As the iron ship soared into the air, Alucard activated Hidden Shadow, retracting the vessel, leaving himself suspended high above, resembling a colossal blood-red bat.
The sudden disappearance of such a massive ship momentarily stunned Whitebeard, but he swiftly concentrated the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit at the tip of his naginata. A white, net-like vibrating membrane covered the blade, and he fiercely lunged towards Alucard.
"A blade clash? Interesting!" Alucard opened and closed his right hand, and irregular blood plasma coalesced into a long, slender form, rapidly solidifying into a massive sword.
The moment their weapons collided, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit exploded. Violent shockwaves emanated from between the two blades, causing the sea beneath the ship to ripple into layer after layer of dizzying distortions.
Marco, holding one hand above his head to shield himself from the shockwave, struggled to his feet. He rushed to the helm, steering the Moby Dick towards a nearby small island.
Regardless, Pops was a Devil Fruit user, and fighting on the open sea was ultimately disadvantageous. If it were an ordinary enemy, a single swing of the naginata would suffice, but this time, the level was different; such a maneuver was necessary.
As the two clashed, the Moby Dick began to turn its bow, heading towards the nearby island.
The giant sword began to crack under the immense force from the opposing side. As they clashed, Alucard suddenly freed one hand, click-clack, chambering a round with his teeth. He aimed at Whitebeard's forehead and fired.
The instant Alucard pulled the trigger, Whitebeard simultaneously freed his other hand, which wasn't gripping the naginata. A pure white orb of light coalesced on his fist, and he punched.
In a flash, Alucard saw the scene before him shatter like glass. In the next second, he was flung onto a nearby small island, stopping only after smashing through several small mountain peaks on the island, finally embedding himself in the fifth mountain's summit.
The tremors gradually subsided, and the Whitebeard Pirates crew, who had been crouched on the ground, began to rise.
At this moment, Whitebeard leaped onto the island's beach. Many who had witnessed Alucard being sent flying by Whitebeard cheered the moment they stood up.
"What are you celebrating for?!" Just as everyone was cheering, Marco, still bandaged and resembling a half-mummy, walked to the center of the crowd and said, "That guy isn't dead yet!"
"How many people could survive Pops' attack?"
The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates crew members spoke in disbelief. At this point, Jozu and Vista also walked to the ship's railing and said, "Didn't you see Pops jump ashore? That's proof enough."
"If Alucard the Immortal died that easily, could he really be compared to Kaido and Charlotte Linlin?"
Coincidentally, the moment these two commanders finished speaking, a gigantic black hound suddenly burst out from behind a stone mountain on the beach opposite Whitebeard, lunging at him.
Whitebeard swept his arm, blocking the black hound Casull's upper and lower jaws with his naginata, keeping its mouth agape but unable to close.
"!" Just then, a hand suddenly emerged from the black hound's mouth, holding a black pistol. The Whitebeard Pirates clearly hadn't expected such a move, and countless voices immediately cried out, "Watch out, Pops!"
"Checkmate! Whitebeard!" After his right hand, Alucard's face also emerged from Casull's mouth. He pulled the trigger of the Jackal black gun.
Whitebeard's mouth, beneath his mustache, moved slightly. An astonishing aura erupted from him, piercing the clouds, momentarily forcing Casull back and causing Alucard's shot to miss, narrowly grazing Whitebeard's shoulder.
Whitebeard plunged his naginata into the red rock ground beside him. He pressed his hands forward into the air, making a motion as if he were grasping something.
"I am... Whitebeard!"
The all-encompassing Conqueror's Haki was released. A massive destructive force utterly pulverized everything in front of Whitebeard. In everyone's gaze, the space where Alucard and the black hound covered in eyes were located began to shatter like glass.
Until a shocking sound rang out, Alucard, the black hound, and over half the area of the small island were seen shattered into countless pieces, like building blocks.
Alucard's body was buried in the shattered debris, with countless rocks raining down from the sky.
Each time, it was equally spectacular, the world-destroying power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The Whitebeard Pirates and the crews of the other ships cheered once more.
Blood continuously flowed from the rubble. There seemed to be something strange within it, causing Marco and the others to look grim. Suddenly, countless crimson eyes, identical to those on the eerie black dog earlier, covered the pool of blood and also spread across most of the beach. It was incredibly unsettling, making one's skin crawl.
"What is that thing?"
Suddenly, everyone saw a dark red shadow gradually rise from the pile of rubble, slowly solidifying into a human form. They all knew it was Alucard himself.
"Whitebeard, I'll admit you're the strongest enemy I've encountered so far." Alucard, in his shadow state, spoke in his deep voice.
Although he had clashed with Roger before, that was merely a small "play"—Roger hadn't used his full power.
Whitebeard was the first enemy who truly showed Alucard the peak of this world.
Alucard brought his hands together like two blades, his thumbs raised to form a rectangular frame, facing Whitebeard. "Release Restraint, Ability Restriction Lifted."
The moment Alucard finished speaking, Whitebeard suddenly saw the space around him darken. Countless massive red eyes, as large as oxen, appeared around him, staring intently.
"Hmm? What's with this thing?" There wasn't a trace of fear in Whitebeard's eyes; if anything, there was only a slight confusion and impatience.
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