Chapter 68: Whitebeard’s Counterattack
Here's your revised chapter with grammar corrections and improved readability while keeping the original tone and style intact.
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**Chapter 68: Whitebeard's Counterattack**
After releasing his transformation, Carl clenched his fists and noticed that he didn't enter a weakened state like the Mink Tribe members did after their transformations.
He wondered if it had something to do with the fatigue and pain being expelled earlier, but after thinking it over, he felt that wasn't the case.
Transformation should be a rapid consumption of physical strength, and Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit could only remove the body's negative state. It worked like subtraction—it couldn't replenish stamina.
Carl recalled the words "Moon God Form" and "Royal Family" that Nekomamushi and Inuarashi had mentioned earlier.
*"Did Darian use a special Fur Tribe gene, or has the gene somehow evolved in my body?"*
He leaned toward the first possibility. Darian's obsession with perfection was almost pathological, and given his influence, obtaining ancient Mink Tribe genes wouldn't have been difficult.
As he was deep in thought, two figures soared through the air and landed on the deck—Garp and Zephyr.
Garp looked frustrated as he shouted at Zephyr,
"Zephyr, why did you rush us back? That was the perfect opportunity! You and I together could've taken Whitebeard down!"
Zephyr shook his head.
"Have you forgotten where we are? We're in the middle of the ocean!"
"I know that, but neither of us is a Devil Fruit user. Even if the ship goes down, *he's* the one with a bigger problem, not us!"
"That's true," Zephyr admitted, "but didn't you notice? Whitebeard was getting desperate. If we cornered him completely, he'd have no choice but to unleash the full power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit! That would trigger a massive tsunami. Are you certain you could capture him in *that* kind of disaster? And what about our soldiers?"
Zephyr became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and by the end, he was practically shouting.
Garp, caught off guard, wiped some spit off his face before sighing.
"Alright, alright, you've got a point. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit is a real pain in open waters..."
Zephyr scoffed and continued,
"Someone like Whitebeard needs to be dealt with on *land*, where we can control the battlefield. Given our current situation, pushing him this far is already an achievement. Of course, this victory wouldn't have been possible without Carl and the others."
Turning toward Carl, Zephyr's gaze filled with pride.
"Especially you, Carl. Injuring Kozuki Oden—one of the Whitebeard Pirates' strongest fighters—so badly was no small feat. You've proven yourself as the best student of this class!"
Though most already considered Carl the strongest, Zephyr's words now made it official.
Akainu nodded in agreement, his eyes burning with determination. He had now set Carl as his future rival.
Borsalino strolled up to Carl, smirking.
"Carl, don't forget about me when you make Admiral. Just make sure my salary gets a nice bump, alright?"
Carl blinked in confusion.
"Borsalino… are you seriously thinking that far ahead?"
"Of course! It's only a matter of time. Don't worry, I'll back you up when the time comes! Anyone who objects, I'll just slice their legs off!"
Borsalino made a chopping gesture, but his words didn't escape Zephyr's ears.
With a scowl, Zephyr marched over and kicked Borsalino in the backside.
"You think about nonsense all day! How about focusing on *actual training* for once!?"
Borsalino rubbed his rear and grumbled as he hid behind Akainu.
Carl glanced toward the retreating Whitebeard Pirates and said,
"Teacher Zephyr, they're falling back."
Zephyr nodded. Both sides had suffered heavy losses. More than half of Garp's warships were either destroyed or critically damaged.
But the Whitebeard Pirates had suffered even worse. Apart from the ordinary crew members, they had lost two powerful fighters—Nekomamushi and Inuarashi. On top of that, Oden was gravely wounded.
This was a *hard-fought* victory for the Navy.
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**Aboard the Moby Dick**
Oden had been carried into the infirmary. He had lost too much blood—if not for his monstrous endurance, he'd already be dead.
Nearby, Inuarashi's half-severed body still lay on the deck, a gruesome sight.
The atmosphere was heavy. Many of Inuarashi's close friends wept silently.
Marco, his own shoulder bandaged, wiped away his tears. He ordered the crew to gather Inuarashi's remains, planning to give him a proper burial once they reached land.
Throughout all of this, Whitebeard remained silent.
Only when the blood was fully cleaned from the deck did he slowly rise to his feet and walk toward the bow of the ship.
Suddenly, an *overwhelming* pressure filled the air.
Marco's breath hitched as he stared at Whitebeard's back, whispering,
"Dad..."
Whitebeard gazed out at the retreating Marine warships. His eyes gleamed with the fearsome intensity of Conqueror's Haki.
"This isn't over, Marines..."
Then, he moved.
Bending forward. Clenching his fists.
Everyone aboard the Moby Dick immediately knew what was coming.
"DAD!!"
*CRACK!*
Whitebeard threw a punch into the air. Instantly, a massive rift spread across the sky, stretching hundreds of meters.
The sea *erupted*. Towering waves—hundreds of meters high—rose like walls of death.
Zephyr's expression *darkened*.
"That insane old man! Doesn't he care if this affects his own fleet?!"
Despite the violent ocean, Whitebeard effortlessly dispersed the waves around his ships with his Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Zephyr clenched his fists, his frustration growing. Looking up at the *colossal* waves bearing down on them, he cursed under his breath.
"Damn it… These waves are too high. Garp and I might be able to break through, but what about the others?"
At that moment, a shadow shot into the sky.
Zephyr's eyes widened.
"Carl?!"
As the monstrous tsunami loomed overhead, Carl hovered in mid-air, arms crossed over his chest.
A pitch-black gravity condensed around his body—compacting into something beyond imagination…
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This version corrects grammar, improves sentence structure, and refines dialogue while keeping the original intensity and flow. Let me know if you want any specific adjustments!