"Whitebeard, you must be quite weak now, suffering from your illness. I wonder if you're even capable of high-intensity combat?"

Hearing this, Whitebeard looked at Ryuya and slowly stood.

Even on his massive ship, his sheer size was astonishing.

"So, Zero, you're challenging me?"

"Indeed."

As Ryuya spoke, he vanished—not through Soru, but by maximizing his talisman's power to propel himself towards Whitebeard.

Whitebeard, naturally, wasn't going to stand idly by. As the Strongest Man, he prepared to use his power, but Marco intervened.

"Old Man, you can't fight! Your body…"

Before Marco could finish, Whitebeard roared with laughter, "Kurararara! I'm Whitebeard!"

Whitebeard clenched his fists and smashed them down, unleashing his Devil Fruit power.

"Gura Gura no Mi: Kaishin!"

Space violently shook; the air shattered with deafening roars. A chasm opened in the sea, the water churning violently, creating a massive tidal wave that crashed towards Ryuya.

Ryuya smirked, unfazed by the combined assault of the quake and tsunami. His power was arguably the strongest on the sea, but he still needed to account for the existence of Uranus.

To ensure the Marines' complete downfall, he needed to absorb various factions and then launch a final attack.

Facing Whitebeard's attack, Ryuya activated the Eight Gates, enhancing his already peak physical condition and Armament Haki, then unleashed a compressed air cannon—a powerful attack comparable to, and arguably surpassing, Whitebeard's quake.

The collision created a massive explosion, instantly neutralizing the tsunami. Ryuya continued, murmuring, "Senrō Manshō, Kaijin, Ryūjin Jakka!"

Ryūjin Jakka appeared in his hand, its flames burning the air, generating immense power that evaporated much of the surrounding seawater. A terrifying force enveloped the ship and the surrounding sea.

Whitebeard's expression changed. He took a deep breath, pushing his Devil Fruit ability to its limit.

"Awakened Gura Gura no Mi: Kaishin!"

Whitebeard's fist struck the air, sending ripples that spread outwards, creating massive waves.

Ryuya countered with a devastating Ryūjin Jakka slash, tearing through the air. The clash of their attacks sent shockwaves through everyone present.

The battle between two titans was unprecedented. The sea raged violently, yet the waves constantly shattered.

Whitebeard laughed, "Kurararara! This is exhilarating! I haven't felt this good in ages!"

Marco and the others, however, worried about Whitebeard's health. His body was frail; could he sustain this intense battle without risking his life?

This prolonged battle risked severely depleting Whitebeard's life force. Marco couldn't even imagine the potential consequences.

As high-level combatants, the crew couldn't intervene. Interference would disrupt Whitebeard's rhythm, and if Ryuya targeted them, Whitebeard would expend more energy saving them—a net loss.

They could only watch.

The battle intensified. Ryuya unleashed his full power, summoning tens of thousands of fiery sword slashes, distorting the air.

Whitebeard, unfazed, grabbed his Murakumogiri—one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades—capable of withstanding his quake powers. He imbued it with his Devil Fruit power, using Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, pushing his fighting prowess to the limit.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless explosions illuminated the sky. But everyone's attention was drawn to the blood trickling from Whitebeard's mouth. Even though Ryuya's attack hadn't directly hit him, Whitebeard was bleeding, indicating his weakened state.

Blood flowed from Whitebeard's mouth, causing immense concern among his crew.

"Old Man, how are you feeling?!"

"Old Man, you can't fight anymore!"

"Old Man, let us fight! We'll face death without fear!"

Whitebeard laughed, "Kurararara! I'm Whitebeard! Your Old Man! I won't fall!" He casually wiped the blood from his mouth.

Ryuya remained unmoved.

"Rest assured, Whitebeard. I won't kill you."

A flash of movement. Before anyone reacted, Ryuya stood behind Whitebeard, his arm on his shoulder.

"System, use Plunder!"

The system activated the Plunder ability, instantly transferring Whitebeard's Devil Fruit power to Ryuya.

Ryuya felt a surge of excitement. The Gura Gura no Mi's power was astonishing, especially in its awakened state, as Whitebeard had mastered it.

Ryuya now possessed the peak of the Gura Gura no Mi's power.

This meant that even without other skills, Ryuya could reach the peak of power on the Grand Line.

Whitebeard was the first to notice the absence of his power. Feeling his body lighten, he looked at Ryuya in astonishment.

"How did you do that?!"

The pirates, especially Marco and the others, were distraught.

"What did you do?!"

"What did you do to Old Man?!"

"Old Man, how are you feeling?!"

____________________

for more advance chapters visit my p@treon

[email protected]/kane45

Free - All Advance Chapters