Chapter 243: The Returning Captains! The Tears of the Strongest Man!
The scene returns to the devastated, smoke-filled central plaza of Marineford.
After successfully covering the main force's retreat toward the outer bay, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, remained behind alone.
That tall, towering figure was like an insurmountable Wall of Sighs.
With his strength alone, he simultaneously faced the Marines' highest combat powers—Fleet Admiral "Sengoku the Buddha" and Admiral "Aokiji" Kuzan.
Since he had not been blindsided, the world's strongest man was currently in an incomparably brave and absolute peak state, the power within his body as boundless as a vast ocean.
"Gurarararara!"
Whitebeard let out a heroic laugh that shook heaven and earth, his hands wielding the Supreme Grade Blade "Murakumogiri," which was enveloped in deep, high-level Armament Haki.
As the blade sliced through the air, the overbearing power of vibration directly shattered the freezing ice river spreading across the ground from Aokiji, turning it into a flurry of ice shards.
Immediately after, Whitebeard charged forward without yielding, clashing head-on with heavy punches against Sengoku, who had transformed into a giant golden Buddha!
"Rumble—!"
Pure strength and vibration waves surged wildly in the center of the plaza.
The terrifying impact tore countless bottomless abyssal ravines into the already dilapidated Marineford plaza.
Sengoku's face turned ashen as he gritted his teeth.
Looking at this remnant of the old era before him, waves of shock rolled through his heart.
Even facing the encirclement of two top-tier combatants, Whitebeard still possessed the momentum of a tiger devouring ten thousand miles, showing no signs of decline.
Sengoku understood that this man seemed to intend to use the last of his life as fuel, dragging the entire Marine Headquarters down into the grave with him.
Just as the battle fell into a suffocating stalemate, a dazzling golden cross-shaped light suddenly flashed in the sky above the battlefield.
Admiral Kizaru keenly caught a tiny opening in the transition between Whitebeard's wide-reaching techniques.
Without hesitation, he transformed into a shower of golden photons, appearing like a ghost in an instant within Whitebeard's blind spot.
"Oh my, oh my~ I've caught an opening, Whitebeard!"
Kizaru pursed his lips, a destructive and dazzling golden light flashing on his long right leg.
Carrying a Light-Speed Kick capable of shattering mountains, he prepared to strike hard at Whitebeard's opening.
At that critical moment!
A clear cry suddenly rang out from the sky, and a brilliant yellow and blue flame descended like a meteor streaking across the firmament!
Bang!
The Whitebeard Pirates' First Division Commander, "Phoenix" Marco, vibrated his wings burning with blue flames.
With his arms crossed in front of his chest, he relied on the powerful regeneration and defensive capabilities of his Mythical Zoan form to forcefully block Kizaru's lethal Light-Speed Kick.
The massive impact pushed him back several meters, but he firmly protected Pops' flank.
With the buffer time Marco had earned, Whitebeard's gaze sharpened, and he delivered a heavy, powerful air-shattering punch with a backhand swing!
Crack!
The air shattered, and a violent vibration wave slammed directly into Kizaru's chest, forcing the Marine Admiral to transform into photons and retreat wildly.
Re-materializing in the distance, Kizaru patted the dust off his clothes and curled his lip helplessly:
"How annoying~"
"Every time I'm about to succeed at a critical moment, someone bothersome pops out to block me..."
With the crisis averted, Whitebeard stopped his movements and turned his head to look at Marco, who was panting beside him.
He deliberately put on a stern, majestic face and laughed as he questioned harshly:
"Marco, you foolish son, are you going to disobey your Pops' final order?"
Hearing his father's scolding, Marco slowly retracted his Phoenix wings.
He did not back down; instead, with an incredibly firm gaze, he took a step forward and stood steadily by Whitebeard's side.
Marco looked at Whitebeard's weathered face, a free and easy smile curling the corners of his mouth:
"Sorry, Pops."
"This is the one time I can't listen to you."
"I won't just leave you here alone and give up..."
"You wouldn't want us sons to lose our father today, would you!"
Hearing these heartfelt words, Whitebeard was stunned for a moment, then he threw his head back and let out a laugh that shook the heavens:
"Gurarararara!"
"In that case, then let us, father and son, have a grand battle right here!"
Before his voice faded, Whitebeard's momentum surged once more.
He directly swung his massive naginata, fiercely cleaving the space in front of him, the violent vibration waves forcing back the approaching Sengoku once again.
However, the space left for them was growing smaller and smaller.
All around, tens of thousands of Marine elites, under the strict command of Vice Admirals and other officers, were raising muskets and swords, marching with orderly steps to slowly surround the two, vowing to trap them in the center.
Just as the encirclement was about to close completely, a desperate situation from which even wings could not escape.
From the rear of the battlefield, on the sea leading to the outer bay, a burst of arrogant and defiant roars suddenly erupted:
"Pops! Did you forget about us sons!"
"Marco! You damn birdman, aren't you moving too fast? You didn't even wait for us!"
These familiar voices made Whitebeard and Marco turn their heads simultaneously.
Along with those shouts, the Division Commanders who were supposed to have safely escorted Sabo, Ace, Luffy, the unconscious Tatsuya, and the main force back to the support ships...
"Diamond" Jozu, "Flower Sword" Vista, and the others had actually all returned!
Not only that, among them, the blue-skinned, burly-framed "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe was also present.
These powerhouses who were famous across the seas were covered in the black soot of gunpowder and the blood of enemies; some were even wrapped in bandages.
But at this moment, they stepped over the ruins with soaring momentum, returning to Whitebeard's side to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their Pops.
Looking at this group of "foolish sons" who had disobeyed his final order as Captain and should have taken the warships to flee to the New World, but instead stubbornly ran back to their deaths.
The world's strongest man, who had roamed the seas for decades and experienced countless life-and-death trials, was completely stunned at this moment.
The massive Murakumogiri hung weakly at his side, and Whitebeard's chest heaved violently.
"Urararararararara!"
Whitebeard suddenly couldn't stop himself from throwing his head back and laughing loudly.
He laughed with helplessness, with pride, and even more with endless emotion.
As he laughed, his eyes gradually reddened, and from those deep eyes, hot tears actually gushed out.
The tears slid down his iconic white crescent-moon mustache and splashed onto the cold ground.
"This is truly... embarrassing!"
"To think I'd let these Marines see me shed tears!"
Then, Whitebeard's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"Wom—!!!"
A surge of Conqueror's Haki, like tangible dark-red lightning, erupted from his massive frame like an active volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years!
This burst of Conqueror's Haki was more violent and pure than any before.
The nearby Marine elites who were preparing to surround them, and even many commissioned officers, suffered a massive mental shock under this soul-striking Haki.
Their eyes rolled back, and they fell like harvested wheat, instantly clearing a large area around them.
The wind howled, and Whitebeard's voice echoed amidst the red lightning:
"But, you bunch of fools... are all my beloved children!"
"So..."
Whitebeard raised a thick arm and forcefully wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
The muscles all over his body bulged violently in an instant, veins running like dragons under his skin, and his entire aura climbed to a terrifying peak.
In order to let this group of disobedient sons live, and to cut off their thoughts of dying alongside him.
This great father actually gritted his teeth and swung his massive naginata high!
Attaching Armament Haki and the power of vibration to the back of the blade, he prepared to launch a merciless attack against these most trusted Division Commanders before him!
He intended to use this most brutal method to forcibly hammer them back into the sea outside the bay.
"Pops..."
Seeing their father's resolute gaze and the massive naginata swinging toward them, Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the other Captains gritted their teeth hard.
Tears flickered in their eyes, but not a single one chose to retreat.
They straightened their chests, prepared to endure this love from their father that was as heavy as a mountain.
Just as Whitebeard's naginata, carrying the momentum to destroy heaven and earth, was about to slam down on the Captains at the critical moment.
A low, calm, yet infinitely composed and domineering voice suddenly rang out clearly over the noisy battlefield, instantly drowning out all the sounds of gunfire and shouting.
"This is truly... unexpectedly lively."
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