"How far can your Observation Haki reach? Even if it's powerful, it shouldn't extend that far, should it?" Grimm asked, looking at Whitebeard.
The battle involving Hancock and the others was at least ten kilometers away. To the naked eye, it looked like nothing more than a tiny speck.
Unless someone possessed Observation Haki as terrifying as Gol D. Roger's, Whitebeard should not have been able to sense the exact situation of Marco and the others.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes — whether from a strange sense of satisfaction or something else, he chose to answer with action.
He reached inside his coat and pulled out several sheets of pure white paper, each one smoldering and beginning to burn.
Grimm smiled faintly. "I see… Life Cards, then."
Whitebeard did not need to sense his crew directly; he only had to release a little of his Haki to feel the condition of the cards and know how they were faring.
"One of them is burning quite fiercely," Grimm said, nodding toward the rightmost card in Whitebeard's hand — it had already shrunk down to a small corner.
Whitebeard's expression darkened further. These were the Life Cards of his division commanders, and the one nearly consumed belonged to Jozu, leader of the Third Division.
Was Jozu — one of the strongest among the commanders — already on the brink of defeat?
"Too bad you aren't Shiki," Grimm said, glancing toward the distant battlefield. "You can't simply fly over to save them."
Grimm did not have Life Cards for Hancock or his crew, but thanks to the power of the Holy Light, he could still sense their condition clearly from afar.
"Is that so?"
Whitebeard tucked the cards back into his clothing, then suddenly drove his bisento deep into the ground.
What is he planning now? Grimm wondered. That gesture could only mean Whitebeard was about to unleash another massive Tremor‑Tremor Fruit attack.
But it made little sense. Using both hands to channel such power inflicted internal damage on his own body that could not be undone.
For him, every use now drained his life force, not just his stamina. After fighting for so long, he had not used this technique more than three times. Why now?
The next moment, Grimm noticed something different. Previously, Whitebeard would spread his hands wide in opposite directions.
This time, both hands pulled toward the same direction — straight toward where Hancock and the others were fighting.
"Listen well, boy of the Holy Light… let me show you what the power of family truly means!"
"UAAAAAAAH!"
Whitebeard roared at the top of his lungs, then pulled both hands sharply to the right.
In an instant, the entire ocean roared in response, and even the clouds above seemed to shrink back in fear.
Whether on the island where Hancock and Vista fought, or across the waters where Strugos, Squard, and Mannoroth clashed, everyone felt a pull of immense strength — not just on their bodies, but on the very land and sea around them, dragging the entire region toward the other side.
"This man…"
Grimm looked to the right. The ocean, the islands, everything was being drawn across the distance.
It was almost impossible to imagine — pulling an entire stretch of sea ten kilometers across as if it were a boat.
In all the world, only Whitebeard in his prime, or perhaps the Golden Lion at his peak, could achieve such a feat.
As a towering tsunami rose up from the sea being pulled toward them, Grimm summoned a golden sphere of light and hurled it into the sky.
"Apocalypse!"
HUMMM!!!
In an instant, a giant golden sun floated high above. Bathed in its radiance, Grimm's power surged, and he activated Wrath of Vengeance, launching himself straight into the air.
"Twin — Holy Shields!"
Two massive golden barriers, each five hundred meters wide, appeared at the edges of the two islands, blocking the incoming waves and landmasses.
Golden light clashed violently with the surging blue sea, sending shockwaves rippling across a hundred kilometers.
The heavens and earth shook; it was a roar that would make even demons and spirits tremble.
"What kind of monstrous battle is this?!"
Even Peachbeard, an elite Marine Vice Admiral, could not help but shout in disbelief.
Monsters… absolute monsters! Both of them are nothing but monsters!
The helmsman spun the wheel frantically to keep their ship from being overturned.
"There is no time to stand around complaining!"
Tsuru narrowed her eyes and pointed toward the horizon.
Looking up, everyone saw walls of water rising all around them, tall enough to block out the sky.
If they did not stop them, the warship would surely be sunk.
"Damn it — I told you they are monsters!"
Peachbeard and Kong both drew their katanas and threw themselves into the churning waves, slashing at the water with all their strength to hold it back.
"Count me in too!"
From another warship, Vice Admiral Chaja leapt into action, muttering to himself as he fought: "After this mission, I'll confess to Peachbeard… she'll say yes, right? No — she definitely will!"
As Tsuru directed her vessel to safety, a thought crossed her mind: Ten years ago, Gol D.
Roger was saved from total annihilation at the Battle of Edd War by a sudden, massive tsunami conjured by the Golden Lion.
I wonder if what I am seeing now is anything like that…
Back on the battlefield:
Grimm's Holy Shields slowed the movement of the sea and land, but the force was too great. Several pirate ships, caught in the pull, were thrown forward and crashed onto the islands.
The two landmasses slammed into the golden barriers, which held them back for only a few seconds before shattering completely. With a final shudder, the two islands collided.
"Terrifying… the power in this world is truly fearsome," Mannoroth muttered, lying on the beach two kilometers away.
He did not want to admit it, but he had to — even in his own world, such strength belonged only to the absolute peak.
"Truly a monster, Whitebeard!" Grimm laughed, looking up.
"Gurararara… the same could be said of you!" Whitebeard chuckled.
To receive such words from Whitebeard was rare. In the entire world, only a handful of men earned his respect — and among the younger generation, Grimm was the only one.
Whitebeard had intended to stop the moving landmass himself using his Tremor powers, but Grimm had already done it for him.
"Save the compliments!"
Strugos pressed a hand to his bleeding head, his eyes burning with fanatical excitement. "Both of you are madmen capable of destroying the entire world!"
"All my sons — retreat!" Whitebeard shouted.
Grimm narrowed his eyes. He did not press the attack. The battle had already reached its limit.
To continue would only result in both sides exhausting themselves to the death while their crews were wiped out. There was no point.
"Hold on a moment."
Marco shot a quick glance at Blenheim, commander of the Ninth Division.
Blenheim nodded and ordered his men to carry out several stretchers from the Moby Dick, bearing crew members still wreathed in flames.
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