For a moment, the air aboard the warship froze solid.
"W–White… Whitebeard!!"
The Marine lieutenant's binoculars slipped from his trembling hands, clattering loudly against the deck. His face drained of all color at a visible speed, lips quivering uncontrollably.
"Why… why is Whitebeard on a Marine route…?"
On Gern's side, he didn't know whether it was imagination or instinct—but the sea wind suddenly felt sharper, cutting against his cheeks like blades.
That colossal figure in the distance didn't need to move. Just standing there, he seemed to press the weight of the entire ocean down upon Gern's chest.
"All hands—Level One combat readiness!"
The lieutenant suddenly screamed, his voice cracking into hysteria.
"Immediately contact headquarters! Activate the red emergency channel!What we're facing now… is one of the strongest beings alive since the end of the Rocks Era—Whitebeard, Edward Newgate!!"
The deck erupted into chaos.
Marines ran in every direction like headless chickens. Someone knocked over an ammunition crate—brass shells scattered wildly across the deck. A communications officer stumbled while sprinting toward the cabin, nearly crashing face-first onto the planks.
"Ensign Gern! Return to your assigned position immediately!"The lieutenant shouted hoarsely, staring at the man who was about to be promoted to Marine Headquarters—the man carrying a long blade wrapped in white cloth across his back.
Cold sweat had completely soaked through the officer's uniform.
"That's a monster capable of causing tsunamis, Ensign Gern!!"
Gern shifted his gaze slightly at the sound of his voice.
For some reason, the scene before him overlapped with the farewell three days ago—those teary-eyed West Blue soldiers waving him off at the harbor.
He almost laughed.
At this moment, the difference between them… wasn't all that great.
"Distance: one point five nautical miles!"The lookout's voice trembled."No sign of acceleration!"
"Ensign Gern, please—!"
The words faded into nothingness.
Gern's pupils contracted to pinpoints as his vision locked onto the distant figure.
His right hand rose instinctively, gripping the hilt of Bahuang.
At that moment, nothing else existed in his world.
Only that towering figure—
Whitebeard stood casually at the prow of his ship, his white cloak whipping violently in the sea wind. He wasn't even looking in Gern's direction.
"Whitebeard…"
Gern realized his body was trembling—but not from fear.
It was exhilaration.
The black blade slid free of its bindings. Vibration particles instinctively began to gather around his right hand.
"I actually want to experience it… the strongest power in the world…"
A strained grin pulled at his lips as cold sweat slid down his temple.
"Attack—!"
The word had barely left his mouth when Bahuang suddenly pulsed violently.
Clang!
A clear, ringing chime split the chaos like a blade through fog.
Gern lowered his gaze to the trembling sword. The blood that had frozen in his veins suddenly surged again, boiling hot. His shaking fingers clenched tight.
The deck beneath his feet vibrated faintly.
Every Marine nearby instinctively staggered backward—they could feel it.
"Ensign Gern! Have you lost your mind?!"The lieutenant's desperate scream faded into the background, drowned out by the thunderous pounding of Gern's heartbeat.
On Whitebeard's ship—
As his first son, Marco had already noticed the Marine vessel.
"Pops, I told you we shouldn't have taken a Marine route…"
"Gurararara!"Whitebeard laughed loudly."But we're already here, aren't we? Sengoku and Garp aren't exactly waiting for us, are they?"
"Pops…" Marco frowned slightly. He knew his father was looking for his sons, but this trouble could have been avoided.
"It's fine!"Whitebeard grinned, clearly amused by Marco's concern."Marco, I—"
Before he could finish, his expression shifted.
A powerful wave of Observation Haki surged outward.
Someone was directing killing intent at him.
Directly.
Whitebeard grabbed his naginata, Murakumogiri, and turned sharply toward the Marine ship—his gaze locking onto the figure standing at its bow.
"Marco…""There's a real interesting kid over there."
A wide grin split his face.
"Gurararara! To dare release that kind of presence toward me—don't hold back now!"
On the Marine warship—
The moment Whitebeard's gaze met his, a jolt of electricity shot straight up Gern's spine.
It wasn't fear.
It was exhilaration.
For the first time, he understood why moths flew into flames.
"WHITEBEARD!!"
Gern's roar tore through the sea wind.
The bindings around Bahuang shredded apart on their own, unraveling into pale fragments that hovered in the air like a swarm of deathly butterflies—each shard humming with space-rending vibration.
"Gurararara…"Whitebeard's thunderous laughter rolled across the waves."Marine brat—brace yourself!"
He swung his arm casually.
The sea itself trembled.
Crack—!
The air fractured like a massive pane of glass under pressure. Spiderweb-like fissures spread outward as an invisible shockwave tore through the sky.
The ocean was crushed downward, ripped apart by an unseen force, carving a massive trench before surging back violently.
This—was nothing more than a casual quake from Whitebeard.
Gern's pupils shrank violently.
His left fist clenched, vibration particles screaming as they condensed between his fingers.
When his arm carved a matching arc through the air—
The world stopped.
BOOM!!!
The two shockwaves collided.
Sound vanished.
Space twisted violently as the atmosphere was completely evacuated in an instant.
The sea collapsed into a massive crater hundreds of meters wide, only to roar back in the next heartbeat, erupting into a torrential deluge.
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow as he planted Murakumogiri into the deck.
"Oh?""So the Marines have a kid who can use vibrations too?"
Nearby, Marco stood frozen, eyes wide, mouth slightly open—his mind utterly shattered.
"T-That's impossible…!"His voice was hoarse, disbelieving.
"That's… that's Father's power…! How can he have it?!"