Hiss—
Kaido's blazing breath surged straight toward the bow of the Moby Dick, but Whitebeard didn't even flinch.
At this moment, his attention was fully locked on Ragnar.
After their brief exchange, the world's strongest man knew—the most dangerous force on this battlefield wasn't Kaido or Charlotte Linlin, veterans of his era...
It was the three-eyed youth before him, who wasn't even a quarter of his age.
"One-Sword Style: Draw Slash!"
But Whitebeard remained calm—and Red-Haired Shanks had no choice but to act.
Whether it was to secure a safe retreat or to repay Whitebeard for saving him across thousands of miles, he had to protect the Moby Dick beneath their feet.
Flash—
Griffin, the famed blade, gleamed as it returned to its sheath.
Kaido's scorching breath, hot enough to burn a mountain to ash, had been cleaved clean in two by Red-Haired Shanks and scattered across the turbulent sea.
Hiss—
Wherever the residual flames touched the waves, white mist billowed violently into the sky.
"Stay out of this!"
Kaido roared, his massive dragon eyes flashing with bloodlust as he glared at Shanks.
His hatred ran deep.
If it hadn't been for this idle Emperor constantly meddling, at least two of the Navy's Admirals would've died today.
The thought stoked the inferno in his chest.
"Kaido, this ends here today!"
Shanks raised Griffin and stood firm.
"Blasting Winds!"
Kaido's maw opened wide, releasing several massive wind blades.
"Haaah!"
Clenching his teeth, Shanks endured the burning pain in his wound as he slashed once more, cutting the wind blades in midair.
But he was still human.
His injuries had been left untreated, and dragging his battered body into a clash with Kaido was taking a heavy toll.
Each swing deepened the damage.
Unlike him, Kaido's monstrous physique had only become more fearsome after consuming the Azure Dragon Fruit.
Even after being gravely wounded during his rampage at G1, his vitality and recovery were monstrous.
"If this keeps up... Red-Hair won't hold out much longer."
"And Beckman won't be able to stall Big Mom either!"
"Not to mention—Dad..."
Marco, observing from the sidelines, watched the battles unfold—Beckman vs. Charlotte Linlin, Shanks vs. Kaido, Whitebeard vs. Ragnar.
The Emperors on their side were either wounded, aging, or already past their prime.
In contrast, while Kaido wasn't at his peak, both Ragnar and Charlotte Linlin still had overwhelming combat power.
"Damn it... this is bad."
Marco's heart sank like a stone.
And then—
Ragnar moved.
Seeing him raise his weapon, Marco's sense of dread deepened.
"Your era is over, Whitebeard!"
A chilling voice rang out.
Ragnar's three-pointed, double-edged blade rose with him.
In the next instant, he slashed through the air.
Boom—
A divine arc of energy exploded forth.
The night sky split apart.
Tidal waves the size of hills were instantly severed.
And with a roar like a god's fury, a slash the size of an island surged straight toward the Moby Dick.
"You'd better wait until I'm dead before you start talking nonsense like that!"
At the bow, Whitebeard released his bisento, Kurohige Kiri, and thrust both hands forward.
A terrifying wave of quake-force surged into his arms.
Before Whitebeard could unleash his shockwave, a figure wreathed in blazing blue flames soared over his head and firmly positioned himself in front of the attack.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion erupted, sending towering waves across the vast ocean.
Facing the shockwave slash—an attack powerful enough to obliterate an island—Marco, in his phoenix form, didn't hesitate for even a second. He blocked it head-on with nothing but his own body.
Though his regenerative blue flames desperately worked to heal the wounds as fast as they appeared, the sheer force of the attack was overwhelming. Compared to the scale of the slashing wave, Marco's form was far too small.
Despite giving it his all, he couldn't fully withstand the devastating pressure. His body was repeatedly torn and crushed as he was pushed back, bit by bit.
"Dad!!"
Marco shouted back without looking, his voice straining under the weight of the attack.
"Marco, what are you doing?!"
Whitebeard's expression shifted, his voice trembling in rare panic.
Since his clash with Ragnar, the man once known as the world's strongest had never once lost his composure—until now.
But in this moment, he no longer looked like the invincible emperor who ruled the seas for decades.
He looked like an old man. A father.
"Go!" Marco roared with all his strength.
"You expect a father to abandon his son and flee?"
Whitebeard bellowed, stepping forward to take Marco's place.
But just as his foot moved, a fierce shout froze him in his tracks.
"There are more sons... still waiting for you, old man!"
The words hit Whitebeard like thunder.
"Old man... you've protected me for half my life.
It's time I spread my wings to shield you from the storm!"
Marco's voice grew stronger, eyes unwavering.
"Don't look back!
Don't hesitate!
If there's one thing I've never regretted in my life—
it's being the son of Edward Newgate!"
With that, Armament Haki began to cloak his body in a dark, steel-like sheen.
His blue resurrection flames twisted and darkened—burning black and blue, like a dying star refusing to fade.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.