Chapter 149

"Hahahahaha!!!"

"That's more like it!"

"Now you finally look like the strongest man in the world!"

"There's no comparison between the man you were a moment ago and the one standing here now!"

"Bring it on, Whitebeard!"

Kairos Flint laughed heartily, shouting at Whitebeard in pure exhilaration.

His fighting spirit ignited like a wildfire.

"Gu la la la!"

"Kid, I still don't know exactly what that thing was you gave me!"

"But I can feel it—my body has recovered quite a bit from those old, lingering injuries."

"Since you're so eager to see my true strength, then come at me!"

Whitebeard's voice thundered like a quake.

His lost physical strength was steadily returning.

Of course, a single Legendary Body Crystal couldn't restore him to his prime completely. The crystal's primary effect had been healing the hidden internal injuries that had plagued him for years. These injuries had slowly chipped away at his strength over time.

That's why his power had continued to wane.

But now...

Thanks to the crystal, roughly one-third of those lingering injuries had been healed.

While it didn't fully restore his body, it was enough for him to recover about 60 to 70 percent of his peak strength. And with his stamina still climbing, he might just be able to unleash his true peak power, even if only for a short time.

"Then let's see just how strong you were in your prime,"

Kairos said, his eyes alight with anticipation.

"Take my blade!"

Whitebeard swung Cong Yunqie, his massive naginata.

The quake sphere shimmered once again, cloaking the blade.

His Haki surged—both Armament and Conqueror's Haki fused over the weapon.

This wasn't the same as before.

No, this strike had real weight behind it.

The last one?

It was nothing compared to this.

"The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit…"

"Is it strong enough to shatter space itself?"

"If so, then I'll fight back with this move!"

Kairos's Observation Haki immediately sensed the incoming attack's immense energy.

His expression grew serious.

Without wasting a moment, he grasped his third-generation Kitetsu.

Armament Haki.

Conqueror's Haki.

And—the power of the Space Slate!

Sword Flow: Dimensional Slash!!!

As Kairos unleashed the slash, his sword energy—now charged with spatial force—raced toward Whitebeard's incoming attack.

CRACK!!!

The first explosion came from Whitebeard's quake strike.

The space around them shattered like glass, visible rifts forming in the air.

But Kairos's slash didn't stop.

CRACK!!!

His dimensional slash collided with the quake energy, and the air itself trembled violently.

There was a brief deadlock.

And then—SNAP!

Kairos's attack pierced deeper.

His power was purer, more refined than Whitebeard's vibration-induced spatial shatter.

As a result, it overwhelmed the older man's technique.

Whitebeard's attack was cleaved apart.

SPLURT!!!

The lingering energy from Kairos's strike didn't just erase Whitebeard's attack—it struck him directly.

A ten-centimeter-long slash tore across Whitebeard's chest.

Blood spurted from the fresh wound.

Yet for a man like Whitebeard, hardened by countless battles, it was a mere scratch.

Still, it wasn't just the injury that shook him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He staggered back several steps before regaining his footing.

His eyes locked onto Kairos—stunned.

He had tapped into what felt like his near-peak strength...

And yet this young upstart had suppressed him with brute force.

It was unreal.

He had never seen such terrifying strength in someone so young.

Even the Red-Haired Shanks, at the time he became one of the Four Emperors, likely wasn't stronger than the Kairos Flint standing before him.

Now he understood how this kid could suppress Garp and go toe-to-toe with monsters.

"Seems like if I fight you with weapons, I might accidentally kill you."

"So, Whitebeard..."

"From here on out—I'll fight you with my fists and feet!"

Kairos calmly sheathed his cursed blade.

"You brat—are you mocking me?!"

Whitebeard seethed with rage.

He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

The boy was putting away his weapon—out of pity?

What was that line?

Accidentally hack me to death?

Was this not blatant humiliation?!

"If that's your real strength, Whitebeard..."

"Then try to force me to draw my blade again!"

Kairos declared, unapologetically arrogant.

Every word was like a slap to Whitebeard's pride.

And yet, he didn't flinch.

He was facing the man long hailed as the strongest in the world, and yet he still spoke like this.

It was beyond audacious. It was sacrilege.

He might as well have taken Whitebeard's reputation and ground it into the dirt.

"You little bastard!"

"You think you can disrespect me and walk away?!"

"You'll pay with your life!"

Whitebeard bellowed, his voice shaking the air.

"Then stop talking!"

"Come at me, Whitebeard!"

"Show me if you—at your so-called peak—can force me to draw my weapon!"

"Or prove that even at your best... you're still no match for me!"

Kairos's fists were now cloaked in twin layers of Armament and Conqueror's Haki.

He clenched his fists tightly—ready to fight hand-to-hand.