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The members of the Thunder God Pirates had long been unable to contain their anticipation. To a man, they were itching for a fight, their hunger for battle nearly insatiable.
Ever since they had carved out their domain in the New World, the Thunder God Pirates had never stopped fighting. However, those who had the guts to challenge or provoke them were almost exclusively incompetents; even their encounters with the other Four Emperors had been nothing more than trivial, superficial skirmishes.
Among the hegemons of the sea, there seemed to exist a silent, unspoken rule of non-aggression. It was thought impossible for a clash like today's to occur—one where every elite member was deployed for a battle destined to shock the foundations of the world.
Hearing the delirious, excited roars of his subordinates, Arthur let out a wild, unrestrained laugh.
"Heh... Hahahahaha! Whitebeard, I came here to tell you one thing: as of today, the throne of the 'World's Strongest' officially... changes hands!!"
"As arrogant and conceited as ever. Not a single change in over a decade, Arthur brat! Gurarararara!" Whitebeard threw his head back and laughed with disdain. He violently ripped the IV needles from his chest and reached out a massive hand to grip the bisento, Murakumogiri, which stood planted beside his throne.
A terrifying aura, like a sudden torrential storm, slammed into the area. His world-dominating presence ignited the fighting spirit of Marco and the others, sending a surge of exhilaration through their ranks.
"Now that's more like it," Arthur said, stepping off his ship and walking calmly onto the designated battlefield. "I wouldn't have even felt like lifting a finger against you while you were lying down!!"
"Let my subordinates test the mettle of your 'sons'!!"
"Let me test you first!!" Whitebeard barked. His great cloak billowed in the gale as he swung his massive bisento. From a distance of several kilometers, he unleashed a monstrous overhead slash aimed directly at Arthur.
CRACK—!!
A sound like a thunderbolt on a clear day erupted as the war officially began. Under the weight of that singular, terrifying strike, the very sky was torn asunder. A massive, jagged fissure opened amidst the blue sky and white clouds.
"Pops!!"
"The sky... it split open!!"
The members of both the Whitebeard and Thunder God Pirates felt their hearts tremble at the center of such a devastating display of power. Under the initial exchange between the two captains, the battle that held the world's attention had finally begun!
Whitebeard's peerless style, no matter how much time passed, remained heart-stopping. A pale, translucent sphere of light pulsed at the tip of his blade—a strike capable of cleaving the island.
Following the collision of their Conqueror's Haki, a hurricane whipped up over the nearly frozen sea, and the waves began to churn with renewed violence.
.............
"Your fame ends today. It shall become the foundation for my own!"
Arthur looked up, facing the strike that could cleave the ocean with absolute composure. He stood like an immovable mountain at the eye of the storm. His own battle intent was finally set ablaze by Whitebeard's blow.
Facing the unstoppable strike, Arthur raised his right hand. His steel-like muscles were instantly coated in a powerful layer of Armament Haki, his arm shimmering with a deep, purple-red glow.
He didn't use his Devil Fruit powers. Instead, he intended to rely solely on his physical body and his Haki to forcibly stop this earth-shaking strike!
The stronger the body, the stronger the Haki. Arthur had spent years traversing the seas, dueling countless Haki powerhouses; his own Haki had long since reached unfathomable depths. Coupled with the slight enhancements to his constitution from consuming six Devil Fruits, he could stand at the absolute apex of the ocean through pure martial prowess alone.
His fist roared forward, meeting the descending blade of light.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
An earth-shattering explosion followed. At the point of impact, it felt as if the world was collapsing. Even the ocean could not contain such terrifying force; the seawater was violently displaced in every direction by the shockwave.
On the surface, over a hundred ships were tossed like toys, on the verge of capsizing at any moment. The expanding shockwave forced the spectators of both crews to exert their own strength just to remain standing. A normal person would have been turned to ash by the mere afterglow of such a collision.
The sky-rending strike was neutralized by Arthur's fist. After the initial exchange, both men stood completely unscathed.
"Pops!!"
"Captain..."
"Lord Arthur!"
The crew members could not help but scream the names of their leaders.
"The Captain blocked a full-strength strike from Whitebeard using nothing but Haki and physical technique... He is too powerful!" Shiryu's eyes burned with an even more fervent heat as he watched.
"Hmph, Lord Arthur is the strongest!" Hancock said proudly, though her face darkened a moment later. "Curse that Whitebeard..."
"It's our turn to move. We can't let the Captain hog all the glory, hahahaha!!"
.............
The storm finally settled, and the ocean ceased its upheaval.
"As frighteningly strong as you are, it's no longer enough, Whitebeard..." Arthur twisted his wrist, a sneer playing on his lips.
"The era no longer has room for you!!"
"Gurararararara! Cast aside by the era? I am Whitebeard!!" Whitebeard was completely unmoved by Arthur's words, his expression one of pure defiance.
"My men have been looking forward to meeting your 'sons' for a long time," Arthur smiled. "Are you brave enough to let your canaries out to see some blood?"
"My sons will show your pirates the true cruelty of the New World!" Whitebeard dismissed the taunt with a massive wave of his hand.
"Pops... let us crush the Thunder God Pirates, and then we'll come back for the feast!!"
Marco erupted in blue-and-gold flames. Diamond Jozu transformed his body into shimmering gemstone. "Flower Sword" Vista slowly drew his dual blades. Jinbe and Namur dived into the sea, while further off, the giant Little Oars Jr. waded through the water, swinging his colossus-sized cleaver.
The sixteen Division Captains and the forty-plus subordinate crews let out a roar of war.
"Sorry, Thunder Emperor... You came to Whitebeard's territory and we didn't give you a proper welcome. We'll just have to beat you back home instead!!"
"If anyone is apologizing, it should be us, Captain Marco!" Shiryu bit his cigar and let out a bloodthirsty, cold laugh. He stepped forward, his razor-sharp sword intent piercing the clouds.
"The man said to be on par with the Four Emperors, the strongest under the Thunder Emperor—'Shiryu of the Rain'?" Vista stepped onto the island, flower petals seemingly drifting around him. "If it's a duel of blades you want, let me be your opponent!!"
"Diamond Jozu... Get out here!" Rockwell locked onto his target.
"The descendant of Oars... leave him to me, Captain!!" Sanjuan Wolf asked with his usual dull tone, standing tall as he faced Little Oars Jr., who looked tiny in comparison to him.
In an instant, everyone found their match. Shiryu even seemed prepared to take on three at once.
The Sixteen Captains of Whitebeard vs. The Nine Captains of the Thunder God!
The Whitebeard Grand Fleet vs. The Thunder God Grand Fleet!
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