The Whitebeard from Finn's memories was already balding, wearing a bandana that covered his skull, though his magnificent upward-curved mustache still hung from his face like a crescent moon.
But he'd also seen images from Whitebeard's youth in flashback of anime and manga. Long blond hair flowing like a mane. Overwhelming presence. True dominance made manifest.
At Marine Headquarters, Finn had thoroughly studied Whitebeard's intelligence files and seen his current appearance documented.
However, this was the first time he'd actually encountered the man in person.
Edward Newgate. Whitebeard himself.
He stood extraordinarily tall, easily twice Finn's height. Probably over six meters, approaching seven. His long blond hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall, crowned by a white captain's hat bearing the Whitebeard Pirates' symbol at its center.
He dressed heroically. His upper body was bare, revealing tremendous musculature, with only a captain's coat draped across his broad shoulders. His pants were simple black trousers with the legs tied at the calves and tucked into black boots.
Just standing there, motionless, he radiated overwhelming power that pressed outward like a physical force.
If Finn had to describe the smile on Whitebeard's face, it contained no arrogance, no pride, no mockery. Just two words: confidence.
Supreme, absolute confidence. Yet somehow, it didn't feel conceited or despicable.
On the contrary, that confidence was the kind even enemies should acknowledge and respect.
Advance courageously. None can defeat you.
The so-called strongest man in the world wore exactly such a smile.
"Young?" Newgate's grin widened at Finn's comment. He swung the massive bisento in his hand, using it to brace against the rubble-strewn ground, and stroked his square chin with his free hand. "In terms of age, I could be your father. So am I really still considered young?"
"Your early fifties? That's the absolute prime of life. You're at the peak of your power. Isn't that youth?" Finn's hand rested on Shindokutō's hilt at his waist, his posture deceptively casual.
"Gurararara! If you put it that way, then I suppose I am quite young!" Newgate's laugh boomed across the devastation.
Then, without waiting for Finn to respond, his tone shifted slightly. "Speaking of which, I really must thank you Marines for taking such good care of my son this time..." As he spoke, Newgate reached out and patted the distinctive pineapple-like hairstyle of young Marco standing beside him.
Marco looked thoroughly helpless. It genuinely was because his strenght weren't sufficient. He'd been captured and manipulated by Bullet. He wore a bitter expression but said nothing, accepting the gentle reprimand.
Finn waved his hand dismissively. "As for thanks, there's no need. We didn't actually find your son anyway. Besides, if you hadn't come today, I'd have taken him to Impel Down to sit for a while."
As soon as Finn finished speaking, Newgate's expression didn't change much. He continued smiling as before. But the "sons" surrounding him all bristled with anger, as if they intensely disliked Finn's casual provocation.
Yet since their father hadn't spoken, it was difficult for them as sons to interject.
"Perhaps," Newgate said, calming his crew with a slight gesture. Then he looked at Finn again. "You should know the rules of our Whitebeard Pirates, right?"
"I've heard of them. Everyone on these seas knows them, after all. It's always been your Whitebeard Pirates bullying others. No one dares bully the Whitebeard Pirates, right?" Finn's smile didn't waver.
As soon as he finished speaking, Jozu and the others, who'd been suppressed by Newgate's earlier gesture, became angry again.
Because Finn's words were clearly mocking them.
Newgate paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Gurararara! You're much more interesting than that rigid bastard Sengoku! We're the only ones who bully others, and we're not allowed to be bullied? Gurararara! That's an interesting way of phrasing it, but it's absolutely true!" After his laughter subsided, Newgate's gaze sharpened. He looked directly at Finn and spoke in a deeper voice. "I'm just that domineering. What do you think?"
As those words fell, powerful Conqueror's Haki instantly erupted from Newgate's body and pressed toward Finn like a tidal wave.
The cloak of justice behind Finn was lifted by the overwhelming presence. He narrowed his eyes slightly but refused to be crushed by the spiritual pressure.
"That makes perfect sense. As the strongest person in the world, you absolutely have the right to be that domineering," Finn replied calmly, his voice steady despite the crushing force.
The iron rule of the Whitebeard Pirates: no one was allowed to harm their companions aboard ship.
It was indeed overbearing enough.
They were pirates, after all.
When they proclaimed such a rule, it sounded as if whoever they decided to rob should simply kneel down and wait to be plundered.
If you dared resist? Then you'd hurt their companions, and they'd crush you for it.
It was definitely the kind of approach where if you beat the younger ones, the older ones would come. If you beat the older ones, the entire family would fight you to the death.
From this perspective, the Whitebeard Pirates were indeed a bullying pirate group without any pretense of fair play.
But it was precisely because of this bullying approach that the entire Whitebeard Pirates maintained extraordinarily strong cohesion.
A pirate crew's cohesion directly affected their combat effectiveness.
Therefore, there was no doubt the Whitebeard Pirates possessed tremendous strength.
At the same time, this cohesion gathered beneath the halo of Whitebeard, who bore the title "Strongest Man in the World."
Therefore, this pirate group should properly be described as terrifying.
The Whitebeard Pirates at this stage were undoubtedly the world's strongest pirate crew.
Of course, this bullying approach and Whitebeard's role as the cohesion's sole anchor were also the Whitebeard Pirates' greatest flaws and weaknesses.
However, at this stage, neither Whitebeard nor Jozu, Marco, and the others had discovered this fundamental problem.
Namely, that cohesion centered entirely around Newgate would decline catastrophically after his death if no one strong enough could replace him and shoulder the responsibility.
As it turned out, twenty years later at the Battle of Marineford, Newgate would die at Marine Headquarters, and the Whitebeard Pirates would plummet from the world's top pirate crew to second-rate status.
After Newgate's fall, though the Whitebeard Pirates possessed many powerful members, none could bear the weight of the entire organization the way he had.
"Gurararara! I have the right to be so domineering?" Newgate withdrew his Haki and laughed again.
Finn had noticed this man loved to laugh. He'd been smiling since they met and was still smiling now. Wasn't he tired?
"Well then, since you acknowledge I have that right, I won't make things too difficult for you. For Sengoku's sake, hand over Douglas Bullet. That way, we can all part peacefully," Newgate said, his tone almost conversational.
Finn sighed quietly. As expected.
He'd been wondering earlier why Newgate and his forces hadn't left after retrieving Marco. Why had they continued provoking the Marines instead?
Was it simply because the strongest man in the world was present, so he wanted to teach the Marines a lesson and establish dominance?
When he thought about it carefully, that shouldn't be such a shallow reason. In recent years, though the Marines and Whitebeard Pirates had frequently clashed in the New World, there had never been a single battle at the level where Newgate and Sengoku personally confronted each other.
The two sides seemed to maintain a tacit understanding, keeping conflicts at a certain controlled intensity.
Finn would never believe Newgate was ignorant of the consequences. If elite Marine forces like Finn, Sakazuki, and Gion were destroyed here...
Admiral Sengoku and Fleet Admiral Kong would definitely go mad. They'd mobilize every elite Marine force available and crush the Whitebeard Pirates in the first half of the Grand Line.
This was almost beyond question.
Currently, among all pirate forces, only the Whitebeard Pirates were truly qualified to compete with the Marines directly.
This was precisely why both sides exercised restraint.
Newgate wouldn't be so reckless.
Then why was he still doing this?
Simply to provoke the Marines?
Now, the answer was clear: he wanted the Marines to hand over the culprit, Douglas Bullet.
Of course, Newgate's words obviously weren't meant to save Bullet.
On the contrary, he simply wanted to kill Bullet with his own hands.
"Everything would be fine..." Finn murmured softly. Then he shrugged with exaggerated helplessness. "To be honest, if you'd communicated this request subtly, privately, I probably would have agreed."
Newgate's brow furrowed slightly, as if he didn't understand what Finn meant.
But before he could open his mouth to ask, Finn's aura suddenly surged. In just a brief moment, he resembled a tiger awakening, his presence enveloping all the pirates before him.
"Whitebeard! Let me ask you something. You've been sailing these seas for decades, but when have you ever seen a Marine Admiral Candidate making deals with pirates? We Marines will never compromise with you pirates!" Finn raised his arms, advanced Armament Haki flowing like clouds across his skin, and spoke with absolute seriousness.
Newgate was momentarily stunned as he processed what Finn had just said.
If Whitebeard had made subtle suggestions, dropped hints, said something indirect instead of stating his demand so openly, Finn might have gone along with it. Maintained superficial peace. Sold Bullet out quietly.
But since Whitebeard had voiced the request so directly, so publicly, Finn had no escape route.
Because Finn was absolutely correct. How could a Marine Admiral Candidate possibly compromise with pirates openly?
If Finn compromised here today, all his accumulated reputation and standing within the Marines would turn to nothing.
"Gurara..." Newgate's laughter started again. Then he swung Murakumogiri, his massive bisento, pointing the blade's tip directly at Finn. "I underestimated you. You're right. I've never seen a Marine Admiral Candidate compromise with pirates!"
After a brief pause, a transparent sphere of energy condensed at Murakumogiri's tip. Then Newgate continued, his voice carrying finality, "In that case, I'll capture you, this Admiral Candidate, and then go negotiate with Sengoku or Kong. Let's see if they'll compromise with me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Newgate swung Murakumogiri toward Finn.
The two sides stood dozens of meters apart, but distance meant nothing. Devastating tremor force rushed directly toward Finn. Wherever it passed, everything in its path was pulverized into dust.
Finn clenched his hands together. The Armament Haki coating his arms instantly transformed into flowing clouds, entering advanced application. At the same time, he drew the demon blade Shindokutō. Powerful Haki, immense wind pressure, and equally tremendous gravitational energy all converged on the cursed steel.
Then Finn didn't dodge or evade. He faced the tremor force released by the strongest man in the world and slashed out directly.
"Gravity Blade: Supreme Tiger!" Finn roared.
Haki, wind pressure, and gravity compressed together by Finn's will collided with Newgate's tremor force.
Then the ground rapidly fractured like a rift valley opening, separating Finn and Newgate across a massive chasm.
Afterward, the already shattered Spring Queen Island began trembling again, like a massive earthquake.
Seawater in the surrounding ocean flowed backward, causing enormous waves that surged and overflowed continuously.
The collision between the two energies seemed intent on tearing the entire island apart. Space itself shattered and distorted around the impact point.
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