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

He wanted to tear apart the navy's defenses in the most direct way possible!

However, just a moment before Whitebeard unleashed his "Air Shock," a figure attacked even faster than his punch!

Suddenly, Gern, who had been sitting in the admiral's seat, appeared directly in front of Whitebeard.

There were no unnecessary movements, just a simple, effortless punch that struck first despite being behind!

"Boom!!!"

Instead of a white halo, Gern's fist was filled with flowing, vibrating particles that precisely met Whitebeard's about-to-explode punch.

"boom!!!!!"

The two terrifying forces, capable of destroying the world, did not unleash the devastating impact expected.

Instead, at the moment of contact, it emitted a strange, extremely dull roar, as if the space itself was being compressed!

The two forces of vibration clashed fiercely in the air and canceled each other out!

Ultimately, it transformed into a ring of silently spreading transparent ripples, shattering the ground beneath their feet and filling the air with smoke and dust!

Gern slowly withdrew his fist, standing tall in front of Whitebeard, blocking his first attack that tore through the defenses.

"Gern." Whitebeard frowned as he looked at the man who had intervened to stop him.

As Gern looked at the overlord of the old era before him, his voice rang out clearly.

"This is the Navy Headquarters."

"I want to go there..."

"Ask me first, Whitebeard!!"

Whitebeard showed no surprise at Gern's interception.

After a brief silence, he slammed the Murakumogiri sword heavily on the ground, producing a dull thud!

The powerful voice instantly drowned out all the noise on the battlefield, clearly reaching the ears of every member of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Everyone—!!!"

"Don't worry about me!!! Rescue Ace with all your might!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Congyun pointed directly at Gern, his voice resounding throughout the land.

"This man...I'll take care of him!!!"

Almost at the same instant Whitebeard finished speaking, at the top of the execution platform

Fleet Admiral Sengoku, with all his might, issued the order for the navy to launch a general offensive into the Den Den Mushi in his hand!

At that moment, the voices of the two commanders miraculously overlapped, becoming the final pronouncement that ushered in this war of the era.

"Let's start the war!!!"

"Start the war!!!"

"Woohoo!!!"

"For justice!!"

Once the order was given, it was like a dam collapsing!

The two forces, which had been poised for battle, clashed violently!

The pirates under the Whitebeard Pirates roared and howled, brandishing their weapons, as they launched a desperate charge toward the execution platform!

They only had eyes for their imprisoned brother, nothing else!

The elite naval forces formed a solid line, roaring the slogan of "justice," vowing to stop the pirates' advance to the death!

Gunfire erupted instantly, sparks flew from clashing swords, and shouts of battle, explosions, and screams of agony blended together in a cacophony.

The entire Marineford Square was instantly transformed into a bloody and cruel meat grinder!

But in the very center of the battlefield, the atmosphere was completely different.

Whitebeard and Gern are still locked in a standoff.

The surrounding area was filled with the deafening roar of battle, but the small area where they stood formed an invisible vacuum.

No one dared to approach!

Gern stared at the white-bearded man before him, his senses clearly registering the shockwave that had shattered the sky and triggered the tsunami.

Whitebeard's aura became subtly disordered, and the life force beneath his majestic body was comparable to... a candle flickering in the wind.

“It seems…” Gern said calmly, “you really have grown old, Whitebeard.”

"Kurarara!!!" The white-bearded man laughed heartily, gripping the Murakumogiri tightly.

"Kid, stop spouting nonsense! I'm... Whitebeard!!"

“Precisely because you are Whitebeard,” Gern’s eyes suddenly sharpened, “that’s why I need to face…”

It was that person who left an indelible mark on me, someone who could shake the world... the 'world's strongest'!!

Before he could finish speaking, Gern activated his Shockwave.

"Boom!!!"

In the instant that Whitebeard, in his current state, had no time to make a perfect reaction, he closed in.

With a horse stance and a lowered center of gravity, the right fist strikes straight out, slamming into Whitebeard's chest along the straightest possible trajectory!

A jet-black Armament Haki instantly covered the fist, forcibly compressing and condensing countless fine, high-frequency vibrating particles before the fist.

"Black Shock - Mountain Collapse!!!"

A heavy, muffled thud exploded!

"Well……!!"

Whitebeard's body shuddered violently, and a trace of pain flashed in his wide eyes!

But still, he clenched his teeth and forced back the bloody, metallic taste rising in his throat!

But the irresistible force caused Whitebeard's tall body to be knocked off the ground by the punch, and he flew backward a distance!

"Dad!!!"

The Whitebeard Pirates captains, who were engaged in a fierce battle in the distance, gasped in shock upon seeing this scene!

Gern slowly withdrew his fist and stood still.

With just one strike, the despairing gap in both sides' current condition and strength was already revealed!

The legend of the old era, the former king, the Whitebeard known as the strongest man, is now as old as can be!

They couldn't even react to a normal punch!

Chapter 459 Gold as the stage, the world as the curtain!

Before Whitebeard could even regain his footing, Gern's figure lunged forward again, closing in!

But Whitebeard is still Whitebeard!

Even in such an unfavorable situation, they still launched the most swift counterattack based on their fighting instincts!

He forcefully twisted his body, his arm muscles bulging, and swung the Murakumo Cutter fiercely!

"Boom!!!"

A dense white aura instantly enveloped the massive naginata blade, and the destructive vibrational force was highly concentrated.

With a roar, he transformed into a crescent-shaped slash powerful enough to tear through space, sweeping horizontally towards the pursuing Gern!

Despite the powerful strike that would put even a general-level expert on high alert, Gern's eyes remained calm.

Because Gern is not a general! Not an emperor, but a king!

Therefore, my heart was completely unmoved.

"You, Edward Newgate, no longer pose a threat to me as a 'King'!!"

Just as the vibrating slash was about to strike, Gern neither dodged nor blocked.

He simply raised his elbow and, with his flesh and blood, precisely rammed into the side of Murakumogiri's blade!

"Clang!! Crack—!" The air shattered.

A slash powerful enough to shatter mountains was actually blocked by Gern's unreasonable elbow strike.

Meanwhile, Gern's movements did not stop for the slightest!

At the moment of impact, his five fingers suddenly gripped the handle of the Murakumogiri knife!

An irresistible and terrifying force traveled along the blade!

"come over!"

Whitebeard was uncontrollably dragged over by Gern!

The distance between the two instantly disappeared!

With his fist almost touching the ground, Gern clenched his right fist again, compressing the vibrating particles.

"Heavenly Tremor - Piercing Star".

Gern coldly uttered the name of the move, and then punched Whitebeard in the chest where he was completely unprepared.

No sound.

The moment the fist made contact, the space along its path seemed to subtly distort and collapse!

All the power, without a single drop leaking out, was perfectly poured into Whitebeard's body!

then.

"boom!!!!!!"

A cylindrical shockwave, over a kilometer in diameter and extremely condensed, suddenly burst out from the back of the white-bearded man!

It slammed fiercely into the ice wall of the tsunami that Aokiji had frozen at the port!

"Crack... Rumble!!"

The incredibly solid iceberg was easily pierced and shattered by this penetrating shockwave, turning into countless ice crystal fragments flying everywhere!

"puff!!"

Whitebeard could no longer hold back, and a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted from his mouth.

The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, and his imposing body seemed to have all its strength drained away.

The terrifying kinetic energy contained in that punch sent him flying, tracing a horrific parabola as he soared high into the sky...

At this moment, the battlefield fell into a brief, deathly silence.

Just two punches!!

Both the navy and the pirates were so shocked by this overwhelming battle that they were speechless.

Everyone thought Whitebeard wouldn't go that far, but it turned out...

A man nearing the end of his life was no longer able to face a king at the height of his power!

"Dad!!!"

"Go help Dad!!"

"Blue flames erupted around Marco, and he was about to soar into the sky!"

"Diamond" Joz roared as his entire body hardened with diamond, and "Float" Vista drew his twin blades!

But a devil appeared even faster, blocking the way for all the captains!

"boom!!!"

Barrett stomped his foot heavily on the ground, causing the entire square to tremble violently.

The violent, domineering aura, mixed with a tangible shockwave, forcefully halted the captains' advance!

The next second, his figure flashed and appeared precisely in front of Marco, who had just taken to the air!

The giant hand, covered in jet-black Armament Haki, ignored the scorching Phoenix Flame and grabbed Marco's ankle!