"Cab… cabin boy!?"
Whitebeard's temples bulged with two throbbing veins. The word "cabin boy" had struck a nerve, and in an instant, he released his unusable Murakumogiri, his massive fists tightening.
He hadn't even fully heard Koby's other words, but that one word alone—cabin boy—felt like a personal insult to this proud, arrogant man.
In the blink of an eye, Whitebeard transformed. From the appearance of a fatherly figure, he became a descending god of the seas, a force so overwhelming it made onlookers want to kneel in prayer.
His towering white mustache bristled, his eyes sharpened with fearsome intensity, and the raw, crushing pressure radiating from his massive frame struck all who dared watch.
Pirates are bloodthirsty!
No pirate admits to being a good person.
And Whitebeard, having reached the very pinnacle of piracy, was no calm-hearted man!
Age may have altered his body and strength, but never his pride and arrogance.
Don't be fooled by his words about Blackbeard's weakness being his arrogance.
Who among those who reach this level doesn't have their own overwhelming pride?
To have one's strike effortlessly blocked—and worse, for the opponent to appear completely at ease—was intolerable to Whitebeard!
He had to show the boy in front of him what the true power of the seas was!
The bright sky above Marineford instantly dimmed.
Whitebeard's fists, filled with devastating seismic force, slammed down toward Koby's small frame.
"Damn it! Does he want to sink the entire island?!"
From the high platform, Sengoku sensed the terrifying force and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light erupted from Sengoku's body.
In an instant, he surged upward, transforming into a golden colossus—a Buddha of war.
There was no time to monitor Marco, who was about to be executed. Sengoku stomped the platform with both feet, crushing it instantly.
Using the force of his stomp, Sengoku shot into the sky and shouted down at Garp, who had suddenly descended because of Koby's appearance:
"Garp! What are you standing there for?!"
"Stop Whitebeard!"
"Do you want him to destroy Marineford?!"
The screaming wind whipped Garp's Marine coat behind him, the word Justice twisting violently in the storm.
But Garp, seemingly unaffected by Sengoku's shouting, did nothing.
Instead, he extended an arm, as if to intercept the flying Sengoku himself.
Time didn't allow Sengoku to think much about Garp's gesture.
Because…
Whitebeard's massive fists, comparable to cannonballs, were already smashing down!
"Dad!!"
Ace, sensing danger, shouted toward Whitebeard.
Then, he leapt into the air, warning the Whitebeard Pirates:
"Everyone, watch out!"
"A tsunami's coming!"
"Devil Fruit users, protect yourselves!"
CRACK!!!
A deafening roar shattered the sky above Marineford.
The sky fractured into shards, like glass ready to fall at any moment.
The shockwave from Whitebeard's strike rippled outward, capable of tearing the heavens and splitting the sea.
Yet, less than two meters above the ground, a small hand casually stopped it.
"Ugh!!"
Whitebeard let out a pained howl, veins bulging, muscles straining, heart racing as if overexerted.
BOOM…
Koby raised an arm effortlessly, halting Whitebeard's full-powered strike.
The chaotic cracks in the sky vanished; the battlefield returned to normal.
The sky cleared, as if nothing had happened.
A ray of sunlight fell, and Koby, smiling like the sun itself, glanced at the astonished Whitebeard.
"I can't let you hurt Luffy's grandfather."
With a casual flick, Koby swung his half-bent arm upward.
And the next moment…
The impossible happened.
Whitebeard—Edward Newgate, the strongest man in the world—stumbled backward at the motion of a single flick from this red-haired boy.
His enormous frame wavered, his expression of shock painted in vivid detail.
Step! Step! Step!
Three heavy steps later, the man who had never fallen in his life… sat down with a THUD.
Whaaa!!!
All of Marineford—Marines and pirates alike—gasped in disbelief.
Then, as quickly as it happened, silence fell.
"Dad!"
Ace, fearless as ever, shot forward, helping Whitebeard to his feet.
Koby, however, lightly clapped his hands as if dusting them off, then turned toward Vice Admiral Garp.
THUD…
Sengoku landed beside Garp, slowly returning to normal, his eyes wide with shock as he observed Koby approaching.
Having fought Whitebeard for decades, Sengoku knew exactly how terrifying his power was.
Yet this smiling, gentle-looking boy had effortlessly brought him to the ground.
Despite all these years, Sengoku had never seen Whitebeard hit the ground.
Though not "defeated" per se—Koby didn't seem to even exert himself.
Step… Step…
The mysterious boy, having toppled Whitebeard, now approached the Marine heroes.
All Marines went on full alert. Kizaru, unusually serious, flashed yellow light and appeared beside Sengoku.
Crocodile, watching Koby, flipped between disbelief and contemplation, his expression shifting dozens of times in seconds.
Hawkeye and other Shichibukai, as well as nearby powerful individuals, activated Observation Haki, probing Koby.
But their senses reported something impossible.
The space around Koby seemed warped—empty, yet all-encompassing.
Like standing in a vast starry sky, insignificant yet capable of holding the entire universe.
This was Koby now: a man who had broken the limits of the world.
Aokiji, sensing Koby's aura, recalled the name of the Starry Sky Pirates…
Even the burned remnants on his body ached at the memory.
As Marines and pirates watched, Koby reached Garp.
The arm that had toppled Whitebeard rose.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Every Marine aimed their weapons at Koby.
Sengoku and Kizaru enveloped their fists and feet in Armament Haki—the first time Kizaru used Haki today.
Koby raised his arm overhead, then suddenly turned his head, blushing slightly, scratching his head, and said respectfully:
"You must be Grandpa Garp, right?"
"Hello!"
"My name is Koby. It's an honor to meet you!"
…
A cool sea breeze swept over everyone, calming tense hearts and washing away anxiety.
Yet it stirred a new question in every Marine.
Could this boy be Vice Admiral Garp's secret weapon?
A hero trained to strike pirates in one blow?
Indeed!
This was the hero of the Marines, the man who had saved them once already.
Now he came to protect Marine justice again!
The Marines' eyes widened, voices unified in awe:
"Vice Admiral Garp!!! Brilliance in both wisdom and courage!!!"
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Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria