As the aftershock gradually dissipated, a man stood proudly atop the ice.
"Pops!" Marco and the others shouted, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Edward was on one knee, only remaining upright by leaning on the long blade in his hand. Blood continuously seeped from all over his body, dripping onto the ice and staining it a vivid red.
"Not bad." Shin spoke softly. It was a sincere assessment. He had not used his full strength with that sword slash just now, yet within the realm of "humans," it was far from easy to block.
For Whitebeard Edward to take it with such injuries already placed him among the very strongest in the entire pirate world.
Worthy indeed of being the man at the very pinnacle of the world.
To Shin, this was a normal outcome. But to everyone else, it was utterly shocking—especially the Marines. The wariness in their eyes had now turned into deep fear.
What kind of power was this? He had captured Borsalino and an entire Vice Admiral fleet, defeated Diamond Jozu without even making a move, and now beaten Edward Whitebeard with a single attack...
Did such power truly exist? Was this really power that a person could wield?
Aokiji revealed a bitter smile and helplessly glanced at Sengoku. Only now did he understand the meaning behind Kizaru's constant look of resignation.
If it had been him, he probably would have worn the same expression.
"Admiral Sengoku, what should we do?" Aokiji asked softly. He was a man with his own opinions, but no matter how decisive he was, he could only feel lost at a time like this. This had already exceeded what he could handle.
"Let's wait and see. But be ready to retreat at any time... I hope this fellow named Uchiha Shin