Chapter 473: Bidding Whitebeard Farewell
Chapter 473: Bidding Whitebeard Farewell
As members of the Worst Generation of Supernovas, Kidd and his crew had a general understanding of the layout of the New World. They knew that upon entering this new territory, they would no longer face scattered forces but the formidable Yonko, who had established their dominance.
To survive in the New World, one had to either ally with one of the Yonko or defeat one and ascend to take their place. Thus, the Yonko naturally became the focal point of attention for Kidd, Urki, and the other Supernovas.
As they watched the live broadcast, witnessing Whitebeard's display of power that caused the entire island to tremble, most people were not only shocked but also thought of the man known as the closest to a god, the most fearsome man on the sea—the adventurer, Feng Ye!
In this vast ocean, from the previous era to the present, only that man stood above Whitebeard. Although Feng Ye's interventions were rarely recorded, each one sent ripples through the sea. And from the terrifying power of Whitebeard, one could catch a glimpse of Feng Ye's might!
The fierce battle raged on.
Whitebeard fought his way to the execution platform.
Facing Whitebeard's fierce assault, Garp, who had been enduring silently, could no longer hold back. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fist, and met Whitebeard's attack head-on, blocking him before the execution platform.
"Garp, Vice Admiral!"
"Garp..."
"Grandpa!"
The Navy, Whitebeard Pirates, and even Luffy and his crew were all shaken by this development.
"You won't get past here, Whitebeard!" Garp declared, standing firm in the air before Whitebeard, his large fist glowing with the power of his Armed Color Domination, visible to the naked eye.
Whitebeard was well aware of Garp's strength, but he showed no signs of backing down. With a roar, he swung his fist towards Garp, unleashing another relentless attack.
"Then try and stop me, Garp!"
BOOM!!
Garp and Whitebeard clashed in a fierce battle.
The impact of their brief exchange near the execution platform sent shockwaves rippling across the entire island, tearing through the Navy Headquarters' fortress and forcing Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral standing on the platform, to intervene and deflect the shockwave away.
As Garp and Whitebeard fought, Luffy, the Straw Hat, finally broke through countless obstacles and interferences, with the help of many, and rushed onto the execution platform.
"That Yellow Monkey..." Feng Ye shook his head and chuckled as he watched the scene unfold on the screen. "Sometimes I really wonder if he's a Revolutionary Army spy."
There was no doubt that the Yellow Monkey's laser ability could shatter the key in Luffy's hand, and it could just as easily pierce through Luffy's skull, killing him instantly on the execution platform. Yet, he had only targeted the key, seemingly trying to stop Luffy from rescuing Ace but repeatedly giving him chances.
However, this was not difficult to understand.
The Yellow Monkey was the most politically savvy of the Navy admirals, always walking a fine line and trying not to offend either side. If he killed Luffy here, he would undoubtedly anger Garp and those affiliated with him, including powerful figures like Borsalino and Dalmatian.
Fully aware of this, it was understandable that the Yellow Monkey would spare Luffy's life at every turn—he could kill him, but there was no need to.
"Hahahaha, indeed, the Yellow Monkey is like that," Rayleigh, the Underworld King, took a sip of wine and burst into laughter.
He, too, had noticed the Yellow Monkey's lackluster performance in this war, especially his repeated leniency towards Luffy during their confrontations. However, the other admirals were not much different.
Could they expect Aokiji and Borsalino, the two Navy admirals who had once followed Garp, to kill Luffy?
Obviously not.
Luffy, who seemed to be the weakest on this battlefield, relied on his formidable background, navigating safely through the three major forces of the pirates, the Navy, and the Revolutionary Army. On this dangerous battlefield where even the Shichibukai were at risk, he had made his way to the execution platform.
Finally, after much "hard work" from the Yellow Monkey, Aokiji, Borsalino, and others in trying to stop him, Luffy succeeded in unlocking the sea-stone handcuffs and freeing Portgas D. Ace, the Fire Fist!
However, just as Ace was rescued, Whitebeard, who had been locked in combat with Garp, suddenly stiffened, and the fist he had swung out froze awkwardly in mid-air.
"Hmm?" Garp paused slightly, but his fist continued on its path.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his chest caving in as his ribs cracked, muscles caving in, leaving a fist-shaped imprint before he flew backward.
"Old man!"
Seeing this, Marco the Phoenix and the others, who had just been invigorated by Portgas D. Ace's rescue, paled in shock.
Whitebeard flew back dozens of meters before he could steady himself, but he spat out another mouthful of blood, kneeling on one knee. He leaned on his bisento to stand firm.
"It seems your body is failing you."
Garp glared at Whitebeard.
He had a soft spot for Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy, so he couldn't bring himself to strike them with full force. But he had no such reservations about Whitebeard. He clenched his fists and strode toward the latter.
At this moment, he couldn't turn back to stop Luffy and Ace's escape, so he focused all his attention on Whitebeard, ignoring everything else.
"Gura-gura…"
As Garp approached, Whitebeard suddenly laughed.
Ace had been rescued, and he had achieved his goal this time. In truth, he was well aware of his health condition. Even without this war, he might not have lasted more than another year or two before being unable to continue fighting due to the many severe injuries he had sustained in his younger days.
While it might have been a peaceful end to die in bed accompanied by Marco and the others, he would rather stay on this battlefield!
"You say my body is failing me..."
"...It's not my time yet!"
Whitebeard's roar reverberated throughout Marineford. Then, he unleashed his punch.
This was the first time in this battle that he had truly released the power of the Gura Gura no Mi without holding back, no longer needing to worry about accidentally harming Ace with the shockwaves.
Sensing the might of this attack, Garp's expression changed, and he halted his steps, crossing his arms in front of him to block Whitebeard's punch with his Busoshoku Haki.
Crack!!!
The air shattered into countless dense cracks that spread in all directions.
Marineford was shattered!
Under Whitebeard's all-out attack, the entire Marineford headquarters split in half from the center, a massive fissure running from front to back!
Most of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, Luffy, Ace, and the others were on the other side of the fissure, while Whitebeard stood alone on this side!
"Old man!!"
Seeing this, Marco and the others paled, realizing something.
Without turning back, Whitebeard stood there with his bisento and said, "I am...a remnant of the past era. The new era has no place for me. Our paths diverge here. This is my final order as your captain! Everyone...must live on!"
The boiling scene at Marineford was projected onto the screens in the Shabondy Archipelago, witnessed by everyone on the islands.
After a moment of silence, Rayleigh took a sip of wine, his eyes glistening as he said, "Whitebeard...will also become a part of history."
If Whitebeard's old wounds hadn't acted up, he might have had a chance to evacuate with the others. But that last attack clearly showed that his body was failing.
The rescue of Portgas D. Ace was already a disgrace for the Navy, and their pursuit would undoubtedly be relentless. With Garp and the others in relentless pursuit, Whitebeard, with his ailing body, had no chance of escaping Marineford safely.
Someone had to stay behind to buy time.
Whitebeard chose to be that person, remaining in this era that was about to end!
"Mhm."
Feng Ye nodded slightly and finished his drink before standing up.
Rayleigh turned to him and said, "You're going to..."
Feng Ye glanced at the distant screen, then turned his gaze toward the direction of the New World and Marineford, his eyes solemn as he said, "It's time...to see Whitebeard off on his final journey."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
