"Whew~"
Lying amid the tangled ravines, the white steam rising from Chaos began to disappear, signaling the end of Life Return.
He turned his trembling head and picked up his cigar, which had snapped in two. After relighting it, he blew out a smoke ring, bringing a hint of color back to his deathly pale face.
His stamina was nearly spent.
The same went for his Armament Haki.
From the beginning of the battle until now, Chaos had used Armament Haki with every attack. On top of his severe injuries, he was starting to struggle.
He lay sprawled on the ground, and his Conqueror's Haki receded like the tide, allowing the sky, once crackling with Thunderclap Flash, to return to normal.
He had lost!
There was no doubt about it.
There was no point struggling any longer. No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, the facts were right there before him.
He couldn't inflict serious wounds on Whitebeard.
This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way, but it was just as unpleasant as ever.
The first time, Garp had broken him. The second time, Sengoku had. And the third time, it was Whitebeard.
There was no blissful feeling of ascending to heaven. It was simply brutal!
Those three had given him a profound understanding of what it meant to be among the strongest at the top of the pyramid.
But there was no way Chaos would admit defeat!
One day, he would trample all three of them underfoot.
He took a drag on his crumpled cigar and slowly pushed himself upright. He swayed as if he might collapse at any moment, blood dripping steadily from his nose and mouth. His blond hair, sharp brows, and pupils had all returned to black, while his tattered Golden Armor began