Chapter 245

"Dad!!————"

"Ah!!!"

"This is impossible!!!"

The entire battlefield froze in shock as everyone witnessed Whitebeard's chest pierced by Blackbeard's claws.

I... I pierced him...?

Even Blackbeard was stunned, unable to process the moment.

Despite his confidence and strength, Blackbeard's initial plan was to wear down Whitebeard, exhausting his power before seizing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Whitebeard to willingly fall into his attack, allowing himself to be struck down.

"No... no way... Old man, you..." Blackbeard muttered in disbelief, his voice shaking.

Instinctively, he yanked the claw from Whitebeard's chest, blood gushing out in torrents. The flow of crimson was unmistakable—Whitebeard was about to die.

Did the old man really just fulfill my wish? Blackbeard's thoughts raced, overwhelmed by an odd mix of triumph and confusion.

This... this legendary fatherly love...

For a brief moment, Blackbeard felt something strange stir in his chest—a twisted sense of pride, even gratitude.

But that feeling collapsed as soon as it formed.

Because Whitebeard, who was supposed to be on the brink of death, slowly raised his head once again.

A golden light suddenly emanated from Whitebeard's feet, rising up like a scanner from the soles to the top of his head.

The Power of Heracles Noble Phantasm the God Hand/Twelve Labours activated, one of its abilities is the onr Whitebeard count on.

Automatic Adaptation: Heracles gains resistance to any damage that kills him once, meaning the same attack cannot kill him twice.

In the blink of an eye, the light faded away... and with it, the wound on Whitebeard's chest had completely healed.

Mythical Zoan...!

The instant regenerative powers of an awakened mythical Zoan fruit—something Blackbeard himself had yet to fully master.

But Whitebeard… he clearly had it.

How could he possess such overwhelming self-healing ability?

Blackbeard felt his mind spiral in disbelief. How could something this absurd even happen!?

"Gurararara!!!! Teach, I'm sorry to disappoint you~~~" Whitebeard's voice rumbled like an oncoming storm.

He touched his chest, as if checking to see whether the injury was truly gone.

The death earlier had been no accident—it had been intentional. But Whitebeard hadn't done it because he was idle...

It was because Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit forced his hand.

He needed to test if death could counter the Dark-Dark Fruit's effects.

Normally, such a thing would be impossible, but for Whitebeard—now imbued with the powers of the Twelve Labors [God Hand]—it was more than plausible.

Whitebeard had completed the first three of the Twelve Labors, granting him the third level of power. Not only did this give him three chances at rebirth, but it also replenished his strength each time.

Additionally, no matter how powerful an opponent's attack, Whitebeard's "Resurrection" ability gave him a temporary boost in resistance against it. If he were to complete all twelve Labors, he would gain full immunity.

Even at the third level, the resistance boost was nothing to scoff at.

"Dad is fine!!!"

"Thank goodness, you scared us for a moment!!!"

"But... what kind of ability is that, Dad? I've never seen anything like it before~~~"

"Could it be a new ability that emerged after the Tremor-Tremor Fruit awakened?"

"That must be it!!!"

Seeing Whitebeard alive and well, the surrounding pirates sighed in relief.

"Old man... what just happened?" Blackbeard's voice trembled with uncertainty as a sinking feeling settled in his gut.

Whitebeard chuckled heartily. "Gurarara!!!... Teach, how about we test your old man strength again?"

Without wasting time, Whitebeard clenched his left fist, activating the Tremor-Tremor Fruit once more. A halo of white light appeared around his fist, crackling as it spread spider-web fractures through the surrounding space.

Boom!!

Whitebeard's fist slammed toward Blackbeard's face.

"Dark Vortex!!——————" Blackbeard shouted, summoning his black vortex to counter the attack.

The white light of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power collided with the dark vortex, but this time, something strange happened. The dark matter began to dissipate, but not as quickly as before.

Instead of completely vanishing, Whitebeard's quake powers merely weakened, leaving residual tremors in the air.

Boom!!

The remaining force from Whitebeard's punch surged into Blackbeard's arm, causing a powerful shockwave to ripple through his bones.

Bang!!

Blackbeard screamed as his arm went limp, the pain radiating through him like an earthquake.

"Ah!!————" His pale face twisted in agony as he staggered back.

Staring at Whitebeard in disbelief, Blackbeard shouted, "How... how is this possible!? Why wasn't the power of your Tremor-Tremor Fruit fully dissipated by my Dark Vortex!?"

"Gurarara!!! You think you can stall for time and recover? I'm not that stupid, Teach!" Whitebeard's voice boomed as he pressed forward once again.

Boom!!—

Whitebeard's shock-infused fist crashed toward Blackbeard again.

"Dark Vortex!!——————" Blackbeard frantically summoned his vortex again, but the same phenomenon occurred. Only part of Whitebeard's power was negated, while the remaining force exploded against Blackbeard's body.

"Ah!!"

Blackbeard coughed up blood, his body trembling from the internal damage.

Before he could recover, Whitebeard was already upon him, the sound of Murakumogiri slicing through the air like death's whisper.

Pfft!!

The massive blade carved into Blackbeard's chest, leaving a deep, bloody gash.

And then, Whitebeard's fist struck again.

By now, Blackbeard was in complete disarray, too slow to mount any defense. The tremor-powered punch hit him hard, and the quake's energy coursed through his body, exploding from the inside.

Puff!!—

Blackbeard spat out more blood, his insides feeling as though they were being torn apart.

Though Chimera's self-healing abilities were formidable, even the strongest Devil Fruit was bound by the limits of its user's physical strength.

The brutal beating from Whitebeard was draining Blackbeard's stamina rapidly, and with his physical strength dwindling, the Chimera's healing could no longer keep pace.

As his body weakened, so too did the fruit's regenerative effects, trapping Blackbeard in a vicious cycle of exhaustion.

Whitebeard showed no mercy. Murakumogiri and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit worked in perfect harmony, delivering relentless attacks that shattered Blackbeard's defenses.

Under the unyielding barrage, Blackbeard's human-beast form broke down, reverting to his regular human form.

And with that, his self-healing powers disappeared entirely.

Puff!!

Mouthfuls of blood poured from Blackbeard's lips, his eyes unfocused, his strength barely holding him up. With whatever consciousness he had left, he screamed out, desperation filling his voice:

"Dad! Dad... You don't really want to kill me... Please!"

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