Defeating Whitebeard, Becoming the World’s Number One!

Not far from Akainu's fleet, Smoker stood on the deck of his warship.

When he saw Akainu suddenly engage in combat with Marco the Phoenix, his expression shifted slightly.

"It's started!""Admiral Akainu is fighting against Marco the Phoenix!""Does this mean Admiral Akainu intends to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates?"

The Marines on Smoker's ship exclaimed in astonishment.

Out at sea, the Four Emperors stood apart from other pirate crews. Without explicit orders from the World Government, it was strictly prohibited for either the Marines or government agents to engage the Four Emperors directly. This was to avoid escalating conflicts into full-blown wars.

For example, in the original timeline, the Marineford War was a massive undertaking. The Marines assembled all three admirals and mobilized 100,000 elite troops just to confront the Whitebeard Pirates. This alone showed the importance the World Government placed on the Four Emperors.

Smoker's Marines had never imagined that Admiral Akainu would so recklessly start a fight.

"Damn it! What is that guy trying to do?" Smoker's face darkened.

"Report this incident to headquarters immediately!"

Engaging in a battle with the Whitebeard Pirates had to be reported. Smoker hoped the headquarters would dispatch reinforcements quickly.

"Bring the ship closer to support Admiral Akainu!"

As a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral, Smoker wouldn't stand idly by while a superior officer fought pirates.

"Yes, Rear Admiral Smoker!"

The warship immediately began heading toward Akainu's fleet.

At that moment, a lookout on the ship shouted in alarm.

"What is that? A dragon?!""Could it be Kaido of the Beasts?!"

Smoker's face changed at the mention of the name, and he hurriedly asked, "Where?"

One Whitebeard Pirate crew was already problematic enough. Adding the lone arrival of the Thunder God, Sanders, to the mix was even more concerning.

If Kaido were to appear as well, it could escalate into a war that engulfed the entire New World.

"Over there!"

The lookout immediately pointed in a specific direction.

Following the Marine's gesture, Smoker's face darkened.

That was the area where the Whitebeard Pirates were located.

Was Kaido already there?

The thought of Sanders battling Kaido added to Smoker's concerns.

Although they belonged to opposing camps, Smoker and Sanders had been old friends for many years.

Despite Sanders having killed numerous Marines, Smoker couldn't find it in himself to outright despise him.

On the contrary, Sanders had done many good deeds, such as saving civilians in Cocoyasi Village in the East Blue and improving the lives of the people in Dressrosa, the territory of the Thunder God Pirates.

Because of this, Smoker, while officially tasked with capturing Sanders, couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern at the thought of his friend facing two of the Four Emperors.

He picked up a telescope and looked in the indicated direction.

Beneath the dark clouds, he could faintly make out a dragon circling in the sky.

Its appearance bore a striking resemblance to the rumors about the Devil Fruit eaten by Kaido of the Beasts.

"Why is that guy here too?"

"Isn't he supposed to be busy taking over Whitebeard's territories?" Smoker muttered through gritted teeth.

He hadn't anticipated that Sanders' challenge to Whitebeard would draw in Kaido as well.

"Rear Admiral Smoker, we've spotted Crocodile near Marine territory at an unspecified location."

At that moment, a Marine reported to Smoker.

"Crocodile?"

Smoker raised an eyebrow.

If Doflamingo were to show up as well, it would seem like all of Sanders' enemies within the pirate ranks were converging on this spot.

He hadn't forgotten how two years ago, Sanders' vice-captain, Issho, had defeated Crocodile.

Nor did he overlook the fact that one of the Thunder God Pirates' current members, Nico Robin—the Devil Child—had once been Crocodile's subordinate.

"Change course and head toward Crocodile."

After a moment's thought, Smoker gave the order.

He couldn't concern himself with whether Crocodile was here for revenge against Sanders.

Now it's necessary to prevent Crocodile from sneaking up on Akainu.

Judging by Crocodile's course, his path leads directly toward Admiral Akainu's fleet.

Although Smoker doesn't think Crocodile would attack the Marines, it's always better to be cautious.

Following Smoker's order, the Marine warship immediately adjusted course, heading straight for Crocodile's pirate ship.

It's worth mentioning that Crocodile is still a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Despite being defeated, he was not captured by the Marines, and the World Government didn't revoke his position. Crocodile himself didn't resign, either.

On Crocodile's ship, he stood at the bow, with several officers gathered behind him.

These days, in addition to the Baroque Works agents, quite a few pirates have joined Crocodile's crew.

"Boss, a Marine warship is heading toward us. Should we sink it?" Mr. 1 asked quietly, glancing at Smoker's warship.

It had been two years since they left Alabasta.

In that time, Crocodile had been battling across the seas.

He had become even more ruthless, and his crew, hardened by the trials of the New World, had grown significantly stronger.

"Guhaha!"

"The Marines?"

"Don't bother with them. Without orders from the World Government, they wouldn't dare attack us."

"Our goal is Whitebeard and Sanders. I can't miss this fight!" Crocodile laughed sinisterly, his hand brushing against his golden hook as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Over the past two years, he had grown stronger.

Unfortunately, that blind man wasn't here, or Crocodile would have loved to settle an old score.

"Yes, boss!"

The two ships soon crossed paths.

"Crocodile, what are you planning to do?" Smoker asked grimly, gazing at Crocodile.

Although Crocodile's bounty was still under 100 million berries, the Marine Headquarters assessed his strength as at least equivalent to an 800-million-berry pirate.

Many powerful pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million had fallen at his hands, and even a few over 300 million were among his victims.

If not for his position as a Warlord of the Sea, his bounty would have multiplied several times over by now.

"Step aside, Marine! Don't get in the way of my watching the fight!" Crocodile said coldly, casting a glance at Smoker.

"Watching the fight?" Smoker's eyes narrowed.

Before he could respond, Crocodile spoke again.

"What's the matter? Don't forget, I'm a Warlord of the Sea. Do you dare defy me without orders from the World Government?"

Smoker's face darkened.

He wanted to take action against Crocodile, even knowing he might lose.

But the Warlords of the Sea were part of the World Government's faction.

Without orders, he couldn't act.

Placing a cigar in his mouth, Smoker finally said, "If you want to watch the fight, then go ahead."

But stepping aside to let him pass? That was out of the question.

Seeing the Marine warship blocking his path, Crocodile's gaze turned sharp and dangerous.

He hadn't expected this Marine Rear Admiral to be so bold as to truly block his ship.

Did they think he still cared about being a Warlord of the Sea?

Ever since his plan to seize Pluton had failed, there was no longer any reason to cooperate with the World Government.

"Ram them!" Crocodile ordered coldly.

"Huh?"

Crocodile's officers widened their eyes in disbelief.

"They're Marines! We can't…" Mr. 2 began to remind him.

Before he could finish, Crocodile turned and glared at him, snapping:

"Didn't you hear me? I said ram them!"

Now that Sanders had resurfaced, there was no reason to cling to his position as a Warlord of the Sea.

It was time to announce to the world that Crocodile had returned.

That petty bounty of under 100 million? It disgusted him.

"Yes, boss! Understood!"

Crocodile's ship didn't slow down at all, heading directly for Smoker's warship.

"Crocodile! Don't forget, you're still a Warlord of the Sea!" Smoker shouted, not expecting Crocodile to actually order a ramming maneuver.

"Warlord of the Sea?" Crocodile sneered at Smoker.

"Hah, I've long since stopped wanting that title!"

With that, a tornado-like swirl of sand appeared in his palm.

"Sandstorm!"

"If you won't move, I'll make you!"

Crocodile hurled the sandstorm, sending a powerful gust hurtling toward Smoker's warship.

At the battlefield where Whitebeard and Sanders clashed:

Sanders had transformed into a giant dragon, coiling in the sky.

The massive dragon's head stared down at Whitebeard below.

"Whitebeard, let's settle this!"

"Flame Dragon Torch!"

An inferno engulfed the giant dragon that Sanders had become.

A massive fire dragon gradually formed, enveloping his enormous dragon body.

The terrifying heat seemed as though it would ignite the very air, and as the searing heat waves rolled outward, the ice more than a hundred meters away began to melt.

"Is that one of Kaido's moves?"

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly and then burst into laughter:

"Gu ra ra ra!""Sanders, that move won't be enough to defeat me!"

As a fellow Emperor of the Sea, he was all too familiar with Kaido's techniques and had even witnessed this particular move before.

"It's not over yet, Whitebeard!"

Sanders' majestic and domineering voice echoed from above Whitebeard.

He knew very well that Kaido's Blazing Dragon Torch alone couldn't bring Whitebeard down.

"Ten Billion Volts: Thunder Dragon!"

From the dark clouds, arcs of lightning crackled.

Endless lightning surged toward Sanders, merging with the fire dragon encasing his body.

The fire dragon underwent a transformation, becoming an even larger and more menacing entity.

The enormous dragon glowed with a brilliant violet hue, its body blazing with flames and surging with destructive lightning.

The dragon's ferocious head was surrounded by densely packed red-and-black lightning arcs—an unmistakable display of Conqueror's Haki.

"Will Pops be able to withstand this attack?"

Diamond Jozu anxiously looked toward the sky.

Even from afar, just witnessing that thunderfire dragon was enough to make his heart race.

"He'll be fine. Pops is Whitebeard, after all!"

Flower Sword Vista stared intently at Whitebeard's figure.

Although he tried to sound confident, his gaze betrayed his concern.

Among the crowd, Blackbeard's eyes gleamed with greed as he gazed at Sanders.

What immense power.

If only he could possess it too!

Then his attention shifted back to Whitebeard as he muttered inwardly:

You have to hold on, Pops!

I still haven't found what I'm looking for!

Whitebeard's expression grew serious.

The aura emanating from that thunderfire dragon was terrifying, even to him.

"Lightning fruit and Kaido's azure dragon fruit, huh?"

"Truly a frightening combination, Sanders!"

Whitebeard planted his Bisento firmly into the ice.

He glanced at the ice surface, recalling how Sanders had reinforced it earlier when he transformed into a dragon.

"Afraid of knocking me into the sea and winning unfairly? How considerate of you!"

With those words, he clenched his fist tightly, the muscles in his arm bulging as they flexed.

An enormous transparent shockwave appeared on his fist, growing larger and larger.

"Come on, Sanders!"

"Let me see your strength!" Whitebeard roared.

In that moment, he mobilized all his power—his strength, Devil Fruit ability, and Haki.

"Come at me, Whitebeard! Defeat me, and you'll still be the strongest in the world!"

"Annihilation!"

A cold yet majestic voice rang out.

The thunderfire dragon raised its head and let out an earth-shattering roar.

ROAR!

Under Sanders' control, the thunderfire dragon, imbued with Conqueror's Haki, dived downward with a deafening roar, charging at Whitebeard.

The massive dragon descended, carrying with it the terrifying forces of both fire and lightning.

Whitebeard launched his punch.

A colossal, transparent shockwave enveloped the ice.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of shattering glass echoed as the intense quake force fractured the space itself.

The cracks spread and expanded, engulfing the area above Whitebeard.

The dragon arrived!

The destructive power of fire and lightning surged toward Whitebeard.

Boom!

The two forces clashed mid-air, colliding in a fierce struggle.

The resulting shockwaves rippled outward, causing the ice to crack inch by inch.

Terrifying fissures stretched for dozens of miles.

The ice sheet was shattered into fragments and then melted under the immense heat.

Seawater surged up, and the once-solid ice field reverted to the sea.

Only the ice within a few hundred meters around Whitebeard remained intact—this was the section Sanders had reinforced earlier.

Since he had resolved to defeat Whitebeard in a fair and honorable manner, he wouldn't rely on an advantage like the ocean.

Even so, cracks began to appear under Whitebeard's feet.

The overwhelming clash of power caused his legs to sink into the ice.

Far away, the Moby Dick was pushed back several hundred meters by the wind pressure from the shockwave.

Onboard, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates anxiously watched the figure standing on the icy battlefield.

"Win, Pops!"

"Just like all the others—defeat Sanders!"

The thunderfire dragon roared.

The tremor force raged.

The terrifying sound of explosions echoed.

After a few seconds of stalemate in mid-air, the thunderfire dragon roared once more and broke through the tremor force, its head charging straight for Whitebeard.

Boom!

The reinforced ice shattered instantly.

Whitebeard was driven deep into the thick ice layer before plunging into the sea.

"Pops!"

The cries of Whitebeard's sons echoed in alarm.

"Quick, get the ship closer and find Pops!"

"Namur, you go first!" Flower Sword Vista shouted to the Fish-Man Namur.

Before Vista finished speaking, Namur had already leapt into the sea, swimming rapidly toward Whitebeard's location like a sharp blade slicing through the water.

Sanders reverted to his human form, letting out a long breath of relief.

He had finally won.

Clenching his fists, he felt a surge of exhilaration.

This wasn't like his victory over Aokiji, where he had knocked him into the sea.

This time, he had defeated Whitebeard fair and square.

Through his Observation Haki, Sanders sensed that Whitebeard had already lost consciousness before breaking through the ice and falling into the sea.

Even if the battle had been on land, Whitebeard would still have been defeated by him.

Today, he had claimed the title of the world's strongest!

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T/N:

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