The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

The surrounding air refracted light due to the violent vibrations, making his figure appear distorted and unreal.

"Drink!!!" Whitebeard roared, and Murakumogiri slashed down fiercely!

A massive milky-white shockwave, carrying the power to tear everything apart and the Conqueror's Haki, surged out like a tsunami!

Wherever it passed, the ground didn't shatter, but was directly shaken into the finest dust!

Seeing this, Gern took a deep breath, suppressed the surging blood and qi in his body, and gripped the hilt of the Black Blade Eight Desolations with both hands, holding it upright in front of him.

"Buzz—Buzz—!" A deep, dark purple aura, highly concentrated, emanated from the blade.

The high-frequency vibrational energy, almost materialized, intertwined wildly, emitting a piercing buzzing sound like millions of hummingbirds flapping their wings at the same time!

"Heavenly Tremor..." Leaping into the sky, the blade plunged downwards into the ground, unleashing a torrent of shockwaves in all directions. The ground cracked open like flower petals, swallowing up all enemies within its range.

"The Eight Desolations Annihilated!"

"Boom—!!!" Centered on the point where the Black Blade Eight Desolations pierced through, an even more intense and violent shockwave erupted in a fan shape towards the fan-shaped area in front!

This was not a simple impact, but rather the ultimate strike by which Gern amplified the power of the Heaven-Shattering Fruit through the Black Blade Eight Desolations and endowed it with the characteristics of "cutting", "tearing" and "annihilation"!

The next moment, the two forces representing the pinnacle of "vibration" collided violently!

An indescribable roar swallowed up all other sounds!

At the center of the collision, space seemed to be completely distorted and collapsed, forming a brief black cavity!

Smoke and dust filled the air, and turbulent energy currents raged, making it almost impossible to see what was happening at the center.

Only the black-red and dark purple lightning continued to intertwine and fight wildly in the dust, proving that the wills of the two men were still clashing fiercely!

In the distance, all those who tried to approach, whether naval officers or White Team captains...

Before they even had time to react, they were violently blown away like falling leaves by the spreading aftershocks!

Those who were lucky enough to escape the attack were dragged back frantically by their companions, their faces filled with horror and fear.

The battle between the emperor and the general was as fierce as a prison, its power overwhelming.

No one can get close!

Chapter 260 Ceasefire

Three days and nights.

A deafening roar, a sky-ripping slash, roaring thunder and blue flames... all of it finally fell silent.

The outpost island where G-10 base is located has been completely transformed.

The land was ravaged, riddled with bottomless ravines and enormous pits and ruins.

The air was thick with dust, gunpowder smoke, and a faint smell of blood, signaling the ferocity of the battle.

In the center of the battlefield, two figures faced each other from afar.

The white-bearded captain's coat was already tattered and covered in dust and dark red bloodstains.

Several new wounds were added to his majestic body, the deepest of which stretched from his left shoulder to his chest, the flesh torn and rolled up. Although it was no longer bleeding, it still looked ferocious and terrifying.

"Huff huff..." He was breathing heavily, sweat and blood mixed together, sliding down his resolute face.

The supreme grade sword, Murakumogiri, lay sprawled on the ground beside him, its blade still radiating a chilling aura.

On the other side, Gern was also in poor condition, his breathing was slightly heavy, the dried blood on his body had turned dark brown, and his bare upper body was also covered with wounds.

Facing the terrifying pressure of being "the world's strongest" for three consecutive days was a huge drain on his physical and mental strength.

His right arm, especially the one holding the knife, was split open at the base of his thumb, and blood stained the Black Blade Eight Desolations's blade pool. At the same time, he couldn't stop trembling slightly.

This forced him to plant the Black Blade Eight Desolations on the ground to support part of his weight.

For a moment, their gazes remained sharp as they collided in mid-air, yet both carried a hint of undisguised weariness.

For three days, they fought without holding back, engaging in a comprehensive clash and confrontation involving Haki, swordsmanship, physical skills, and Devil Fruit abilities, yet they were still unable to truly defeat each other.

The battlefield around them was like a scroll depicting hell.

On the Whitebeard Pirates' side, almost all the captains were injured, with varying degrees of severity.

"Diamond" Joz's dazzling body was covered with tiny cracks. He knelt on the ground, breathing heavily.

The fierce battle between "Floral" Vista and Snake Princess Torritoma had long since ended, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Marco, needless to say, landed beside Joz with his flames dimmed considerably, his face showing deep weariness.

He stared intently at Enel, whose aura was equally unstable, though the lightning still crackled in the air.

Although Enel is not as strong as him, Enel, who no longer works in isolation and often fights Barrett one-on-one, has become very adept at using his Rumble-Rumble Fruit to widen the gap.

Other captains, such as Bramank, Kurliel, Sachi, and Izang, had already been helped to a relatively safe rear area by the crew, most of them in a coma or seriously injured.

Even Teach, who had been lurking in the water, was affected, clutching his still-painful chest, hiding behind the crowd, looking at the center of the battlefield with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

On Gern's side, the blade of one of Libon's carrot daggers even curled.

He leaned against a boulder, his chest heaving, his former innocent energy completely replaced by the exhaustion of battle.

Tesoro's face was pale; maintaining the large-scale golden creation and suppressing Jozu for three days had almost completely drained his strength...

Enel hovered in the air, his arrogance slightly diminished (he was pretending to be fine). The intense aerial battle with Marco was also a huge drain on him.

Throughout the entire event, the only one who still seemed excited and even a little unsatisfied was Douglas Barrett.

He stood not far behind and to the side of Gern, his body bearing some wounds, but his aura remained wild and violent.

The jet-black Armament Haki seemed to flow subtly across his body like a living thing.

At this moment, he grinned widely, his eyes fixed intently on the white beard.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence, with only the sound of the wind and the suppressed groans of the wounded remaining.

Whitebeard's gaze slowly shifted from Gern, sweeping over his wounded captains, a barely perceptible hint of heartache flashing in his eyes.

His gaze eventually crossed the battlefield and landed on the Deckard brothers, still hanging on the sea cliff in the distance.

After days of wind and sun exposure, coupled with the aftershocks of three days and three nights of battle, the two had long since lost all signs of life, their heads drooping limply and their bodies stiff.

The white-bearded man frowned deeply, his gaze becoming serious.

He looked again at Gern, and behind Gern, Barrett, who, though exhausted, still had the strength to fight, especially Barrett, who was in the best condition.

The situation is now clear.

On Gern's side, there is a powerful vice-emperor, Barrett, who is even close to the level of an emperor, while on his side, apart from himself, there is no other powerful and sustained combat force.

If the fight continues, perhaps Whitebeard can still fight Gern to the bitter end with his "world's strongest" strength, or even win a Pyrrhic victory.

But what about his sons? Facing a Barrett who possesses almost royal-level combat power and is in his prime?

And Tesoro, Enel, and Boa Hancock, who still have energy left, how much longer can the exhausted and wounded captains hold on?

At that time, the price he pays may be unbearable.

For the sake of two "sons" who are already dead, and who have even committed grave mistakes, they risk the lives of many more living sons...

This isn't typical of his white-bearded style.

It wasn't his fatherly love either.

After a long while, the white-bearded man let out a heavy sigh, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He slowly straightened his towering figure, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, and looked at Gern.

"Gulala..." The laughter was no longer hearty, but instead carried a hint of hoarseness and weariness. "Truly... a rare feast, boy Gern."

Gern's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't speak; he just watched him quietly.

Whitebeard raised his large hand, slowly gripped the handle of the Murakumogiri sword stuck in the ground, pulled it out, but instead of pointing it at Gern, he slammed it down heavily.

"We're done fighting." These three words were like a heavy boulder thrown into a still lake, startling everyone on both sides who were still conscious.

Whitebeard's gaze swept over his crew, his voice booming yet carrying an undeniable resolve: "This battle should end."

He looked at Guern again, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Those two good-for-nothing brats... they paid the price for their choices."

My father and their brothers have done their best.

Whitebeard acknowledged the current situation and chose to cut his losses.

For the sake of my living family.

Gern stared at the white beard, as if trying to read something from his eyes.

A moment later, his tense body relaxed slightly, and the black sword Bahuang, which was planted on the ground, emitted a soft hum.

He nodded, his voice equally hoarse: "A wise choice, Whitebeard."

A massive battle that lasted three days and nearly destroyed an island came to an abrupt end during this brief exchange between the two commanders.

There are no winners and no losers.

Yes, but it was a scene of devastation, with heavy wounds that would take a long time for both sides to heal.

Whitebeard gave Gern one last, deep look. "If my second division commander were still alive, I wouldn't have 'admitted' so easily!"

"Children!" His voice was low but carried across the battlefield, "Put away your weapons...take your wounded brothers..."

"We...go home!" With that, he hoisted the Murakumo-giri onto his shoulder and, with heavy steps, took the lead in heading towards the Moby Dick.

That majestic silhouette, bathed in the setting sun, appeared exceptionally desolate, yet still stood tall and upright.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates remained silent, helping the wounded to their feet, collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades, and beginning an orderly retreat.

Chapter 261 Informs of "Oden's" Death

Gern stood there, watching the Whitebeard Pirates slowly depart.

"Pfft!!" At this moment, a mouthful of pent-up blood finally spurted from his mouth, his body swayed, and his face instantly turned pale.

"Gern!" Lipo exclaimed, wanting to rush forward, but her brows furrowed as the pain aggravated her wounds. Nevertheless, she rushed over immediately.

“If you cooperate with me, you can easily keep your white beard.” Barrett sneered, looking down at Gern.

"Do you want to win like this?" Gern raised his hand to indicate that he was alright, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

Looking into Gern's eyes, Barrett frowned. He, Barrett, wanted to win fair and square; only a victory for himself would be true victory.

At the same time, he wasn't stupid; he could see that Gern wanted to keep his white beard to "raise a bandit for self-importance."

Seeing that Barrett remained silent, Gern smiled but said nothing. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he...

He took a deep breath, mustered his last remaining strength, and used vibration to clearly transmit his voice to the white-bearded man's ears.

"White beard!"

Upon hearing Gern's voice, Whitebeard paused slightly in his departing steps, but did not turn back.

"Didn't you just mention your Second Division Captain?"

"That samurai who challenged me alone back then and whom I defeated, I remember his name was Kozuki Oden, right?"

What are you trying to say?

"Kozuki Oden, he's dead." Gern didn't pass this message on to Whitebeard alone, but to all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.

As a result, all the members of the White Team who were evacuating, whether they were the team leader or ordinary crew members, froze in their tracks.

Everyone's face was instantly filled with shock, astonishment, and bewilderment at the inability to accept it.

Kozuki Oden... that generous and powerful man, as dazzling as the sun, who drank with them and was truly recognized as a brother by them... is dead?

The white-bearded figure trembled violently, stopped in its tracks, and slowly, extremely slowly, turned around.

He then leaped and landed from the shore fifty meters away from Gern, his face grim.

Whitebeard stared intently at Gern, as if trying to find any trace of a lie on his face.

"What did you say?" Whitebeard's voice was terrifyingly deep, each word carrying immense weight.

“Gern…say that again?!”

"Who...died?!" As he finished speaking, his powerful Conqueror's Haki, amplified by his intense emotional outburst, once again spread uncontrollably.

This caused the already fragile air around them to groan in despair once again.