"Roger could fight me to a standstill without using any Devil Fruit ability at all. What do you think he relied on?"
Whitebeard's voice remained clear despite its low tremor, each word striking their hearts like a heavy hammer.
Everyone fell silent.
They began reflecting on their past actions and thoughts, realizing they might have become too intoxicated with their suddenly acquired power, treating the mass-produced Haki like a blunt instrument while neglecting the most important foundation of a warrior.
Whitebeard helped his sons up one by one, his rough hands gently brushing the dust off their clothes.
Though the motions appeared coarse, they were filled with boundless care and fatherly tenderness.
"Haki is merely a tool. True strength..." He pointed a massive finger to his own chest, his eyes revealing a firm and profound light, "...comes from here. Combat wisdom. Timing. Willpower. And..."
At this point, Whitebeard suddenly threw a punch straight toward the sky.
KRA-KOOM!
This fist contained his infinite power and rage, creating a massive, swirling hole in the clouds above just from the sheer force of the air pressure.
"...An unceasing heart of progress!"
Whitebeard's voice echoed across the silent training ground, etching these words deeply into everyone's souls.
Jozu's diamond body emitted cracking sounds as he looked down at his fist, currently shrouded in purple-black energy.
His eyes flickered with a thoughtful light.
He pondered Pops' words, realizing that relying solely on his Three-Fruit combination would only make him a predictable target.
He needed to find his own path forward to truly wield them.
Marco's blue flames no longer burned as restlessly as before.
Instead, they burned with a serene, controlled intensity, as if he had comprehended something vital in that moment.
His eyes revealed an unprecedented firmness and steadiness—a clear understanding of the path ahead.
Everyone fell into deep contemplation.
Indeed, they had become too drunk on Ron's scientific miracles, forgetting the most fundamental truth of the seas.
In this pirate world filled with challenges and monsters, only through constant progress, continuous learning, and an unbreakable will could one truly become strong.
Whitebeard watched the changing expressions on his sons' faces with satisfaction, a gratified smile appearing beneath his mustache.
Then he slowly turned, taking a massive bottle of wine from his Space Ring and drinking deeply.
The liquor dripped down his thick beard like glistening dewdrops.
"Remember, the things to learn in this world..."
"...Are as numerous as fish in the sea!" the sixteen Division Commanders chorused in unison, perfectly predicting his favorite saying before bursting into laughter together.
Their laughter brimmed with anticipation and confidence for the future.
They had already seen the challenging yet opportunity-filled path ahead, and they were ready to march to Wano.
...
Meanwhile, in the New World.
Who's-Who stood quietly at the edge of a towering cliff along the rugged coast of Wano Country.
The sea wind roared like surging tides, violently whipping through his exquisitely tailored crimson suit and dark cloak, making the fabric snap loudly.
Golden particles moved with extraordinary vitality, swirling and dancing nimbly around his fingertips like glittering fragments of a starry river.
As the morning sun rose, the crimson orb ascended slowly from the horizon like a massive golden fireball.
Its brilliant rays spread generously over Who's-Who's masked face and tall body.
The natural sunlight intertwined and collided with the mysteriously flowing luminous energy within him, producing an incredibly wondrous resonance.
In an instant, the radiance surrounding him seemed to grow even more dazzling, merging with the rising morning sun to become the very embodiment of light.
Throughout the journey back from the Eternal Divine Kingdom's auction, Who's-Who had never paused for even a moment.
He continuously delved into and experimented with the formidable abilities granted by the Glint-Glint Fruit.
Starting from the most fundamental light-speed movement, he repeatedly pushed the limits of velocity.
FLASH!
With every attempt, his figure would move like a phantom, swift as lightning, leaving behind only blurred, golden afterimages in the air.
Those afterimages seemed like frozen instants, yet vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye, making it impossible for anyone to grasp his true whereabouts.
He continuously pushed his limits, striving for even greater speed, as the entire world blurred past beneath his feet.
BOOM!
The devastating laser cannon, capable of annihilating heaven and earth, roared with deafening thunder each time it was fired from his fingertip.
The sound was like the charge of ten thousand horses or a thunderclap exploding beside one's ears, shattering the surrounding silence.
At the same time, a dazzling, blinding light erupted from his hands, like an enraged fire dragon baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it lunged toward its target.
Wherever the light reached, everything was instantly devoured in a thermal explosion, reducing all things to ashes and leaving behind only desolation and a smoking crater.
For Who's-Who, a former CP9 prodigy whose potential had once rivaled Rob Lucci's, each attempt felt like opening a door to a whole new world of power.
He was intoxicated by this process of relentless exploration, growing increasingly fascinated with this body that could now be called a "shell of light."
Every new discovery, every increase in output, deepened his understanding and control over his abilities, reinforcing his belief that the power he now possessed was unparalleled.
"Speed is weight..." he murmured softly, reciting the famous aphorism he had heard from Marine intelligence regarding Admiral Kizaru.
As the words left his lips beneath his mask, his body suddenly transformed into a stream of blindingly brilliant light.
ZOOOM!
The radiance was so intense, like a bursting sun, that it seemed to ignite the surrounding air, producing faint sizzling sounds as the atmosphere trembled before such overwhelming kinetic force.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared high above a waterfall ten miles away.
His wooden sandals, despite the breakneck speed, remained completely dry, not a single drop of water staining them.
He had merely brushed past the fabric of space itself, leaving no trace behind.
Who's-Who raised his hand slightly, his slender fingers gathering dazzling points of light.
These points of light shone like the brightest stars in the night sky, radiating a mysterious and formidable glow.
Each spark contained boundless energy, ready to unleash world-shattering power at any moment.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
With his low, forceful shout, countless light bullets rained down like a torrential downpour.
Like a dense meteor shower, the projectiles surged forward with unstoppable momentum, hurtling toward the reef formations below.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Wherever the light bullets struck, the massive reefs were instantly pulverized into dust, sending clouds of debris billowing into the air.
The sea, shaken by the powerful explosive impact, surged into towering waves dozens of meters high, crashing against the shore with a deafening roar.
"Hmph. That old man Kizaru has indeed developed quite a few useful techniques."
Who's-Who sneered as he flexed his glowing fingers, his smile conveying both an acknowledgment of Kizaru's moves and a hint of confident superiority.
His eyes revealed a mix of disdain and arrogance, as if the Admiral's techniques were merely stepping stones for his own mastery.
Along his journey back to Kaido, he had been like a voracious martial prodigy, constantly analyzing and imitating the signature skills of the Marine Admiral.
Now, combined with his Rokushiki martial arts, the Beasts Pirates had a true monster in their ranks.