Chapter 474: The Final Bowl of Wine
Chapter 474: The Final Bowl of Wine
At Marineford, Whitebeard caused the island to tremble, creating a barrier between himself, Garp, and Sengoku.
It was at this moment, as Whitebeard held off Garp and Sengoku, that the grieving Phoenix Marco and Portgas D. Ace began their retreat.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!!!
The earth-shattering roars continued.
In his prime, Whitebeard might have been able to stand against the two, blocking their attacks. But now, with his hidden injury acting up, he was clearly unable to stop them.
After just a dozen or so moves, Whitebeard was covered in wounds, his chest stained red with blood. Yet, he remained standing tall!
He stubbornly blocked Garp and Sengoku's path.
"Damn it..."
Sengoku understood Whitebeard's intentions, but he couldn't pursue Ace and the others without getting past Whitebeard first. And Whitebeard was fighting with utter disregard for his life.
If Sengoku tried to get past him, Whitebeard would rather take Garp's attacks than let him through, making it impossible to get by.
Boom! BOOM!!
As the intense battle raged on, Whitebeard's injuries worsened. He could feel his body growing heavier, and his strength gradually waning.
By now, Ace and the others had already fled to a great distance.
"...”
Whitebeard tightened his grip on his naginata, preparing to unleash his final attack. Suddenly, his gaze flickered, and he looked toward the rear of the Marine headquarters.
Marco and the others seemed to have noticed something at the same time, and they all turned to look in that direction. Soon, their faces contorted with anger, their fists clenched tightly.
"Thatch!!!!"
Countless members of the Whitebeard Pirates roared in fury.
Garp and Sengoku also ceased their attacks, turning to look toward the back of the Marine headquarters. There, they saw Blackbeard, along with the traitorous Rain D. Espino, approaching slowly.
"Hehehe, it's finally over, old man," Blackbeard said, spreading his arms wide and smiling.
Whitebeard glared at Blackbeard, his eyes flashing with anger. His heavily wounded body seemed to ignite with a new spark of power fueled by his rage.
He pushed past Sengoku and Garp, striding toward Blackbeard.
"..."
Neither Garp nor Sengoku tried to stop him.
Blackbeard was now an enemy as well, and they wouldn't block both sides from fighting each other. However, they didn't leave either; instead, they kept their eyes fixed on Blackbeard's group.
After breaking into Impel Down and recruiting a large number of powerful allies, the Blackbeard Pirates had clearly become a formidable threat!
"Thatch!"
Whitebeard roared in anger and charged at Blackbeard.
But his attack was futile.
Perhaps, in his prime, he could have defeated Blackbeard, who had not yet obtained the powers of the Tremor Tremor Fruit, and the other members of his crew. But with his current battered body, he could no longer crush the Blackbeard Pirates.
Under the combined assault of the Blackbeard Pirates, Whitebeard's body reached its limit, and his will-driven flesh finally froze completely.
At the top of the shattered fortress of Marineford, Feng Ye stood silently. He could have saved Whitebeard, but he chose to watch Whitebeard's final battle without intervening or revealing himself.
This was the path Whitebeard had chosen—the final decision of a man who had stood at the pinnacle of the seas. Interfering would have been an insult to Whitebeard.
Although Whitebeard's power was nothing to Feng Ye, he respected the man who had reached the pinnacle of this world and earned his acknowledgment.
The world before his eyes blurred, and everything he could see eventually vanished, turning into a boundless, white expanse.
Is this...
The afterlife? Whitebeard murmured as he gazed upon the endless, white wilderness. But the next moment, his eyes widened in surprise.
For in that white world, he saw a black dot approaching. It was a figure, seemingly carrying a flask of wine, walking slowly towards him.
As the figure drew closer, its features became clearer. It was a face he knew well, etched deep in his heart—the traveler, Feng Ye!
"You..."
Whitebeard was momentarily stunned.
The first thought that came to his mind was, 'Has Feng Ye also died?' But he quickly dismissed it, knowing that there was probably no one in this world capable of killing Feng Ye.
"This is our last drink together, Whitebeard."
In the white world, Feng Ye sat down across from Whitebeard, set the flask aside, and waved his hand gently.
Silence.
Between the two of them, within the white light, two massive wine bowls appeared.
Whitebeard stared at this scene, momentarily taken aback, before slowly sitting down. He looked at Feng Ye and sighed, "So, you really are a deity... Even able to enter the world of the dead..."
As the pinnacle of power in this world, Whitebeard was certain that he had died and that this was the afterlife. Yet, Feng Ye was able to join him here.
This indicated that Feng Ye possessed the ability to transcend life and death, a power beyond the grasp of mortals. It was a true deity's capability.
"If you define it in your way, then yes, I can be considered a deity. But this place is not the world of the dead; it is a fissure between life and death."
Feng Ye smiled gently at Whitebeard.
He picked up the flask and filled the two enormous wine bowls. Then, he lifted his bowl and said, "After this final drink, you will depart to the true world of the dead."
Whitebeard lifted his wine bowl.
He paused as he looked at the clear liquor in the bowl, then suddenly grinned and said, "Glug glug, to be able to drink with the deity of this world as I depart, there's no regret in this journey at all!"
Long ago, he had sensed that Feng Ye's power was far beyond his own, reaching depths he could not fathom.
Back then, he had wanted to know the true extent of Feng Ye's strength, but Feng Ye had not revealed it. Now, he finally understood.
Transcending life and death!
Not the false 'god' of Skypiea, nor the arrogant self-proclaimed 'gods' among the Celestial Dragons, but a true deity overlooking the mortal world!
In other words, he had not been defeated by a human but by a deity. In fact, he remained the strongest among humans.
There was no longer any regret in his heart.
Gulp gulp!!
Whitebeard raised the wine bowl and drank its contents with abandon.
"Then..."
Feng Ye also finished the wine in his bowl and stood up. Looking at Whitebeard, he said, "We bid farewell here."
As his words trailed off, Feng Ye turned and began to walk away, his figure gradually fading into the white world. Whitebeard's figure also slowly disappeared.
Whitebeard.
Edward Newgate—thus perished!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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