naturally—
He could absorb them.
"Ohhhhhh!"
"Dad is invincible!"
"You can use it like that?!"
Xiao's eyes lit up.
He hadn't seen this in the original story.
It was worth coming just to witness that.
Whitebeard roared—
"Sea Tremor!"
This time—
He didn't aim at Xiao.
He aimed at the world.
His fist struck downward.
There was no immediate explosion.
No visible destruction.
But ten seconds later—
The ocean answered.
The earth began to tremble.
A deep, low rumble spread outward.
And then—
The sea rose.
Hundreds of meters high.
A wall of water like a mountain blocking out the sky surged toward Marineford from all directions.
Whitebeard's meaning was obvious.
Go ahead. Absorb this too.
"Hahaha! I'm out of options~"
Xiao raised his hands and casually sat down cross-legged.
He wasn't stupid.
This was Marineford.
Not his territory.
No need to help the Navy too much.
He had already achieved what he wanted.
He glanced at the faint residual vibration in his palm.
Then compressed it.
Condensed it.
Formed it into a concept-seed.
And stored it.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit wasn't compatible with his law-system.
But as a raw ability seed?
Perfect.
Even if it couldn't reach the conceptual level of a Devil Fruit—
Even if it could never reach mythic faith amplification—
It was stylish.
And that was enough.
"Alala… guess I still have to move."
Aokiji leapt into the air.
Cold mist exploded from his hands.
The monstrous tsunami froze instantly into towering walls of ice under the blazing sun.
Whitebeard's expression darkened.
"Brat."
"Ice Age!"
In a blink—
The sea froze solid.
Whitebeard's fleet was locked in place.
The battlefield became an icy prison.
"Perfect foothold!"
"Rescue Ace!"
"Kill Teach!"
"Kill Teach!"
The Whitebeard Pirates roared and charged.
"Fire!"
The navy artillery unleashed a barrage.
Shells screamed through the air.
Exploded.
Missed.
Missed again.
Hundreds of shots.
Zero casualties.
And somehow—
No one questioned it.
Xiao blinked.
"…Are you outline angels or what?"
"You hit by fate, not by aim?"
He walked over, kicked the gunner aside.
"Move. Let me play."
He grabbed the cannon.
Adjusted angle.
Compensated for wind.
Calculated drift.
Corrected recoil offset.
Then—
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Explosive iron shells flew—
And precisely entered the mouths of pirates shouting "Kill Teach."
Each shot detonated internally.
Blood flowers bloomed in the charging ranks.
More than a dozen pirates fell within seconds.
The navy gunners stared in horror.
He was using a cannon—
Like a sniper rifle.
"Hahaha! This is fun!"
"Idiot, don't stand there! Reload!"
"Yes, sir!"
The marine scrambled to comply.
Across the battlefield—
Whitebeard's front line faltered.
"Captain! We can't advance!"
"That bastard Teach's artillery is too precise!"
"We're getting suppressed!"
The battlefield had fully ignited.
And this—
Was still only the warm-up.
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