Tensa Zangetsu pierced Whitebeard's abdomen at just the right angle, not causing a fatal wound.
But Marco, Jozu, and the other commanders' eyes were bloodshot with fury, all worried about Whitebeard's injury. If not for their father's orders, they would have rushed in together long ago.
"Got you... brat!" Whitebeard's pitch-black hand seized Yake's solid body, preventing him from turning into lightning and escaping.
Yake: Those words sound familiar. Brothers, I'm GG.
Kizaru: What a coincidence. That was exactly what I thought back then.
Whitebeard's right fist, wreathed in a white halo, smashed toward Yake's face.
Yake hurriedly raised his darkened arm to shield his face.
At that moment, Yake's art style surpassed everyone else's.
Yake's expression collapsed beneath Whitebeard's punch. He was sent reeling, nearly blacking out. He had still underestimated Whitebeard's strength.
"Gurararara, what a troublesome brat!" Whitebeard calmly pulled Tensa Zangetsu from his abdomen. Blood immediately gushed out without stop. Only Whitebeard himself knew that this blade could have pierced his chest.
Thatch, Vista, and several other commanders immediately gathered around Whitebeard.
"Pops, are you all right?" "Pops, are you hurt?"...
"Gurararara, I'm Whitebeard!!!"
This was the world's strongest man: Whitebeard—Edward Newgate.
"Cough, cough. What a monster, Whitebeard. I'm not dead yet!"
Yake staggered to his feet and shook his head, as though trying to fling away the intense dizziness.
"Again, Whitebeard!" Lightning gathered around Yake once more as he charged at Whitebeard.
But Whitebeard's commanders stood in Yake's path.
"You want to dance too?"
"Out of the way, you idiot sons! This is my battle!" Whitebeard swatted his sons aside as if batting away chicks. The dazzling white light gathered around his right fist collided with Yake's fist, and a powerful aura erupted.
"UOOOOOHHHHH!"
Veins bulged across Yake's body. The skin on his arm cracked open, blood seeping continuously from his pores and forming droplets.
One could only imagine how fierce his clash with Whitebeard was.
"Pops, you can't keep fighting! The Moby Dick is about to split apart!" Marco shouted anxiously. Directly beneath the point where Whitebeard and Yake were clashing, the hull had begun to crack. If they kept going, the Moby Dick really would be destroyed.
Yake and Whitebeard seemed not to hear him, the force in their hands continuing to rise.
Suddenly, Yake's Observation Haki sensed activity aboard the Eternal Truth, and he could not help turning toward the ship.
The Eternal Truth was barely holding on amid the Tsunami that seemed ready to devour it, wave after wave crashing against its hull.
"Brat, you dare lose focus while fighting me!" Whitebeard angrily pulled back his fist. After suddenly releasing his strength, he followed up with an even more terrifying punch toward Yake's head.
Yake had only just reacted when Whitebeard's fist came again. He was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, landing on the Moby Dick's deck, his life and death unknown.
Eternal Truth.
Though conditions on the sea were dreadful, Robin had been watching Yake's situation the entire time.
"It's over, it's over! The captain got sent flying with one punch! We're going to die..." Perona watched the battle through her ghosts. Yake lay motionless on the ground, as if he were dead...
"Go save the captain, now! Bring the ship alongside!!!" Robin clenched her teeth, her face filled with worry.
"Robin, leave it to me." Reiju wore a grave expression as she spun the helm wildly.
The battle had ended, and Yake still had not risen.
"Gurararara, this brat is really strong. His Devil Fruit ability gives him both power and speed, and his physical skills are well-trained too. In a one-on-one fight, none of you would be his match." Whitebeard took a drink of wine as he spoke. The wound was not fatal, and with his monstrous physique and Marco's treatment, he was basically fine.
It seemed Whitebeard's illness had not worsened. Compared to his condition two years later, he was in far better shape.
"What did you do to our captain?!" Robin crossed her hands and assumed an attacking stance.
Reiju had already put on her battle suit. Even ghosts circled around Perona, while Anna, though frightened, had electricity flickering over her furry body.
"Gurararara, that brat sure is lucky with women." Whitebeard could not help teasing them when he saw Robin and the others board the ship.
"Don't worry. Your captain only fainted. He's fine," Marco said calmly.
"But your captain failed in his challenge against our king. Have you prepared yourselves for dea—"
Robin splendidly ignored Marco. She pushed past him and stepped forward to check Yake's condition. Seeing that he was still breathing steadily, she immediately sighed in relief. Though Yake looked badly battered, Robin knew him well enough to know that as long as he was still breathing, he was basically fine.
"I am deeply sorry that our captain caused you such trouble. I am willing to compensate you for your losses." Robin spoke gracefully, lowering her head and bowing to Whitebeard in apology.
"It seems your captain has truly won your loyalty! As the loser of the challenge, we could have killed your captain. But Pops cherishes talent. As long as you are willing to join our Whitebeard Pirates, we will be family. So this..." Marco said proudly, only to be interrupted by Robin again.
"Absolutely not! Our captain is a man who will overturn this world. How could he possibly live under someone else's roof? This is the one thing that is not open to discussion." Robin's words struck the ground like iron, even though enemies capable of killing her with ease surrounded her.
Reiju, Perona, Anna, and Robin formed a protective circle around Yake from four directions, confronting Whitebeard's crew. The atmosphere immediately grew tense.
"Gurararara, you bold little girl. Let's wait until your captain wakes up before discussing this. You're not the captain, after all!" Whitebeard looked approvingly at Robin and the others. This pirate crew unexpectedly felt very much like a family.
Whitebeard's crew understood their father's meaning and scattered, leaving only a few men to watch Robin and the others.
Yake had been awake for some time. That old bastard Whitebeard had launched a sneak attack without any martial honor. He had originally planned to get up and fight Whitebeard for another three hundred rounds, but once he saw Robin had come, he gave up on the idea.
Whitebeard had to consider the effect his abilities would have on the environment at sea, so he definitely had not fought at full strength. The battle had not been satisfying anyway. Besides, Yake had already cut Whitebeard open and let some blood out. Admitting defeat was not too embarrassing.
Besides, Robin and the others were aboard the ship too, so he did not dare use his abilities over a wide area. Forget it. He would treat it as the price of befriending Whitebeard. Yake simply rolled his eyes back and went to sleep!
The Eternal Truth had already been moored alongside the Moby Dick as they sailed together. Some shipwrights were repairing the damage caused by Yake and Whitebeard's battle. Robin had moved Yake back to the Eternal Truth to rest, and the girls all sat around him, hoping he would wake soon.
The next morning, Yake felt a little short of breath and was forcibly awakened by the suffocation.
Only then did he discover several people beside him. Robin was on his left, Reiju was on his right, Perona slept leaning against the bedside, and even more excessive was Anna, curled up on his chest like a ball of cat fur. The real culprit had been found...
It was no surprise that he was still alive. Whitebeard cherished talent. Even when Crocodile failed his challenge, Whitebeard had spared his life and given him a chance to become his son. Unfortunately, Crocodile had refused.
Wait, was it going to be his turn next? Yake could already imagine what it would look like when he went to meet Whitebeard.
The mental image was far too vivid. Yake no longer felt sleepy.
He looked at the sleeping girls around him. Every one of them was a peerless beauty, and after taking the Beauty Pill, their charm had become even more extraordinary. Yake quietly watched his adorable crew members.
He had only told them to behave and guard the ship, but they had still come aboard the Moby Dick. Robin's words had also touched the softest part of Yake's heart. Perhaps this was the true One Piece.
"Captain, you're awake! Aaaaaah!" Perona had already woken up and screamed excitedly.
"Perona, don't be noisy. Let me sleep a little longer~" Robin was still half-asleep as she nestled her head deeper into Yake's embrace.
"Yake, you're awake!!" Reiju opened her eyes. Seeing that Yake's complexion looked fairly good, she smiled happily, her curled eyebrows seeming to bend even further.
"Ah, Yake-sama, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
"Then get off me already! You're crushing me—I can barely breathe!"
After a bout of chaos, peace finally returned.
Anna prepared a lavish breakfast. Once they had eaten their fill, Yake took Robin and the others to meet Whitebeard.
"Gurararara, brat, I thought you would run away directly!" Whitebeard was still somewhat pleased to see Yake arrive.
"Failure isn't frightening. What's frightening is running from failure. So, I came." Yake raised his head to look at Whitebeard. The surrounding commanders were all watching the show, each wearing a smile as though welcoming a new member—including Teach, with his "honest and simple" face.
"Gurararara, well said!"
Whitebeard stood and extended a hand, like a scene from a world-famous painting.
"Be my son!"