51 51. The Collision Of The Old And The New Era
The Sword wielded by the world's strongest man was truly terrifying. Every soul present could feel it keenly. It felt as though the sky was collapsing, pressing down on their hearts like an impending tsunami, ready to devour the world.
Despite not being in his prime, Whitebeard still exuded a terrifying aura. Only one person among them seemed unaffected by the overwhelming oppression.
"You've been blabbering since earlier, old man. Too much talk," Luffy bellowed.
A black-red aura emanated from him, spreading out like a hemispherical shockwave. In an instant, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated, swept away by Luffy's forceful presence.
With astonishing momentum, Luffy stepped directly onto the massive sword.
Boom!
A shockwave, even more powerful than the initial collision, rippled outwards like waves on the sea. Though it was an airwave, it felt like water, suffocating those nearby with its force.
Despite no visible contact between Luffy's foot and the sword, it was as if an invisible barrier separated them. Yet, everyone knew that the two forces had clashed fiercely.
This distortion in perception, both visually and psychologically, left everyone stunned and shaken to their core.
The black and red lightning twisted and contorted wildly around the focal point of the collision, dissipating and reemerging in a chaotic dance.
"It's an aerial battle, just like the clashes between Dad and Roger," remarked an old man from the Whitebeard Pirates, astonishment evident in his voice.
"It's Conqueror's Haki. The straw hat boy has mastered Conqueror's Haki," Marco's expression was complex. Though renowned as a formidable figure at sea, the distinction lay in mastering Conqueror's Haki, the pinnacle of strength.
"Conqueror's Haki, the hallmark of the Four Emperors," someone explained.
"The symbol of the Four Emperors?" Zoro pondered.
Meanwhile, the clash between the two forces continued unabated, sending invisible shockwaves rippling outwards, disturbing the sea around the Moby Dick.
On the Oro Jackson, Nami's gaze shot upward suspiciously. "Why has the sky suddenly darkened? The sea's agitation feels like the precursor to a storm, yet there's no storm in sight."
Only Rayleigh wore a knowing smile.
"Look up! What's that? The sky's splitting!" Usopp exclaimed, shielding his head as he gazed up in disbelief.
At some point, amidst the thick black clouds, a massive crack had appeared in the sky, seeming to cleave it in two.
Thick black clouds billowed upwards along the massive crack, and from within, a faint light emerged, filling observers with an inexplicable sense of wonder and awe.
"This is the celestial phenomenon caused by a clash at the level of the Four Emperors," Jinbei explained gravely. "Who could Whitebeard be facing?"
With determination etched on his face, Jinbei made a beeline for the Moby Dick.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh remained still, his gaze fixed on the sky. His eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation as if a long-awaited dream was finally coming true. It felt as though decades of waiting had culminated in this moment.
"This is the collision between the old era and the new," Rayleigh murmured a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Roger, can you hear it? The tide of the new era is upon us."
Rayleigh tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes as if lost in reverie. In his mind's eye, a vision unfolded before him: Roger, standing proudly on the bow of the Oro Jackson, facing the storm with a smile on his face.
"The will passed down through generations, the ever-changing times, and the dreams of humanity—they are unstoppable," echoed a voice, seemingly emanating from the ship's bow and reaching Rayleigh's ears.
"Straw Hat, he's the one we've been waiting for," the voice proclaimed.
Rayleigh's heart swelled with resolve. He had heard the call of the great era.
"Rayleigh?" someone called, snapping him out of his reverie.
Robin regarded Rayleigh with suspicion as he spoke of the surging tide and the changing times, his voice carrying a weight of experience that seemed to transcend the present era.
"Listen to the sound of the changing times, the answer to humanity's pursuit of freedom—it's truly magnificent," Rayleigh's deep, resonant voice seemed to echo from a bygone era, casting an ethereal spell over those who listened.
In the blink of an eye, Rayleigh vanished from the Oro Jackson.
On the deck of Moby Dick, the ferocious shockwave surged like a monstrous wave, rendering the epicentre of the collision invisible to ordinary eyes. Only blinding light and inexplicable fluctuations remained as if the very fabric of space trembled and shattered like water.
"It's a collision akin to that of titans," Marco observed, his face composed but his eyes reflecting horror.
"It's not just brute force," Zoro marvelled, his gaze drawn to the immense rift in the sky. "Whether it's the Four Emperors or Luffy, their strength is monstrous."
"I never imagined the straw hat boy could stand toe-to-toe with the old man without faltering," the Whitebeard Pirates' captains exclaimed, mouths agape and eyes bulging in disbelief.
Truly, who was Whitebeard? He was revered as the world's strongest man, a belief magnified within the ranks of the Whitebeard Pirates. To them, he was akin to a deity, wielding unfathomable power—a true monster.
But now, someone dared to face off against the old man head-on—what a monstrous feat.
"Is this all you've got, boy? Gurararara!" Whitebeard chuckled, swinging his massive naginata with the force of a thousand warriors behind each strike.
The invisible airwaves coalesced around the naginata, not mere shockwaves but manifestations of Conqueror's Haki. As the world's strongest man, Whitebeard had mastered not only his Devil Fruit ability to its pinnacle but also wielded incredibly potent Conqueror's Haki.
"Your mouth may be loose, but you're undeniably strong," Luffy remarked, now fully in his fourth gear. His black and red armoured muscles, infused with potent Conqueror's Haki, clashed with Whitebeard's might without yielding an inch.
Each collision unleashed explosions that seemed to rend the fabric of space.
Boom!
Another clash and the two combatants were briefly separated. Whitebeard wore an excited, approving grin, while Luffy's expression was one of determination.
"This form seems a bit lacking," Luffy remarked with a smile, his body shrinking as his grin widened.
"Time to switch gears—fifth gear."
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