Chapter 41: Zishu vs Whitebeard!

"That's Divine Departure... Roger's move!"

Whitebeard's eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the technique. For a moment, confusion clouded his mind, but his battle instincts quickly kicked in. He braced himself, raising his naginata to intercept the incoming attack.

"Who are you?!"

With a mighty swing, Whitebeard altered the trajectory of the slash, redirecting it toward the sea behind him. The black sword energy cleaved through the ocean, leaving a gaping wound hundreds of meters long that refused to heal, as if the water had turned to jelly.

"Hahaha, you're amazing! Absolutely amazing!" Zishu's laughter was maniacal as he flapped the wings on his back, closing the distance between them in an instant. His katana, the Sun Sword, was raised high, ready to strike again.

Whitebeard barely had time to react, forced to meet the attack with his fists. Channeling the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his punch was surrounded by a faint white halo.

Boom.

The atmosphere itself seemed to shatter like glass as Whitebeard's quake met Zishu's strike head-on, blocking the blow with a powerful earthquake.

"I asked you, who are you? Why do you know Roger's swordsmanship?" Whitebeard demanded, his expression grim.

"I'm Zishu, hahaha." The child's laughter from Zishu grew more twisted, and the Conqueror's Haki emanating from his blade intensified, crackling with red lightning that danced violently around him.

Whitebeard's feet sank into the ground under the immense pressure, causing the earth to crumble beneath him. "Zishu is just a code name. I'm asking for your real name!"

"Names... don't matter! Hahahaha!" Zishu's laughter echoed, and he gently placed his left hand on the back of his sword. In an instant, red lightning erupted like thunder.

Boom!

The ground around them exploded, bombarded by the force of Zishu's Haki. The earth beneath Whitebeard completely gave way, and he lost his footing. Before he could recover, Zishu's figure flashed, appearing below him. With a swift turn, Zishu delivered a powerful kick to Whitebeard's abdomen.

"After fighting Kaido all night, your Haki must be running out!"

The impact was brutal. Blood spilled from the corner of Whitebeard's mouth as his massive form was sent hurtling through the air like a meteor.

"This Haki...!" Whitebeard muttered as he struggled to regain control. He thrust his naginata into the ground, trying to anchor himself, but even then, the force of Zishu's blow dragged him back a hundred meters, carving a deep scar into the earth.

"Dad!?" The nearby Whitebeard Pirates captains looked on in shock and horror. Never before had they seen their father, the legendary Whitebeard, being overpowered so decisively in a head-on fight.

After being exhausted from his battle with Kaido, Whitebeard's overwhelming strength was now being pushed to its limits.

High in the sky, King watched the scene unfold, his mind flashing back to Zishu's words from not long ago: Did you see that idiot named Chen Long over there? If I get serious, I could hack him to death!

King's shock turned to a chilling realization—it wasn't just bluster; Zishu had meant every word.

Even Kaido, a warrior of unmatched strength, found himself stunned by Zishu's ferocity. The weight of the situation bore down on him, and he couldn't help but lower his mace, a heavy frown darkening his expression.

"Ha... huh..." Whitebeard's breathing was heavy, each breath labored as he took a moment to compose himself. "What kind of face do you have under that mask?"

"You really want to see it? There's nothing shameful about it," Zishu replied, hovering in mid-air with a casual flap of his wings. His gaze bore down on Whitebeard. "You've been fighting Kaido for an entire day and night—you're clearly exhausted. So let's make this interesting. If you can last an hour without falling or letting your knees touch the ground, I'll take off the mask. But if you stumble even once, forget it!"

He raised his head and called out to Edie, "Heavenly Father, is it okay?"

"It doesn't matter," Azure Dragon Edie responded calmly from above.

In the past, the Earthly Branches wore masks to avoid unnecessary attention due to their relative inexperience. But now, with five powerful warriors under his command, Edie had little to fear. As long as they didn't attack the Holy Land of Mariejois, they were untouchable.

Zishu's face lit up with excitement at Edie's approval. "Even Heavenly Father has given permission, Whitebeard. I'm going to get serious now. Don't blame me if you die."

Whitebeard wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a grin spreading across his face. "Gurarara, you say that, and now I'm even more curious! Come on, brat!"

An hour without falling or touching the ground with his knees? The challenge ignited a fire within Whitebeard, even though he was already fatigued from battling Kaido. The boy's condescending attitude only fueled his anger.

"Good, you're full of energy!" Zishu remarked with a sly grin. "For the sake of fairness, let me explain something first." He spread out his left hand, and flames erupted from his palm. "I am a pure-blooded Lunarian. When the divine fire burns..."

As he spoke, the flames spread across his body, transforming him into a living inferno. The next moment, Zishu vanished, leaving only a few flickering embers in his wake.

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, his top-tier Observation Haki predicting the future. He looked down—Zishu had appeared right in front of him, as if he had teleported.

"...All my abilities are enhanced!" Zishu's remaining words echoed in Whitebeard's ears as a fiery slash, laced with Conqueror's Haki, came hurtling toward him.

"So fast..." Whitebeard barely had time to react, but thanks to his foresight, he managed to bring his naginata up just in time to block the attack.

Boom!

Flames shot into the sky as Whitebeard was forced back once again. Zishu didn't give him a moment to recover. Locking onto the retreating Whitebeard, he raised his katana high and unleashed another devastating attack.

"Fire Dragon!"

A fiery dragon erupted from the slash, roaring as it sped toward Whitebeard. Gritting his teeth, Whitebeard steadied himself and threw a punch infused with the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, aiming for the dragon's head.

Boom!

Cracks formed in the air as the fire dragon's body was torn apart by the shockwave. But even as the dragon shattered, the flames that composed it swirled around and engulfed Whitebeard.

In the sky above, Marco watched in stunned silence. "A pure-blooded Lunarian? Can they control fire like that? What's the difference between this and eating a Devil Fruit?"

King remained silent, absorbing the implications. All abilities enhanced? He couldn't do that—perhaps it was a power exclusive to pure-blooded Lunarians.

Among everyone present, only Edie truly understood. Zishu was spouting nonsense again, embellishing the "pure-blood" character he had fabricated. Despite being the strongest fighter among the current Earthly Branches, Zishu's personality was too eccentric and unpredictable. Even Edie, with all his knowledge and foresight, felt helpless in dealing with the child's wild imagination.

Amidst the roaring flames, Whitebeard swung his naginata in a wide arc, dispersing the fire around him. With a swift motion, he drove his blade into the ground, and his fingers spread out, gripping the very air as if seizing an invisible curtain.

"Air Shock!"

With a thunderous roar, Whitebeard unleashed a tremor that seemed to rip through the fabric of space itself. The sheer force of the vibration surged toward Zishu, who braced himself, raising his sword to block the oncoming shockwave.

"Impressive, Whitebeard! You still have this kind of power left," Zishu remarked with admiration. The tremor felt like a series of invisible blades slicing through the air, each one a deadly reminder of Whitebeard's might.

"Gurararara! One hour? I can keep this up for days!" Whitebeard laughed, his voice booming across the battlefield.

Zishu's strength was far beyond anything Whitebeard had expected. Despite the toll the prolonged fight with Kaido had taken on him, Whitebeard found it almost insulting to think that he could be defeated within an hour.

"Really? That's great! Hahaha!" Zishu's laughter echoed as he slashed through the shockwave and launched another fierce attack toward Whitebeard.

Though Zishu held the advantage as the aggressor, Whitebeard needed only to hold his ground. But deep down, Whitebeard knew that even in his prime, defeating Zishu would still be quite the Challenge. This foe was even stronger than Kaido!

The beach had become a warzone between these two titans. Those who were still conscious, whether from the Beasts Pirates or Whitebeard's crew, fled the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire. The once-chaotic battlefield had gone eerily quiet, with all eyes fixated on the clash between Whitebeard and Zishu.

"Dad is completely on the defensive! If this keeps up, we'll lose!" one of Whitebeard's captains shouted in desperation.

"Zishu… who is this man?" another whispered, awe-struck. "How can someone this powerful remain unknown? He's a monster among monsters!"

The captains felt a growing sense of despair. How could they possibly defeat someone like Zishu? If only Whitebeard hadn't been drained by his battle with Kaido, there might have been a chance.

"But there are still three more here!" someone else pointed out, their voice trembling. "Wuma… Chenlong… and their 'Heavenly Father,' Edie!"

The realization sent chills through everyone present. Even if they somehow managed to defeat Zishu, they would still have to face the others. And if the enemy decided to gang up on them, the Whitebeard Pirates could be wiped out entirely, with perhaps only Marco managing to escape.

Time dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes…

Half an hour… an hour…

Zishu, lost in the thrill of battle, pressed his attacks with relentless fury, each strike aimed at killing Whitebeard. Yet, somewhere deep within him, he held back just enough to keep the fight going, savoring the challenge.

After what felt like an eternity, Edie, who had grown tired of watching, finally spoke up. "That's enough, Zishu. The time is up."

Zishu's katana was poised to strike, but at Edie's words, he halted his blade mere inches from Whitebeard.

Whitebeard, breathing heavily, looked at the stopped blade and broke into a wide grin. "It seems I won! You're incredibly strong, but I can't help but wonder why you've been holding back…"

As he spoke, Whitebeard lifted his naginata, slamming the hilt into the ground with a resonant thud.

"Ah, is it over already?" Zishu sighed, the flames enveloping his body extinguishing as he turned to face Edie.

"I admit defeat, Zishu," Edie replied calmly. "You're too mischievous for your own good."

"I know, I know," Zishu replied with a casual wave, folding his wings as he landed softly in front of Whitebeard. His tone was playful as he added, "Since you're so insistent and curious about my face, let me show you."

With deliberate slowness, Zishu reached up to remove his mask. The anticipation was palpable as countless eyes fixated on him, and even Whitebeard watched intently, bracing himself for whatever revelation awaited.

But when the mask finally came off, there was no grand revelation, no shocking twist. Instead, what was revealed was a perfectly ordinary face—brown, with a darker complexion, and unremarkable features that bordered on being underdeveloped. The only striking aspect was his pair of golden, star-shaped eyes.

"Are you satisfied?" Zishu asked, tilting his head and gazing at Whitebeard with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Whitebeard blinked, momentarily stunned. "A... little kid?!"

The realization hit him like a tidal wave. The figure that had fought him to a standstill for an entire hour, the one who had overpowered him in direct combat, was nothing more than a child—a child who couldn't be more than ten years old!

Even if you Trained Haki in the Womb It's Still Impossible to be this strong at the Age of 10!

For a moment, Whitebeard's mind reeled in disbelief. How could a mere child possess such overwhelming strength? This wasn't some trick of a Devil Fruit, no mystical power that granted him an edge. It was pure swordsmanship, raw Haki, and sheer strength—the basics of combat mastery, yet wielded with an expertise far beyond anything he had ever seen for someone his age.

"Old man Whitebeard, you look like you're having a hard time accepting this," Zishu said with a grin, his tone teasing.

Whitebeard took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "Though I had a hunch before, seeing your face still makes it hard to believe."

He looked down at Zishu, who stood only 1.5 meters tall. Before removing his mask, Whitebeard had thought Zishu's short stature was merely an anomaly. Now, he understood it was because he was facing a genuine child—a revelation that was as astounding as it was incomprehensible.

As Whitebeard struggled to reconcile this new reality, the Azure Dragon Edie slowly reverted to his human form, his presence commanding immediate attention.

"Do you want to continue?" Edie asked, his voice smooth and composed. "You can, if you wish. And if you manage to defeat Zishu, I'll personally help you kill Kaido."

Whitebeard's gaze hardened as he met Edie's eyes. "That's enough. You win, Dr. Edie," he said, his voice deep and resolute. "But what's the price? I'll bear it all myself—no one else needs to be involved."

Edie regarded him with a detached expression, his tone devoid of any emotion. "I admire your courage and strength, Whitebeard. You don't need to worry..."

He continued, "I have a mutually beneficial relationship with Kaido. He funds my research institute with 20 billion annually, and in return, I assist him in developing artificial Zoan Devil Fruits and help him build his own legion of Zoan users."

Hearing this, Kaido's face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. The reality was far different; Edie had essentially extorted him, forcing a 200 billion debt onto his shoulders. And what had he received in return? Just yesterday, Caesar had produced an artificial fruit with a meager 10% success rate—far from the grand promises made.

Whitebeard listened silently, his expression unreadable, as Edie continued.

"Your price is simple," Edie stated. "I also want to establish a good and friendly cooperative relationship with the Whitebeard Pirates. Let's not worry about the money for now. Tell me—what do you want me to help you research?"

The implication was clear: Edie intended to force a partnership. Whitebeard's eyes narrowed as he considered his options, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him.

After a long silence, Whitebeard finally spoke. "Is it possible to do anything? Can you do anything?"

Edie, ever the cunning manipulator, refrained from admitting any limitations. "No matter what," he replied, leaving the door wide open for Whitebeard to make a request.

"Okay, I understand," Whitebeard responded, his eyes flashing with resolve as he formulated a plan that would benefit him.

"My hometown is very poor, and many people don't have enough to eat. I often send money back to help them," Whitebeard began. "I want you to help research a type of food that can provide sustenance so people can eat as much as they need."

He paused, his voice softening as he added, "This is my dream, Edie."