Chapter 217

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[Naruto: Superpower Roulette] 

[One Piece: My Crew Is Trash!] 

[Pokémon Breeder in One Piece] 

[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] 

[I've Already Confronted the Five Kage, and the System Just Arrived!]

[Marvel: I Started by Containing SCPs] 

[Naruto: Infinite New World] 

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Gripping his twin swords, Zyhark's gaze sharpened as he released his Conqueror's Haki, elevating his aura to its peak.

The clash of Conqueror's Haki between two rulers rarely causes overwhelming damage, but during the exchange (staring contest), the weaker party can gain deeper insights and strength.

This was one of Rayleigh's training secrets.

"Aqua, buff me up!"

While resisting Whitebeard's terrifying, almost demonic Haki, Zyhark called out to Aqua beside him.

This time, his opponent was the still-mighty golden-haired Whitebeard, whose strength and experience surpassed all the enemies Zyhark had faced before.

Although Zyhark couldn't sense any murderous intent from Whitebeard's battle-hungry aura, he dared not underestimate him in the slightest and needed Aqua to boost all his attributes.

This wasn't cheating but rather proving to Whitebeard that he had the "qualifications" to wield the power of the Poneglyph!

While fighting a peak-level opponent would undoubtedly provide valuable combat experience, Zyhark never forgot the true purpose of this encounter.

Come to think of it, ever since he consumed the Goro Goro no Mi, Zyhark hadn't properly requested a power boost.

As a result, Aqua was momentarily stunned when she heard his request.

It wasn't until Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki became even more fearsome and overwhelming that the foolish goddess snapped out of her daze, recalling Zyhark's solemn reminder before they arrived:

The man standing before them was a monster, hailed as the "strongest man" in this pirate world!

"Ugh, I guess you really can't do without this goddess after all…"

Aqua smirked with self-satisfaction, dramatically holding her forehead as she sighed in exasperation.

Seeing her leisurely, slow-moving manner, Zyhark, struggling to withstand Whitebeard's Haki, nearly coughed up blood.

"Hurry the hell up!" Zyhark cursed, unable to hold back.

"Alright, alright! He hasn't even made a move yet!" Aqua shot back fearlessly, pointing her finger at Whitebeard.

As the Water Goddess with exceptional sensory abilities, she naturally knew that Whitebeard's current battle intent was pure, without a hint of killing intent.

Despite her words, the foolish goddess obediently summoned her goddess staff.

Buzz! A sacred blue light blossomed at the center of the clash between red lightning and Haki, as magical energy gathered, manifesting as various attribute enhancements that bolstered Zyhark.

With the surge of power from within, Zyhark's already peak-level aura soared even higher, reaching an unprecedented height.

"Gurararara! So you have such a wondrous technique? What an interesting little girl."

Whitebeard immediately sensed the change.

Seeing the time was right, he withdrew his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, his entire aura becoming more restrained yet solid.

The turbulent air returned to a brief calm.

But within this calm, a more terrifying pressure was brewing.

"Come at me, brat!"

Whitebeard's lips curled into a smile as he raised his Murakumogiri, pointing it directly at Zyhark.

"300 Million Volts: Raijin Armor!"

With a low shout, Zyhark, now bolstered by the full attribute enhancement, unleashed endless lightning, forming an incredibly radiant Raijin Armor around his body.

Arcs of electricity crackled, filled with immensely violent energy.

This technique was one Zyhark had developed during his training under Rayleigh, based on his Devil Fruit abilities.

It was somewhat similar to Enel's ultimate Raijin form from the original series, but Zyhark's refined high-voltage electricity was much more concentrated.

As a result, the form it produced wasn't as gigantic as Enel's, roughly matching Whitebeard's six-meter-six height.

Zzzzt!

Deep black lightning radiated from the hilts of Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, making the two famous swords that had accompanied Zyhark for so long appear broader and longer.

Whoosh! Without wasting a moment, Zyhark, now fully transformed, exploded with overwhelming speed, appearing in front of Whitebeard in an instant!

Whitebeard's eyes, glowing with red light, anticipated this movement. He took a heavy step forward, and the red-black Haki on his Murakumogiri made the blade exceptionally sharp.

Invisible barriers of Haki emanated—this was Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki imbued into his weapon!

Boom!!! The black lightning-coated twin blades collided fiercely with the Haki-infused naginata, creating an earth-shattering explosion of energy!

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Ripples spread through the surrounding space, and shockwaves radiated outwards from the center of the clash.

In that moment, the ground beneath them cracked inch by inch, the distant sea churned, and the entire island shook violently!

The immense power of the clash was so overwhelming that even the clouds overhead were torn apart, revealing a deep, dark abyss!

The sky… had split open!

"Hey, hey, hey, is this a joke? That young man can already use Conqueror's Haki infusion?"

Behind Whitebeard, the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates stood frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing as they looked up at the split sky.

That was clearly a phenomenon only seen in top-level Conqueror's Haki clashes!

"No, it looks similar, but it seems more like an advanced form of Armament Haki…"

The wild currents of air left Marco's hair in disarray as he squinted, carefully observing the three blades locked in midair.

Rather than Conqueror's Haki infusion, the aura emanating from Zyhark's blades seemed more akin to an invisible armor formed by advanced Armament Haki.

As for why the sky split open, a significant part of the reason was likely due to Zyhark's Devil Fruit abilities.

But even so, the man standing before them, who looked younger than Marco himself, had completely shaken him.

Marco had spent years following Whitebeard in countless battles to achieve his current status, while Zyhark, who had never even set foot in the New World before, already possessed such terrifying potential and power!

"Gurararara! To be honest, I've encountered countless supernovas over the years, but a monster like you… you're the first."

Whitebeard's pirate captain's cloak billowed wildly.

With a relaxed expression, he wielded his naginata single-handedly, engaging in a tug-of-war of strength with Zyhark.

'It's like striking an immovable continent… So this is Whitebeard…'

Even with all his strength, Zyhark could barely speak under the pressure of Whitebeard's overwhelming power.

Strength had never been Zyhark's forte, and it took everything he had just to block Whitebeard's strikes.

And this was with Aqua's full attribute enhancement!

Just as the Four Emperors would shatter the sky as a greeting when they met, Whitebeard didn't press his advantage and overpower Zyhark with brute force.

The clash was fleeting as both sides stepped back.

"Sons, show these fledgling pirates what it means to be a New World pirate!"

Whitebeard's ever-present smile remained as he raised his arm, prompting an earth-shattering cheer from behind him.

"Ohhhhh!!!!"

Blue flames roared to life as Marco entered his Phoenix form, diving from the sky straight toward Zyhark.

Whoosh! Almost simultaneously, a massive shadow appeared behind Zyhark—a pure white dragon flapped its wings.

With purple lightning crackling around her, Kanna, having reverted to her true form, charged forward, delivering a powerful headbutt that sent Marco crashing into a hill hundreds of meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

"Ow, ow, ow… Where did that cute little girl come from? An Ancient Zoan Dragon Fruit?"

Blue flames flared up in the ruins as Marco shook off the boulders pinning him down, rubbing his slightly dazed head.

That unexpected hit would definitely leave him needing bandages for a while…

Boom, boom, boom! Before he could catch his breath, a blinding flash of lightning filled his vision.

A distorted electromagnetic beam struck the spot where he stood, creating a massive mushroom cloud of fire and smoke!

"This power…"

Whitebeard's mouth twitched slightly.

Many powerful fighters could unleash attacks like that, but they were all well-established monsters. Meanwhile, the one responsible here was just a child who looked no older than six or seven!

After a brief moment of shock, the other captains, confident in Marco's abilities, joined the battle.

Diamond Jozu, with his unbreakable, diamond-coated body, clashed head-on with the mechanical might of King's second-generation robot.

Both sides boasted incredible defenses—Jozu with his exceptional Haki, and King with his array of high-tech weaponry.

The fight quickly reached a stalemate, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Meowth, using his naturally strong physique and agility, along with the assistance of the Navy's Six Powers, was able to go toe-to-toe with Vista the Flower Sword.

Of course, Vista was more of a sparring partner in this fight, not going all out.

The Whitebeard Pirates clearly had no intention of fighting to the death, so the other captains played it safe, cheering from the sidelines without ganging up on their opponents.

"Hey, you beautiful lady over there, any of you up for a duel? I don't usually fight women."

Fourth Division Captain Thatch shrugged with a helpless smile, raising his twin swords in a gentlemanly manner.

Unfortunately, the foolish goddess, who never played by the rules, didn't seem too keen on following the "rules of the game."

"What a bunch of brutes. Don't you know that when facing a goddess, the first thing you should do is kneel in reverence?"

Seeing the pirates brandishing their weapons and looking ready for battle, Aqua felt a surge of annoyance.

If her million followers were here, would these pirates still dare to be so arrogant?

Each of them would drown in spit before they could even utter a word!

Frustrated by the lack of support for her as the Water Goddess, Aqua's body became enveloped in blue light.

A massive magic circle lit up above the battlefield, and the sound of rushing water drowned out the pirates' cheers.

Under their shocked gazes, a colossal flood descended from the sky!

If this goddess couldn't get any support, then neither would they!

That was Aqua's true sentiment.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The sudden flood was unstoppable, like a massive tidal wave crashing down, submerging the entire island in an instant!

When the chaos finally subsided, the once lush island had been ravaged beyond recognition by the raging waters.

The pirates were strewn about in disarray, their durable bodies keeping them from suffering serious injuries, but they were all thoroughly soaked and humiliated.

Devil Fruit users, in particular, were powerless against the flood, washing up on various corners of the island, some even hanging from trees.

Among them were none other than Buggy and Galdino.

Seeing the small lake that had formed in a low-lying area beneath a tree, the two unfortunate comrades exchanged a look, their eyes reflecting utter despair.

In this situation, their grand plan to sneak away had completely fallen apart.

But wait…

Buggy's shifty eyes glinted with cunning as he climbed up the tree, leaving his legs behind as his upper body floated out of the lake.

"Ka-ka-ka! At least I have a chance to escape!" he laughed triumphantly.

Galdino, seeing this, panicked and called out for help: "Hey, Buggy! Help me out here!"

"Why would I waste precious time helping you, you idiot? It's every man for himself!"

Buggy, thrilled with his success, abandoned Galdino and floated toward the distant shoreline.

As his figure receded into the distance, the pressure on Galdino pushed him to unleash his hidden potential.

White wax gushed out, creating a platform on the lake's surface, and he scrambled out of the dangerous area.

As he ran, Galdino suddenly came across Buggy, who had stopped in his tracks.

Due to the limitations of his Devil Fruit, Buggy's upper body couldn't move too far from his legs, so…

"Ahahaha! Captain Buggy, I'll be going ahead~" Galdino shouted as he sprinted away.

"No, Galdino! Please, I'm begging you, take me with you!" Buggy wailed in despair.

After a comical struggle, the two finally managed to reach the island's edge.

Then, gazing out at the empty sea with no ships in sight, they both fell into a deep depression, questioning their life choices.

Just as they considered making a desperate attempt to hijack Whitebeard's ship or the Endless Dream, a massive shockwave suddenly swept across the island, sending out countless cracks and causing the entire island to groan and tremble.

Zyhark's battle with Whitebeard had reached its climax!

With top-tier Observation Haki, Whitebeard was naturally unaffected by Aqua's flood.

After calming his thoughts, the world's strongest man began to unleash his Devil Fruit power with ruthless abandon.

The resulting spatial distortions tore through the dense lightning, and the sheer force was so overwhelming that even the distant sea was upended by the residual shockwaves!

"To think he can casually unleash this kind of power—no wonder they call it the most destructive Paramecia fruit…"

Surrounded by lightning, Zyhark hovered in the air, gazing down at the devastated island below with a sigh of awe.

"What's the plan? Flying up here won't get you what you want."

Standing in the cracks below, Whitebeard held a ball of seismic energy in his hand, looking up at Zyhark with a calm expression.

At this point, having sensed Whitebeard's intentions, the Whitebeard Pirates had stopped their battles with the Sea Restaurant crew and retreated to a safe distance, unwilling to risk entering the battlefield.

Aqua and the others, led by the dragon Kanna, hovered in a relatively safe part of the sky.

Whether it was the Goro Goro no Mi or the Gura Gura no Mi, both were devastating AoE abilities, and getting caught in the crossfire could be fatal.

Since this was meant to be a sparring match, there was no need to endure unnecessary suffering.

The final outcome would depend on the clash between Zyhark and Whitebeard.

"In that case, let's try this."

Zyhark's eyes flashed with red light as he locked onto Whitebeard's position and clenched his fist in the air.

"Canyon Sword!" (I had changed the name of this skill so many times...)

Boom!

A massive sword of molten rock erupted from the ground beneath Whitebeard's feet, creating a fiery explosion that sent flames and debris flying in all directions!

Amid the billowing smoke and ash, Whitebeard's hulking figure burst out, moving at high speed across the island's surface.

With the help of his Observation Haki, Zyhark unleashed multiple Canyon Swords in quick succession, attempting to block Whitebeard's advance.

Unfortunately, his opponent was the still-healthy, disease-free Whitebeard!

Against the future-sight capabilities of top-tier Observation Haki, even the swiftest and deadliest attacks were rendered futile.

After easily dodging the final Canyon Sword, Whitebeard's body tensed as he used the momentum from a powerful step to launch himself high into the air, hurtling toward Zyhark!

"Try taking this strike, lightning brat!"

With a blue seismic wave enveloping Murakumogiri, Whitebeard appeared before Zyhark in an instant, unleashing a cataclysmic shockwave slash!

Crack, crack, crack.

The sound of space shattering echoed, and Whitebeard's speed was so great that before Zyhark could react, his lightning-formed body had already been torn apart by the seismic force!

Boom!

Lightning struck the ground, creating a massive crater hundreds of meters in diameter on the island.

"Cough, cough."

As his Raijin Armor dissipated, Zyhark struggled to his feet, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, his breathing labored.

Although he had managed to avoid the brunt of the damage through elementalization, Whitebeard's attack still inflicted a significant injury.

It was only thanks to his enhanced body from the wishing pool that he survived the blow; otherwise, that strike alone would have decided the battle!

Buzz! A powerful gust of wind swept through, dispersing the lingering smoke.

The heavy sound of a naginata stabbing into the ground echoed, and as Zyhark looked up, he saw Whitebeard standing tall in the sunlight, his golden hair billowing, his expression unreadable.

The shadow cast by Whitebeard's massive figure eclipsed Zyhark's light, creating an overwhelming sense of dread.

"Brat, your strength has indeed exceeded my expectations. You're worthy of the title of Warlord."

Whitebeard released his grip on Murakumogiri, crossing his arms as he spoke with disdain, "But that's all. Give up—you don't yet have the qualifications to challenge me for the treasure."

As he finished speaking, the terrifying Conqueror's Haki that had made Zyhark's heart race once again filled the air, enveloping the entire battlefield!

Unlike their initial encounter, this time, Whitebeard's Haki was laced with a powerful killing intent!

Despite his fatigue, Zyhark's gaze remained sharp as he stood tall at the center of the Haki-infused pressure.

Knowing Whitebeard's personality, Zyhark understood that if he backed down now out of fear, he would truly lose his claim to the red Poneglyph!

"Getting beaten up and then being told to give up on something I've set my sights on—that's no way to do business. People would laugh at me."

Zyhark's voice was calm, but his aura was undiminished, if not even more arrogant than before.

The most direct sign was the countless lightning bolts crackling from his clenched right fist, coalescing into a deep, dangerous, high-voltage sphere!

"Gurararara! Good eyes, brat. I acknowledge you!"

Seeing the determination in Zyhark's gaze, Whitebeard burst into laughter once more.

In the next moment, his eyes narrowed as he too clenched his fist, gathering the cataclysmic power of a deep blue seismic wave.

"Don't die on me, brat—this will be my all-out attack!"

"500 Million Volts: Thunderstrike!!"

(End of Chapter)