"How is that possible?"
At that moment, Whitebeard widened his eyes in disbelief as he watched Lancelot charge before him once again like lightning.
His face was filled with astonishment, for Lancelot appeared unharmed, as if the devastating blow he'd just delivered was nothing more than a trivial joke.
That had been his full-power strike, held back not in the slightest.
Whitebeard had roamed the world for many years, experiencing countless battles and clashing with numerous formidable opponents.
Whether it was Roger, Shiki, Redfield, or Garp, Sengoku, and Kong—each of them was a renowned powerhouse.
Yet even they could never have emerged unscathed after taking his full-powered strike, as Lancelot had just done.
A wave of intense shock surged within Whitebeard—a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. However, that shock soon gave way to solemnity.
His brows furrowed tightly, and his gaze grew increasingly sharp.
Suddenly, a towering figure emerged in his mind, so vivid it was as if the person stood right before him.
If there truly was someone who could withstand his full-powered strike without a scratch, that person could only be—Rocks!
Himself, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Shiki, John, Ochoku, Silver Axe…
These were figures who had once shaken the Four Seas or still dominated the New World—all of them had once been crewmates under Rocks.
That fact alone was enough to prove just how powerful and terrifying Rocks was.
And ever since Rocks fell at God Valley, Whitebeard had never faced such a presence again.
Yet now, this impossibly young brat before him… actually gave him a fleeting illusion of facing Rocks once more.
His pupils contracted to needle-like points.
At that thought, Whitebeard's heart tightened, and an unprecedented pressure washed over him.
When Whitebeard looked at Lancelot again, his expression grew even graver, revealing a trace of deep apprehension.
In stark contrast, however, the corners of Lancelot's mouth lifted slightly, showing a hint of excitement.
"It's only polite to return the favor, Whitebeard. Try taking one of my moves!" Lancelot's voice echoed through the air, carrying a provocative tone.
Before the words faded, purple lightning flickered once more around his hands, while something resembling black lightning also shimmered faintly into view.
"Thunderfall!"
With a furious roar, Lancelot unleashed all his power in an instant, shooting toward Whitebeard like an arrow from a bow.
He then threw a devastating punch, his fist wreathed in both purple and black lightning.
At this moment, there was no one Whitebeard hated more or wanted to eliminate more than Lancelot.
Faced with such a ferocious assault, Whitebeard naturally wouldn't just stand there and take it. Even more intolerable was Lancelot's provocation.
Whitebeard's eyes widened in rage as he bellowed, "Get out of my sight!"
With that roar, Whitebeard swiftly raised his arm.
At the same time, a white circular barrier materialized around his fist—a signature feature of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability.
It radiated immense energy fluctuations, seemingly capable of withstanding any attack, and destroying everything in its path!
The next instant, Whitebeard threw the punch with explosive force.
Despite his towering, mountain-like stature, his attack was swift as lightning, without the slightest hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, his fist shot forth like a cannonball, carrying unparalleled momentum straight toward Lancelot.
And with that punch, it felt as if the entire world trembled! His massive body erupted with astonishing power in that instant, leaving everyone in awe.
Boom!
A deafening roar, like thunder cracking, echoed through the air.
Whitebeard's fist collided fiercely with Lancelot's incoming punch, producing an earth-shattering impact.
This collision was like two meteors converging in the night sky, bursting with dazzling light and endless waves of energy.
The surrounding air was distorted and compressed by the immense force, forming a massive shockwave that swept outward in all directions.
Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, even while grievously wounded, even with the deep marks of time etched upon him, even with a body scarred and plagued by illness—his power remained as terrifying as ever!
Especially his unparalleled Tremor Ability, which struck fear into the hearts of all.
And facing him, Lancelot was equally extraordinary.
Young and vigorous, at the peak of his strength, he not only possessed the Zoan-type Mythical Zoan Dragon Fruit but also wielded the legendary sword.
Moreover, he had fused the Lineage Factors of giants and whale sharks, making him exceptionally gifted and unfathomably powerful.
Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that these two were undoubtedly among the most elite beings in the world!
Their strength had reached the pinnacle of perfection, if not unrivaled.
Those who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them could be counted on one hand.
For this reason, when their fists collided, the resulting force was cataclysmic!
After the initial shockwave, the immense power continued to clash and intertwine, generating wave after wave of staggering shockwaves.
These shockwaves radiated outward from the point of impact like raging tidal waves, sweeping across everything in their path.
Wherever they reached, it was as if a Category 12 typhoon had ravaged the area—objects were tossed about, and some were destroyed.
The range of these shockwaves was vast, enveloping the entire naval harbor!
Those with inferior strength were helpless before this force, knocked to the ground one after another.
Those with greater strength could only barely steady themselves, struggling not to be blown away.
Only those with strength at the Vice Admiral level or higher could stand firm amidst these tsunami-like shockwaves.
This scene made one wonder just how much power was contained within their clash, capable of unleashing such shockwaves.
At this tense moment, Akainu descended like a blazing meteor from the sky, coming to a halt directly above the two combatants.
His arrival went unnoticed by the two, who remained focused on their confrontation, neither daring to let their guard down.
Yet, a faint smile curled at the corner of Akainu's lips.
For Akainu, the scene before him was a heaven-sent opportunity. A chance like this might never come his way again in his lifetime.
So, no matter what, he wouldn't let this perfect opportunity slip away.
As for any so-called one-on-one samurai spirit, Akainu didn't care.
In his eyes, only victory mattered.
As long as it was the Marines who ultimately stood on the side of victory, everything else was trivial.
"Meigo!"
With an angry roar, Akainu unleashed his ability without hesitation.
His arm was instantly covered in molten lava and rapidly extended at an astonishing speed, lunging straight toward Whitebeard like a ferocious hound.
This attack wasn't only fast, making it difficult to react to, but its power was also extraordinary.
In the original manga, Akainu had used this move to strike Whitebeard with overwhelming force, even tearing off half of his face—a testament to its devastating power.
However, how could Whitebeard and Lancelot remain unaware of such a ferocious assault?
In truth, given their strength, it was impossible for them to ignore Akainu's presence.
Every move Akainu made was captured by their Observation Haki.
But right now, both of them were already giving their all, pouring every ounce of their focus into their own battle, leaving no room to deal with Akainu.
For this reason, when Akainu's attack struck like lightning, Whitebeard's expression turned grave.
He knew that if he chose to withdraw and dodge Akainu's attack now, he'd face Lancelot's devastating fist.
Yet, if he didn't dodge, he'd have to endure Akainu's ferocious assault.
Under normal circumstances, an attack like this from Akainu would be nothing to him—he could block it with a single punch or slash of his blade.
But right now, the situation was different.
This strike had become a threat!
Meanwhile, Lancelot cursed inwardly, 'Damn it, Akainu is such a kill-stealer!'
He never expected Akainu to be so dishonorable and lacking in class!
Lancelot was annoyed.
He felt that Akainu should've at least waited until he and Whitebeard had finished exchanging blows before making his move!
He wasn't the type to be unreasonable.
With Akainu stepping forward, he wouldn't fight for this opportunity. After all, what he sought was the position of an Admiral.
Moreover, his earlier performance and the merits he'd already earned were more than enough to secure that position for him.
Thus, his reason for attacking Whitebeard was simply to gauge the gap between himself and the man recognized as the world's strongest—much like Mihawk's intent when he'd previously challenged Whitebeard.
However, it must be admitted that Akainu had seized this perfect opportunity with precision!
After all, at this moment, Lancelot could no longer hold back.
If he forcibly withdrew his fist, wouldn't that be an obvious act of holding back? He didn't want to give Akainu, Sengoku, or anyone else any leverage against him at such a critical moment.
Otherwise, it could create unnecessary complications for his promotion to Admiral.
He knew that, given the chance, these guys wouldn't want him to take the position of an Admiral.
...
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, just as Whitebeard's life hung by a thread, he abruptly tilted his head, narrowly avoiding Akainu's thunderous strike in a close call.
But what was unexpected was that this strike wasn't fully dodged; half of Whitebeard's face was destroyed by Akainu's attack!
Even the charred bone could be seen on his face. It was clear that Whitebeard had suffered significant injuries from this blow.
It must be pointed out that Whitebeard differed from Kaido and Big Mom.
His strength lay in his unmatched power and the ability of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
However, despite this, his own defensive capabilities, compared to other superpowerful beings, remained within the range of a normal human.
This was similar to Garp, who, despite his immense strength, was once injured by an underling wielding an ax, or Shanks, who, despite his astonishing combat abilities, lost an arm to a Sea King.
Yet, if the same attack were to land on Kaido or Big Mom, it'd be as insignificant as a tickle.
Superpowerful beings like Whitebeard, Garp, and Shanks possessed formidable offensive power, but their physical defenses were at a normal level.
In contrast, Kaido and Big Mom belonged to another category of superpowerful beings.
Their offensive power was slightly inferior, but their physical defenses were extraordinary.
Such differences represented distinct emphases among beings of the same caliber.
It was because of this that Whitebeard suffered severe injuries when facing Akainu's strike. However, this didn't mean Whitebeard's strength was inferior to Kaido or Big Mom.
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