Capítulo 137: Chapter 137: Style
Everyone present could feel their power increase to varying degrees. For those who hadn't demonstrated their abilities yet, their style points were judged purely based on appearance. As a result, beauties like Boa Hancock, with her unparalleled looks, received the highest boost—up to double her strength. Conversely, individuals like Kizaru, with his perpetually sleazy expression, felt almost no enhancement.
In mere moments, the attention of the Marines shifted from Whitebeard to Alex. It was evident that the large-scale anomaly was his doing.
Among the Admirals, Akainu, with his relatively dignified appearance, stood up. He activated his Observation Haki to assess the changes in his body. Having honed his physique to its peak, Akainu had long reached a plateau in his growth, where further improvement was nearly impossible.
Yet now, he felt a significant transformation—his power had increased by at least 20%. For someone of his caliber, such a boost was monumental; even a slight edge could determine victory or defeat in a battle, let alone a boost of this magnitude.
However, despite feeling stronger, Akainu was far from pleased. Instead, a heavy sense of dread loomed over him.
If these changes were truly Alex's doing, what did that imply? It meant that even Admirals, wielders of Haki at its peak, were not immune to Alex's interference. They were like fish on a chopping block, vulnerable to his whims.
Stepping forward, Akainu radiated an intimidating presence despite lacking Conqueror's Haki: "Alex, what did you just do?"
As the battlefield's energy grew more intense, Alex's excitement mirrored it. Facing Akainu's question, he responded with a playful smile:
"Why, I simply added more fuel to an already blazing fire, ensuring the flames burn brighter and longer!"
Through the brief exchange between Akainu and Alex, everyone realized that Alex was behind the anomaly. These elite soldiers from around the world fully grasped the implications.
"Unbelievable! I thought the stories about Alex defeating two Admirals were exaggerated, but they must be true. Even the old man Whitebeard might be affected by this," a 100mil bounty pirate from Whitebeard's crew muttered.
"Could it be that his strength surpasses even the old man's? And he's known as the strongest man in the world!" another pirate exclaimed in disbelief.
On the Marine side, the tens of thousands of soldiers were equally astonished, their eyes locked on the figure standing beside Whitebeard.
Though much shorter than Whitebeard, Alex's presence was overwhelming, even overshadowing the Emperor himself.
"A power that influences tens of thousands at once… just how strong is he?"
"Is he even human? He's a monster!"
At that moment, a Marine rushed to the execution platform, holding a Den Den Mushi. Handing it to Sengoku with a panicked expression, he reported: "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! It's terrible! Alex's Devil Fruit ability doesn't just cover Marineford—it spans the entire world!
"The Grand Line, the Four Seas, the Red Line—everything is under his influence. Everywhere, things of beauty are gaining immense power. Based on Vegapunk's calculations, the maximum boost can triple the original strength!"
"What?!" Sengoku's face darkened. Grabbing the Den Den Mushi, it immediately morphed into the face of an elder from the Gorosei.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," came the familiar voice of one of the Five Elders, "No matter the cost, Alex must die. He has surpassed Fire Fist Ace and even Gol D. Roger as the greatest threat to the world!"
Sengoku's expression grew heavier. He nodded and replied, "Understood."
In the luxurious chambers of Mary Geoise, sunlight filtered through the ornate glass, yet it failed to lift the oppressive atmosphere.
The Gorosei sat grimly, their eyes fixed on the projection from a surveillance Den Den Mushi. There stood Alex, the most dangerous criminal in the world, beside Whitebeard. His rise had eclipsed even the Revolutionary Army, making him the most destabilizing force. His actions had even drawn the attention of Im-sama.
The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with their collective malice. Even the sunlight seemed to dim under their oppressive presence.
Finally, one of the Five Elders broke the silence: "Alex… must die."
Back at Marineford, Whitebeard sensed the shift in the air. His eyes widened as he turned to Alex.
"Incredible power… But none of that matters now. Alex, step back. The war is about to begin."
Whitebeard moved forward, his gaze sweeping over the tens of thousands of Marines, the Warlords, and the Admirals, before settling on Ace atop the execution platform.
"Gurararara… Hold on, Ace! I'm coming!"
Whitebeard's muscles tensed as he crossed his arms over his chest, sinking into a low stance. Channeling every ounce of his strength, he swung both arms outward like sledgehammers.
Though his fists struck only air, the result was as if they had shattered a solid surface. Cracks resembling broken glass spread from his fists, radiating outward. The immense tremors centered around Whitebeard caused the sea to churn violently, forming two colossal water spheres flanking Marineford.
But Whitebeard wasn't finished. Maintaining his stance, he tested his body, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he glanced at Alex. Activating his powers, he noticed the amplification—his strength had doubled!
Seeing Alex give him a thumbs-up, Whitebeard burst into laughter.
"Gurararara! So this is the power of style points?"
With veins bulging on his forearms, the cracks in the air widened, and the twin water spheres rose even higher, now towering hundreds of meters above the sea.
Once the water reached its zenith, Whitebeard pulled back his fists. The massive water columns transformed into titanic waves, surging toward Marineford with destructive intent. If left unchecked, this single attack could obliterate the entire base.
The tidal waves loomed, casting massive shadows over the Marine stronghold. The terrifying natural force darkened the skies, as if seeking to engulf all in its path.
The sight of impending doom sent waves of panic through the 100,000 Marines. Numbers meant nothing against such overwhelming power. Without intervention, this one strike would claim thousands of lives.
"So this is the strength of the world's strongest man?" a Marine muttered, his legs trembling as he stared at the monstrous waves.
"I… I don't want to die!" another cried, clutching his head in despair.
Even veteran leaders like Sengoku and Garp were momentarily taken aback. They were stunned to realize that Whitebeard appeared to be in his prime. His illness? Gone.
More alarming was that, despite his age, his Devil Fruit powers had grown even more formidable. In his prime, he could barely summon waves a fraction of this size, yet now his attacks threatened to drown the entire Marine base.
Vice Admiral Tsuru observed calmly, releasing a heavy sigh.
"This is the effect of style points. Whitebeard's Devil Fruit abilities are flashy, granting him a high style rating, which significantly enhances his power."
Garp's face darkened with frustration. He suspected Alex had intentionally disadvantaged him. His abilities relied purely on physical strength—effective but not visually impressive. Coupled with his rugged appearance, his style points were abysmally low, and thus his gains from the boost were minimal.
Judging by Whitebeard's current power, Garp admitted he could no longer match his old rival.
As the waves threatened to crash down, the Admirals could no longer stay idle. Aokiji stood up, abandoning his usual laid-back demeanor. He leaped into the air, his arms transforming into ice that rapidly extended to meet the incoming waves.
"Ice Age!"
In mere moments, the towering waves froze solid, forming immense ice barriers that neutralized the threat to Marineford.
Aokiji didn't stop there. Despite his unremarkable appearance, his Devil Fruit powers possessed considerable style, granting him a significant boost.
Whitebeard, undeterred by the setback, chuckled coldly.
"Gurararara… Aokiji, you little brat…"
After freezing the waves, Aokiji remained airborne, fully encased in ice. He extended both hands toward Whitebeard.
"Ice Spear!"
Several icy projectiles hurtled toward Whitebeard, who nonchalantly punched the air. The quake's force shattered both the spears and Aokiji himself.
Aokiji reformed upon hitting the ground, his hand touching the sea. Instantly, the surrounding waters froze solid.
The ice encased Whitebeard's fleet, immobilizing their ships and preventing retreat. However, the frozen terrain also created a pathway, enabling the pirates to disembark and engage the Marines directly.
The sea freezing over signaled the beginning of the war. Both the Navy and pirates launched cannon fire at each other, while pirates charged across the frozen sea toward Marineford.
Blood, screams, fire, and explosions filled the battlefield, painting a brutal picture of the real pirate world. This was no hot-blooded adventure story; it was a life-and-death war.
Suddenly, a terrifying slash cut through the air, heading straight for the Moby Dick 1. The hardened ice split effortlessly, forcing the pirates in its path to scatter. Only a select few were capable of intercepting a blow from the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
Diamond Jozu leaped down to block the attack. As the wielder of the Diamond-Diamond Fruit, his body could transform into nearly indestructible diamond. In the original timeline, even Mihawk's strikes struggled to harm him.
But this time was different. Due to Alex's style-based power boost, Mihawk, with his refined and elegant swordsmanship, received a significant enhancement. In contrast, the brutish Jozu barely benefited from the style-based amplification.
Mihawk's enhanced slash tore through Jozu's defenses, leaving a deep wound on his chest, nearly exposing his internal organs. Fortunately, Jozu managed to stop the attack, but the cost was evident.
Without hesitation, Mihawk unleashed another strike, even stronger than the last, once again targeting the Moby Dick 1.
Jozu, already gravely injured, knew he couldn't withstand another blow. The precision and elegance of Mihawk's technique vastly outclassed his brute force.
Mihawk, standing at the port, fixed his hawk-like gaze on Alex and Whitebeard. One was the world's strongest man; the other was the infamous criminal who had defeated two admirals. Mihawk was eager to measure his strength against theirs, particularly Alex, who, despite his youth, wielded terrifying power.
Seeing Jozu in critical danger, Whitebeard prepared to step forward. But Alex interjected:
"Leave this to me. His attacks include me as a target, and I don't appreciate that."
Whitebeard glanced at Alex, who vanished in an instant, reappearing in front of Jozu.
Facing a slash capable of cleaving a mountain, Alex simply raised his hand, stopping the attack in its tracks.
All eyes turned to Alex—admirals, pirate captains, Warlords of the Sea. They watched intently, curious about how he would counter a strike that could rival a Yonko's full power.
Mihawk's slash closed in, but as it neared Alex, it abruptly halted, trembling in midair as if held back by an invisible barrier.
Whitebeard, with his advanced Observation Haki, noticed something unusual. This wasn't a barrier like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit. If it were, the slash would have shattered upon impact.
Instead, the distance between Alex and the attack seemed to stretch infinitely. The slash continued its motion but remained suspended, unable to bridge the ever-expanding gap.
"What kind of ability is this?" Akainu muttered, his face grim as he observed the frozen slash.
Top-tier Observation Haki users quickly grasped the essence of Alex's technique. They realized it rendered physical attacks, no matter how powerful, entirely ineffective unless they involved spatial or conceptual manipulation.
This understanding highlighted the terrifying nature of Alex's Limitless Technique. Even spatial and certain rule-based attacks could be neutralized.
With a simple clench of his fingers, Alex crushed Mihawk's flying slash using his vector manipulation.
He turned to Mihawk, a smile playing on his lips.
"Attacking the referee comes with consequences, World's Greatest Swordsman."
Alex then raised two fingers, mimicking a sword, and slashed downward. Vector forces intertwined, creating a devastating slash.
The attack carved a ten-meter-wide trench across the frozen battlefield, revealing the sea dozens of meters below.
The sheer force of the attack forced everyone to dodge, including the Warlords. Even they felt powerless against Alex's casual strike.
Mihawk's pupils contracted as he gripped his black blade, Yoru, tightly. With a serious expression, he countered Alex's attack with his strongest slash.
The resulting clash sent shockwaves rippling through the sea, hurling water high into the sky.
°°°
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