Chapter 74
20th of April 1522Marineford
"Prepare yourself, Moria!" Whitebeard roared, his gaze locking onto the warlord. "Today, you pay for your sins!"
Moria laughed nervously, his bravado faltering. "Kishishishi... come then, Whitebeard. Let's see if you can kill me before I take more of your precious sons." His voice trembled slightly, betraying the fear he felt deep inside.
However, before Sengoku could shout to his friend to let Whitebeard kill Moria, Monkey D. Garp leaped from the platform, covering four hundred meters in a single bound. He landed with a tremendous crash, directly in front of Whitebeard. The battlefield seemed to hold its breath. Black Haki crackled in the air like a storm ready to break, sending shivers down the spines of even the bravest warriors. Both men stood grim and resolute, legends facing off once more.
Whitebeard planted his Naginata firmly into the ground, a gesture of respect and readiness. "Gurararara!" he laughed, the sound reverberating like thunder. "Fist against fist, just like the old times, eh, Garp?"
Sengoku watched tensely from his vantage point. He knew Garp was fighting with a reckless abandon, driven by the pain of Ace's death. Garp's usually jovial demeanor was replaced by a steely resolve, his eyes reflecting years of battle and loss. "You don't care if you don't come back alive, do you, old friend?" Sengoku muttered to himself, knowing Garp's heartache all too well.
The two old titans faced each other, the air between them almost visibly crackling with their combined Haki.
"Let's leave the new generation to sort things out themselves," Garp said, his voice carrying the weight of decades of battles and memories. "But for now, we settle this."
Whitebeard nodded, his massive fists clenching. "Agreed."
The fight began with an earth-shattering clash. Whitebeard's fist, empowered by his Gura Gura no Mi, collided with Garp's Haki-infused punch, creating a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered, sending debris flying in all directions. Nearby fighters, both Marine and pirate, were thrown off their feet, some collapsing unconscious from the sheer force of the impact. The weak even died of the pressure, their bodies unable to withstand the titanic power of the two combatants.
Whitebeard's next punch shattered the air itself, a quake echoing from his fist that fractured the ground for miles. "You won't win this time, Garp!" he bellowed, his voice like a rolling thunder. Garp countered with a blow that seemed to rend the very fabric of reality, his Haki crackling like lightning around his knuckles. "We'll see about that, old friend," Garp grunted through clenched teeth. Each collision of their fists was an apocalyptic event, sending shockwaves through the battlefield and beyond. Buildings crumbled, the sea roared as if in agony, and the sky itself seemed to darken in response to their clash.
The two titans traded blows with a ferocity that defied their years. Whitebeard's mighty fists, imbued with the power to create and direct earthquakes, met Garp's indomitable will and unparalleled mastery of Haki. Each punch left craters in the ground, each block sent tremors through the earth. Blood streamed down their faces, mingling with sweat and grime, but neither showed any sign of yielding. "You're strong as ever, Whitebeard!" Garp called out, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "And you're as stubborn as ever, Garp!" Whitebeard retorted, a grim smile on his face.
With a roar, Whitebeard unleashed a massive quake punch aimed at Garp's midsection. The air shimmered with destructive energy as the blow connected, sending a seismic shockwave rippling outwards. "Look at that power... they're like gods," whispered a terrified Marine, his eyes wide with horror. Kizaru, observing from a distance, whistled softly. "Scary, scary. Those two old monsters could bring down the world if they wanted." Garp gritted his teeth, his body absorbing the immense force. He retaliated with a barrage of punches that seemed to come from every direction, each one a thunderous explosion of raw power and Haki.
The battlefield became a storm of destruction. Whitebeard's quakes tore the ground apart, while Garp's punches sent shockwaves that could shatter mountains. The very air was heavy with their power, making it hard for anyone nearby to breathe. Fighters who had once been in the thick of battle now cowered at the edges, mere spectators to a clash of gods. The ground beneath their feet was a ruin of craters and fissures.
With a mighty bellow, Whitebeard swung his fist in a wide arc, a quake trailing in its wake. Garp met it head-on, his fist blazing with Haki. The resulting collision created a shockwave that flattened everything in its path, sending men and debris flying. Whitebeard staggered, blood trickling from his mouth, but his eyes burned with the fury of a thousand storms. Garp, panting heavily, his arm crushed and bleeding from a gash on his head, stood resolute, his spirit unbroken.
The two combatants faced each other, their chests heaving, the fighting around them momentarily paused. All eyes were on the two legends, everyone sensing that they were witnessing an historic moment. The battlefield, once a cacophony of clashing steel and roaring cannons, fell silent.
With primal screams of rage, both Whitebeard and Garp lunged at each other, channeling every ounce of their remaining strength into their final blows. Their fists met in the center of the battlefield, and the impact was cataclysmic. Haki crackled like lightning, a blast of King's Haki radiating outwards with such force that the very air seemed to shatter. The shockwave from their collision was the most powerful in the history of the world, a titanic explosion of energy that reverberated through land and sea.
Garp's body was caught in the epicenter of the quake. The devastating power of the Gura Gura no Mi combined with Whitebeard's indomitable strength pulverized him instantly. Half of Garp's body disintegrated under the unimaginable force, leaving a gory, blood-soaked crater where he once stood. The great hero of the Marines fell, his defiant spirit extinguished in a moment of sheer destructive power.
Whitebeard collapsed to his knees, victorious but grievously wounded. Blood poured from a gaping wound where his arm had been, severed by the incredible force of their final clash. His breaths were ragged, his immense strength finally failing him. "Father!" Marco screamed, desperation and horror in his voice as he lunged toward Whitebeard, his flames blazing brightly, intent on healing his beloved captain.
But before Marco could reach him, a beam of light intercepted his path. Kizaru, with his usual maddening calm, appeared once more. "Not so fast, Marco," he said, his voice infuriatingly casual as he engaged the first division commander in another clash. The battlefield, still trembling from the aftershocks of the legendary duel, erupted back into chaos, the air filled with the sounds of renewed combat and the cries of those who witnessed the fall of a hero and the near defeat of another.
Sengoku, witnessing the devastation and sensing the wavering morale of the Marines, grabbed a microphone and began to speak, his voice booming across the battlefield. "Marines! Do not falter! This is our moment of truth! We fight for justice, for the future of the world! Stand strong, and show the pirates that the might of the Marines is unbreakable!"
As Sengoku's words echoed, Akainu moved with ruthless precision, his fists blazing with magma, directly engaging Whitebeard. "This ends now, old man," Akainu growled, launching a barrage of molten punches at the already wounded pirate.
Moria, watching the chaos unfold, laughed nervously, his grotesque form trembling slightly. "Kishishishi! And to think I thought myself strong... Fuck." Despite his bravado, fear gnawed at him. The sheer power displayed by Whitebeard and Garp was a grim reminder of his own limitations.
Blamenco, the 6th Division commander, Haruta, the 12th Division commander, and Izou, the 16th Division commander, rushed forward to aid their father, their faces set in grim determination.
"We won't let you take him down alone!" Blamenco shouted, his massive frame charging through the chaos.
However, their path was abruptly blocked. Moria stepped forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "You think you can just waltz past me? Kishishishi!" He spread his arms, and dark tendrils of shadow snaked out, ready to ensnare the commanders.
[Blamenco]
Class : Pirate
Job : Whitebeard's division Commander
Dourikis : 9 191
Potential : SS
Fate : A
[Haruta]
Class : Pirate
Job : Whitebeard's division Commander
Dourikis : 10 253
Potential : SS
Fate : A
Haruta swung his sword, aiming for Moria. "Get out of our way, Moria!"[Izou]
Class : Pirate
Job : Whitebeard's 6th division Commander
Dourikis : 7 463
Potential : SS
Fate : A
20th of April 1522
Thriller Bark
The moon cast a silver veil over the tumultuous waters as the boat sliced through the waves, heading toward the eerie silhouette of Thriller Bark. The island, shrouded in mist and gothic decay, loomed like a specter on the horizon. Towering spires and crumbling battlements jutted out of the darkness, casting long, haunting shadows.
Pica stood at the bow, his massive frame a dark silhouette against the moonlight. Around him, the Donquixote Pirates prepared for their mission, their faces a mix of determination and anticipation. Baby 5 adjusted her weapons, Buffalo hovered with a lazy propeller spin, and Gladius, his spiked attire gleaming, leaned against the railing. Dellinger stretched his lithe limbs, Machvise stood like a mountain, Señor Pink puffed on his cigar, and Lao G performed precise martial arts movements.
"Our mission is clear," Pica's deep voice cut through the night. "For our lord, Donquixote Doflamingo, we will crush Moria's stronghold while he's at Marineford. Thriller Bark will burn tonight."
Baby 5, eyes gleaming with resolve, asked, "What about Selena Whitefang ? She's said to be strong…and this Corona Roro or something ? The one who killed Diamante."
A hush fell over the group. Pica's jaw tightened. "I will deal with them personally. Zoro's death will honor Diamante's memory."
Buffalo chuckled darkly. "Just leave some of them for us, Pica. We all have scores to settle."
Dellinger's predatory grin flashed. "Selena Whitefang won't know what hit her."
Gladius adjusted his goggles. "We attack from multiple fronts, overwhelm them with our powers."
The boat drew closer to Thriller Bark, the island's dark fortress becoming more menacing. The warriors braced themselves, steeling their resolve. As they neared the shore, dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling ominously. Pica glanced warily at the sky.
Suddenly, a gigantic bolt of lightning struck, pulverizing their boat. The explosion threw them into the sea, a chaos of splintered wood and blinding light. Devil Fruit users flailed, sinking beneath the waves. Dellinger, the fishman, moved swiftly, his powerful strokes saving his comrades from drowning. One by one, he dragged them to the shore, their breaths ragged, eyes wide with the shock of their near-death.
Soaked and battered, they stood on the haunted shores of Thriller Bark, the gothic island rising ominously before them. Pica's gaze hardened, his resolve undeterred by the unexpected attack. "Tonight, we carve our vengeance into the bones of this island," he vowed, the weight of their mission echoing in the stormy night.