Chapter 146

The slash just now?

To Kairos Flint, it consumed nothing at all.

And that was expected.

After all, the man he was now...

His body had already reached the realm of a true god.

Only those who had ascended to that level could understand the sheer strength of the physical form after transcending into godhood.

"I'm Whitebeard, and my body is tougher than you think."

Whitebeard laughed loudly. It had been a long time since he'd faced a true opponent—and Kairos Flint's appearance had truly awakened his bloodlust.

Without hesitation, he swung his blade again.

But this time, the slash wasn't just backed by sheer physical strength.

It was infused with Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki, and the devastating power of the Gura Gura no Mi—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Buzz!

When the Tremor-Tremor Fruit is activated, a distinctive shock sphere forms—and now, it appeared on the edge of his massive blade, Murakumogiri, one of the supreme grade swords in the world.

"So this is the arrogance of the so-called strongest man alive?"

"In that case... I'll break your arrogance today."

"The title of 'strongest in the world' doesn't belong to you."

"It belongs to me!"

Kairos's eyes narrowed, full of killing intent. There wasn't an ounce of fear in his being.

He grasped his Kitetsu III and swung directly toward Whitebeard.

Fear?

That word didn't even exist in his vocabulary.

If someone dared to insult him—

He would make sure they paid the price.

Conqueror's Haki.

Armament Haki.

And his custom-made slab abilities.

The Thunder Slate and Fire Slate—he activated them both.

In an instant, Kairos's blade was engulfed in roaring flames, crackling with arcs of lightning.

Then—

One slash!

A mighty, heaven-splitting strike flew toward Whitebeard.

BOOM!!!

The resulting impact was terrifying.

The squad captains aboard the Moby Dick were nearly thrown off the ship entirely.

But behind Kairos, Nami and the others stood firm.

Their strength had long since been elevated to Emperor-level with Kairos's help.

If they couldn't withstand the residual shockwaves from such an exchange, they'd truly be nothing but dead weight.

Out at sea, gigantic waves began rising and rolling violently.

Wave after wave surged toward Kairos's ship—

But before they could get close, the shockwaves from the clash between Kairos and Whitebeard obliterated them on contact.

Those waves never even stood a chance.

However, the two ships caught in the middle weren't so lucky.

This was a Sea Emperor-level battle—

Even entire islands might collapse under such pressure.

And now, it was happening on mere ships?

Not even the legendary Treasure Tree Adam wood, used in the keels of these ships, could guarantee survival.

Yes, some parts of the ships were reinforced with it, but that wouldn't save the entire structure.

So...

The Moby Dick, Whitebeard's iconic flagship—

Even with its legendary construction, after just two clashes between Kairos and Whitebeard,

one-fifth of the deck was already obliterated.

At this rate—three or four more hits—

And the whole deck would be shattered.

Even the hull would splinter.

No one would be surprised.

That's how terrifying their power was.

Even Kairos's previous battle with Garp at the Navy's G-2 Base had ended with the island itself being leveled.

And now, he was fighting Whitebeard?

This fragile ship wouldn't last long.

BOOM!!!

"Dad—Dad! Stop it!"

"If this fight goes on, the Moby Dick will SINK!!"

Marco couldn't hold back his panic anymore.

His voice cracked with anxiety.

This wasn't just any ship.

This was their ship—a vessel that had carried the Whitebeard Pirates through decades of history.

To lose it like this would be devastating.

Whitebeard's raised blade froze mid-swing.

He turned slightly to glance at his damaged deck—

And reluctantly paused his attack.

Seeing this, Kairos also halted his movement.

Not because he cared about the Moby Dick—

That ship wasn't his.

But now that Whitebeard had chosen to stop,

Striking him now would've been cheap.

"Whitebeard," Kairos said calmly, "Are you admitting defeat?"

"Gurararara!!!"

"What do you take me for? I'm Whitebeard!"

"But... I won't fight seriously on my own ship."

"Kairos Flint, if you really want a fight—let's find an island."

He glared at Kairos, irritation seething in his voice.

Of course this punk didn't care—the damage wasn't his responsibility.

But Whitebeard...

This ship had been with him through countless adventures.

Just looking at the shattered planks made his heart ache.

Damn it!

Even the cost of repairs was going to kill him.

All the treasure he gathered normally got sent back to his hometown. He barely carried money himself.

And asking his sons to pay for the damage from his own battle? That would be beneath him.

He was Whitebeard, after all.

How could he face them after that?

So... he'd be footing the bill himself.

Just thinking about the loss made Whitebeard shiver with frustration.

But Kairos?

He couldn't care less.

"Fine," Kairos said, with a slight smirk.

"Let's find an island to settle this."

That was what he truly wanted—

A fight with Whitebeard.

So he accepted without hesitation.