Super Card System

Whitebeard gripped his naginata, walking step by step towards them. The end of his weapon’s handle struck the ice, producing a clanging sound. With each clang, beads of cold sweat began to form on Sengoku’s forehead.

He knew very well that when the Whitebeard said he was just “saying hello,” he truly meant it.

If it hadn’t been for the pirates and marines tangled together, that air-shattering punch from before would have done far more than just stir up a hurricane…

Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru, veterans of their generation, had all faced Whitebeard in combat before. The fact that the Whitebeard had survived and become one of the Four Emperors spoke volumes.

Whitebeard’s strength was undeniable. Among those present, not even Sengoku was his match…

“What exactly happened?” Sengoku, drenched in sweat, glanced at Whitebeard’s chest, but saw no sign of injury. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “What is going on!? Could it be that this was all an act by the Whitebeard Pirates, and Blackbeard Teach deceived us!? Was the aim to lure the marines into a trap?”

“I don’t know, but it’s highly possible!” Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had already retreated to Sengoku’s side, frowned and said, “This might explain why Teach disappeared just as the battle was about to start!”

“If this is a scheme set by the Whitebeard Pirates, then we’re in big trouble!” Tsuru sighed.

However, at this moment, Garp, standing with his arms crossed, said, “I don’t think so! That old guy Whitebeard wouldn’t do something like this! Even though he’s our enemy, I have to admit, he’s straightforward!”

“Indeed…” Sengoku also calmed down, agreeing with Garp.

Thinking it over, there were too many flaws in their previous assumption. The most suspicious point was, if this really was a scheme by Teach and the Whitebeard Pirates, why hadn’t Teach appeared alongside the Whitebeard?

“It seems Whitebeard’s appearance is definitely related to that kid Ian!” Sengoku gritted his teeth and said, “He somehow managed to heal Whitebeard! Damn it, we were too careless. If we had known this, we should have desperately tried to stop him before! Just how many abilities does that kid’s Currency Fruit have!?”

As they spoke, Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard, had already stepped into the battlefield, with Ian, Ace, and Namur following behind him.

With a clang, he stabbed his naginata into the ice, then spread his arms wide and suddenly burst into loud laughter, “Gurarara! My sons, I have returned!”

This declaration ignited an explosive wave of excitement among the Whitebeard Pirates who had been eagerly watching him approach. Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the other captains of the 43 pirate crews erupted into thunderous cheers and rushed towards Whitebeard.

“Father! It’s so great that you’re alright!”

“Father, we were so worried about you!”

“Oyaji…”

“Father…”

The captains and crew members, cheering, threw themselves at Whitebeard, clinging to his legs and looking up in awe at his towering, imposing figure. Whitebeard smiled warmly, his eyes filled with affection, as he bent down and enveloped his beloved children in his massive arms.

In this moment, the Whitebeard felt the deepest gratitude towards Ian.

He had once believed that he might die bedridden, and even if he dragged his severely injured body onto the battlefield, he would ultimately fall in defeat and forever part from his beloved sons.

However, Ian’s appearance had changed everything.

That miraculous power had, in such a short time, healed his life-threatening injuries and removed all the toxins from his body.

Although Ian had told him that he couldn’t do anything about natural aging, even so, Whitebeard felt an incredible surge of vitality within himself.

The immense strength he felt in his clenched fist was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. It felt as if he had suddenly returned to his peak condition…

“Father, your wounds… How did the scars disappear?” Vista, embraced by Whitebeard’s arm, looked at his father’s chest in amazement and asked.

His question was actually on the minds of many.

Whitebeard released his embrace, stood up straight again, took a deep breath, and suddenly roared, “ALL MEMBERS OF THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES, LISTEN UP!!!”

This shout immediately spread across the entire battlefield, and all the pirates pricked up their ears, not daring to breathe loudly, quietly waiting to hear their father’s orders.

However, Whitebeard pointed to Ian standing at his feet and declared loudly, “From today onward, the Whitebeard Pirates have a new family member! That is Ian! Although he has not officially joined the Whitebeard Pirates, he is your companion! He is your brother! He is your family! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on him will be making an enemy of the entire Whitebeard Pirates! Do you understand!?”

Everyone had expected that Whitebeard would issue combat orders, making even the Navy tense up just now. But to their surprise, what Whitebeard actually announced was this!

However, after a brief moment of stunned silence, the pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly raised their weapons and shouted in unison, “Woohoo——————!!! A brother! A new family member!!”

“Ian!”

“Ian!!”

“Ian!!!”

They chanted Ian’s name in unison, their eyes filled with fervor and joy.

Marco and Jozu laughed heartily and threw their arms around Ian’s shoulders. They weren’t fools; Ian had left suddenly and returned with their father completely healed. Now, with Whitebeard formally announcing Ian’s status as a family member of the Whitebeard Pirates in front of everyone, it was clear that Ian was the one who had healed their father!

The Whitebeard Pirates, who had been deeply worried about their father’s condition, were overjoyed beyond words to see him appear in such high spirits.

And now, all their happiness and gratitude were directed toward Ian!

“Hahaha!” Even Ace laughed heartily, leaping to hug Ian. Then, a crowd of pirates pounced on Ian, overwhelming him in a group hug. They celebrated their father’s return in this joyous manner…

On the contrary, the expression on the Navy’s side was extremely ugly. Whitebeard’s high-profile appearance and return to the battlefield, all of this was caused by this guy Ian!?

Aokiji looked serious, silent, while Kizaru scratched his head in frustration. Akainu squinted his eyes, lit a cigar, and drew hard on it. The glow of the cigar reflected in the shadow under his hat, flickering…

The soldiers on the Navy’s side were all stunned, trembling as they looked at the Whitebeard. The sunlight shining from behind him made his figure appear godlike, making it difficult for anyone to summon the courage to resist.

People watching this scene through the live broadcast were holding their heads in fear, crouching on the ground.

“It’s over, that terrifying monster, the Whitebeard, he really appeared…”

“Oyaji…” Jinbe looked at Whitebeard happily, walked up to him, and said, “It’s great that you’re okay!”

“Thanks, Jinbe!” Dad looked at him, also with a relieved smile.

However, at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared beside Whitebeard’s neck—it was that guy, Crocodile!

He transformed into a whirlwind of sand, flying into the air, then suddenly struck out with a Desert Spada, aiming for Whitebeard’s neck.

“Oyaji!?” The pirates who witnessed this scene couldn’t help but exclaim, wanting to intervene but it was already too late.

However, Crocodile’s attack didn’t succeed. Whitebeard raised his hand, and his fist, emitting a white halo, struck the Desert Spada. The force of the impact not only shattered Crocodile’s Desert Spada but also sent his body into a flurry of sand.

Crocodile’s figure reappeared on the ground, half-crouched, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.

“Crocodile…” Whitebeard glanced at him, his expression somewhat complicated. “Did you come with Ian?”

“So what!?” Crocodile wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, standing up.

“Then you better stick with him from now on!” Whitebeard said, then ignored him.

“Damn it…!” Crocodile gritted his teeth, glaring at Whitebeard’s back.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, the battle between Zoro and Mihawk had temporarily ceased. Zoro was now panting heavily, covered in wounds, glaring fiercely at Mihawk in front of him. However, Mihawk wasn’t looking at him; instead, he gazed towards Whitebeard’s location.

“Get out of the way!” Suddenly, Mihawk said to Zoro.

Before Zoro could react, Mihawk swung his black blade, Yoru, with tremendous force, unleashing a colossal sword aura that split the ground and flew towards Whitebeard!

In his urgency, Zoro could only swiftly dodge. The sword aura flew past his chest, its sharpness stinging his face.

“Oh no!” Due to Crocodile’s earlier attack on Whitebeard, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates had already restrained their joy, realizing that the battle was far from over. So, when Mihawk’s sword aura came, they immediately wanted to intercept it to protect their captain.

Jozu was the strongest shield of the Whitebeard Pirates, so without hesitation, he stepped forward. But at that moment, Whitebeard unexpectedly shouted, “Jozu, step aside!”

Jozu hesitated for a moment, then moved aside. Whitebeard faced the incoming sword aura and swung his naginata horizontally!

Muscles bulging on his arm, Whitebeard roared loudly as his naginata swept out. A blade aura, emitting a white halo with a buzzing and muffled sound, shot out horizontally to intercept the sword aura from Mihawk!

Bang! The two sword auras collided instantly in mid-air. A violent shockwave immediately scattered from the collision point, blowing pirates and marines within a hundred meters away, causing them to scream in pain as they flew out.

The clash between the world’s greatest swordsman and the strongest man in the world was completed in an instant…

A smile crept onto Whitebeard’s face, but Mihawk had a serious expression. Zoro, beside him, looked on in horror at the direction where the sword aura flew. It wasn’t until now that he realized Mihawk had never gone all out against him before…

Meanwhile, the faces of Sengoku and his group turned even grimmer after witnessing Crocodile and Mihawk’s successive attempts to test the Whitebeard.

“Whitebeard… he’s really unharmed… and it seems like he’s back at his peak…”