Cardiac Resuscitation!

At the center of the deserted island, the earth seemed to be bearing the arrival of two children of calamity.

The rock layers cracked open, volcanic stone lay exposed, lightning danced through the fissures, and vibrations rippled through the air, forming eerie white waves.

It was no surprise that a place like this had been classified as a forbidden zone for life.

The wind stopped.

The air seemed to freeze for an instant, and Rock moved first!

"Whoosh—!!!"

With a kick off the ground, he transformed into a streak of lightning that tore through the air, then split into countless lightning phantoms in midair.

Every lightning phantom carried real killing power, like a thousand flying blades cast by a thunder god, attacking Whitebeard from six directions at once—front, center, rear, above, and below.

Lightning filled the sky.

Whitebeard remained expressionless and utterly still as he slammed his left foot down.

"Quake: Air Wave!!"

The air shattered instantly. Transparent layers of shockwaves spread outward, as though an invisible colossal bell had been struck, its vibrations flooding the entire battlefield.

"Crack crack crack crack—!!!"

The instant the lightning phantoms touched it, their forms twisted and shattered, like light being crushed apart.

Even the air around the deserted island rippled from the vibrations. The distant sea was pressed into a shallow depression before violently rebounding, sending waves dozens of meters high crashing upward.

The lightning flowed back, gathering into Rock's true body.

High in the sky, lightning cascaded over him like a waterfall.

He clenched his hand, and the lightning condensed into a tangible spear, its tip piercing through the clouds.

"Lightning Spear: Soul-Piercing Flash!!!"

This attack was so fast that even its shadow could not appear in time!

Whitebeard raised his left fist. The instant he clenched it, the atmosphere was pressed inward like a membrane.

"Quake Fist: Skybreaker!!"

"Pop—!!!"

Rock's lightning spear collided head-on with the quake fist. Lightning erupted into white sparks, while vibrations spread outward like halos.

"Boom—!!!"

The entire deserted island suddenly sank half a meter. The coastline caved inward as if torn apart by some colossal beast, and seawater surged backward for a hundred meters!

Using the blast's recoil, Rock flashed to Whitebeard's side in an instant. His right leg was completely covered in Armament Haki, turning into a black lightning blade!

"Black Lightning: Gale Severer!!"

The blade-like leg swept down horizontally, powerful enough to split a massive ship in two.

Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri. Black-and-red Armament Haki covered its blade as vibrational energy began spilling outward.

"Quake Severance!!!"

"Clang—!!!"

The lightning blade struck the vibrating glaive. Sparks and lightning scattered everywhere, while white shockwaves cracked the earth apart. A massive cross-shaped fissure stretched all the way to the shore a hundred meters away!

The coastline of the entire deserted island...

Was directly shattered into two sections!!

Massive boulders slid into the sea in sheets.

Rock transformed into lightning again and teleported directly behind Whitebeard.

But Whitebeard's Observation Haki was like the eye of a giant whale—nothing could escape it!

He twisted his enormous body, moving at a speed completely at odds with his size!

"Don't think this old man's reactions are slow—!"

Murakumogiri swept across fiercely!

Rock scattered into lightning, but the vibrations attached to the blade shattered space itself.

"Boom—!!!"

The vibrations on the blade shook not only the flesh, but the soul.

Rock was blasted away, smashing into the mountain rock like a fallen star.

"Boom—!!"

A huge curved crater was blasted into the mountainside, and broken stones tumbled down like an avalanche.

However—

The lightning exploded!

Rock flew out of the rubble, arcs of electricity dancing over his body, an irrepressible smile on his lips.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Quakes... really hurt...!!!"

Whitebeard grinned, his eyes like those of a beast. "Gurararara... brat, don't die too quickly."

The battlefield on the deserted island had been churned into an apocalyptic scene by lightning and vibrations.

The ground was shattered, seawater flooded back, and the sky had been torn apart, as if even nature could not withstand the presence of these two monsters.

Both men stepped forward at the same time.

Lightning burst forth.

Vibrations roared.

Thunderclouds filled the sky.

Shockwaves surged across the ground.

Rock raised his right hand high, lightning running wild at his fingertips. "Ten Thousand Thunders: Heavenly Drum Roar!!!"

Whitebeard stretched out both arms and slammed down with both fists. The atmosphere vibrated like glass being kneaded to pieces. "Tremor-Tremor: Furious Sea Blast!!!"

Pillars of lightning fell in rows like the hammers of gods!

Shockwaves rolled back across the land like a world-ending tidal surge!

"Rumble rumble rumble—!!!"

The center of the deserted island was completely leveled. A giant crater swallowed the forest, seawater shot three hundred meters into the air, and even time itself seemed to halt under the tremors.

Before the aftershocks at the blast's center had dispersed, Whitebeard slowly raised his head, his expression solemn.

"You... are strong, brat."

"But—"

The next instant, an indescribable pressure swept across the deserted island!

Black-and-red Haki exploded across the sky like a roaring beast, resonating with the vibrations!

This was the rare Conqueror's Haki "Intimidation."

It did not act upon the air or the earth, but directly caused an earthquake in a person's will!

Distant sea beasts rolled belly-up and fainted, while seabirds in the sky fell like rain.

Every living creature within ten kilometers of the deserted island was knocked unconscious!

Rock only felt as though his soul had been struck by a heavy hammer. The lightning before his eyes twisted and violently went out of control:

"?!!"

Seizing the opportunity, Whitebeard poured the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit into his fist. Armament Haki covered it as thickly as steel.

Shockwaves exploded behind him, violently propelling his massive body toward Rock!

"Quake Fist: Breaker!!!"

His fist smashed straight toward Rock's chest!!!

"Boom—!!!"

At the limit, Rock snapped back to his senses and turned into lightning, but the bones in his chest were nearly shattered by the vibrating impact. He flew away like a rag doll.

He tore through three rock walls in succession before being slammed deep into the base of the mountain, leaving behind a massive meteor-like crater.

Broken stones flew everywhere, and dust billowed like a waterfall.

The entire ground of the deserted island sank an inch from the force of that punch.

Whitebeard stood where he was, panting heavily, his chest heaving. "Guh... ha... ha..."

"You're pretty tough, brat..."

He dispersed the shockwaves around his fist, ready to declare the battle over.

But—

"...Hm?"

Whitebeard's Observation Haki suddenly pulsed violently!

As if sensing danger awakening, he abruptly turned and looked deep into the mountain—

Beneath the rubble...

Rock's body...

Was glowing.

It was trembling.

As though some rhythm was pounding within it.

Whitebeard's brows drew together, his expression becoming truly grave for the first time. "That is...?"

"A heartbeat?"

Beneath the rubble, Rock's body shook rhythmically.

As if... some force was restarting it from within.

"Hiss... hiss... crack... crack—!"

The sound of electric current echoed through the cracks in the rocks, and lightning shone through the gaps in the rubble.

Suddenly—

"Boom!!!"

As though struck by lightning from within, Rock's chest suddenly lurched!

"Lightning: Cardiac Resuscitation—!!!"

The true terror of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit revealed itself.

When its user was critically injured and suffered cardiac arrest, the body would unconsciously continue releasing electrical pulses to massage the heart, restarting its function in a manner similar to defibrillation and achieving self-resuscitation!

The rubble exploded, and lightning shot into the sky!!!

Rock raised his head, his eyes flashing with renewed determination:

"Newgate."

"I haven't lost yet—!!!"