As the ground shattered again beneath Whitebeard's overwhelming power, Finn felt a sharp sense of crisis.
This wasn't Observation Haki warning him. Just pure, survival-honed instinct.
Without second-guessing himself, Finn trusted that intuition completely. He stomped the ground with explosive force, immediately lifting his hands away from the earth, and evacuated the area at maximum speed.
As expected, the moment his front foot cleared the zone, the space where he'd been standing exploded. Devastating tremor force crushed everything in that location into fragments, pulverizing matter itself.
After landing safely, Finn steadied his breathing and couldn't help feeling somewhat emotional.
If, twenty years in the future, Shanks possessed the strongest Conqueror's Haki, Kaido boasted the greatest vitality, and Charlotte Linlin claimed the most impenetrable defense...
Then Whitebeard undoubtedly wielded the ultimate, most devastating offensive power.
His Tremor-Tremor Fruit was simply too much.
Think about fighters like Kaido. They still needed to coat their attacks with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, creating advanced infusion techniques just to break through enemy defenses and damage internal organs directly.
But Whitebeard? Even without relying on those advanced Haki applications, he could shake you to death with a single punch, liquefying your internal organs into paste through sheer vibrational force.
While these thoughts flashed through his mind, Finn's body never stopped moving. He raised his hand, pointing the demon blade Shindokutō toward Whitebeard, and called out in a low voice, "Gravity Domain: Universal Pull!"
Whitebeard's eyebrows rose, not immediately understanding Finn's technique. Then suddenly he felt an incomparable attractive force erupting from Shindokutō's tip.
His massive body involuntarily lifted from the ground, pulled toward Finn's position.
At that moment, understanding dawned. Newgate grasped the meaning of Finn's move.
He doesn't need to swing the blade to cut his enemies. He wants them to die by crashing into the sword held in his hand.
Quite an unconventional approach, Newgate admitted internally.
However, Whitebeard's reaction speed was exceptional. As his body was yanked forward, he reached out and grabbed Murakumogiri with practiced ease. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. He didn't resist the attractive force at all, allowing himself to fly toward Finn while wielding his weapon.
The moment Finn saw Whitebeard secure his grip on Murakumogiri, regret flashed through his eyes.
After all, Murakumogiri was considerably longer than Shindokutō. If Whitebeard had fumbled slightly and failed to catch his weapon, Finn might have been able to execute a successful attack using this method.
Now, with the massive bisento in hand, Whitebeard would strike him down before Shindokutō could pierce his defenses.
Therefore, Finn didn't hesitate. He changed tactics immediately. Loosening his grip, he allowed Shindokutō to shoot forward like a arrow, aiming directly for Whitebeard's chest.
"Gurararara! You underestimate me far too much, little brat!" Whitebeard laughed heartily and punched the empty air before him.
Shindokutō, which had been rocketing toward his chest, was directly deflected by concentrated tremor force, sent spinning away.
At the same time, Whitebeard landed with one foot, raised Murakumogiri overhead, and slashed down toward Finn's skull.
"Gravity Domain: Almighty Push!" Finn roared.
Powerful repulsive force erupted instantly. Murakumogiri in Whitebeard's hands paused its descent. But the pause lasted only a heartbeat. An invisible transparent energy halo appeared around the blade, offsetting the gravitational rejection, and the strike continued falling.
However, Finn had never intended to use this defensive technique to actually stop Whitebeard. Instead, he was creating an opening for himself.
As the repulsive force burst outward, his body appeared to be struck by the reaction and flew backward at tremendous speed.
The destructive tremor force concentrated at Murakumogiri's tip brushed past his hair as it fell. The near miss made Finn break into a cold sweat.
When the blade struck ground, the entire Spring Queen Island trembled again, like a continuous earthquake that refused to cease.
After dodging that devastating blow, Finn looked at Whitebeard. Newgate casually planted Murakumogiri beside him and spoke, "Is that all you've got, little brat?"
"I can't beat you. I genuinely can't..." Finn responded with a self-deprecating smile. Shindokutō fell back into his outstretched palm under gravity's guidance.
Whitebeard laughed as well. "Those aren't words that should come from someone who just declared the sea favors the brave..."
"I don't think so. Am I not being brave enough right now?" Finn asked, his smile never wavering.
Whitebeard paused, then a flash of approval entered his eyes. He nodded slowly. "You're right. I was overthinking it. You truly are a brave kid."
After a brief pause, Whitebeard continued, "Since you've already acknowledged you're no match for me, this battle should end here, right? Don't worry. I admire you greatly and have no intention of harming you. After I've negotiated proper terms with Sengoku, I'll naturally release you."
"Alas, I must refuse, Newgate. When have you ever seen a Marine Admiral Candidate surrender to pirates?" Finn sighed with theatrical regret.
"In other words, even knowing you cannot defeat me, you'll continue fighting. You won't stop until you're bleeding profusely, unable to move, or even lying dead here... is that it?" Whitebeard's tone carried quiet understanding.
Finn's smile turned vicious, almost feral. "Why not fight until I break through in battle and claim your title as the strongest man in the world?"
"Gurararara! Such arrogance!" Whitebeard's laughter boomed across the devastation.
As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped conversing. He gripped Murakumogiri tightly, tremor force vibrating along the blade. He stomped the ground and charged toward Finn again, slashing with overwhelming power.
A gleam flashed in Finn's eyes. He raised his blade and created a defensive flower pattern with rapid movements. At the same time, he retreated violently, creating distance.
The next second, a sense of impending destruction descended from above. A massive meteorite fell from the sky, wreathed in flames.
"Starfall Impact!" Finn shouted the technique's name.
A flash of disdain crossed Whitebeard's eyes. He sneered, "Cheap tricks"
As he spoke, Newgate changed his blade's trajectory and thrust upward. There was an audible CRACK, and though he clearly struck nothing physical, it seemed as if he'd shattered something fundamental.
As expected, the meteorite that had been descending with apocalyptic momentum suddenly exploded, transforming into a massive, brilliant firework display in the sky.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger Kill!" Finn swung his blade with full force.
Just like the meteorite, it had been merely a distraction to capture Whitebeard's attention.
Powerful gravitational pressure, combined with sharp slashing force and tremendous wind pressure bursting from Shindokutō, rushed toward Whitebeard.
Newgate showed no intention of dodging. He shifted Murakumogiri from his left hand to his right, spun it twice with casual grace, and when the gravity-enhanced slash arrived directly before him, he immediately struck it down.
This blow didn't destroy Finn's technique outright. Instead, the devastating tremor force severed the gravitational cohesion maintaining the attack. The area where Whitebeard stood remained completely unaffected, while the ground on both sides behind him lifted in waves, sweeping toward the distance.
At that moment, another meteorite descended from above. Undoubtedly another Starfall Impact.
Whitebeard's expression darkened with irritation. He shouted angrily, "Are you insulting me, little brat? Show me some real skill!"
This time, Newgate didn't even glance upward. He raised one hand and punched empty air. Sure enough, the celestial projectile exploded in the sky again.
Finn didn't respond verbally at all. Instead, he eliminated his own gravitational weight and flew skyward. He snorted softly, "Starfall Impact: Twin Poles!"
This time, he pulled two meteorites from orbit simultaneously, both plummeting toward Whitebeard.
The anger in Newgate's eyes intensified. He roared and stabbed Murakumogiri into the ground for stability. He lowered his center of gravity, stepped his feet wide apart in a solid horse stance, and extended both arms forward. His hands formed claws that grabbed and pulled fiercely at the void before him.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power erupted at maximum output. In that instant, it was as if the world itself had been inverted. The already shattered Spring Queen Island tilted nearly ninety degrees. The ocean surface split into several uneven sections.
In the sky above, two meteorites that should have fallen in sequence actually collided with each other mid-descent, exploding into fragments in the air.
At the same time, Finn's footing became unstable. Brutal tremor force pressed toward him from all directions simultaneously.
This technique seemed to fill all available space. No matter how he tried to dodge, escape appeared impossible.
Finn gripped Shindokutō tightly. Gravitational force radiated outward from his entire body, resisting the tremor force crushing him from every angle.
At that moment, Whitebeard truly appeared to be tearing something apart. He swung his arms violently outward, and with an audible SNAP, the space across more than a hundred meters visibly shattered in sequence. The spreading fracture marks extended directly toward Finn's position.
Finn was being squeezed by invisible tremor force at that precise moment. He couldn't dodge at all.
He shifted his grip, holding Shindokutō's hilt with one hand while the other brushed slowly along the blade. He spoke in a low, almost reverent voice, "Gravity Blade Secret Art: Absolute Void Slash!"
The gravitational energy condensing on the blade was no longer lavender. Instead, the purple grew so dense it turned absolute black. When Finn's palm brushed across the final tip of Shindokutō, the entire demon blade had transformed into something that seemed to devour light itself.
It wasn't Armament Haki darkening the steel. This was gravity so intense it created visible distortion.
At the same time, the void where the blade existed began fracturing faintly, as if being constantly consumed and compressed by the invisible gravitational force.
"HAAA!" Finn roared and slashed forward.
There was no visible slashing wave. But wherever the blade passed, everything in the universe turned to ash.
Even the devastating tremor force erupting from Whitebeard became absolute nothingness after encountering that black blade, leaving no aftermath whatsoever.
This scene genuinely made surprise flash through Whitebeard's eyes. For the first time since the battle began, his expression shifted to something solemn and serious.
Even from this distance, Newgate could sense that Finn's current attack possessed truly lethal potential.
Even he would need to respond seriously. Otherwise, he'd sustain severe injury.
But soon, understanding returned to Whitebeard's eyes, because he noticed Finn's condition wasn't right.
To be honest, up until this point, their exchanges had been exciting back-and-forth combat.
But Finn might genuinely be approaching his limits, while Whitebeard wasn't taking things seriously yet.
Neither had actually sustained real injury thus far.
Therefore, their physical conditions should theoretically be quite good.
Yet at this moment, after Finn executed that slash, the ends of his hair were already soaked with sweat. Perspiration poured down his forehead. He gasped for breath, his respiration completely unstable.
This clearly indicated severe overexertion.
It seemed that although the blade he'd just unleashed possessed world-destroying power, it was also a finishing move he couldn't maintain for extended periods.
This assessment was accurate. In fact, Finn had originally prepared this technique specifically for Charlotte Linlin, the "Iron Balloon."
He'd believed this strike should be capable of breaking through all of Big Mom's defenses. If he could seize the perfect opportunity, he might severely injure that monstrous woman.
But unexpectedly, the first time he'd used it was against Whitebeard's overwhelming offense.
That blade had condensed ultimate gravitational force. The reason everything turned to ash wherever it passed was because genuine gravitational collapse was occurring along the blade's edge itself.
"Are you exhausted?" Whitebeard looked at Finn and asked calmly.
Finn didn't respond verbally. But at that moment, the Den Den Mushi he carried suddenly rang.
He didn't need to answer. After three rings, it returned to silence.
At the same time, Finn's seemingly exhausted figure grinned viciously. "Mission accomplished. Rear guard duty complete."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Finn suddenly raised his arm, pointing directly at Whitebeard. Then he shouted in a low, commanding voice:
"Gravity Domain: Planetary Devastation!"