Chapter 60 : World Needs Him!!

"Bang!!!"

"Ah!!!"

Whitebeard swung his naginata with immense force, delivering a powerful blow that sent Blackbeard flying. Blackbeard screamed in agony as he tumbled across the ground!

"Pops, I'm your son! You can't kill me! How could a father kill his own son?!"

Fear was etched across Blackbeard's face. As he begged Whitebeard for mercy, his heart burned with intense hatred towards Akainu!

Moments ago, the three of them had been attacking Whitebeard together. Crocodile, the weakest of the trio, had been knocked out by a series of powerful punches from Whitebeard and was the first to retreat from the battlefield!

Both Blackbeard and Akainu were heavily wounded and could only hold on by sheer willpower. Yet, if you were to assess their condition, Whitebeard was the most gravely injured among them all!

Akainu had severely damaged Whitebeard, knocking off half of his head and striking him in the chest with a Magma Blast that scorched his internal organs! 

Taking into account the wounds inflicted by Blackbeard and Crocodile, it was clear that Whitebeard bore the brunt of the injuries among the four combatants!

Any ordinary person would have succumbed to such wounds long ago. Whitebeard's battered, disease-ridden body persisted only due to his extraordinary willpower!

So, even with Crocodile's withdrawal from the battle, Blackbeard had no intention of retreating. He was convinced that if he and Akainu could just hold out a bit longer, they would eventually wear Whitebeard down and claim victory!

But Blackbeard never anticipated that, amidst his battle with Whitebeard, Akainu would suddenly vanish!

After Bullet transformed into his giant form and Sengoku issued his command, Akainu hesitated briefly before retreating towards Bullet, leaving Blackbeard to face Whitebeard alone!

Whitebeard had no intention of pursuing Akainu. His full attention was on Blackbeard, determined not to let him escape!

Although Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit can nullify other Devil Fruits, even without the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Blackbeard was nothing more than a child in Whitebeard's presence!

With Akainu out of the way, Blackbeard was entirely outmatched. In no time at all, Whitebeard had him on the ground, begging for mercy!

A flicker of resolve crossed Whitebeard's eyes. He raised his naginata and declared coldly, "Teach, I might have overlooked your attacks on me, but you should never, ever touch Thatch and Ace!"

"No! Pops!" Blackbeard cried out, feeling the overwhelming power Whitebeard had concentrated in his naginata. "I was wrong! I truly was! Please, Pops!"

Whitebeard's gaze momentarily softened, a hint of pity appearing in his eyes.

Seizing the opportunity, Blackbeard noticed the brief lapse in Whitebeard's focus. He drew a rifle, aimed at the center of Whitebeard's forehead, and fired!

"Bang!"

A sharp gunshot echoed through the air. Whitebeard's body twitched slightly as the bullet embedded itself in the center of his brow.

Whitebeard snapped back to reality. When he looked at Blackbeard again, there was no sign of hesitation in his eyes.

"Go to hell, you monster! Why won't you just die?"

Blackbeard's defiant appearance belied his true weakness. He continued to frantically pull the trigger at Whitebeard, not even attempting to beg for mercy.

Blood-red flowers bloomed on Whitebeard's body, but he remained oblivious, swinging his naginata with fierce determination!

"No!!!"

Bang!!!

The blade of Whitebeard's naginata halted mere inches from Blackbeard's face, as a foot, imbued with Conqueror's Haki, pressed down on the weapon's handle to stop it!

"Shoot Whitebeard, Teach, your move is no better than that certain ninja who tried to stab Susanoo with a kunai!"

Buggy appeared beside Blackbeard, his voice dripping with exasperation. If it was a sneak attack, why didn't Blackbeard use something more effective? Why opt for such a straightforward attack?

Having narrowly escaped disaster, Blackbeard immediately regained his footing and, ignoring Buggy's jabs, laughed triumphantly at Whitebeard. "Hahahaha, Pops, it seems fate is on my side! You're finished now!"

Whitebeard withdrew his naginata and, noticing Buggy, spoke in a deep voice. "Red-nosed brat from Roger's ship, are you intervening in my family affairs to defend Teach?"

Buggy grinned and replied, "I'm not interested in your family drama, but Teach can't die here! The world still needs him!"

Whitebeard frowned, and even Blackbeard looked at Buggy with surprise. The world needs him? Since when?

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and said, "What do you mean by 'the world'? It seems to me it's your own ambition that requires Teach!"

Buggy didn't deny it, but shook his head and responded, "That's a harsh way to put it. According to Shanks, I've staked my future on Teach!"

Whitebeard: "..."

Blackbeard: "..."

Buggy paid no mind to their reactions. He looked at Whitebeard and continued, "Also, I'm interested in your head! In this new era, no ship can carry you. Your story should end here!"

"Gulala, you're right. My story has indeed come to an end!" Whitebeard laughed heartily. Then, a fierce aura erupted from his body as he declared, "But I'll take Teach down with me! If you want my head, come and take it!"

Blackbeard, rising from the ground, joined Buggy and said, "Hahahaha, don't be afraid of him! He won't last long with these injuries!"

Buggy, however, responded seriously, "Don't underestimate him. A beast cornered is the most dangerous!"

Blackbeard understood the truth in Buggy's words, but he was concerned that Buggy might hesitate.

After a moment, Buggy continued, "By the way, your previous strategy was flawed! Whitebeard's long arms and legs and the massive naginata he wields make him incredibly powerful from a distance. You mustn't fight him from afar!"

"Stay close to him and aim for his midsection!" Buggy advised.

Blackbeard looked puzzled and asked, "Cut him in the middle? What do you mean?"

Buggy clarified, "In simpler terms, engage him in close combat and don't let him use his reach advantage!"

Buggy's advice was sound. In the original story, Akainu kept close to Whitebeard, preventing him from effectively using his naginata. Therefore, targeting him up close, as Buggy suggested, was the right approach!

Buggy spoke with confidence, but Whitebeard merely chuckled and said, "Gulala, kid, your tactics are impressive, but don't you think you're a bit too cocky standing in front of me?"

Buggy grinned and replied, "So what if you know? Are you going to slice off a piece of your own arm, or will you just abandon your weapon?"

At these words, Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. He turned around and drove the naginata he was holding into the ice, signaling that he was ready to confront the enemy with both hands!

Buggy was right—the naginata in Whitebeard's hand wasn't contributing much to the battle. On one hand, the attack range limited its effectiveness, but more critically, Whitebeard's physical condition had deteriorated, and he wasn't wielding the naginata as adeptly as before.

Seeing this, Buggy drew his long sword and said with a smirk, "Perfect, he's given up his weapon! Now let's increase the distance and take him on!"

Whitebeard: "..."

Blackbeard: "..."

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