Chapter 234: The Terrifying Zhao Zheng, Whitebeard's Shock!

Chapter 234: The Terrifying Zhao Zheng, Whitebeard's Shock!

As Zhao Zheng mirrored Whitebeard's actions, the entire scene froze in disbelief.

"That stance..."

The Phoenix Marco was utterly shocked, "Wait, what? No way!"

Diamond Jozu's face turned solemn, "It must be a coincidence."

Even Whitebeard furrowed his brows, looking at Zhao Zheng in confusion.

On the Navy's side, every face underwent a drastic change.

Especially the high-ranking officers led by Warlord Admiral Sengoku, their eyes widened in astonishment.

They had no idea that Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng possessed such an ability. In contrast, the extraordinary beings, both domestic and foreign, smirked, finding the situation amusing.

They were well aware that Zhao Zheng held the power of the Quake Fruit.

However, not a single person believed that Zhao Zheng could use the Quake Fruit's power to counter Whitebeard's seaquake.

In the eyes of the crowd, the power gap between the two was simply too vast.

The foreign extraordinary beings thought, "Whitebeard possesses world-destroying strength, and you, Zhao Zheng, dare to show off your inferior skills?"

...

Their thoughts were fleeting, flashing through their minds in an instant.

At this moment, the tsunami had reached the outskirts of the Naval Headquarters, ready to make landfall.

The massive tsunami towered over the Naval Headquarters' city walls, nearly twice their height, blocking out the sun.

Countless Navy soldiers wore expressions of despair.

Some, however, placed their last hope in Zhao Zheng.

At this critical juncture, Zhao Zheng finally took action.

Like Whitebeard, he unleashed his fists, striking both sides simultaneously.

"Crack!"

A deafening shattering sound echoed from above.

Everyone's hearts trembled!

Countless cracks appeared in the void on both sides of Zhao Zheng, spreading across a vast area, even more than what Whitebeard had initially created.

In that instant, it seemed as if the very heavens had been shattered.

Unparalleled destructive power surged forth.

The entire space trembled!

A surprising scene unfolded.

The massive tsunami, triggered by Whitebeard, deflated like a punctured balloon, instantly disintegrating.

A torrent of seawater poured down, creating a vast spray of splashing waves.

The sea, which had been churning under Whitebeard's quake energy, suddenly calmed in that moment, becoming completely still...

All the anomalies caused by Whitebeard vanished, like an illusion, leaving no trace.

The tsunami disappeared, and the sea returned to tranquility.

At first glance, Zhao Zheng's action seemed less dramatic than Whitebeard's.

But everyone present knew the sheer terror of Zhao Zheng's strike!

He had completely nullified Whitebeard's quake ability.

It was as if Whitebeard's unrestrained destruction had been suppressed by Zhao Zheng.

This required far more than just brute strength.

...

For a moment, silence engulfed the entire scene.

On Whitebeard's side, from the captain down to the ordinary pirates, everyone was dumbfounded.

They couldn't fathom that someone, a Navy officer, could wield their captain's power with such proficiency, matching Whitebeard's might.

The Navy officers, too, found it hard to believe.

Akainu, Kizaru, and the others looked up in astonishment at Zhao Zheng, floating mid-air.

Warlord Admiral Sengoku couldn't trust his own eyes...

"This guy..." Garp, after a long pause, continued, "What kind of monster is he?"

No one could respond.

Sengoku, standing beside him, felt his mind going blank.

"Two Quake Fruit users?!" Donquixote Doflamingo, snapping out of his shock, burst into laughter, "This is incredible!"

His laughter roused the others from their daze.

Everyone regained their senses...

"But Devil Fruit abilities are supposed to be unique. How can Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng also have the Quake Fruit's power?"

"Unbelievable, truly astonishing."

"And... Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng's Devil Fruit ability is no weaker than Whitebeard's? Whitebeard is the strongest man in the world!"

"Terrifying! Now I understand why he earned the rank of Admiral."

Many whispered in disbelief.

In that moment, Zhao Zheng became the center of attention, overshadowing Whitebeard.

Even the ever-closed eyes of Hawkeye opened wide, fixing on Zhao Zheng.

...

The extraordinary beings were even more astounded than the locals!

"What the hell? How does Zhao Zheng possess such immense power?"

"Damn, he completely countered Whitebeard's seaquake? How is that possible?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! We're from the same batch, how can he have such strength?"

"I think I just had a hallucination."

"No wonder he became a Vice Admiral in the Navy so quickly. This guy has been hiding his true strength all along."

"I can't accept this; there must be something wrong here!"

Almost all the Extraordinary Beings doubted themselves at this moment.

Zhao Zheng's displayed strength completely shattered their perception.

They were all from the same graduating class, still striving to reach the fourth rank, while Zhao Zheng could rival the eighth-ranked Whitebeard? How could they possibly accept this?

...

Zhao Zheng couldn't care less about their reactions.

He landed directly on the wall at the front of the square, facing all the pirates alone.

His gaze fixed on Whitebeard aboard the Moby Dick, and he smiled slightly.

"Whitebeard, you have trespassed into the Naval Headquarters without permission. I, on behalf of the Navy, hereby declare you under arrest!"

These words shocked everyone.

Although they were already astonished by Zhao Zheng's revealed strength, hearing this declaration, they still felt that Zhao Zheng was blindly arrogant!

Who was Whitebeard?

The world's strongest, possessing the power to destroy the world!

He once rivaled the Pirate King, Roger.

If not for his preference for a "family" life, Roger might not have ascended to the throne of the Pirate King so smoothly.

Even Sengoku and Garp wouldn't dare to claim they could capture Whitebeard.

Upon hearing Zhao Zheng's declaration, Whitebeard's expression remained calm, and he didn't speak.

He could stay silent.

But his "sons" couldn't tolerate Zhao Zheng's behavior.

Those words were a direct provocation to the Whitebeard Pirates.

"What an arrogant rascal!"

Marco roared, and his entire body suddenly ignited with blue flames, transforming into the form of a phoenix.

Then, he leaped forward, charging towards Zhao Zheng.

He was like a giant bird of blue flames, rushing towards him.

Indeed, he was the Vice Captain.

At this moment, Marco's aura was awe-inspiring.

Everyone's attention was drawn to Marco.

Under their gaze, Marco quickly reached Zhao Zheng.

Then, he kicked Zhao Zheng in mid-air.

This kick was infused with powerful Armored Color Domination, and its might was astonishing.

Even the air seemed to distort.

However, facing Marco's kick, Zhao Zheng didn't even flinch.

If you said he was scared... his face still carried a faint smile.

So, the truth was clear: Zhao Zheng didn't take Marco seriously at all!

The next moment...

"Bang!!"

Marco's kick, like a whip, landed squarely on Zhao Zheng's shoulder.

If it had been anyone else, they would have been kicked flying.

For example, in the original Summit War, Yellow Monkey was kicked away by Marco's strike...

A terrifying scene unfolded.

Under Marco's full-force kick, Zhao Zheng didn't budge an inch!

He seemed unaffected, as if he had just been bitten by a mosquito.

"Your aura is impressive, but your strength is too weak!"

Zhao Zheng commented calmly.

Without any hesitation, he unleashed a punch.

Marco was shocked and quickly jumped back, creating distance between himself and Zhao Zheng.

"You..."

He couldn't imagine how someone could withstand his full-power attack without showing any reaction. The others around them were also stunned speechless by this sight.

Marco was the Vice Captain! Yet, he couldn't even pose a threat to that guy?

It was somewhat normal.

Marco became the Vice Captain because of his indomitable spirit, not his strength.

If Zhao Zheng didn't have his Bio-Field, Marco would have certainly kicked him away.

With the Bio-Field's enhancement, Marco's strength couldn't affect Zhao Zheng.

"Marco, come back!"

Whitebeard suddenly spoke.

Marco, who had intended to continue the attack, had no choice but to retreat grudgingly.

Zhao Zheng didn't stop him.

In Zhao Zheng's eyes, Marco was just a minor character, not worth his attention.

As long as he defeated Whitebeard, this Spirit Realm mission would surely earn him an SSS-class mission evaluation!

"Dad!"

Marco flew back to the Moby Dick's first division, his face grave. "That guy... I don't know where the Navy found such a terrifying monster!"

Whitebeard nodded, his gaze fixed on Zhao Zheng.

At this moment, Whitebeard's expression also turned serious.

"Everyone, listen up! Focus on rescuing Ace! Avoid unnecessary fights!"

Whitebeard issued the order.

The original plan was not like this.

Zhao Zheng's appearance made him change his mind.

He could tell that this young man was an absolute terror.

……

The Whitebeard Pirates received their orders from Whitebeard himself.

The pirates sprang into action, some using ropes and others their unique abilities, leaping from the ship towards the plaza.

In an instant, countless pirates swarmed like dumplings, their numbers impossible to count.

The sight unnerved the Marines, who tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to engage.

Surprisingly, even at this critical moment, Warlord Admiral Sengoku had yet to issue any attack commands...

Just as the pirates were about to land on the plaza, a terrifying aura suddenly enveloped the entire battlefield, emanating from Zhao Zheng.

To those present, Zhao Zheng seemed like an ancient deity awakening, exuding an indescribably terrifying aura.

Then, an incredibly powerful aura erupted from Zhao Zheng.

Tyrant Color Aura! A Grandmaster-level Tyrant Color Aura instantly spread out, sweeping through all the pirates! The sky turned dark red in a flash.

Crimson lightning flickered in the void, eerily mesmerizing.

Under the impact of the Tyrant Color Aura, the pirates' charging momentum abruptly halted.

Most of the pirates' eyes rolled back, their bodies going limp, their lives hanging in the balance.

Only a few with exceptional strength and unwavering willpower managed to remain standing.

In the blink of an eye, over ninety percent of the Whitebeard Pirates had been incapacitated.

The remaining members were left dumbfounded.

"This... is Tyrant Color Aura?"

"How could there be such a terrifying monster among the Marines?"

"Everyone's unconscious, what do we do now...?"

...

The captains once again looked at Zhao Zheng with astonishment.

This was the third time Zhao Zheng had startled them.

Without exaggeration, in their eyes, Zhao Zheng was an invincible demon.

Single-handedly, he had brought disaster upon the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

"Sigh!"

A sigh escaped Whitebeard's lips.

Perhaps Whitebeard had a premonition that the Marines possessed such a formidable monster, making the rescue of Ace nearly impossible.

"The young ones these days are truly remarkable!"

Whitebeard gazed at Zhao Zheng, letting out a sigh.

Of course, he hadn't given up on saving Ace, nor would he ever.

As one of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard had his pride.

Even if he were to die here today, he wouldn't take a step back.

Then, Whitebeard raised his left hand, palm open.

In his palm was a red pill.

Due to Whitebeard's large hand, the pill was barely noticeable.

This pill had been given to him by the newcomers.

It was said that after consuming it, he would regain his peak strength for a short period!

Though the newcomers hadn't mentioned any side effects.

However, Whitebeard wasn't a fool; he knew that a pill that unleashed one's potential must have significant drawbacks.

Perhaps, after taking it, he would experience his final glory.

Initially, Whitebeard hadn't planned to take the pill.

But now, he had changed his mind.

He needed to regain his strength to hold off the powerful Marine commanders, giving his crew a chance to rescue Ace.

With this in mind, Whitebeard swallowed the pill without hesitation.

As for whether the pill was poisonous or not, he didn't care.

With his physique, a small amount of poison wouldn't affect him immediately.

...

"Old man, what did you just take?"

Marco asked, startled.

Whitebeard waved his hand, saying, "Follow the plan. I'll hold them off; when you see the chance, rescue Ace without worrying about me..."

Just as he finished speaking, Whitebeard's spirit suddenly surged! Marco was shocked to find that his father seemed to have undergone a tremendous transformation in an instant.

The previous Whitebeard, though still robust like a lion king, had the air of a lion in his twilight years. Marco and the others, as his sons, could clearly sense the old man's waning vitality.

But now...

Whitebeard seemed to have returned to his prime, when he rivaled Roger.

This was Whitebeard's peak!

Not only was Marco astonished, but even Whitebeard himself was surprised.

The tiny pill's effects were astonishing, and the price would likely be just as staggering.

However, at this moment, Whitebeard had no time to consider the consequences.

He clenched his fist, a smile appearing on his face.

"The long-lost feeling of power has returned..."

Then, Whitebeard's gaze locked onto Zhao Zheng across the battlefield.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end