Dazzling lightning collided with blue and white blade-like shockwaves, painting the entire sky in two violent colors.
At the center of the collision, a blinding pillar of light rose and rapidly spread outward, engulfing heaven and earth until everything was swallowed by white brilliance.
Moments later, the light faded, and the sky returned to clarity, as if nothing had happened.
"Why do you insist on this," Kaito's voice suddenly sounded behind Whitebeard. "Do you really have to fight until one of us falls?"
Blackened lightning wrapped around Kaito's leg as it tore through the air, sparks screeching violently as he delivered a devastating kick straight into Whitebeard's back.
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard laughed loudly. "I'm used to it. If you want to take what defines my life, then you have to step over me!"
He turned instantly, crossing his naginata before his chest to block the kick.
Boom!
The collision exploded like thunder, violent energy surging outward like a raging sea.
The sheer force drove Whitebeard backward, his feet scraping hard across the frozen ground.
Two deep grooves were carved into the ice.
"Good strength," Whitebeard said, admiration flashing in his eyes.
"Then take this," he roared. "The old man's move!"
He raised his naginata high, then brought his fists together across his chest before slamming them forward with terrifying force.
Crack. Crack.
The sky fractured, the air itself tearing apart.
Hum.
The frozen ground shattered as chunks of ice and earth were hurled into the air.
The entire island trembled violently, as if it were screaming under the pressure.
In the distance, mud and debris filled the horizon, transforming into a rolling, boundless sea that surged toward Kaito.
A shockwave without end, vast like an ocean in full storm.
If the previous vibrating slash was a crescent cutting across the world, then this attack was a tidal catastrophe, blotting out sky and land alike.
"This should be your strongest attack," Kaito murmured calmly, staring at the apocalyptic force rushing toward him.
The ripples of the Rinnegan rotated slowly.
A dark blue skeletal form manifested around his body, shielding him as he extended his palms forward.
Terrifying ocular power gathered.
"Super," Kaito said coldly. "Shinra Tensei!"
Hum.
An overwhelming repulsive force erupted instantly, annihilating everything in front of him.
The ground was scraped clean, turned into a violently churning sea of mud.
The repulsion surged forward like the collapse of the world itself, crashing head-on into Whitebeard's shockwave.
Boom!
It was like a volcano slamming into the earth.
The island shook violently, groaning under the collision of two world-ending powers, as if it might collapse at any moment.
At the center, the raging seas of mud rose skyward like two titanic waves colliding, blotting out all sight.
A massive mushroom cloud erupted, towering into the sky like a volcanic explosion, visible even from far away.
Crack. Crack.
Tiny fractures appeared along the island's edges, spreading wildly like spiderwebs.
Under the relentless pressure, cracks ran across the entire landmass.
The island known as the Abyss of Death trembled, as though it would soon vanish from the sea forever.
The roar subsided.
The ground stilled.
Kaito stood calmly at the center, his posture unwavering, as immovable as a mountain.
Purple ripples flowed within his eyes as he observed the clash between Shinra Tensei and the shockwave in a world drained of color.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
His repulsion had the upper hand.
With every collision, Shinra Tensei advanced, forcing the shockwave backward step by step toward Whitebeard.
Moments later, everything faded.
Silence returned.
At the center of the battlefield lay a bottomless crater spanning nearly a kilometer.
Not far away, Whitebeard stood upright, his body coated in deep black Armament Haki, naginata planted firmly in the ground.
His chest rose and fell violently, his breathing heavy and uneven.
"Gurarararara!" he laughed hoarsely. "I didn't think this old man's move would be cracked so easily."
The Armament Haki receded from his body.
His face was flushed, exhaustion clear.
Continuous combat, followed by that massive shockwave and then resisting Kaito's repulsion, had finally pushed his body beyond its limit.
"It's over," Kaito said, frowning slightly. "This is enough, Whitebeard."
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard roared toward the sky. "I am Whitebeard. The strongest man in the world. I won't fall!"
He stepped forward, his figure flashing in front of Kaito as the naginata swept down viciously.
But this strike was different.
Its speed and power were clearly inferior to before.
When.
A dull sound rang out.
The dark blue Susanoo skeleton calmly blocked the descending blade.
"You're old," Kaito said indifferently. "Your stamina has reached its limit. Admit defeat."
"Gurarararara! Kaito, brat! Don't lecture me!" Whitebeard bellowed. "I am Whitebeard!"
Laughing wildly, he poured everything he had left into one final punch, white shock power erupting as his fist smashed toward Kaito's head.
Crack. Crack.
Glass-like fractures spread across Susanoo's skull.
Boom.
A dull impact echoed, followed by silence.
Whitebeard collapsed completely.
His massive body fell straight to the ground.
"Really," Kaito muttered, clicking his tongue. "You're a stubborn old man."
He lifted Whitebeard effortlessly, picked up the naginata, and walked forward step by step.
"Kaito," Whitebeard shouted weakly. "Don't think this old man fears you. This is just my body failing me. If I were young, ten of you wouldn't be enough."
"Yes, yes," Kaito replied helplessly, his tone oddly gentle. "You're the strongest. Always were."
In the distance, the Whitebeard Pirates watched the battlefield anxiously as the dust finally cleared.
"Pops won't lose, right," Vista asked nervously.
"No," Marco said firmly. "Pops is invincible."
Yet even Marco could not hide the worry in his eyes.
The destructive fluctuations they had just felt, even from the edge of the battlefield, carried unmistakable death.
Then a figure appeared.
Kaito emerged, carrying Whitebeard on his back.
"That's Pops," Marco shouted, instantly rushing forward.
He took Whitebeard from Kaito and carried him swiftly onto the Moby Dick.
"Medic, hurry," Marco yelled. "Check Pops. Now!"
"What are you yelling for," Whitebeard said weakly, settling into his chair. "I'm not dead. Just exhausted. I need rest."
He turned his head toward Kaito, his expression solemn.
"I lost," Whitebeard said plainly. "From today onward, the Whitebeard Pirates will join your crew. You will be their captain."
"Pops," Marco whispered.
The commanders had already expected this outcome the moment they saw Kaito carrying Whitebeard back.
Even so, hearing it spoken aloud filled their hearts with an inexplicable heaviness.
Tears slipped down their faces without them even realizing it.