Just that single attack from Whitebeard — had it happened over Amazon Lily — would have destroyed most of the island, barely restored just recently.
Boom! Boom!
Through his Holy Insight, Grimm could clearly see that within Whitebeard's body, his cells were vibrating violently — and not just vibrating, but actually tearing apart.
Every Devil Fruit carries its own side effects, and the Tremor‑Tremor Fruit's are undoubtedly fatal.
This kind of internal damage from ruptured cells… even if Grimm were to heal him with Holy Light, the problem would return the moment Whitebeard used his power again.
After all, even cells have a lifespan.
Why did Sengoku or Golden Lion Shiki, who were of the same era, suffer no such critical hidden harm? Because their fruits did not come with such severe costs.
Though their strength had declined over the years, it was nowhere near as bad as Whitebeard's.
This was also why Kaido favored Zoan‑type fruits. Zoan abilities barely burden the body at all — in fact, they often improve physical constitution.
If one had to find a downside… perhaps some Zoan users do lose a bit of their intelligence.
Of course, the most terrifying case was Garp. Being a non‑Devil Fruit user, and with his carefree nature, his decline in strength was almost negligible.
As the attack subsided, the destruction of cells within Whitebeard's body gradually stabilized.
It was still manageable for him now — unlike during the Summit War, when even a single use of his power would leave him gasping for breath and exhausted.
Grimm stood atop a twenty‑meter‑high hill on the desolate island, looking down.
"To have developed a Fruit's power to such a level… yet your strength is fading with every step. If I could, I would have loved to fight you at your absolute peak — truly give it everything we had."
"Gurararara! Bold words, you little cross‑bearer!" Whitebeard laughed loudly.
Suddenly, he gripped his blade in his right hand, while his left fist gathered a massive white sphere of energy many times larger than his own hand. He hurled it straight toward Grimm.
BOOM!
Wherever the fist passed, space itself shattered and twisted. The shockwave was devastating, destroying everything in its path.
"Hah…"
Grimm let out a short breath, summoned the Guardian of Truth shield in front of his chest, and blocked the entire force of the blast.
His body was thrown backward more than a thousand meters.
A faint smile appeared on Grimm's lips. He opened his system interface and spoke:
"Phantom, prepare to fire."
"Phantom — copy that!" A sweet female voice answered in his ear.
BANG!
A deafening shot rang out. The black bullet came from a direction completely opposite to where Grimm stood.
Whitebeard sensed a deeply threatening aura. He focused his power into a ring of vibration at the tip of his bisento and swept it fiercely outward.
"TAKE THIS!"
Whitebeard roared and knocked three incoming bullets aside. The force split the ground into a bottomless chasm that stretched all the way to the distant sea, where water instantly rushed in to fill it.
BANG!
Another bullet arrived — this time from an angle thirty degrees off the previous one. Whitebeard's expression hardened.
He hardened his left arm with Armament Haki and struck hard — but this time, his reaction was wrong.
When the bullet met his black‑hardened fist, what should have been an impenetrable defense felt strangely weak and soft, unable to exert any strength at all.
Phantom Caitlyn's special ability: Devil Fruit User Buster — Armor‑Piercing Round. It could pierce through any Armament Haki, and this bullet was also forged with Sea‑Prism Stone.
The projectile tore through the skin of Whitebeard's left hand, leaving a terrifying gash running from the back of his hand all the way up to his shoulder.
Whitebeard let his arm fall limply to his side. Only after the bullet had passed through his flesh did his strength slowly begin to return.
Strong winds swept over Grimm, fluttering his black hair and the hem of his white coat. Golden light shone in his eyes as he smiled.
"Crafted by a genius scientist — specially alloyed with Sea‑Prism Stone powder. Total length: 39 cm. Weight: 16 kg. A 13 mm explosive armor‑piercing round. I had my Phantom equipped with them. Against Devil Fruit users? Never misses."
Whitebeard stood up straight again. He scanned the surroundings, using Observation Haki to sense anyone else nearby — but felt nothing.
"Where are you shooting from?! Attacking me from the shadows?!"
"Shadows? No… any technique that leads to victory is a good one. Does it matter how it's done?" Grimm replied casually.
Whitebeard did not press the point. Grimm was right — victory was all that mattered.
If his own attacks weren't so devastatingly powerful, he might have called all his sons to swarm Grimm together.
He didn't care much about this "genius scientist" either. Vegapunk was not yet famous in this era; only a handful of pirates knew of his capabilities.
"Father… is injured?!"
Aboard the Moby Dick, crew members watching through telescopes were stunned.
They had long accepted that Whitebeard could get hurt, or even die — but they never expected it to happen so soon.
"Commander Marco! Should we go help Father?!" a division member cried anxiously.
"Stay calm. A battle at this level… is not something we can interfere with." Marco said, crossing his arms.
"Actually… your opponent… is ME!"
Suddenly, the Moby Dick began to shake violently. Marco and the others looked up — Mannoroth had dived beneath the sea and lifted the entire ship right out of the water.
"It's that giant monster!" Jozu shouted.
Vista the Flower Sword drew his twin blades, furious. "Damn it! We were so focused on Father's fight… we completely forgot about him!"
Marco, the second‑in‑command, didn't waste words. Instantly transforming into a Phoenix, he shot toward the bottom of the ship.
Facing a being countless times larger than himself, he kicked hard against the giant hand holding the Moby Dick.
"YOU BASTARD! LET GO OF OUR SHIP!"
Stung by the pain, Mannoroth flinched and pulled his left hand back. The Moby Dick, no longer held steady, began to tilt and tip dangerously.
If nothing was done, it would crash face‑first into the sea.
"MARCO — GIVE ME A BOOST!"
Jozu, a Devil Fruit user, leaped from the deck. Even Mannoroth's face showed surprise — a Fruit user jumping into the sea?!
"Leave it to you, Jozu!"
Marco flapped his fiery wings, flew beside Jozu, and grabbed him. By now, Jozu's entire body — except for half his head — had turned into impenetrable diamond.
With a powerful swing of Marco's arm, Jozu's massive diamond‑body shot downward beneath the tilting ship.
"GAAAAAAAH!"
Jozu roared, driving both diamond‑hardened hands against the ship's hull.
Using the momentum from Marco's throw, plus his own immense physical strength — rivaling even that of an Admiral — he heaved with all his might.
Slowly but surely, the Moby Dick, which had been tipped halfway over, was forced back upright and steadied.
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off