Yamato was being dragged along by the frantic Two-Ha. Upon witnessing the terrifying scene, Two-Ha didn't wait for orders. He bolted, screaming in panic, nearly wetting himself. Jack, seeing the chaos, used Geppo to propel himself into the air.
"Fall back! Retreat!"
The others echoed his panic, shouting as they scrambled backward.
"This old man's strength hasn't waned one bit!"
Kaido had transformed into his azure dragon form. After a series of fiery blasts and destructive gusts, the raging tsunami was finally subdued. Just as the Beast Pirates began to feel relieved, a massive tremor shook the area, leaving everyone slack-jawed.
"Boom…"
"What the…?"
"What's going on now?!"
A massive fissure tore through the middle of Renske Port, splitting it cleanly in two. Many pirates tumbled into the sea as the ground beneath them gave way. Only now did Jack understand why Kaido had ordered their ships to dock elsewhere earlier.
Fish-men, led by Finder and Willy, dove into the sea to rescue their crewmates. Meanwhile, Jack stared at the jagged crack in the ground, which oddly resembled a lychee combined with a cannon. He couldn't help but mutter:
"Just from the shape, you can tell Whitebeard's craftsmanship."
"Gurararara! How do you like my little return gift, Kaido?"
"Worororororo! Not bad, old man!"
As the ships drew closer, the intense auras radiating from both Whitebeard and Kaido clashed violently. The overcast skies suddenly cleared, and an oppressive wave of Conqueror's Haki swept over the area. Pirates, both on the ships and near the port, collapsed en masse.
Kaido and Whitebeard staggered slightly, but neither moved. Meanwhile, Marco led the charge against the Beast Pirates, and King immediately flew in to intercept him.
Jack, who had been knocked to the ground by the wave of Haki, shook his head and stood up, only to realize that the Whitebeard Pirates were already storming the battlefield.
The chaotic scene unfolded as pirates from both sides clashed. Kaido and Whitebeard locked onto each other with their Observation Haki, maintaining their distance without making a move. Jack couldn't help but recall the destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. No wonder Kaido had scoffed at the cannon installations built by Kerr earlier.
'With one earthquake, all that equipment was destroyed. What a waste of resources,' Jack thought.
Whitebeard, known as the Strongest Man in the World, truly lived up to his name. The devastation caused by his devil fruit was nothing short of a natural disaster.
Jack steadied himself and surveyed the battlefield, looking for suitable opponents. Marco and King were engaged in an intense aerial battle, and it didn't seem like their fight would end anytime soon. Yamato was up against a portly man wielding a massive hammer, while Who's-Who and Sasaki fought what appeared to be division commanders.
As for Rim, he was locked in a sword duel with a flamboyant figure in a kimono who was difficult to discern as male or female. Their clash seemed evenly matched. Finder and the others were nowhere to be seen, likely fighting underwater.
Overall, the battle was evenly matched, with neither side gaining a clear advantage. However, the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders were noticeably stronger than the Beast Pirates' officers. It often took two or three Tobiroppo to hold off a single division commander. Jack frowned and decided to take out a few of the Whitebeard commanders himself.
He hadn't gone far when he abruptly stopped. Three powerful presences locked onto him from different directions—left, right, and directly ahead.
"Hm?"
Jack scanned his surroundings and quickly recalled the Whitebeard Pirates' wanted posters. It didn't take long to recognize the three figures.
"Whitebeard's Third Division Commander—Diamond Jozu!"
"Fourth Division Commander—Thatch!"
"And Fifth Division Commander—Flower Sword Vista!"
"You're really making me feel special, singling me out like this!" Jack grinned.
"Ha ha ha!" Vista, wearing his signature navy-blue top hat and flaunting his impressive chest hair, laughed first.
"We had no choice. Drought Jack's reputation precedes him," Vista said. "The World Government's reports claim you have the same indestructible physique as Kaido!"
"A monster among monsters!"
Thatch, wielding twin swords and sporting his signature pompadour, eyed Jack up and down.
"Your build does look a bit bigger than Kaido's. If we're going by size, the youngest 'monster' might just live up to the hype!"
"But are you really a Fish-man? You don't have any Fish-man traits," he added with a smirk.
"None of your damn business!" Jack snapped. He glanced at the silent Jozu, then at Vista's overwhelming chest hair and the shadow beneath Thatch's chef coat. "You hairy bastards are really getting on my nerves!"
Vista laughed. "Well, that's a first!"
"And you!" Jack pointed at Jozu. "Shouldn't the Third Division Commander outrank these two chatterboxes? Why are you letting them speak for you?"
"Humph." Jozu's arm suddenly turned into diamond as he charged toward Jack.
"Let's settle this!"
"Soru!"
Jack suddenly launched himself toward the Moby Dick. Vista, Thatch, and Jozu, thinking he was about to attack Whitebeard, quickly gave chase.
"Hey! You coward, don't run!"
"Stop right there!"
"Hmm…" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes as he watched Jack charging toward his ship.
The surrounding pirates tried to block Jack's path, but he bulldozed through them, ignoring their attacks. Cannons, bullets, and even Vista's slashes failed to leave a mark on his skin.
Moments later, Jack landed on the edge of the port and looked around before leaping onto the Moby Dick.
"Oi, you!" Thatch shouted, readying his swords.
But to everyone's surprise, Jack didn't attack Whitebeard. Instead, he glanced at Whitebeard's chin and muttered, "Old man, lend me your ship!"
"Bring it closer!"
Whitebeard, intrigued, leaned forward and called out, "Oi, Jack, was it? Did you kill Andre? Let him go!"
"How about it? Become my son!"
Jack roared in anger. "Like hell I would!"
"Such language. I was being polite, and this is how you respond?" Whitebeard teased. "What would it take, then?"
Jack shot back furiously, "Unless your sons all turn into daughters, don't even think about it!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg