"Vmmm!"
Ice shards swirled across the frozen surface as a whirlwind howled forth.
Two figures, one large and one small, crossed a hundred meters almost instantly, then swung their weapons at each other face-to-face.
Their blades sliced through the air and collided violently.
"Boom!"
Electricity flashed, and surging shock waves swept out in every direction.
The massive Naginata Murakumogiri scraped against the slender blade of the Demon Blade, throwing off sparks as they ground and clashed.
"Gu ra ra ra ra!"
"It's been twenty years since we last met, River!"
Whitebeard laughed, holding his weapon in one hand.
"It has!"
"This really brings back some wonderful memories."
River grinned as well.
"By wonderful, you must mean the thrill of battle!"
Whitebeard said.
"Of course!"
"Only fighting you bastards makes me feel the vitality of life still blazing bright!"
River shouted.
Almost in perfect unison, the two withdrew their blades and stepped back. Then they suddenly leaped, swinging fiercely at each other again in midair.
"Boom!"
An even stronger shock wave spread outward. The ice beneath them cracked and shattered, sending countless whirling shards into the sky.
"Bzzzt!"
Tiny electrical sparks flickered rapidly as their overbearing, suffocating Conqueror's Haki clashed relentlessly in the air.
With the two at its center, a barrier that no outsider could enter quickly formed across an area several thousand meters wide.
Their blades scraped and collided again, sending ripples radiating outward.
"Now that's a strength I remember, River!"
"When it comes to physique, you're an absolute monster among humans!"
Whitebeard shouted, his gaze sharpening. He suddenly poured strength into his right hand, veins bulging along his thick arm as he pressed down hard.
"Your strength isn't human either."
"I thought old age might make you a disappointment!"
River also held his long blade in one hand,