5 Encounter with the Strongest

On a small boat, I deeply concealed my face under the hood while watching a battle between pirates in the distance.

Thanks to the biofeedback, my eyes were also modified, allowing me to see clearly even a dozen kilometers away.

In fact, I put a considerable amount of effort into modifying my eyes. No matter how powerful my body became for high-speed combat, it would be meaningless if my eyes couldn't keep up.

To be honest, those with powers like Kuro's "Soru" were defective in my opinion. Attacks that you can't see or aim properly are just too dangerous to be of any use.

My thoughts drifted back to the ongoing sea battle ahead. It was purely coincidental that I stumbled upon it, but among the various pirate battles of a certain scale, there was a man who stood out with an overwhelming presence.

With his golden wavy hair and a crescent moon-like white beard, it was none other than "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate. Why does he have white hair when his hair is golden?

Well, regardless, seeing the Whitebeard Pirates engaged in combat with another pirate crew was an extraordinary experience. Whitebeard seemed to refrain from taking too much action, likely to let his subordinates gain experience, but he exuded an aura as if he were dominating the battlefield by merely standing there.

If I recall correctly, Whitebeard was in his seventies in the original work, so now he should be in his late forties, with the experience of competing with Roger... both his body and spirit must be at their peak.

Now that Roger is gone, witnessing undeniably the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard, with my own eyes is a rare experience. It's a pity that he's not participating in the battle himself...

As I was thinking about that, Whitebeard suddenly "looked this way." Seriously? Does he think he can see me from this distance of several kilometers? I don't have body modifications like myself, so how did he notice me?

In front of my astonished gaze, Whitebeard swung his right hand widely.

I could see a scene like a crack in space, and an earthquake-like shockwave emanated from Whitebeard's right hand, the power of his Gura Gura no Mi. Seriously, this is ridiculous. The Gura Gura no Mi's attack has such a long range, it's too far.

Moreover, despite being called "Quake Man," he can freely manipulate vibrations and even grab the air. Not to mention the wide range of applications compared to others.

Grumbling to myself, I synchronized my right arm to the incoming shockwave.

"Rokuougun!"

The shockwaves of the Gura Gura no Mi and Rokuougun collided, creating a giant spray as if the sea surface exploded. Since the range of my attack is not that long, I ended up getting a little wet, but that's a small price to pay. I just need to make sure my hood doesn't come off.

Maintaining a combat-ready posture, I looked ahead through the water spray... at Whitebeard. I could feel his Conqueror's Haki, and it transmitted to me.

... He's provoking me. He wants me to come at him. Maybe because he's over twenty years younger than in the original work, he seems quite spirited.

I released my Conqueror's Haki as well, and the clash of two Conqueror's Haki created waves on the sea surface. It was a standoff... So, what should I do? It's clear that Whitebeard is ready to fight me, but should I respond or retreat?

Retreating is possible. Although Whitebeard noticed me, he is still several kilometers away, and I have Moonwalk.

He is an overwhelmingly powerful foe and a Haki user... the perfect opponent for training, but it also comes with considerable risks.

"... I still can't win."

After hesitating for a moment, I murmured while retracting my Conqueror's Haki. Unfortunately, the risk of engaging in a fight like this is too great.

From the clash of Conqueror's Haki, I could tell that Whitebeard is stronger than me right now. Still, the gap is not that overwhelming.

If we fight, I might be able to take one of his arms, and if I'm lucky, I might even end up dying together... yes, a "mutual death with the best result."

Moreover, that's just talking about fighting Whitebeard one-on-one. Considering the interference of other Whitebeard Pirates, it's almost certain that I would end up defeated.

There might be a strategy to fight a bit and then withdraw with an equal score, but it's impossible to fight while keeping my face hidden, and considering the future, being marked by Whitebeard would be a terrible move.

I value my life more than my pride. There's no reason to engage in a battle where the odds are stacked against me.

With that conclusion, I picked up my belongings and deliberately stomped on the small boat. The impact caused the boat to shatter into pieces, creating a large spray.

Concealing myself in the water spray, I used a combination of Moonwalk and Shave... With Shave, I rapidly moved away from the spot.

I was caught off guard, but experiencing Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki and Gura Gura no Mi was a significant gain. At the moment, I can't win, but I've confirmed that the peak of the world, which is undoubtedly Whitebeard, is not that far away.

... Well, in the end, my goal is to attain the strength to repel all four Emperors attacking at once, but that's still a long way off...

***

"Grarara, did he just run away..."

"Old man? What happened?"

Looking at the distant sea and laughing, Marco, who reveres him as "old man," calls out to Whitebeard. The surrounding crew... Whitebeard's sons also have puzzled expressions.

And it's no wonder; from their perspective, Whitebeard suddenly released the Gura Gura no Mi shockwave towards the sea, and not only that, he even activated Conqueror's Haki and entered a combat-ready posture... And then suddenly stopped using Haki and started laughing.

"What, I just teased that idiot who was peeking. He was quite big for a rat, though..."

"...Should we go after him?"

Inferred from Whitebeard's words and his earlier phrase "did he just run away," Marco, who possesses the ability to fly through a Devil Fruit, asks.

"Leave him be. We need to finish this sea battle quickly."

"Got it. With the old man's Conqueror's Haki earlier, a considerable number of enemies have lost consciousness, so it'll end soon."

After nodding in response to Whitebeard's statement that there's no need to chase after the intruder, Marco, as the Phoenix, flies towards the enemy ship to end the sea battle. Whitebeard, watching Marco go, then gazes in the same direction as before.

(Who is that? With that level of power, there shouldn't be many in the world who can match him. Yet, I can't think of anyone who fits the bill.)

From the clash of Conqueror's Haki earlier, he sensed that the opponent was an immensely strong individual, but he couldn't think of anyone who matches that description. If he had fought someone like that in the past, there's no way he would have forgotten their Conqueror's Haki.

Therefore, the only conclusion he could reach was that the opponent was an unknown powerhouse, and their existence was enough to make Whitebeard cautious.

(Not only did he not take the bait, but he also made a quick decision to retreat. He even abandoned and sank his ship without hesitation. Is he trying to withhold any information from us? He's quite cautious... I don't feel like I would lose if we fought, but there's still a good chance that we wouldn't come out unscathed. Who on earth is he?)

While feeling an eerie sense of uncertainty, the world's strongest man continued to silently gaze at the sea for a while.