Chapter 473: The last bowl of wine

The Navy headquarters.

After splitting the island into two parts, Whitebeard came face to face with Garp, Sengoku and the others.

He fought Garp and Sengoku alone, which allowed Phoenix Marco, Ace and the others to retreat from the battlefield safely.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!

The roar of terrifying collisions echoed throughout the island.

At its peak, Whitebeard might have been able to stop Garp and Sengoku's attack alone, but at this moment he was in too serious a condition.

Whitebeard's entire body was covered in wounds, after encountering several dozen furious blows from Sengoku and Garp.

A huge stream of blood flowed down Whitebeard's chest, but he continued to stand as if nothing had happened!

He fought with his own life to stop Sengoku and Garp!

"Damn it..."

Although Sengoku understood Whitebeard's purpose perfectly, it was impossible to simply rush in pursuit of Ace and the others, because Whitebeard was willing to pay with his life to stop them!

If Sengoku tries to chase after him, Whitebeard immediately attacks him with all his might, not caring at all about Garp's attack.

Whitebeard, who was in such a state, was the most dangerous opponent, even despite the poor physical condition.

Auge! Auge!!!

As the battle continued, Whitebeard received more and more wounds, his movements became slow and heavy, and his physical strength weakened.

But by this time, Ace and the others had already managed to escape at a sufficient distance.

"..."

Whitebeard lifted Murakumogiri, about to deliver the last blow of his life, but he suddenly turned his head sharply, looking towards the back of the huge fortress of the Marine Patrol headquarters.

Marco and the others also sensed something and looked in the same direction as Whitebeard.

Soon, all of Whitebeard's Pirates clenched their fists tightly and gnashed their teeth, and anger flashed in their eyes.

"TEACH!!!"

The numerous Whitebeard Pirates exclaimed angrily.

Garp, Sengoku and the others stopped their attacks, turning their heads in the direction of the huge fortress behind them.

There they saw Shiryu and the rest of the Blackbeard's Pirates emerging from the back of the fortress one by one, led by Tich.

"Father, you don't look so good, ze-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Teach spread his hands out to his sides and laughed out loud, glaring at Blackbeard.

Anger flashed in Whitebeard's eyes, staring at Teach, and his wounded and dying body filled with strength again.

He took a step in Blackbeard's direction, walking past Sengoku and Garp.

"..."

Garp and Sengoku did nothing, for Blackbeard was also an enemy of the Navy.

Instead of blocking Whitebeard and Blackbeard's Pirates at the same time, they chose to let Whitebeard fight Blackbeard.

Whitebeard and Garp looked at Teach without taking a single step yet.

It seems that Blackbeard's Pirates have also become a major threat, after recruiting several of Impel Down's most dangerous criminals!

"Teach!!!"

Blackbeard attacked Teach with an angry shout.

But all his attacks had little effect.

Perhaps being on top, Whitebeard really could destroy Blackbeard's Pirates, along with Teach, who had not yet obtained Gura Gura no Mi, but in his current state, there was no hope.

Gradually, under the rain of attacks from Blackbeard's Pirates, Whitebeard's body, driven only by his willpower, reached the limit and froze motionless in place.

High atop the heavily damaged fortress of the Navy headquarters, Yeruashi went unnoticed by all.

Of course, he could have intervened and saved Whitebeard, but instead he chose to watch his last battle from the sidelines, without even announcing his presence.

This is Whitebeard's choice.

To interfere with the last choice of a person who has been at the absolute top of the sea for many years would be an insult.

Although from Yeruashi's point of view, Whitebeard's strength was not very great, but he still acknowledged and respected this legendary man who had reached the top of this world with his own strength.

Finally.

The last remnants of life force left Whitebeard's motionless body.

The sad cries of the sons and the sonorous laughter of Blackbeard, which reached Whitebeard's ears, mixed with the shrill sounds of battle, gradually faded away.

The world before Whitebeard's eyes became a blur and disappeared completely, replaced by an endless blank space.

"This is the place..."

"Where do people go after death?"

Whitebeard whispered softly, staring at the boundless and desolate blank space, but in the next moment, his eyes suddenly snapped open.

For in this lifeless and empty world, a black silhouette suddenly appeared.

It was a man walking slowly in his direction, with a bottle of wine in his hand.

Soon, Whitebeard could clearly distinguish the features of the approaching silhouette.

The traveler!

"You..."

Whitebeard took a deep breath.

At first, Whitebeard thought that Yeruashi was also dead, but immediately rejected this thought, knowing full well that no one in this world is capable of killing this person.

"Let's have one last drink, Whitebeard."

Yeruashi walked slowly through the misty space and sat down, placed the bottle in front of him and then waved his hand towards Whitebeard.

Silence.

Two huge bowls appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

Whitebeard gradually recovered from the shock and took a deep breath: "So you really are... a god? Even the world of the dead..."

Whitebeard, as an incredibly experienced pirate, was absolutely certain that he was already dead.

This should be a place where people go after death, but Yeruashi was able to enter here safely while alive.

This clearly indicates that Yeruashi has already erased the boundary, going beyond life and death.

This is inherent in a real god, but not in an ordinary person.

"It all depends on who God is in your understanding..."

"Perhaps from your point of view, I really can be considered a god, but this is not the world of the dead, but an intermediate stop located between the world of the living and the world of the dead."

Yeruashi said calmly to Whitebeard, filling two large bowls with wine, and placed one of them in front of him, "Drink the last cup of wine before you go to the world of the dead."

Whitebeard bowed his head, looked at the clear wine in the bowl and laughed out loud: "Gu-ra-ra-ra-ra, can I repent since God himself decided to drink wine with me before sending me to another world?"

Whitebeard realized during their first meeting that Yeruashi is so strong that it is impossible to see even the approximate limit of his strength.

So Whitebeard really wanted to know how strong Yeruashi really is, but he only said in response that he could find out in the future.

Now he really found out...

Beyond life and death!

Not a false 'god' of the sky island and not an arrogant Heavenly Dragon who imagined himself as a 'god', but a true god who was above the mortal world!

This means that he did not surrender to man, but to God!

He is still the strongest!

The strongest man in the world!

There were no more regrets left in Whitebeard.

Chapoteo!

He raised his hand and emptied the huge wine glass in a single stroke.

"Now..."

Yeruashi also emptied the wine glass and stood up, looking at Whitebeard, "...it's your time, Whitebeard."

He turned around and walked into the distance, gradually disappearing into the fog of the boundless world, and Whitebeard's figure eventually dissipated.

Whitebeard.

Edward Newgate.

He's dead!