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Time seemed to slow as the Moby Dick, under the watchful eyes of the entire world, finally approached Alasolan Island.
Whitebeard stood at the bow, his bisento in hand, his gaze fixed on Arthur, who stood on the beach two kilometers away, his own gaze equally intense.
Their auras clashed across the sea, the air crackling with a palpable tension.
The calm sea churned, waves crashing against the shore.
"Gurararara! Lightning brat! You've been waiting to die, have you?" Whitebeard's booming laughter echoed across the waves, the very air seeming to tremble.
His massive frame, like that of a giant, towered over the ship, his presence awe-inspiring. An average man would barely reach his knees.
———
"Whitebeard has arrived!"
The live broadcast sent shockwaves across the world.
For many, it was their first time seeing the legendary pirate, his imposing figure, his overwhelming aura, inspiring a mixture of fear and reverence—
—He was massive, his jaw broad, his crescent-shaped white mustache his most distinctive feature. He wore a wide-brimmed hat, his eyes filled with a cool, indifferent disdain.
He was a force of nature, a mythological figure, his presence alone enough to command respect—and fear.
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"You arrogant brat! I'll use your head to honor my fallen son, Squard!"
As the ship drew closer, the clash of their auras intensified, the sea churning, massive waves crashing against the shore.
Arthur knew he was outmatched in Haki.
Decades of ruling the seas. Whitebeard's presence was overwhelming. If Arthur, a rookie, could match him in Haki. Whitebeard might as well just give up and die.
"Hahahaha! I've been waiting, Whitebeard!!" Arthur roared, his suppressed lightning erupting, the sky itself seeming to crackle with his power.
He rose into the air, the sky darkening, storm clouds gathering, lightning flashing.
The Moby Dick docked. Whitebeard, his steps steady, descended the gangplank.
"My sons! Take the ship out to sea! Wait for me to return! We'll have a feast!"
His tone was confident, as if victory were assured. But he also acknowledged Arthur's strength, sending his crew away to protect them from the coming battle.
With the Moby Dick gone, with no one else to worry about—Whitebeard could finally unleash his full power.
His Tremor-Tremor Fruit—its destructive force was not something many could withstand.
Whitebeard stood on the shore, his gaze fixed on Arthur, who was wreathed in purple lightning, his excitement palpable.
Their auras clashed, a silent battle of wills, of Conqueror's Haki.
Arthur didn't bother hiding his weakness—or his strength. He stood tall, his defiance absolute, his arrogance on full display.
The clash of their Haki ignited his battle lust—a fierce, unyielding determination, a refusal to back down, even in the face of death.
The battle began.
"Lie down, brat!"
Whitebeard roared, his fist, wreathed in a shimmering white halo, lashing out from hundreds of yards away, its power enough to shatter mountains.
He wanted to end this quickly.
This single punch—no one on the Grand Line could withstand it head-on.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
CRACK!!!
The very air around Whitebeard's fist shattered, spiderweb cracks appearing in the atmosphere itself.
A true cataclysm, the most powerful attack on the seas—unstoppable.
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"You want to kill me? You're a thousand years too early!"
Arthur roared, the force of his voice scattering the clouds above. He met Whitebeard's attack head-on, his right arm, muscles bulging, veins popping, wreathed in purple lightning, a fusion of his own electrical power and Armament Haki, forming a shimmering, violet-black aura. His fist, like a meteor, shot out.
Their first clash—an explosion of raw power, a clash of titans.
Alasolan Island shattered under the force of their attack, a quarter of it disintegrating into dust, vanishing into the sea.
The shockwave sent a powerful gust of wind rippling outwards, forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes.
Arthur, despite his own power, was at a disadvantage, sent flying backwards a hundred yards.
———
A collective gasp echoed from the onlookers.
They couldn't believe their eyes...
This was the opening exchange?
"Whitebeard—the Strongest Man in the World... It's not just a rumor…" The Marines watched, awestruck.
They'd assumed it was pirate propaganda, an exaggeration to boost his reputation. But witnessing this raw, untamed power—they understood now.
Whitebeard was truly the strongest.
The clash of their fists, the shockwaves—they created massive tsunamis, the ground beneath them crumbling, turning to dust.
The battle's aftermath reached for miles, threatening even the onlookers.
The ships, scattered across the sea, retreated, putting distance between themselves and the battlefield.
The battle—from the very beginning—was a white-hot inferno, the onlookers watching with bated breath, afraid to blink, to miss a single moment of the spectacular clash.
On Alasolan Island, two figures, one towering, one smaller but no less formidable, clashed again and again, their blows shaking the sea, the air itself vibrating with their power.
CRACK!!!
Zzzzzzt!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The earth-shattering roars of their battle echoed across the sea.
Amidst the dust and debris, the two figures, after another brutal exchange, retreated, their initial clash, though Arthur had been at a disadvantage, had not resulted in a clear victory for Whitebeard.
No one could have imagined that a little exchange of punches could level an entire island.
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On the Moby Dick, Marco, having recovered from his earlier injuries, his fists clenched, watched the battle unfold.
He finally understood the gap between himself and Arthur. His earlier attempt to scout him out—it had been a fool's errand. He understood now why Vista and Namur had been training so relentlessly.
"That Arthur—He's grown so much in a year and a half." Rayleigh's voice was filled with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
Even he and Gaban had believed Arthur would be crushed by Whitebeard in a single blow.
Only Kaido, with his monstrous durability, could withstand Whitebeard's attacks.
They hadn't expected Arthur to reach that level.
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