Although most of the main force of the Whitebeard Pirates had already fallen, the battle was not yet over.
On the battlefield, only two figures still stood firm.
One was, of course, Marco, gritting his teeth as he continued his desperate clash with Uchiha Madara.
The other—was none other than the world's strongest man himself, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate.
But Whitebeard's condition was far from good. At the start of the fight, he had relied on his sharp instincts and countless years of battle experience to hold his ground against Captain Kronos.
However, as time passed, the advantage of experience began to fade.
Kronos himself was no weakling—he was a battle-hardened monster in his own right.
Worse still, Whitebeard's body was riddled with illness and crippled by age. His once legendary strength could no longer be drawn out to its fullest. Compared to his prime, the power he displayed now was only a shadow of what it used to be.
It was clear to anyone watching—Whitebeard could not hold out against Kronos forever. The man once hailed as "the strongest in the world" was only waiting for the inevitable moment of defeat.
Ten hours into the brutal battle, Whitebeard's massive frame was staggering. His strength waned with each strike, and his body was covered in countless wounds. Blood flowed endlessly down his torso, staining the earth beneath him.
The old titan of a past era… was about to fall.
Every step he took into the crowd's sight seemed to silently declare the same truth:
Whitebeard had reached his limit.
By contrast, Kronos' condition was far better. Though injured, none of his wounds were fatal. His body radiated vitality, his spirit unshaken.
There was no trace of exhaustion on his face—only burning battle-lust.
The difference between the two men was like night and day.
The Whitebeard Pirates, already on the brink of despair, were left speechless as they watched.
"Looks like Whitebeard is finished… he can't last much longer!" one muttered in despair.
"The world's strongest man? In the end, he's no match for our captain!" sneered another.
The crew of the Kamui Pirates grinned proudly, convinced the age of Whitebeard was about to end at their captain's hands.
"Hah! So much for being the world's number one!" laughed Canter, one of the trainee crew members.
"In the end, he's nothing compared to Captain Kronos!"
"The era of Whitebeard is over!" shouted Assac, another trainee.
"This new age belongs to Captain Kronos! The Whitebeard Pirates are relics of the past!"
Almost everyone believed Kronos' victory was certain. None thought Whitebeard could possibly stage a comeback.
And yet—
Even in such dire straits, Whitebeard refused to yield.
"…"
"It's not… so easy… to make me admit defeat!" Whitebeard roared.
He stomped down hard, and the ground beneath him shattered. Cracks split the battlefield wide open, spiderwebbing in all directions.
The overwhelming force of his aura, drenched in killing intent, made it clear to all:
The legendary Whitebeard would not surrender until his last breath.
Kronos sneered, his eyes glinting.
"Whitebeard, you can barely stand. And yet you're still pretending to hold on?"
He chuckled darkly.
"I suppose you won't give up until the very end, will you?"
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