"Swish!"
A flash of blue light suddenly illuminated in front of Nicholas, exceptionally glaring. Faced with the erupting light, even the mighty Whitebeard couldn't help but squint.
And in that split second of squinting, Nicholas had vanished before his eyes.
"Hmm?"
As Whitebeard reopened his eyes, Nicholas's figure was already gone, prompting a puzzled expression from Whitebeard. He then activated his Observation Haki to quickly locate his opponent.
"Zzzt!"
The sound of electricity crackling and cutting through the air erupted from behind, causing Whitebeard's entire body to tense up suddenly.
Thunder, the most powerful force in nature, demanded his utmost attention. Although he was among the most formidable individuals on the seas, his body remained vulnerable to fatal injuries.
And Nicholas's formidable lightning and exceptional strength posed a considerable threat to him.
"One Hundred Million Volts: Swarm of Bees!"
A hand wreathed in lightning appeared not far behind Whitebeard, then blue-purple electric currents swiftly converged, forming a massive beam that thundered towards Whitebeard. Simultaneously, the massive beam began to disperse into smaller beams, all converging on Whitebeard like a swarm of bees.
From a distance, it seemed impossible to dodge lightning at such close range and such speed. Even with Observation Haki, his body might not react in time.
But in the next moment, a fist enveloped in a white spherical energy punched towards the "swarm." Whitebeard's massive figure, which had been facing away, had turned around, now directly confronting the attack.
As the fist swung, the air seemed to shatter, and the dense swarm of "bees" appeared to be swallowed by the sudden appearance of black cracks in the air.
For a moment, it appeared as if the lightning beam and the cracks in the air were at a stalemate.
It wasn't until a moment later that the spectators in the distance heard the booming sound of the air, indicating that the clash between the two had exceeded the speed of sound.
With their attacks neutralizing each other, Whitebeard grasped his massive halberd and raised it high above his head, while simultaneously covering the blade with his black Armament Haki.
"Well done, Kid!"
Whitebeard's deep voice resonated, as if accompanied by the sound of a bass cannon.
Then, swinging his halberd towards Nicholas, Whitebeard exclaimed, "be careful kid!"
"Clang!"
Once again, the two weapons clashed. Lightning surged around Nicholas's sword, but the expected transfer of lightning along Whitebeard's weapon, melting it and conducting the electricity into Whitebeard's body, did not occur.
Instead, as the lightning tangled around his weapon, it seemed to encounter a thick membrane, resisting all attempts to penetrate it. And the lightning's ability to melt metal seemed ineffective against it.
Indeed, any sword worthy of being called the Ultimate Blade was not simple.
Then, a pale white fluctuation appeared on the halberd, and the massive weapon was once again lifted high and swung towards Nicholas.
"Go ahead, Thunderous Kid! You're doing great, already surprising me. And your weapon is quite peculiar, indeed.
But it's okay; enjoy the fight to your heart's content!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily.
"Then let's enjoy the fight!"
It could be said that the person before him was the strongest opponent he had encountered so far, surpassing the pressure faced when dealing with Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
Even if Blackbeard had a Devil Fruit ability to counter him, facing Whitebeard and his crew during the Summit War wouldn't have been as simple as just being buried underground.
Truly, Whitebeard at his peak was a monster in his own right.
Taking a deep breath, Nicholas slowly opened his eyes. As he did, the world before him transformed.
Within this range, Nicholas was like a god, or rather, he had already established himself as invincible.
His battle with Whitebeard was, by far, the most elite and challenging he had faced to date.
He would have to utilize all of his strength to confront this formidable adversary.
"Swish!"
Electricity raced, covering his entire body in an instant, even spreading to the ground around Nicholas, shattering the earth beneath his feet. His hair stood on end from the unseen force stimulating him.