Under the gaze of countless people, Uya stood there quietly, exuding a faint sense of loneliness and a subtle sense of detachment.
At that moment, the whole world seemed to fall silent.
In the distance, some of the Whitebeard Pirates were rushing towards Whitebeard's direction, but Whitebeard's body suddenly sank in mid-air and crashed to the ground without falling.
Seeing Whitebeard land steadily, the Whitebeard Pirates all stopped in their tracks. Some looked at Whitebeard, while most looked at Uya on the other side.
At that moment, Whitebeard was also looking at Uya.
As the king of the sea, Whitebeard has roamed the seas since before the Great Pirate Era, remaining invincible for decades and revered as the World's Strongest Man. He has witnessed the changes of several eras.
Whether it was Pirate King Roger, Golden Lion Shiki, or the later Four Emperors, no one could shake his position as the strongest in the world. Although he lost to Roger, his personal strength has always been the strongest in the world.
This was the first time in decades that Whitebeard had felt powerless.
It wasn't a psychological weakness, but a physical one, a deep weariness and weakness that came from the depths of that aging body.
Even though his heart remained steadfast and he was still the king reigning over the seas, Whitebeard could never restore his body to its peak condition again.
In fact, Whitebeard was very aware of his own physical condition.
He also understood more clearly that with the changing times and the passage of time, his name would one day disappear completely from the sea, becoming history and legend.
However, Whitebeard harbored no regrets.
Didn't become the Pirate King?
He didn't care.
If he truly wanted to become the Pirate King, he could have done so at any time after Roger's death.
He treated all the pirates on his ship as family, as sons. Whitebeard was content to watch his sons grow up and become famous throughout the seas.
"We've sailed for far too long. Is this finally the end?"
Whitebeard slowly wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, his face showing no sadness or pain, but rather a faint smile that no one else could detect, just like the smile of the Pirate King Roger before his death.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Whitebeard slowly stepped forward on the ice, and with each step, the ice beneath his feet cracked slightly.
"Dad!"
"Dad!!"
As Whitebeard walked forward step by step, the pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates all turned their heads and looked at Whitebeard.
Marco and the others, who originally wanted to help Whitebeard, instinctively stepped aside as they saw Whitebeard approaching step by step. It seemed that Whitebeard possessed a will and aura that they could not stop.
Of course, some people tried to stop Whitebeard from continuing his battle with Uya, but Whitebeard still did not stop.
"Foolish sons, life and death are predestined... I've been traveling for a long time, it's time to wrap things up!"
Whitebeard glanced at the Whitebeard Pirates, who were either standing there dumbfounded, exclaiming in surprise, or gritting their teeth, before continuing forward.
Everyone understands that Whitebeard can no longer defeat Uya. If he continues to fight Uya, there will only be one outcome: death!
But he has Whitebeard!
There is absolutely no battle in this world that would make him back down!
"Are you without regrets?"
Looking at Whitebeard, Uya murmured softly. At this moment, it seemed that only Uya and Whitebeard existed in the world. The shouts of the other members of the Whitebeard Pirates were all silenced.
Uya felt a deep connection to a character like Whitebeard, who didn't pursue becoming king but instead sought to gain his 'family,' growing stronger to protect them until he became the strongest in the world. This was because he himself was actually like that, except that he ultimately stood in a position even higher than Whitebeard.
Whitebeard and Uya gazed at each other from afar.
However, just as the two were about to start fighting again, an arrogant and domineering voice suddenly entered the world.
" Whitebeard... I never imagined that someone like you would stoop to this level. This isn't the you I know!"
The sound abruptly silenced the noisy scene.
It's important to understand that under the combined aura of Uya and Whitebeard, it's virtually impossible for a third person's presence or voice to squeeze into the entire world.
Everyone else is just an extra. Even someone like Marco, shouting and yelling, can't get anyone's attention because Marco... isn't a king reigning over the sea!
All attention was focused on Uya and Whitebeard.
But at this moment, a voice managed to force its way into the aura of a king, which means that the owner of this voice... is also a king!
In an Setsuna, almost all the Whitebeard Pirates present instinctively raised their heads and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
In the sky.
The clash between Uya and Whitebeard had dispersed the dark clouds in the sky, leaving it clear. So, one could easily spot a figure floating in the sky, overlooking the entire arena.
Golden hair cascaded down his back, and a strange half-rudder was stuck in his head. Most strangely, he had no legs; instead, there were two sharp swords in place of his legs!
who is he?!
Many people had doubts in their minds.
However, people like Marco, who had been on Whitebeard's ship for a long time, as well as older figures in the world, such as Fleet Admiral Sengoku, recognized him at a glance.
" Golden Lion... Shiki!!"
"How could he be here!"
Almost everyone who recognized the Golden Lion couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Upon hearing the title "Golden Lion," the others were initially puzzled, but then they all seemed to realize something and revealed expressions of shock.
It was him!
Before the Great Pirate Era began, there were three rivals standing at the pinnacle of the seas: Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and Roger.
Among them, Whitebeard was the strongest in terms of individual strength, Golden Lion had the greatest influence, but both of them were eventually defeated by Roger, Roger ultimately became the Pirate King.
However, despite losing to Roger Golden Lion, Shiki's strength was still something that the Navy and even the World Government dared not underestimate.
After Roger surrendered, Golden Lion single-handedly invaded Marine Headquarters and fought an epic battle Sengoku then-Admiral Sengoku and hero Garp, causing half of Marine Headquarters to collapse before finally being defeated by Garp and Sengoku.
After being imprisoned in Impel Down, he cut off his own feet, broke free of his shackles, and escaped, becoming the first man in history to escape from Impel Down. Since then, he has disappeared without a trace.
But today, the legendary pirate Golden Lion, who had disappeared for nearly twenty years, has reappeared!
" The Golden Lion...?"
Inside Marine Headquarters, Garp, who had been silent until now, clenched his fist instinctively upon seeing the suddenly appearing Golden Lion. "He really isn't dead yet."
Sengoku's gaze was cold as he said in a deep voice, "He's been out of the public eye for nearly twenty years, he must be planning something. But the commotion Uya caused was just too great, and his clash with Whitebeard in the end drew him out as well."
"And this guy... he's a real bastard!"
As he spoke, a look of anger appeared on Sengoku's face.
Because, through the images projected by the video Den Den Mushi, Sengoku clearly saw that the Golden Lion flying in the sky had several huge ships floating behind it.
These ships are not Golden Lion's pirate ships, but several warships!
Golden Lion, the Paramecia Float-Float Fruit user, can make anything he touches float into the sky, even an island!
"Unexpectedly, after dominating the seas for nearly twenty years, you were ultimately defeated by a mere navy officer. This truly adds a shameful chapter to our era."
The Golden Lion stood tall in the sky, coldly gazing down.
Behind the Golden Lion were several warships floating in the air, with some surviving sailors struggling on them, all with expressions of extreme terror.
These floating warships served as a striking backdrop to the Golden Lion's entrance, a truly awe-inspiring sight! (To be continued.)