You Are Old, Whitebeard

Chapter 221: You Are Old, Whitebeard

"It appears that as long as Whitebeard remains standing, the morale of his pirates will continue to grow," Solo observed, taking in the scene before him.

With an overwhelming display of force, Whitebeard shattered the rising wall constructed by Sengoku, reigniting the spirit of the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

It seemed that as long as Whitebeard was present, they harbored no fear.

As Whitebeard disembarked from the Moby Dick and officially joined the battle, the Marines standing their ground in Marineford's inner square grew even more fearful.

Everyone was apprehensive of Whitebeard, hesitating to confront him directly.

However, as the pirates entered the inner square of Marineford, Admiral Akainu, who had been stationed beneath the execution platform, finally took action.

Leaping from his seat, his arms transformed into scorching lava. Admiral Akainu had officially entered the battle. The Summit War had finally reached its climax, entering its most intense phase!

Both the Marines and the pirates noticed this development.

The highest combat power of the Marine Headquarters faced off against the mighty Whitebeard Pirates as they locked eyes.

"He's just an old man, don't let him put on a show of dominance here!" Akainu shouted, his voice resonating with anger.

Then, with a swift motion, Akainu clenched his fist and unleashed it mercilessly. The entire war on the summit seemed to lose its color at that moment. The world shook!

In response to the fierce attack, Whitebeard merely raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile, and insulted Akainu.

In truth, despite being the current holder of the title "Red Dog," Akainu appeared insignificant compared to Whitebeard.

As the Magma Fist drew closer to him, Whitebeard's eyes gradually turned serious.

In an instant, Whitebeard grabbed the fist with five fingers, compressing the air around him. The compressed air condensed into a ball of light, enveloping his fist.

He struck back with tremendous force.

Cracks appeared out of thin air where Whitebeard's strike landed, spreading in different directions. It was as if the very fabric of space was breaking apart.

A terrifying air shockwave erupted, releasing a wave of raw power.

In an instant, the tremendous force transformed into a white shockwave, colliding with Akainu's Magma Fist.

Boom!

The Magma Fist instantly exploded, unleashing a devastating shockwave. The red and white forces clashed fiercely, each trying to overpower the other.

For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.

The intense light emitted illuminated the entirety of Marineford.

Then, the shockwave from their collision surged in all directions, tearing apart the square unable to withstand its force.

Navy soldiers and pirates caught in its path were blown away, describing a parabolic arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

The weaker ones didn't even have a chance to cry out, losing consciousness on impact.

It was no exaggeration to say that both Whitebeard and Akainu possessed the terrifying power to crush their opponents.

Everyone present, whether Navy or pirate, held their breath at this display of strength.

They marveled at the sight of these two men.

However...

Regardless of his reputation, Whitebeard was already an old man, burdened by a serious illness.

While he effortlessly withstood Akainu's attack, his body reached its limit at that moment.

Whitebeard's breathing became labored, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"At this moment..."

Whitebeard gritted his teeth, fully aware that if he collapsed now, it would have dire consequences.

"I am the backbone of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

Despite his determination, Whitebeard knew deep down that his body had grown weaker than expected.

The scene before him gradually blurred.

His body lost its balance.

Thump!

The towering figure of Whitebeard suddenly lost his center of gravity and knelt down on the Marineford square. No one could have anticipated that the man with the power to shake heaven and earth would fall in such a manner.

Marco, the phoenix, noticed this astounding sight from a distance, his face draining of blood as a wave of unprecedented worry washed over him.

"Damn it..." Marco clenched his teeth. "His illness had to strike at this moment."

If Whitebeard were ten years younger, his illness would not have burdened him to this extent.

Yet, the current Whitebeard relied entirely on drugs to sustain his life.

The last thing Marco wanted to witness was the worsening of Whitebeard's condition.

He had to rush to the side of his father, Whitebeard.

Marco's throat tightened as he swallowed nervously.

As the best ship doctor on the Whitebeard Pirates' crew, he understood that Whitebeard's illness was beyond a cure.

Yet, he still desired to be by Whitebeard's side, even if it meant providing him with some relief from the pain.

However, just as Marco prepared to move, blue flames erupted from his hands, engulfing his arms and transforming them into wings.

A voice whispered in his ear, "Brother, take care of yourself first."

The one who appeared was none other than the highest combat power of the Navy Headquarters, Admiral Aokiji.

He had approached Marco, emanating an icy coldness that reached his very core.

In the next moment, blue flames burst forth from Marco's entire body, colliding with Aokiji's chilling air.

Seizing the opportunity of the momentary clash, Marco reluctantly retreated.

But Aokiji was no easy opponent to defeat.

As Marco struggled for breath, Aokiji quickly caught up to him, engaging him in a fierce battle.

The captains of the other Whitebeard Pirates' divisions also found themselves entangled with formidable adversaries.

Despite noticing the severe relapse of Whitebeard's illness, they were unable to rush to his aid.

To make matters worse, the collision between the Magma Fist and the air shockwave had neutralized each other, dissipating into nothingness.

A path had opened up between the two combatants.

Observing this, Akainu stepped forward, gradually approaching the panting Whitebeard.

"After employing your Devil Fruit abilities in succession, your body has reached its limit," Akainu whispered to Whitebeard.

"You truly are an old man, Whitebeard."