"How is this possible? Such power… it's terrifying!"
"The very fabric of space has been shattered… What kind of force could possibly destroy an entire space like this?"
"Run! A tsunami, a massive tsunami is coming!"
"Damn it, the rifts in space are spreading! Someone, save me!"
"…"
Those watching the battle between Li Yuan and Whitebeard, even those on ships a little too close to the rifts that were spreading, were instantly torn apart, their ships disintegrating as if they were made of paper, their crews reduced to nothing more than fragments.
Even those at a distance, seeing the massive wave rising hundreds of meters into the sky, were paralyzed with fear, breaking into cold sweats and quickly turning their ships to flee far away from this dangerous place.
They had only come to witness the birth of the world's strongest, but many didn't even get to see the final moment, losing their lives to the aftermath.
"Kekekekeh! What terrifying power!"
"Sea Lion Wave: Thousand Cut Valley!!"
Facing the gigantic wave, Golden Lion didn't retreat. Instead, he drew his swords, Sakura Ten and Wood Dried, and the powerful, domineering Conqueror's Haki wrapped around the blades. With both swords, he struck out.
Controlling the sea itself, he shaped two massive sea lions, each over a thousand meters tall, which charged directly at the incoming tsunami. In an instant, the gigantic wave was swallowed by the sea lions, ensuring that the Flying Sky Pirates' ships were unaffected by the tsunami.
"Na-na-na-na! This is too scary, too scary! Young Master, we must flee, or we'll be drowned by the tsunami!"
Trebor screamed in terror, watching the massive wave approach.
Even Doflamingo was drenched in cold sweat, startled by the terrifying tsunami. He never expected the battle of the world's strongest to result in such overwhelming waves. Even from such a distance, he could feel the impending threat of death.
If not for the calm demeanor of the Infinite Pirates' officers, he would have been tempted to flee himself.
"Quiet down, all of you. This minor disturbance is nothing for the Infinite Pirates!"
Kumas, an officer of the Infinite Pirates, coldly snorted, instantly silencing the surrounding noise.
"Frozen Thousand Miles!"
At that moment, Doflamingo saw Esdeath, the woman who had defeated him with a single sword, leap from her ship. She radiated an aura of absolute coldness.
With both hands gripping her sword, she thrust it into the sea. The power of absolute freezing spread out, instantly freezing the tsunami as it rushed toward the Infinite Pirates.
Everyone present who saw Esdeath felt an overwhelming chill and fear.
"Heavy Cannon Fist!"
At the same time, Barrett charged from the ship. A terrifying gravitational force concentrated into his fist, resembling a black hole.
With a punch, the gravitational force surged, striking the frozen tsunami.
"Crack!!!"
Like an iceberg, the tsunami shattered under the force of his punch, breaking into pieces and sinking into the ocean.
The massive wave that had been heading toward the Infinite Pirates now had a large gap, directly at the location of the Infinite Pirates.
"That must be Barrett, the strongest officer of the Infinite Pirates, second only to Li Yuan, right? That power is terrifying, he shattered that iceberg so easily!"
"Not to mention Esdeath, the long princess of the Infinite Pirates, she froze the tsunami instantly!"
"Good thing we joined the Infinite Pirates, otherwise, we might have ended up like those poor souls, killed by the aftermath!"
…
After seeing the tsunami neutralized by Esdeath and Barrett, those who had joined the Infinite Pirates' ship for the battle relaxed in relief.
Looking out at the scattered pirates without powerful backing, they saw them swallowed by the tsunami or swept thousands of meters away. They couldn't help but be thankful for their decision.
As the tsunami passed, only the Infinite Pirates and the Flying Sky Pirates remained unaffected, with all other forces either swallowed by the waves or pushed thousands of meters away. This clearly reflected the power disparities among the watching factions!
---
On the island:
Li Yuan's power had surged explosively, blending with the might of the King's Fist, resulting in an overwhelmingly destructive force. Even Li Yuan himself couldn't comprehend the sheer scale of his own strength!
Whitebeard, having awakened the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, had hoped to turn the tide and defeat Li Yuan. However, he was stunned by the terrifying power that Li Yuan unleashed in an instant.
From his Cloud Cutter, Whitebeard could feel a shockwave far more powerful than Sengoku's "Great Buddha Shock." If he hadn't been certain that Li Yuan didn't possess the Momo Momo Fruit, he would have thought Li Yuan had consumed it!
"Whitebeard, fall before me!" Li Yuan roared, releasing all his power. The shockwave not only shattered the space but also obliterated all of the forces Whitebeard had gathered through his Cloud Cutter.
That invincible force crashed over Whitebeard, completely engulfing his entire body!
"Vibration True Body!"
Whitebeard, despite using the Cloud Cutter as a shield, activated his Resonance power to form an invisible vibrating armor to protect himself. Yet, it was futile!
The terrifying shockwave enveloped Whitebeard from all angles, pushing past the Cloud Cutter and striking him directly.
While Whitebeard's Vibration True Body could withstand some of the impact, the full force of Li Yuan's explosion, even after being partially weakened by Whitebeard, was still unbelievably strong.
Whitebeard's physical defense was not enough to stop the onslaught.
The shockwave slammed into him with such force that it penetrated his muscle defenses and reached his internal organs!
"Plop!!!!"
Whitebeard was blasted back thousands of meters, blood spraying from his mouth in a crimson arc through the air.
"Boom!!!"
As he crashed to the ground, Whitebeard twisted his body, gripping the Cloud Cutter with both hands to anchor himself, preventing himself from collapsing. He spat out another mouthful of blood onto the ground.
"Ha ha ha ha! Whitebeard, come at me again!!"
In his extreme amplification state, Li Yuan's combat power was off the charts, giving Whitebeard no time to catch his breath. As soon as Whitebeard stabilized himself, Li Yuan was already charging again!
"Three Elements Unified Secret Technique: Tyrant Coil - Divine Slash!!"
The ghostly image of a blood-red sword god appeared behind Li Yuan, mimicking his every move. As Li Yuan swung his sword, the sword god's image released its ultimate power, merging into the strike and dramatically enhancing its power.
"Clang!!!"
After suffering a heavy blow, Whitebeard couldn't even attempt a counterattack. He instinctively raised the Cloud Cutter to block, but his actions were too slow to stop Li Yuan's sword.
Even though Li Yuan was no longer amplified by the King's Fist, Whitebeard, already gravely wounded, was in no condition to resist!
Li Yuan's Seven Star Sword collided with the Cloud Cutter's hilt with overwhelming force, causing Whitebeard's hands to twist and retreat.
The unimaginable force pressed the Cloud Cutter into Whitebeard's body.
"Crack!!"
In that instant, Li Yuan withdrew his sword and struck down the Cloud Cutter's hilt, slicing through Whitebeard's left shoulder and severing his shoulder bone!
Whitebeard gritted his teeth against the pain in his left shoulder, using the force from Li Yuan's strike to rapidly retreat.
He knew that Li Yuan's extreme state could only last a short while. If he could endure this period, Li Yuan would eventually weaken, and that would be his chance to win!
However, Whitebeard's plan was fully seen through by Li Yuan's Mind Reading ability. Li Yuan was determined not to waste a single second!
As Whitebeard retreated, Li Yuan leapt into the air, using the Moonwalk technique to dive down, then activated his Gravity Bracelets to increase his speed!
With both hands gripping the Seven Star Sword, all of Li Yuan's power converged onto the blade. In that instant, the cracks in space that had begun to heal reappeared, and as Li Yuan descended, the space itself seemed to tear apart under the force.
"Three Elements Unified Secret Technique: Tyrant Coil - Heaven Shattering Earth Destroying Slash!"
As he descended, the friction caused a fiery blaze, and Li Yuan came crashing down like a meteor from the sky, delivering a full-force blow straight to Whitebeard's head.
Gravely injured and unable to move quickly, Whitebeard had no choice but to defend, defend, and defend again!
As Li Yuan's sword descended, Whitebeard barely had time to block with both hands, but his left shoulder injury prevented him from even withstanding the force of Li Yuan's strike.
The Cloud Cutter was once again driven into Whitebeard's body as Li Yuan's earth-shattering strength surged through it.
"Crack!!"
At that moment, the entire island beneath Whitebeard collapsed into the sea, and Whitebeard's body was hurled toward the sea below, where a terrible fate awaited him.
But at the critical moment, Whitebeard used his Vibration power to dissipate Li Yuan's force across the island and surrounding waters.
After releasing this force, Whitebeard used the shockwave to leap back onto the shattered island.
However, as he stood, his right hand was still gripping the Cloud Cutter, holding himself up, while his left arm hung limply by his side, his injuries rendering it useless.
Having suffered from Li Yuan's continuous assault, Whitebeard was on the brink of collapse. Despite his peak physical condition and his Life Return, the injuries were too much to suppress.
Yet, at that moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of danger. Looking up at Li Yuan, the Seven Star Sword was already in the air again!
"Three Elements Unified Secret Technique: Tyrant Coil - Blood Dragon Cleaving the Sky Slash!"
A blood-red dragon, a thousand meters long, soared toward Whitebeard with incredible speed. This blood dragon was far more realistic than before, resembling a true dragon in its power!
Whitebeard gritted his teeth, letting go of the Cloud Cutter and using his right fist to punch out!
"Space Shock!"
When the blood dragon neared, Whitebeard struck its head with his fist, releasing a terrifying shockwave through the entire dragon's body.
If Whitebeard were at his peak, the dragon would have been shattered by his shockwave. But now, he could only use about seven-tenths of his full strength.
"Roar!!!!"
The blood dragon's head was obliterated by Whitebeard's punch, but the dragon was not alive. Even without its head, the dragon's body continued to move and struck Whitebeard with full force.
Whitebeard's nearly seven-meter tall frame was like an insect in front of the dragon, and he was completely overwhelmed by its impact.
"Boom!!!"
As Whitebeard was engulfed in the dragon's body, it suddenly exploded. The explosive force completely covered Whitebeard.
"Plop!!!"
Caught in the center of the explosion, Whitebeard was blasted into the air, his body broken and bloodied, resembling a kite with its string cut, crashing down onto the island.
Whitebeard's body was in ruins, flesh and blood exposed, and his bones clearly visible. The signature white clouds from his Tremor-Tremor Fruit awakening had vanished, and he could no longer maintain the power of his Devil Fruit.
Half-kneeling on the ground, his right hand holding himself up, Whitebeard struggled to keep from falling.
Seeing this, Li Yuan also withdrew his Life Return and Blood Boiling enhancements, and a wave of weakness swept over him.
However, this sensation was familiar to him, and he quickly recovered from it.
Compared to Whitebeard, Li Yuan appeared to be completely unharmed.
"Whitebeard, you've lost!"
Li Yuan, holding the Seven Star Sword, stood calmly in place, not attacking further.
If he wanted, he could continue and Whitebeard would certainly die at his hands.
But Li Yuan had no intention of killing. After all, Whitebeard had once been his friend, and there was no conflict between them. Li Yuan never harbored ill intentions toward Whitebeard.
"Gu-lalalala, Li Yuan, you've won."
Whitebeard managed a strained laugh, a bitter yet defiant smile on his face. He had never expected to lose to someone he once considered inferior.
He had always believed that after Rocks' death, he would never be defeated again. Yet, here he was, losing to Li Yuan, a man who had surpassed him.
He had to admit, despite his immense strength and the development of his Devil Fruit to its awakening state, against someone like Li Yuan, a pure swordsman, he had been completely defeated.
He couldn't fathom how Li Yuan had become so monstrous, reaching this level before his thirties.
Even if Rocks were reborn, he'd likely lose to the current Li Yuan!
"Ha ha ha ha! Whitebeard, since you've lost, let the past grudges go. I'll investigate your son's matter!"
Seeing Whitebeard accept his defeat with such calmness, Li Yuan loosened his grip on the Seven Star Sword. The sword transformed into a streak of light and returned to his body.
"Gu-lalalala, Li Yuan, you're not going to kill me?"
Whitebeard chuckled.
"Ha ha ha ha! Killing you wouldn't benefit me. Besides, when I defeated Brandt and Silver Axe, I didn't kill them either."
"Keeping you alive serves me more than killing you!"
Li Yuan said, turning and flying off the island with Moonwalk.
"Father!!!"
Marco, transformed into the Phoenix, flew to Whitebeard's side, enveloping him with his flames to heal his wounds.
"Gu-lalalala, Marco, let's head back to the ship. This island is sinking!"
Whitebeard smiled as he saw Marco appear, feeling relieved.
Hearing Whitebeard's words, Marco immediately looked around. Indeed, the island had begun to slowly sink into the sea!
"Father, we need to leave now!"
Marco transformed back into the Phoenix, grabbing Whitebeard's right arm and flying away from the island.
As Li Yuan flew off the island, the spectators watching the battle were stunned.
They had seen everything clearly—the battle between Li Yuan and Whitebeard. But what shook them was that Li Yuan showed no sign of weakness, no injuries.
This was terrifying. Whitebeard had awakened the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a force capable of destroying space and the world itself. Yet, Li Yuan showed no signs of damage whatsoever!
Li Yuan's overwhelming power had crushed Whitebeard, far beyond what they had imagined.
They had thought that even if Li Yuan could defeat Whitebeard, it would be a close victory. But instead, it was a complete, undeniable triumph!
Especially when Li Yuan unleashed his special technique, overwhelming Whitebeard's awakened Tremor power, making them all fear him.
"Ha ha ha ha! Barrett, set sail! Let's go back and start the celebration!"
Li Yuan laughed loudly, completely ignoring the stares of the spectators. His voice echoed, announcing his victory.
"Yes, Captain!"
Barrett, with fiery eyes, looked at his captain. This was the person he had always aspired to surpass.
Now that he had seen the gap between them, it only motivated him more. He, too, would become a top-tier powerhouse like Li Yuan. His fists would one day break through this damned space!
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