"Hey, that young man is playing dirty! To think he would sneak attack a 72-year-old Whitebeard who's coughing up blood~~" Kizaru stopped, an expression of feigned dissatisfaction on his face.
Sengoku's face darkened. You're no better bastard!
"Gurararararara, brat, your personality is even worse than any pirate. I think only Teach could compare to you!" Just as Adrian's twin blades were about to strike, Whitebeard's form exploded with a surge of energy. Murakumogiri shot forward, meeting the blades head-on. "However, no tactic is useless against me because... I am a Whitebeard!"
BOOM!
Before the three black blades could even touch, a deafening explosion ripped through the air. A terrifying shockwave erupted like a hurricane. Without either of them consciously releasing it, the Conqueror's Haki of these two top-tier powerhouses poured out.
CRACK!
ZING!
In the turbulent air, two terrifying ripples of power—one golden, one dark red—clashed violently between the blades. The dark red energy, like a raging thunder snake, constantly tore apart the surrounding ground.
RUMBLE!
The moment the blades finally collided, time seemed to stand still. Then, the entirety of Marineford trembled violently. Hundred-meter-high waves were stirred up in the sea surrounding the island, and even the clouds above the clear sky were torn apart by the collision, creating a shocking rift.
"Hey, Mr. Sengoku, I'm not mistaken, those two just now seemed to be... fighting in the air?!" Kizaru lifted his sunglasses in astonishment, rubbing his eyes as if he couldn't believe it, the blades hadn't even touched, yet had unleashed such a destructive force.
"Kizaru, I remember Zephyr telling you not to rely too much on your Devil Fruit... It's just a collision of two advanced Armament Haki's!" Sengoku explained nonchalantly. He then looked up at the sky, which was still torn apart by the auras of the two. "Conqueror's Haki has reached an awakened state? Adrian... you are truly a monster to be feared!"
Right now, everyone—Marines, pirates, and even civilians watching the live broadcast on Sabaody Archipelago—was in a state of deep shock. They couldn't believe that a young man who looked barely twenty years old could possess the power to fight the world's strongest man. The sky, the earth, and the sea had all changed dramatically because of their battle. What a terrifying display of power!
CRACK!
The handles of Oto and Kogarashi shattered almost simultaneously. These two famous blades, on par with Murakumigiri, lost their handles.
POOF!
The flying blades struck Whitebeard's right shoulder, leaving two deep scars that showed the bone underneath. Adrian was no better off. A massive scar ran diagonally across his chest from Murakumigiri.
"Gurararararara, I am happy! Truly happy! Ever since that guy Roger left, I can't remember how many years it's been since I had such a fun fight!" Whitebeard slammed Murakumigiri into the ground and ignored the two blades stuck in his shoulder, along with the blood gushing from his wounds. He looked at Adrian with the unique disdain of a top-tier warrior. "You have this much strength at such a young age. You... are very good! It's a shame that your heart is cruel and your methods are despicable. You are destined to never reach your full potential!"
"Despicable?" Adrian scoffed, ignoring the blood running down his chest. "It's ironic to hear that word from you, a pirate!" He continued, "In your eyes, is Gol D. Roger, who destroyed a country because of an insult... and at the same time, personally started the Great Pirate Era, causing countless innocent deaths and leaving bodies in the streets, a despicable man?"
"Since we are all despicable, must we still distinguish between high and low?"
"Whitebeard, how much better can Roger be than me?"
Adrian didn't care about Whitebeard's ridicule. While outsiders might see his sneak attack on a bleeding Whitebeard as low, this was a life-or-death battlefield. Being kind to an enemy meant being cruel to yourself. Besides, Adrian had never claimed to be a gentleman. While he didn't kill innocent people like Blackbeard or other pirates, it was only because they hadn't provoked him. If they did, he would kill without hesitation. In this twisted world, strength was the only thing that mattered.
"You kill and burn, you do all sorts of evil, and you still feel superior? If I use every means to achieve my goal, does that make me an unredeemable monster? We are all crows in the woods; no one should pretend to be a dove!"
Adrian's words silenced the entire plaza. Marines and pirates alike—even veterans like Sengoku and Garp—felt the terrifying wave of anger emanating from Whitebeard.
Seeing Whitebeard's aura rise, Kizaru's face twitched. "Oh, Mr. Sengoku, I almost forgot that you told me to catch the Straw Hats. They seem to be boarding a ship... I'll leave this to you and come back to support you later." With that, the old bastard turned into a golden flash and flew toward the harbor.
"Mr. Sengoku, I see that the Revolutionary Army's warship is getting ready to set sail at the harbor. To prevent them from escaping, I'll go freeze the sea before coming back to support you." Aokiji said hurriedly and then jumped toward the harbor.
Sengoku and Garp exchanged a look of frustration.
"Are you really worthy of slandering Roger?" Whitebeard's enraged roar was like thunder. Fury burned in his heart. How dare this ignorant brat slander Roger? He pointed Murakumigiri at Adrian. "How can his contribution to this era be understood by a guy like you?"
"You ignorant brat, are you ready for the strongest attack from the old man!"
Even Akainu, who was fighting Dragon, subconsciously stopped and looked at the scene solemnly. The strongest attack from the world's strongest man was about to be unleashed. The area where Adrian and Whitebeard stood became the center of everyone's attention.
BUZZ!
The moment Whitebeard finished speaking, he clenched his fists. The white aura of destructive power instantly enveloped his entire body. His Conqueror Haki, powerful enough to shake the world, erupted from him like a torrent.
In an instant, the sky, the earth, the sea, and everyone in this space trembled at the same frequency.
POOF!
Many of the weaker Marines and pirates vomited blood and fainted. Without even knowing what had happened, they were struck by the power of Whitebeard.
"What... his Devil Fruit has awakened?!" Sengoku's expression changed instantly. He stared at Whitebeard in horror. "Bastard, Whitebeard, are you really going to fight to the death? Your own crew will also be affected by this attack! Stop now!"
Even Garp looked astonished. Even though Whitebeard hadn't made a move, they could feel the blood and bones in their own bodies trembling with the rhythm of Whitebeard's breathing. There was only one explanation for this: the awakening of the Gura Gura no Mi.
The "awakening" of a Devil Fruit is a higher realm of power. Only a few Devil Fruit users can reach this state, which brings with it an incredible power-up. In the original series, Douglas Bullet said that a Devil Fruit awakening is very rare and doesn't happen just from training. It also requires a certain trigger and opportunity. When a Paramecia user awakens their ability, they can affect things other than themselves. They can assimilate their surroundings, becoming much stronger. The range and effects of their abilities are also greatly enhanced. For example, Doflamingo's Ito Ito no Mi allowed him to turn his surroundings into endless strings.
As "the world's strongest man," it was not a stretch to think that Whitebeard could awaken his Gura Gura no Mi. However, Sengoku and the others never expected him to force it when his physical condition was on the verge of collapse. Unlike Zoan users, who gain a tougher body, greater vitality, and better recovery, a Paramecia user's awakened state places a heavy burden on their body. Given Whitebeard's terrible health, this was a "suicide" attack. After one hit, he would surely die. So, unless he was crazy, he would never choose such a stupid attack.
But Whitebeard did it anyway. Blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth, nose, and wounds. It was clear that his decaying body could no longer handle his terrifying, world-destroying power. Yet, Whitebeard paid no mind to his condition. Roger was his most cherished friend and rival. He would never allow anyone to insult him. Adrian had crossed a line, and now, Whitebeard was completely enraged.
"Daddy...!" The members of the Whitebeard Pirates at the harbor, who were scrambling to get on the warship to escape, wept bitterly.
"Everyone, get out of here quickly! We can't let Daddy's sacrifice be in vain..." Vista and the other captains urged.
At this moment, Adrian, standing across from Whitebeard, smiled. "Whitebeard, do you really think you're the only one... who can awaken?!"