Chapter 151

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After a long while, Whitebeard finally managed to stand up slowly, coughing a few times as he did.

The power behind that last punch had been truly overwhelming.

Even someone like him—known as the strongest man in the world—couldn't ignore the impact. Once the clash of Devil Fruit abilities had subsided, it turned into a raw contest of strength. And the moment their fists met, Whitebeard felt as if he'd been struck by an entire island. An unstoppable surge of force poured into him.

That was why, after taking the hit, he lay on the ground for quite some time before managing to get back up.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to move—it was that the sheer force of the impact had caused several bones in his body to shift out of place. It took him a while to recover.

"This kid... he must be some kind of monster in human skin," Whitebeard thought grimly as he looked at Kairos Flint.

The power was too unreal. If Whitebeard hadn't been through a lifetime of battles and hardships, with experience rivaling legends, he might've truly been crushed by that blow. If he had underestimated that hit for even a second, he'd be on the floor for good.

After all, Whitebeard didn't have the iron body defenses of Big Mom.

His strength came from his incredibly tough physique, his top-tier mastery of all three types of Haki, and the devastating abilities of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. That combination had earned him the title of the world's strongest man.

Even so—he admitted it—Kairos Flint was a challenge.

Still, Whitebeard standing up again? That was within Kairos's expectations. If the so-called strongest man couldn't even endure one punch at full strength, it would have been laughable.

"God's Technique: Thunder God's Grip!"

Kairos leapt into the air, raising one hand. A colossal bolt of visible lightning formed and crackled in his grasp.

Then, with a mighty swing, he hurled the lightning bolt straight at Whitebeard.

BZZZT!!!

Reacting instantly, Whitebeard raised his greatblade to intercept it. He managed to block the strike, but the exertion left him gasping for breath.

And not without reason.

His stamina had only recovered to about 70%. To match Kairos's intensity, he'd pushed himself back to his peak for a brief moment. But doing that required immense physical strength.

Couple that with the devastating punch he'd just endured, and his body was clearly struggling.

That's why he looked so ragged.

"God's Skill: Forbidden Land!"

Kairos blurred forward, appearing directly in front of Whitebeard. On his right fist, a spherical distortion—similar to the one Whitebeard created with his Tremor-Tremor Fruit—began to form.

Then he launched his punch.

"Are all young people this energetic these days?!" Whitebeard gritted his teeth and countered with a punch of his own. The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surged forward through his fist.

BOOM!!!

Their fists collided once more.

But this time, Kairos's power burst forth with terrifying intensity.

For a moment, Whitebeard's Shockwave ability was completely overpowered.

Kairos's attack carried with it the force of a Repulsion Stone—its essence embedded into his fist. The concentrated shockwave unleashed at the moment of impact expelled everything in its path with brutal force.

BOOM!!!

Whitebeard was sent flying.

And not just him.

The entire island shook under the force of that blow. Over ten layers of soil and rock were torn up beneath their feet, and a massive, semicircular crater formed at the center—taking up nearly a third of the island.

The power behind that punch was monstrous.

PFFFT!!

Whitebeard nearly flew off the island completely, landing hard in the surrounding waters. But because he took the full force of Kairos's strike at point-blank range, he felt the pain deep in his core.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Worse yet—he knew exactly where the damage was coming from.

His internal organs had taken a beating. No amount of sheer willpower could change that. If he forced himself to keep fighting, his body might completely collapse. The worst-case scenario? The accumulated internal damage would end up worse than all the lingering injuries he'd sustained in decades past.

So…

"Kairos... I admit defeat."

Whitebeard's voice was steady, but those words did not come easily.

He was Whitebeard—the man who once stood atop the seas. Surrender was never in his vocabulary.

But age… age had changed things.

If he were still in his prime, he would've fought to the death without hesitation.

But now, he had responsibilities—his sons, his crew. What would happen to them if he fell here?

Especially Ace…

He hadn't heard from Ace in far too long. His son had been chasing after that traitor Blackbeard, but Whitebeard knew—anyone capable of hiding on his ship for so many years had to be exceptionally dangerous. Blackbeard was no fool. He must've been hiding his true power all this time.

That's why Ace had gone after him. And that's why he hadn't been in touch lately.

Normally, Ace would call every few days. But now? Silence.

Whitebeard's heart felt heavy.

And his other sons—his family—they were all relying on him. What would happen if he died here?

As for pride?

Sure, surrender hurt. But compared to the lives of his sons, a little bruised ego was meaningless.

More importantly—there wasn't any deep hatred between him and Kairos. This wasn't a blood feud. If he admitted defeat, it wasn't like Kairos would demand his life.

So…

Why fight to the bitter end?