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A fierce wind howled above the Moby Dick as the sky transformed.
The once clear, azure expanse had been replaced by stormy, thunderous clouds, casting an oppressive atmosphere over the entire sea.
"Hmmm."
Whitebeard fixed his gaze on the figure ahead. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, and the curve of his smile widened.
This was truly overwhelming!
A savage aura swept across the deck, causing everyone's robes to flutter wildly. Weaker crew members trembled violently.
"So this is Kojin? His Haki is something else! Gulalala!"
Whitebeard tilted his head back and drained the sake in his hand before roaring with laughter.
"Sons! Let him through. You can't stop him with your strength alone!" His booming voice echoed across the sea.
The remaining pirates, who had been struggling under Kojin's oppressive Conqueror's Haki, finally exhaled in relief. They immediately ordered their crews to maneuver their ships and clear a path for the lone vessel to pass through the dense fleet.
A lone ship slowly sailed into the heart of the fleet. Kojin stared straight ahead, his expression calm and unperturbed.
"Even deep in enemy territory, he doesn't flinch!"
"Just how much courage does this guy have?"
"This is the World's Strongest Pirate Crew!"
The pirates' hearts trembled as their eyes flickered and collectively fixed on the figure passing by their ships' bows.
At that moment, Kojin's ship slowly came to a stop.
He lifted his gaze slightly, locking onto something ahead.
Buzz!
Another wave of violent Conqueror's Haki roared outward. The terrifying shockwave caused nearby pirate ships to creak and groan, and cracks spiderwebbed across their hulls.
On the Moby Dick, Marco and the others sensed the aura, and their expressions shifted once more.
"Just how strong is his Haki?"
Feeling the violent wind buffeting their clothes, each officer was utterly terrified.
Then, they saw the figure ahead start to climb the steps.
Creak!
The sound of wooden boards grinding against each other echoed in their ears.
Buzz!
Concentric ripples radiated outward from the figure, unleashing an even greater gale.
Hōng Lóng Lóng!
Thunder boomed endlessly above. Vista looked up in shock and saw a colossal thunder dragon swimming and roaring within the thundercloud. Its head was visible, but its tail was lost in the swirling darkness.
Creak!
Kojin took another step.
His terrifying Conqueror's Haki radiated outward again, pressing down on everyone like the weight of a mountain and crushing them with its immense pressure.
"Terrifying!"
"This man's Haki has reached such an extraordinary level!"
"Even we can feel our hearts pounding!"
Marco's expression shifted dramatically as he stared in shock at the approaching figure, his heart racing.
He had never encountered such an overwhelming presence since the days of Roger.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
The steady, deliberate footsteps echoed across the wooden deck, each footfall sending tremors through the crew's chests. Finally, the man stepped into view, filling the entire area with his presence.
A sleek, black buzz cut framed his face atop a colossal, muscular physique that radiated raw strength. The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing a chest as solid as granite with sharply defined pectorals and bulging biceps straining against his sleeves.
His massive physique immediately conveyed his immense power and strength.
He is strong! So incredibly strong!
It was a visual impact beyond words! Every part of his body... organs, muscles, and cells... seemed honed to the absolute limit.
Then, with the white cloak billowing behind him, the figure stepped forward into full view.
His gaze swept across the crowd, locking in on each person, as if a mountain were pressing down on their hearts, heavy and suffocating.
"Whitebeard! Edward Newgate!" Kojin grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth.
His eyes remained utterly calm, a faint smile playing on his lips. He showed no trace of anger or battle intent, as if all his sharpness had been sheathed within a scabbard.
"Kojin!" Whitebeard's eyes narrowed slightly before he burst into hearty laughter.
"Gulalala!"
He surged to his feet, his towering 6.66-meter frame dwarfing Kojin by more than twofold. His physique was equally imposing, delivering an overwhelming sense of power.
"I admire your courage in daring to infiltrate enemy territory alone! I thought you'd bring the full force of Marine Headquarters with you," The old man said. His voice was laced with a smile that carried overwhelming pressure, rolling toward Kojin like a tidal wave.
Kojin simply smiled lightly, took a few steps forward, and then casually sat cross-legged on the deck. "That's my style," he replied. "On this journey, I alone am sufficient!"
Whitebeard gripped his naginata, Murakumogiri, his gaze locked on the seemingly unguarded figure sitting calmly before him and radiating neither hostility nor wariness.
"You're awfully confident for a brat!"
Kojin raised his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Is this how the Whitebeard Pirates treat their guests?"
'This guy!'
Beside him, Marco and the others were shaken to their core. Despite facing Whitebeard alone, Kojin's calm demeanor and unwavering composure evoked a sliver of admiration in their hearts.
Hidden in the crowd behind them was a figure with his eyes fixed on the cross-legged Kojin; his heart pounded with shock.
"What a terrifying man!"
"How much confidence does he have to remain completely calm after arriving here?"
"Could he possibly have the same confidence as Old Man?"
Whitebeard stood there, gazing at the man before him. Suddenly, he burst into hearty laughter. His massive frame shifted, and he settled into a cross-legged position on the deck, facing Kojin directly.
"Bring the sake!" He roared.
The sudden command caused Marco and the others to exchange bewildered glances.
Moments later, a tray of sake was placed before the towering Whitebeard and the smaller Kojin.
The two men locked eyes, then raised their cups and drained them in a single gulp.
"You must know why I've come, Whitebeard!" Kojin's smile vanished as he spoke in a deep, solemn voice.
"Your men were arrogant and dared to challenge me," Whitebeard replied with a faint smile. "I simply taught them a lesson."
Crocodile sat on one side, his face ashen and his head bowed in shame. He couldn't bear to face Kojin again and felt deep concern for his superior.
Though Kojin appeared calm, a battle could erupt at any moment.
"Hand him over," Kojin demanded sharply, placing his bowl on the deck with a thud. "My man... I'm taking him with me!"
As his tone shifted, a chilling aura seemed to sweep across the Moby Dick, sending a cold shiver down everyone's spine.
"Gulalala!" Whitebeard roared with laughter, shaking his head. "Kojin, you're just as arrogant as your subordinates!"
"Do you really think you can waltz in here alone and leave unscathed today?" Whitebeard paused, his smiling face suddenly turning cold and his eyes flashing with icy menace.
"Who do you take me for?" Whitebeard demanded. "Some lowly pirate?"
A ferocious gale swept through the area, causing everyone's faces to contort with fear and their hearts to pound in their chests.
In just a few words, the atmosphere had transformed completely.
The two figures in the arena stood poised for battle, as if they were about to draw their blades at any moment.
Kojin remained silent, his seated figure framed against the backdrop of lightning crackling through the void. At that moment, he resembled a dormant volcano, brimming with terrifying energy, ready to erupt.
"So… You want war?"
His deep voice rumbled like thunder, reverberating through the air and reaching every ear.
Crocodile's pupils constricted as a chaotic mix of emotions he couldn't name washed over him. A lump formed in his throat, and tears shimmered in his eyes as he stared at the seated figure before him. He sniffed sharply.
"Kojin."
Meanwhile, Marco and the others remained on high alert, their gazes fixed intently on the two combatants.
"Wage war?"
"That depends on whether you have the strength to face me!" Whitebeard sneered, baring his teeth in a cold grin.
"Your worldwide reputation means nothing if you lack true power!"
Both remained seated cross-legged, yet their words struck like sharpened blades; their clash had already begun.
"You call my reputation hollow?" Kojin murmured, his eyes suddenly blazing with piercing intensity.
Suddenly, a ten-thousand-meter lightning bolt tore through the void, its blinding radiance illuminating everything.
Marco instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes. As he moved, he caught a glimpse of two figures who had risen unnoticed and were simultaneously swinging their swords down.
Bang!
A deafening crash reverberated through the air, throwing everyone on the Moby Dick off balance as the ship rocked violently.
"Then let's fight!"
A chilling voice rang out for the first time, its icy timbre piercing the air.
As the light gradually faded, Marco and the others turned their gaze forward.
"Oyaji and Kojin are clashing!"
Their pupils contracted, and their hearts pounded in shock.
The two figures stood face-to-face with their weapons in hand, their eyes locked in an intense stare. Electrical sparks danced in the void between them while crimson-black lightning arced from where their blades collided.
"You've got some potential with this Haki," Whitebeard grinned, his eyes blazing with battle intent.
He could sense the surging, saturated, boiling Conqueror's Haki radiating from Kojin's blade.
The young Marine before him possessed Haki in no way inferior to Whitebeard's or Roger's.
"You're the same!" Kojin declared, his eyes blazing with intensity.
The brief clash revealed the full extent of Whitebeard's strength and dominance at his peak.
The Conqueror's Haki surging from the distant figure was no less potent than his own.
In that instant, Kojin could clearly sense the man's overwhelming power.
The World's Strongest Man!
The pinnacle of combat power!
A hexagonal warrior with virtually no weaknesses!
Kojin's eyes blazed brighter, his battle intent boiling within him. His blood surged, and adrenaline coursed through his veins.
He fully understood what lay ahead.
A Whitebeard at his absolute prime with a body unburdened by age or scars, capable of unleashing his full, terrifying power.
"Come. Show me... Show me just how strong are you truly?" Kojin muttered these words as his right hand twitched slightly.
Ace's blade slashed through the void, unleashing a crimson and black lightning bolt that surged forward at a new angle, aiming to strike the towering figure ahead.
Surprisingly, Whitebeard moved with astonishing speed and reflexes, a stark contrast to his stiff, passive defense during the Marineford War, despite his colossal size.
Murakumogiri, Whitebeard's blade, swept through the air, crackling with the same lightning.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
Of course! How could a man of such legendary power, on par with Roger himself, not possess Haki?
Boom!
Lightning flashed overhead as their blades clashed again.
The next instant:
Buzz!
An invisible shockwave erupted outward, scattering the surrounding ships amid panicked shouts, and a violent gale tore through the fleet.
"The sky... It's splitting open!"
Suddenly, a terrified roar tore through the heavens, shaking the very skies.
(End Of This Chapter)