Chapter 173: Whitebeard VS Charlotte Linlin
"You are..."
Ace struggled to open his eyes. That familiar figure, he hadn't seen it since the last time…
Charlotte Linlin froze for a moment. She looked down at the person before her, and a smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Mama mama mama!!"
"Gurararara!!!"
"Newgate."
"Linlin!"
"Go to hell!" (x2)
The two raised their weapons simultaneously and swung them fiercely at each other.
BOOM!
Their weapons didn't collide; instead, it was a clash of Conqueror's Haki.
The shockwave blasted Ace into the air. While airborne, he managed to clearly see that familiar figure. Someone grabbed him mid-air, blue flames, warm and familiar, wrapped around him. They didn't burn him; they healed him.
"You've gotten stronger."
"Marco!" Ace turned his head, sure enough, it was Marco who caught him.
"Ace, we're here!!!"
"Long time no see, Ace!"
"Hahaha, bet you didn't expect us!"
"Big bro already predicted you'd come here. It just so happens we're here to deal with Big Mom."
"You haven't changed a bit, Ace."
Three massive dragons descended, carrying Jozu, Vista, and Thatch. A flock of phoenixes flew beside them, including Commanders like Thatch and Rakuyo.
Seeing the dragons land and the Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates appear, the Big Mom Pirates were utterly shocked.
"Prepare to die, Big Mom Pirates!"
"You stole our territory while we were gone. Now you'll pay the price!"
"Brothers! Crush them!"
"Kill them!"
The crew charged forward. The destructive power of the three dragons instantly wiped out the fleet surrounding the Spade Pirates. Oven, Daifuku, and the others didn't even have time to fight back.
Jinbe was there too. After a year of Fish-Man Island being under Big Mom's rule, he was eager to reclaim their pride.
On the island, Charlotte Linlin faced off against Whitebeard. The two clashed fiercely.
Whitebeard hadn't fought in two years, but his strength hadn't diminished. Linlin, already somewhat injured from Ace, still had energy left to fight, but Whitebeard was more than a match.
"Gurararara!! Linlin, you really don't know your limits," Whitebeard laughed, swinging his quake-infused naginata. The atmosphere shattered, and the shockwave surged toward Linlin.
Linlin swung her sword, Napoleon, countering the blast with her slash.
BOOM!
The sea trembled violently. Black pulses of Haki erupted from both fighters, their Conqueror's Haki clashing, creating gales that overturned everything around them.
"Newgate, I didn't think you were still alive. Good, now I can send you to hell!" Linlin bellowed with laughter.
"Send me to hell? You're not qualified for that; you've always been the loser," Whitebeard mocked.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Charlotte Linlin roared furiously, stomping the ground, causing it to crack beneath her. Her rage surged like a volcano.
"NEWGATE!! SAY THAT AGAIN!"
She swung her massive sword, Napoleon, with fury.
"I said you're a loser. How many times have you lost? It's always been that way," Whitebeard said calmly, gripping his weapon.
The naginata he wielded, Murakumogiri, was one of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades.
Even though he hadn't fought in years, that didn't mean Whitebeard had lost his fighting spirit. For someone like him, battle had become instinct. He was just older now, a bit slower in reaction.
Raise. Lower. Draw. Upward slash!
"Grand Quake Slash!"
Whitebeard was slightly smaller than Linlin in stature, but in terms of presence, he was towering and godlike. As Linlin brought down her furious blow, he met it head-on.
Their blades collided, Haki clashed, both gritting their teeth, unleashing their full force.
It was like a flashback to over forty years ago, when Linlin lost to Rocks.
According to the Davy Back Fight rules, the loser would be forced to join the winner's crew.
Linlin, proud and strong since childhood, had a bounty of 50 million Berries at age six. By her early teens, it had risen to 500 million. A world-class pirate.
In her early twenties, she joined the Rocks Pirates. She accepted her defeat to Rocks, but she never accepted Whitebeard.
Especially since Whitebeard was already a member of the Rocks crew, she felt immense dissatisfaction.
She challenged him. That battle tore the skies apart, but she still lost. If not for Rocks' intervention, Whitebeard might have killed her.
Since then, Linlin had always been looking for a chance to kill Whitebeard.
In the Rocks Pirates, even while sleeping, you could be attacked by your own crewmates.
It was during that time that Whitebeard's Observation Haki became legendary, always staying on guard, even while asleep.
Then, thirty-eight years ago, the God Valley incident happened, and Rocks was defeated by Roger and Garp.
After that, they all went their separate ways. For the next three decades, Linlin clashed with Whitebeard many times in the New World, but always lost.
Now, at 68 years old, she believed this was her final chance to kill him. Whitebeard was already 74.
The two stared at each other, no more words. Just like over forty years ago, they kept fighting.
No one else could interfere in their battle. Marco, holding Ace in the sky, watched from above.
"Haven't seen Katakuri around," Marco said.
"He was defeated by Luffy," Ace replied with a grin.
"Luffy? Your little brother, huh? That's impressive, defeating that monster," Marco said.
Even Marco himself wouldn't claim he could beat Katakuri. That man was incredibly strong.
"Your brother beat Katakuri, and you lost? That's kinda embarrassing. How're you going to challenge a Kaido like that?" Marco teased.
"I've found a way to beat Kaido," Ace smiled confidently.
"Oh? Well, I'll be watching with interest," Marco laughed.
"Then watch closely," Ace chuckled.
"Let me heal your wounds first. Those injuries might affect your lifespan," Marco said.
"Living long doesn't matter. Living with passion, that's what counts," Ace replied with a smile.
"Hahaha, that's so you. Alright then, I'll treat your wounds," Marco said.
"Why aren't you fighting?" Ace asked.
"Big bro told me to keep an eye on Pops. The others can handle the rest. Look, the fight's almost over, no way Big Mom's crew can take us," Marco said confidently.
"Where is big bro?" Ace asked, not seeing Roy around.
"He's got other things to handle. But I'm sure we'll hear from him soon enough."
...
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