Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Yarn twirled the wine glass in his hand, then spoke.

"Really? That Pirate King who was executed still harbors such a dream? But that kind of dream has nothing to do with me. If I want to change something, I will choose to do it myself, rather than placing all my hopes on other things or pure prophecies, fate and other such vague and illusory things."

Whitebeard tilted his head slightly, realizing he had already gleaned what he wanted to know from Arn's answer, and then began to answer Arn's questions in return.

"Children can't stay by their father's side forever; that wouldn't be good for their development. But how can I, as an old man, completely let my children venture out on their own across this vast ocean, and listen attentively to their laughter and joy as they adventure on the sea?"

[Chapter 683. Making a Pact]

After a pause, Whitebeard clenched his fist, feeling the power within his body, as if he had made a decision. His tone became slightly serious as he spoke.

"I used to have the will to change certain things, but as a remnant of the era, there's not much I can do anymore, and my body can't support my whims. But now..."

At the end, Whitebeard paused and looked towards Yann.

Arn raised an eyebrow slightly, vaguely understanding Whitebeard's meaning.

Then, Yann paused for a moment, patted Kong and Ying beside him, and said in a gentle tone.

"It's not good for such a lively banquet to stay by my side. Go on your journey across the sea, since you've already begun your journey. Go and learn about some different things."

With her mouth stuffed full, Ying blinked at Yann upon hearing this, not quite understanding what Yann meant. Suddenly, she was pulled up from her seat by Sora and walked towards Marco, Ace, Jozu, and the others.

"Oh, and no drinking, and no talking nonsense..."

Finally, Yann reminded Sora and Ying to avoid inadvertently revealing any information related to their identities.

As Sora and Luminous walked a little further away, Yone looked up at Whitebeard and said, "It seems you've made up your mind, Whitebeard."

Whitebeard also put down the wine jar in his hand, and with a hint of domineering arrogance in his eyes, he said.

"Now that I've obtained this body that can support my willful behavior, if I don't do something, I'm afraid I'll be looked down upon by Roger, that guy who used his life to create an era."

"Yarn reminded me."

"Whitebeard, based on my judgment, the effect of pure gold is only to slow down the aging of body cells to an almost infinite degree, thereby achieving immortality of the body and preventing the deterioration of all diseases related to bodily functions. However, this does not mean that one has an immortal body."

"Kid, are you underestimating me?" the white-bearded man retorted sharply.

"No, it's merely a test of your resolve. If you're not even prepared to risk your life, then there's no need to continue cooperating. The only fate for an old man who's greedy for immortality and unwilling to be buried in a coffin is to slowly decay," Yann said calmly.

"Gurararara, who do you think I am, brat! I'm Whitebeard!!!"

As Whitebeard finished speaking, he swung his hand back and raised the "Supreme Grade Sword - Murakumogiri" beside the throne, slashing it down at Yann.

"Arrogant brat, if that's how it is, then let me personally measure your capacity before we talk."

"Really, just as I expected. That's why I especially hate drunken old men. They're probably just looking for an excuse to fight..."

Arn muttered a helpless sigh, and his "Bankai: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru," which hadn't been deactivated, suddenly charged towards Murakumogiri, and...

"Conqueror's Haki Enveloping!"

Black and red lightning suddenly appeared on Yann's body.

"As expected, you little brat also have the makings of a king..."

Seeing this, Whitebeard also used his "Conqueror's Haki Entanglement" ability almost simultaneously.

Before the Murakumogiri and Zanpakuto could even truly collide, two completely different Conqueror's Haki clashed violently, creating a towering storm centered on Whitebeard and Aon, with the intensely colliding black and red lightning spreading wildly outwards.

This... is not a pure clash of brute force, but rather a true collision of power in the form of "Conqueror's Haki".

This sudden turn of events plunged the entire banquet into an instant of silence. No one had expected that Whitebeard, who was sitting alone drinking, would suddenly start fighting with Arn.

"what happened?"

"What a terrifying collision! Those of you who aren't prepared should back off now, or no one will take care of you if you pass out."

"Wait, the sky... the sky has actually cracked open..."

As Jozu glanced unintentionally upwards at Whitebeard and Yann, he was astonished to find that the aftershocks of the clash between their Conqueror's Haki were even altering the sky.

Immediately, Whitebeard and Yann realized that the aftershocks of just one attack were already enough to overwhelm most of the pirates at the banquet.

The next instant, Whitebeard and Yann moved swiftly to the opposite side of the banquet center, and in the process, they continued to fight fiercely without holding back.

"Airquake!"

"Ice Dragon Tail Spin!"

In an instant, pure white ice blocks and cracks filled large areas, and tiny ice crystals, shattered into powder, floated in the air, creating a stunning and dreamlike scene.

And as Whitebeard and Yann moved further apart, the battle became increasingly exaggerated, with ice dragons roaring, angular icebergs falling, and spiderweb-like cracks constantly intertwining...

Almost none of the pirates attending the banquet could maintain their composure at this moment; they all watched in shock as Yann and Whitebeard battled from afar.

Compared to the rather unpretentious battle between Whitebeard and Garp nearly two years ago, or the awe-inspiring counterattack Whitebeard recently faced against a pure gold lanternfish the size of an island, none of these are as exaggerated as the commotion before us.

A clash of soaring strikes, a confrontation of Conqueror's Haki, a conflict between extreme cold and vibration...

This scene fully demonstrated to the pirates what the most advanced all-around battle on the sea is like!

Ace's pupils contracted repeatedly, his face filled with shock, and he muttered through gritted teeth, "This bastard held back so much while fighting me, who does he think he is!"

Ultimately, the battle lasted for most of the day before gradually subsiding due to the exhaustion of both sides.

Aside from the fact that Yann's physical condition made him unsuitable for long battles lasting several days, Whitebeard, at nearly seventy years old, still experienced a significant decline in physical strength compared to his peak years.

However... in terms of the battle itself, both Yann and Whitebeard acknowledged each other's strength to a great extent.

Finally, after nearly an hour of fighting had subsided, Yann and Whitebeard slowly returned to the banquet area and actually shared a drink.

"Then... it's a deal, Hyōrinmaru," Whitebeard said slowly.

"Yes, this is a promise, Whitebeard..."

However, no one knew exactly what agreement Whitebeard and Yann had made. After sharing a drink, Yann got up and left the still-ongoing "Whitebeard Pirates" banquet with Sora and Luminous.

[Chapter 684. The Price of Bloodline Factor Awakening? (Third Update)]

Far from the edge of the ice where the Whitebeard Pirates were, Yann removed his mask, unleashed his Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru, and restored many of his physical characteristics, including his hair color, to his normal appearance as the "Marine Hero" Tefimo Yann.

However, Yann's complexion looked somewhat abnormal, and there was obvious blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Father, are you injured?" Ying asked nervously.

Arn smiled and reassured Sora and Hikari, "It's nothing serious, just a minor injury. Whitebeard's injuries are probably much more serious than mine..."

In fact, Yann's injuries were quite serious; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them serious injuries.

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, in Whitebeard's hands, indeed wielded terrifying power akin to the destruction of the world, especially effective against physically weak individuals like Yann, where it truly held a restraining effect.

Fortunately, the Zanpakuto that Aon used this time was not "Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi", but "Bankai: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru", which can form a protective ice layer on the body surface. Otherwise, Aon's body probably would not have been able to withstand it for long.

but……

Yaen closed his eyes slightly, a hint of joy appearing on his face.

Through this battle, after his spiritual pressure was sufficient to fully control the power of "Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru", Yann completely confirmed that he truly possessed the strength to confront a monster like Whitebeard head-on.

Unlike the previous battle between Aon and "Red-Haired" Shanks, where Shanks was already quite exhausted from his battle with "Beasts" Kaido, Aon almost purely relied on "Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi" and speed to wear down Shanks.

Although Shanks readily admitted his defeat in that battle, Yann knew very well that he would not be a match for Shanks in a direct confrontation.

Now that he has fully mastered "Bankai: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru", Aon has truly confirmed that his strength has reached the pinnacle of the ocean.

Besides this, what pleased Arn even more in this battle was the secret agreement reached with Whitebeard, which greatly advanced the plan that Arn had been secretly plotting.

It's important to know that Whitebeard's body will no longer age, and his fighting strength will remain at a terrifying level...

'Tsk... When the old man truly discovers this, he'll probably be quite pleased...'

As Yann imagined the possible expression on Marshal Sengoku's face, he felt inexplicably pleased.

Immediately, Little Gold, which had been hidden high in the sky, landed in front of Yaen. Yaen then led Sora and Luminosity into the castle and had Little Gold return towards the naval warship.

As Sora and Ying entered the familiar environment of the castle, they visibly relaxed. They didn't even have time to wash up before they lay down on the sofa in the hall and fell fast asleep.

Seeing the exhaustion on Sora and Hikari's faces, Yan took out two blankets to cover them before returning to the room to inform Hancock and Robin that they had successfully found Sora and Hikari.

The only thing that left Ahn somewhat unsure how to explain was that Sora and Hikari, whom they had found, had grown up rather quickly…

Keep in mind that Hancock and Robin are only in their twenties, but Sora and Luna look like they are already twelve or thirteen years old.

'No, shouldn't I be the one with the headache? A mother in her twenties, a child of thirteen or fourteen—if word got out, wouldn't I be considered a pervert by the uninformed public?'

'Besides, I'm only in my early thirties, and now I'm leading Sora and Hikari out...'

Ahn's lips twitched slightly as he imagined all sorts of misunderstandings that were impossible to explain. He couldn't help but consider whether he should try to distance himself from Sora and Ying in front of outsiders in the future.

'Or... should I just call you brother...?'

'This is difficult. We still need to figure out what exactly happened between Sora and Hikari.'

……

However, after Sora and Hikari woke up from their sleep, and after asking them a few questions, Ahn's expression twitched slightly.

After Sora and Ying left Marineford in a submarine, they did indeed head straight for Wano Country without hesitation, just as Aon had predicted, in an attempt to find Aon there.

However, in addition to leaving Kong and Ying with immense wealth in some secret treasure troves, Yann also deliberately left exoskeleton armor for self-defense and the latest bloodline factor drugs to enhance physical strength in the submarine.

Kong, in particular, has a physique almost identical to that of Arn, which is what worries Arn the most.

However, an unexpected incident occurred. After Sora and Hikari tried to put on the exoskeleton armor, they fell into a coma while injecting the bloodline factor drug.

When Sora and Hikari woke up again, they were in the stomach acid of a pure gold lanternfish. The submarine had been corroded and riddled with holes, with only the exoskeleton armor protecting Sora and Hikari's much grown bodies.

It was around that time that Olga discovered Sora and Hikari and brought them to the island. The three of them then lived together on the island for over a year.

As he listened to the end, Yann's expression kept changing.

Could the reason why Sora and Ying's physical age is increasing rapidly be related to the bloodline factor drug they left in the submarine?

That's not right...

Yaen was very clear about the two bloodline factor potions.

Since Sora and Luminous's physical structures and bloodline factor sequences were modified versions of Sanji and Reiju, Law conducted in-depth research on the bloodline factor sequence technology mastered by the Vinsmoke family.

Ultimately, Law discovered that the Vinsmoke family's bloodline factor sequence still needed to go through an "awakening" process in order to fully express most of the latent abilities hidden within the bloodline factor sequence in the body.

For example, it can enhance physical recovery, increase explosive power, improve physical toughness, and allow the body to withstand higher temperatures.

However, Luo's research on the lineage factor sequence was not yet complete, so the lineage factor potion he developed could only forcibly awaken all the latent abilities of the Vinsmoke family's lineage factor sequence, without taking any risks to make any changes to Sora and Luminosity's lineage factors.

'Is it a side effect of the medication? Or the price of forcibly expressing the recessive ability of the lineage factor sequence? Or perhaps, during this process, Kong and Ying were affected by the pure gold within the pure gold lanternfish's body?'