บท 52: 52. Fifth Gear And Shock
Luffy's voice faded away as he spoke.
His entire body, now in his fourth gear, which was already larger than a normal person's, began to shrink. But it wasn't so much shrinking as it was transforming, like melting into a puddle of water.
It settled into this melted state with a series of booming drum sounds. From within this melted form, a soft, gentle white light emitted, accompanied by hearty laughter.
Anyone who heard this laughter couldn't help but smile, as if they were caught up in its infectious joy.
"What's happening?" Marco asked, surprised by the scene unfolding before him.
Zoro chuckled beside him. "Watch closely, Marco. You're about to witness our captain's extraordinary state and his fascinating ability. It was thanks to this that Luffy managed to defeat Admiral Kizaru in Sabaody."
"Defeat Admiral Kizaru?" Marco's eyes widened in astonishment.
The Admirals were formidable opponents, the pinnacle of the Marines' strength. Even Marco himself could only hold his own against them, let alone defeat one.
And yet, the Straw Hats had defeated an Admiral in Sabaody?
"I hadn't heard about that," Marco admitted.
"Well, the previous newspaper mentioned that the Straw Hats had clashed with the Celestial Dragons. It's no surprise the Admirals were called to Sabaody," Zoro explained.
Marco grasped the situation.
Given the Straw Hats' current display of power, it seemed impossible for Kizaru to defeat them, especially considering the formidable crew members among them.
If Luffy could still exhibit a stronger stance than what he was showing now, then defeating Kizaru wasn't out of the question.
With this thought in mind, Luffy's transformation was now complete.
"Hehehe," Luffy chuckled contagiously, standing under the radiant white light, almost resembling his original state. The difference was that his entire body, even his clothes, had turned white. His white hair resembled flickering flames, and the wisps of white steam surrounding him took on the appearance of fiery ribbons, swirling around him like divine tendrils.
With a glow emanating from his entire being, Luffy grinned happily. "Whitebeard, let's have a good fight."
In an instant, he vanished from his spot.
"His speed is much faster than before," Whitebeard noted, the silver-white light glinting in his eyes as his Observation Haki keenly tracked Luffy's movements. He was taken aback; Luffy's fourth gear had already granted him impressive speed and strength, placing him firmly at the level of the Four Emperors. But now, it seemed he could ascend even higher.
Despite his surprise, Whitebeard's reaction remained unfazed. His massive, agile form wielded the sword with unparalleled skill, preemptively positioning himself in anticipation of Luffy's next move.
In the blink of an eye, Luffy's fist, wreathed in white steam, hurtled toward him.
With a resounding boom, another invisible blow struck from the air, accompanied by swirling black and red lightning, causing shockwaves to ripple out explosively.
The clash of fist and sword sent shockwaves rippling outward. Fragments of shattered energy scattered like silver-white shards as the two weapons forcefully collided.
Luffy withdrew his fist while Whitebeard, now holding his sword, took a step back, appearing momentarily off balance. Surprisingly, he had been pushed back in the exchange.
"What incredible strength," Whitebeard remarked, his face devoid of anger, replaced instead by a sense of admiration and excitement. "From such a slender frame, you unleash power greater than before."
"Boy, what else do you have?" he challenged, his laughter echoing boldly. "But the real test is yet to come."
With a flourish, Whitebeard spun his sword in the air, creating a mesmerizing display of skill. Then, gripping the weapon with both hands, he brought it down in a chopping motion.
A hum filled the air as if the surrounding atmosphere had momentarily frozen in place. A transparent, white halo rippled along the blade of the sword, resembling water waves in motion.
"It's serious; Dad means business."
"Dad, please, not here. This is the Moby Dick. If you really want to fight, let's take it to the island."
A group of elderly members of the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't help but shout in horror as they witnessed the rippling halo on Whitebeard's sword.
They knew all too well what that halo meant. It was a combination of blade energy fluctuations and the Shock Fruit's ability, a terrifying power, especially on the open sea and aboard a ship. They feared that a single strike could obliterate half the vessel.
But Whitebeard seemed undeterred, his excitement palpable. The muscles in his hands clenched around the sword, causing the water-like halo on the blade to solidify, resembling cracked ice on glass.
Luffy, too, felt the overwhelming pressure from Whitebeard. The next attack wouldn't be as easy to handle. Yet, at this moment, he harboured no fear, only a fiery fighting spirit and an exhilarating joy for battle.
"Gommu gommu no, giant!" Luffy roared, his voice booming. Unlike in his third and fourth gears, he didn't need to inflate his body with air. Instead, he naturally expanded instantaneously.
Now towering tens of meters tall, Luffy appeared several times larger than an average giant as he stood upon the Moby Dick, causing the ship to tilt slightly.
"What a colossal beast," Marco exclaimed, gaping at the immense figure before him.
The towering figure emitted a radiant white light, enveloped by thick ribbons of white steam. At first glance, it seemed almost divine, resembling a legendary god.
"Is that Luffy? He's huge!" Chopper exclaimed, his eyes widening even more than when he consumed three Rumble Balls.
"That's the spirit, kid," Whitebeard remarked, the silver-white light glints in his pupils growing more pronounced. His very gaze seemed capable of tracing two shimmering trails in the air.
His muscular arms bulged with veins, and the air around him vibrated with intensity.
On the other side, the colossal Luffy raised his fist high, its terrifyingly potent Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki shrouding it.
Their collision was imminent, and everyone watched in either horror or awe, knowing it would be cataclysmic.
But just before impact, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the tension.
"Stop it, you two," Rayleigh's voice rang out, his figure appearing between the two combatants in an instant, his posture commanding respect.
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