Chereads / One Piece: Heaven-Defying Talent / Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: The Curtain Call of the Strongest Man at Sea

Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: The Curtain Call of the Strongest Man at Sea

Chapter 88: The Curtain Call of the Strongest Man at Sea

Two clusters of white energy quickly formed, each about ten meters in diameter, before rapidly shrinking to just one foot across.

"Go!" Buggy shouted, grabbing Blackbeard and making a run for it. Van Augur and Shiryu of the Rain followed suit, fleeing in haste.

Whitebeard's final attack promised to be earth-shattering.

In a surprising move, Whitebeard hurled his fists not at Blackbeard and his crew, but towards the direction of Ace, Marco, and the others.

The space fractured instantly, and the Shock Fruit's immense power shattered the ice, freeing the ships trapped by it.

"Little brothers, run away," Whitebeard shouted, mustering the last of his strength before closing his eyes for the final time.

"Father!" Ace collapsed onto the deck, tears streaming down his face. Until his last breath, Whitebeard had been thinking of a way to save them.

"Father, I'm so sorry. How could I have doubted you?" Squard berated himself, slapping his face in remorse.

Jozu also knelt, bowing to Whitebeard's standing figure. "Retreat, don't let Dad's sacrifice be in vain," Marco commanded through tears, urging the pirates to board their ships and flee Marineford.

"Damn Whitebeard!" Sengoku seethed. Whitebeard had shattered his plans with a single move, opening a path for the pirates' escape.

"Shichibukai, destroy their ships! Don't let them get away!"

Eying the scene, Hawkeye chose to honor the fallen emperor, putting away his black blade and ceasing the pursuit.

Hancock, too, was moved by Whitebeard's final act of strength and chose not to chase, with Luffy's brother among the fleeing pirates.

"It's terrible. What a terrible man," Kizaru remarked, acknowledging Whitebeard's desire to ensure his crew's escape even in death.

Aokiji refrained from further action, knowing he'd done enough and not wanting to face Chiba's wrath later.

"Finally, he's dead," Akainu exhaled, eager to target Ace next. Without Whitebeard, the pirates would falter, but Ace remained a threat.

Garp stood silently, honoring Whitebeard's towering, lifeless form, a testament to his enduring strength even in death.

"Curse you, damn it," Blackbeard cursed, finally convinced of Whitebeard's demise. Van Augur confirmed, "Captain, he's truly dead now."

Still unsure, Blackbeard ordered, "Van Augur, shoot him again to be sure."

"Captain, it's not right to desecrate a dead man," Van Augur replied. "The pirates will despise us even more."

Ignoring the advice, Blackbeard shot Whitebeard's body, laughing maniacally when there was no response. "He's dead, really dead now," he gloated.

"What does he want with Whitebeard's body?" Sengoku wondered, puzzled by Blackbeard's actions.

Crocodile and Jinbei shook their heads, dismayed by Blackbeard's disrespect.

"Oh, what a scary man," Kizaru commented, watching Blackbeard's treachery. "Someone should teach him a lesson."

Rayleigh watched, saddened by Whitebeard's end at Blackbeard's hands. "The sea's emperor, gone like this," he lamented.

Chiba sighed, "Whitebeard knew the risks. He traded his life for Ace's freedom, a worthy sacrifice."

"Rayleigh, join my crew?" Chiba offered jokingly.

"If you were a pirate, maybe," Rayleigh replied with a grin.

"Just kidding," Chiba laughed.

Rayleigh asked, "What's Blackbeard doing?"

Chiba's smile vanished as he kicked Rayleigh away, then darted towards Blackbeard and his crew.

"Hehehe, Shock Fruit is mine," Blackbeard exulted, despite his injuries. His crew was equally eager, anticipating the power he'd wield.

Burgess, Van Augur, and others shielded Blackbeard and Whitebeard under a dark cloth.

"What are they doing?" Sengoku and others wondered, unable to see through the cloth.

Ace, Marco, and the crew watched, confused by Blackbeard's intentions. They assumed he was defiling Whitebeard's body further.

Akainu taunted Ace, hoping to provoke him into a fight. Despite despising Blackbeard's actions, he prioritized capturing Ace.

"I'm going to kill you," Ace seethed, but Marco held him back.

"We need to leave," Marco urged, staying calm.

Ace, suppressing his fury, vowed, "Blackbeard, I'll find you and make you pay."

Hawkeye, curious about Blackbeard's plan, refrained from intervening, having done enough fighting for the day.

Buggy, filming the scene, removed his hat and bowed to Whitebeard, acknowledging the fallen titan.

Pirates around Buggy echoed his respect, unaware of his true intentions, believing him a hero.

MR. 3, skeptical, noted the pirates' misplaced admiration, but Buggy played along, basking in the attention.

A gust of wind blew the cloth aside, revealing Burgess flying through the air, knocked away by a powerful figure.

Doc Q, Van Augur, Lafitte, Shiryu, and others turned to see Chiba standing among them, his long black hair billowing.

"Iron Fist Chiba!" Van Augur fled immediately, unwilling to face him.

Doc Q hesitated before also retreating, avoiding a confrontation with the formidable Marine.

The darkness receded, revealing Blackbeard's attempt to absorb Whitebeard's power, but Chiba's intervention halted the process.

Startled, Blackbeard faced Chiba, realizing his worst fear had materialized.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.