The moment the energy shockwave's aftermath dissipated, Newgate's towering figure had already closed the distance.
"Excellent fighting spirit, kid!" Newgate praised with a genuine grin.
As the words fell, the massive bisento in his hands, Murakumogiri, slashed downward with devastating force.
It was visible to the naked eye. There was no energy halo around the blade. Instead, it was wrapped in an invisible, intangible layer of Haki that distorted the air around it.
Finn had no time to dodge.
Or perhaps he had no intention of dodging in the first place.
He'd just used Douglas Bullet to prove his strength had reached top-tier levels.
Now, with Whitebeard before him, the acknowledged strongest man in the world, he could measure exactly how far he stood from the absolute peak.
With a sharp twist of his left hand, Finn instantly shifted from a one-handed to a two-handed grip on Shindokutō. Then advanced Armament Haki like flowing clouds wrapped around the demon blade, and he slashed upward to meet Newgate's incoming strike.
The blades didn't physically touch. The Haki collided through the air between them.
The already broken ground beneath Finn's feet pulverized instantly. His legs were driven directly into the earth by Newgate's overwhelming power.
The Justice cloak behind him whipped violently under the pressure of displaced air. The veins in Finn's arms bulged prominently, his muscles tensed to their limits, his eyes reddening with exertion, blood vessels visible on his forehead.
"HAAA!" Finn roared.
His already straining arm muscles expanded further. The ground beneath his feet erupted like a geyser, sending up massive clouds of smoke and dust.
Dark crimson lightning produced by the collision of advanced Haki kept flashing and crackling around both Finn and Newgate.
In the distance, the assembled masters of the Whitebeard Pirates watched with visible surprise.
This scene looked remarkably familiar.
It resembled the clashes when their father had fought Roger many years ago.
But soon, everyone noticed something was different. A crucial distinction.
Back then, when their father fought Roger, both sides had been evenly matched, neither able to gain decisive advantage.
Now, though Finn was withstanding their father's attack, it was obvious Whitebeard still had reserves of strength, while Finn had already burst out with everything he had.
Even accounting for that difference, they felt genuinely shocked.
Because in their daily lives, these unfilial sons often sought out their father for training and sparring sessions.
With their father's strength, he certainly didn't fight them with full power. But not a single person present could accomplish what Finn was doing right now.
In other words, Finn's power far exceeded theirs.
"That Marine..." Jozu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
"So strong!" Marco admitted his shock frankly, unable to hide his genuine admiration.
Of course, perhaps out of respect for Whitebeard and confidence in his overwhelming power, Marco and the others had no intention of intervening in this battle.
At that moment, Newgate, who'd been locked in the stalemate with Finn, grinned widely. "Gurara! Kid, your strength has truly exceeded my expectations. The Marines' roster of monster is genuinely endless... But you're still a bit too young..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a red gleam flashed in Newgate's pupils. The already oppressive aura surrounding his body became even more powerful, almost suffocating.
At the same time, the Haki he was channeling underwent a qualitative transformation.
"Break!" Newgate commanded.
The instant the word left his lips, Finn felt the force pressing down from Newgate suddenly increase by more than a full level.
"Ghhh..." Finn clenched his teeth so hard they should have shattered. The ground beneath his feet began trembling again.
It seemed the earth itself could no longer withstand the force continuously channeling through Finn's body.
At that critical moment, Finn's second-stage, cloud-like Armament Haki shattered completely. Then Newgate's Murakumogiri crashed against the demon blade with overwhelming might.
The impact made Finn's hands go numb, his arms nearly losing all sensation.
It was precisely at this moment that he instinctively compared this exchange to his previous fight with Charlotte Linlin.
As expected, Newgate was more powerful.
Or perhaps his offense was sharper, more devastating.
When he thought about it, Charlotte Linlin might possess extraordinary strength, but future Whitebeard at over seventy years old had single-handedly stopped the giant ship Moby Dick with pure physical power.
His physical strength was absolutely no joke.
Finn felt profoundly grateful at this moment that he'd obtained Shindokutō.
If he was still using Sōzai right now, he had absolutely no doubt the blade would've been cut cleanly in half by Newgate's strike, sliced like butter.
The demon blade Shindokutō, worthy of being among the world's top-class sword.
It blocked Newgate's Murakumogiri with no damage whatsoever. The razor-sharp edge didn't have a single scratch or imperfection.
The ground beneath Finn's feet could no longer support the tremendous forces. It shook violently and exploded. At the same time, Finn's body could no longer withstand Newgate's terrifying assault. He was suppressed and sent flying backward by the overwhelming power.
After being blown back dozens of meters, Finn thrust his fingers into the ground, plowing a trench through the devastated terrain. He slid back several dozen more meters before finally arresting his momentum.
At that moment, his arms trembled slightly. Not from fear, but from muscular spasms caused by explosive exertion beyond normal limits.
"My Haki was shattered..." Finn murmured softly. Then he looked at Newgate, who stood in the distance without pressing his advantage, and asked, "That transformation in your attack just now... did you switch from Armament Haki coating to Conqueror's Haki?"
Newgate's mouth curled upward, his eyes showing genuine admiration. He didn't hide anything. As if offering guidance to a worthy successor, he said, "Indeed. You have excellent perception, kid. You're worthy of being trained by Sengoku and the others... The so-called Conqueror's Haki can also be imbued into attacks, but this is power that only a very select few among the strong can utilize. I could sense that the moment I used Conqueror's Haki, a similar power within your body stirred and responded. You also possess the qualifications of a king, don't you?"
Finn slowly stopped his arm's trembling. He swung the demon blade Shindokutō experimentally, testing his grip, then nodded. "That's right."
"Conqueror's Haki cannot be nurtured through training alone. It exists within the heart and reflects everything the heart experiences," Newgate continued, his tone taking on an almost philosophical quality. "Although this qualification is possessed by only one person in a several million, in this vast ocean, those who possess Conqueror's Haki and the qualifications of a king aren't as rare as people imagine. However, some people's Conqueror's Haki grows weaker and weaker over time, while others' becomes stronger and stronger. Why do you think that is?"
Finn felt genuinely stunned. He hadn't expected Whitebeard would have such leisure during combat, seemingly intending to offer guidance.
However, Finn didn't act pretentious simply because of Newgate's identity as a pirate. Advice from the strongest man in the world, even a single sentence, was invaluable beyond measure.
Finn responded in a deep, thoughtful voice, "Because even among kings, there are strengths and weaknesses. Since Conqueror's Haki resides in the heart, one should act according to the heart's calling. The braver the heart, the stronger the Haki! After all, this sea has always favored only the brave. Those who become afraid and remain stagnant, even if they possess a king's qualifications, cannot bear a king's bearing. Their Haki will naturally weaken!"
Newgate's eyes lit up with delight. He laughed heartily. "Gurararara! Exactly right! I admire you more and more. Staying in a place like the Marines is simply burying your talent as a king. Finn... no, Rodriguez Finn. Will you become my son?!"
I never thought I'd hear those words even as a Marine!
Though Finn genuinely acknowledged Newgate's wisdom and guidance, he had absolutely no intention of turning pirate.
Finn swung his blade sharply. The dark, malevolent aura emanating from Shindokutō vanished momentarily as he spoke without hesitation, "I refuse!"
"Just as I expected." Newgate showed no disappointment whatsoever, his smile never faltering.
Originally, he hadn't expected someone like Finn to be easily swayed. But he genuinely admired Finn's bold declaration that "the sea only favors the brave," so he'd extended the invitation.
It was simply words. Whether it succeeded or failed, he lost nothing, right?
And if Finn suddenly had a mental accident and actually agreed? Wouldn't that be an incredible windfall?
Without dwelling on the rejection, Newgate raised Murakumogiri and said, "The sea has always favored the brave. Those words truly suit my taste. Finn, you're still very young and proud. It's not surprising you can speak such words. However, this sea also delights in burying the brave. I hope you can always maintain this courageous heart in the future, growing ever more valiant in battle. One day, your heart will guide your abilities and achieve the great cause worthy of a king!"
As soon as he finished speaking, red light flashed in Newgate's eyes again. He stomped the ground and rushed toward Finn while slashing with his bisento.
Finn had already realized during their previous exchange that he was ultimately weaker than Newgate.
From a certain perspective, this gap was a world of difference, like an insurmountable chasm stretching to the heavens.
Look at Douglas Bullet. He was only slightly weaker than Finn in terms of raw capability, yet in actual battle, the difference between strong and weak became infinitely exaggerated due to various unexpected circumstances and tactical factors.
The same principle applied when facing Whitebeard.
It seemed like a thin line separating them. But it was actually a razor-thin line reaching toward the sky itself.
Therefore, facing Newgate's incoming strike, Finn didn't attempt to resist head-on as he had before. Instead, he activated his Devil Fruit power. His own gravitational weight disappeared completely, and he used Soru, creating distance from Newgate at tremendous speed.
As soon as he found solid footing, Finn pressed his palm to the ground and shouted,
"Gravity Domain: Absolute Restraint!"
As Finn executed this technique, invisible gravitational force surged from his body and instantly poured into the broken terrain.
The next second, the originally crumbling ground became enveloped by immense gravitational pressure, suppressing it completely. The scattered, fragmenting earth actually began gradually solidifying, forced back together by sheer gravitational compression.
This powerful gravitational pressure naturally also enveloped Whitebeard. At that precise moment, he'd just finished his downward slash and stood firmly on the ground. With gravity's assistance, his own weight drove him directly into the earth, creating a massive crater.
At the same time, Whitebeard felt the tremendous gravity pressing down on him, as if intending to drag him to hell itself and offer him as sacrifice to the Lord of the Underworld.
But he was the strongest man, after all. He straightened his spine and withstood the gravitational pressure. At the same time, he stabbed Murakumogiri into the ground for additional support.
His arms crossed before his chest, one left and one right. Rich transparent halos condensed around his two massive fists, concentrating destructive tremor force into concentrated points.
Then he looked at Finn, his magnificent white mustache twitching twice. A smile played at the corner of his mouth as he spoke with casual confidence, "Air Quake."
Then Whitebeard, bearing the brutal gravitational pressure, suddenly opened his crossed arms wide. His two fists, one left and one right, slammed into the empty air on either side of his body.
The next moment, devastating tremor force erupted. The void itself cracked and splintered, as if he'd shattered space with pure force.
The powerful gravitational pressure that had originally enveloped the entire area was obliterated in an instant.
Even the ground Finn had forcibly solidified through gravity couldn't withstand this overwhelming power. It shattered again into countless fragments.