Whitebeard had shattered the island with his own strength.
But under the strain of exerting himself at full power, his already severely aged organs simply could not withstand the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and his internal organs deteriorated even further.
From a medical perspective, the fact that Whitebeard could still breathe normally was already nothing short of miraculous.
The pool of thick blood on the deck was far more convincing than the warnings the doctors and nurses had repeatedly issued.
"Though they call me a demon or a monster, I can't possibly remain the strongest forever..."
Whitebeard silently gazed at the pool of thick blood, a sign that his body was nearing its limit.
"I... am ultimately just a human with one heart. One day, I'll have to face death as well. But before I fall... at the very least... I have to open a path for the young lives that possess the future!"
Whitebeard slowly straightened up and reached out to pull Murakumogiri free.
"Pops!"
The crew under his command quickly gathered around, watching Whitebeard with concern as it became obvious that something was wrong with his body.
"Pops, are you all right?"
"Gurarara, I merely spat out some 'phlegm.' It's nothing serious."
As he spoke, Whitebeard raised a hand and wiped the blood from his mouth before looking toward the harbor, which was now filled with chunks of the island.
"Don't waste any pointless concern on me. Now that we have a place to stand, you don't need me to tell you what to do, do you..."
"Hey, there's a path now, and the encircling walls have been smashed flat by the island!"
"Take down the Marines!!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
Hearing Whitebeard's words, the surrounding crew first calmed down, then raised their weapons and roared wildly.
"Disembark! Take down