The sheer magnitude of their battle had reshaped the island. Once a barren desert-like terrain, it was now a chaotic battlefield marked by deep craters, jagged cliffs, and fissures leaking steam from the ground. The sky above was dark, not from clouds, but from the dust and debris their attacks had thrown into the air.
Whitebeard's laughter echoed as he swung his bisento, creating another earth-shattering tremor. "Gurarara! You've got spirit, boy! It's been decades since I've had a fight !"
Dave, his shirt torn and his blade glowing faintly with energy, grinned back. "And here I thought you'd be slowing down by now, old man. Guess I underestimated your endurance."
Whitebeard planted his bisento into the ground and cracked his knuckles. "I'm just getting warmed up! But I can't say the same for this poor island."
Dave laughed. "True. If this keeps up, we'll have to find another place to settle the score."
Despite the wear and tear, both fighters seemed invigorated, their fighting spirit shining through. They had pushed each other to their limits, each strike, parry, and counterattack a testament to their skill and strength.
Meanwhile, Marco and the crew were amazed. Jozu, arms crossed, muttered, "I've never seen Dad fight this hard before. That kid really is something."
Marco nodded, his phoenix flames flickering as he leaned on the ship's railing. "It's not just strength. It's like he's testing Dad, pushing him to see how far he can go. But there's something else..."
"What do you mean?" Vista asked, adjusting his hat.
Marco's gaze hardened. "It's like Dave's holding back something—like he hasn't even shown us his full power."
Back on the battlefield, Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. He could feel it too. "You've got more to show, don't you, boy?" he called out, his tone challenging.
Dave smirked, spinning his blade in one hand. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just saving the best for last."
Whitebeard let out another booming laugh. "Don't disappoint me now!"
With that, they began clashing once more, but this time, Whitebeard coated his bisento in Armament Haki, its obsidian sheen radiating lethal intent. In response, Dave activated his devil form, his appearance shifting into a more demonic visage with glowing crimson eyes, jagged black horns, and a fiery aura crackling around him.
Every strike Whitebeard landed sent shockwaves reverberating through the battlefield. His attacks, amplified by Haki, bypassed conventional defenses, targeting Dave's insides directly. Despite Dave's regeneration, he could feel the toll of each hit—organs pulverized and immediately reconstructed, bones shattered and reformed. A lesser being would have succumbed long ago, but Dave stood firm, grinning through the pain.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard's booming laughter echoed as he took a moment to admire his opponent. "So this is your true form! A mythical Zoan, huh? Impressive regeneration, boy. Without it, you'd be dead a hundred times over."
Dave smirked, dodging the next swing with a burst of speed. "Something like that," he replied nonchalantly, his demonic wings unfurling as he launched a counterattack. He couldn't exactly explain the truth—that his abilities were from the Dante template of Devil May Cry fame, not a Devil Fruit.
Whitebeard blocked Dave's sword strike with his bisento, the force of the impact creating a crater beneath their feet. "Not bad, brat, but you'll need more than tricks to bring me down!"
Dave chuckled, his voice carrying a distorted, otherworldly edge. "Oh, don't worry, old man. I've got plenty more tricks where that came from."
Their fight escalated as Dave unleashed a flurry of attacks, blending swordplay with bursts of demonic energy. Each strike was met with equal ferocity from Whitebeard, whose tremor-based counterattacks created shockwaves that seemed to distort reality itself. The two combatants were locked in a deadly dance, neither giving an inch.
From afar, Marco and the Whitebeard Pirates watched in awe. "Is that really a Devil Fruit power?" Marco muttered, his sharp eyes trying to decipher the true nature of Dave's abilities.
"It has to be," Jozu replied, arms crossed. "No human should be able to fight Pops for this long. That kind of regeneration isn't natural."
Vista, however, seemed more intrigued than skeptical. "Whatever it is, it's keeping him in the fight. And Pops seems to be enjoying himself."
As the two titans clashed, the island continued to crumble around them, a testament to the overwhelming power both fighters wielded.
The fight raged on for another four days before finally coming to a stop. By this point, the island they started on was completely destroyed, and it wasn't just one—three nearby islands had also sunk beneath the waves due to the sheer magnitude of their battle. The fourth island, where they now stood, was barely holding together, its terrain cracked and on the verge of collapse.
Dave stood bloodied, his entire body covered in cuts and bruises. Some of his wounds had scabbed over, the dried blood giving him an almost savage appearance. His breathing was heavy, but his fiery determination remained unbroken. Opposite him, Whitebeard was in no better condition. His towering frame was marred with deep gashes, his once-pristine coat soaked in blood.
"Hahaha! Old man, thanks for this great match!" Dave laughed through labored breaths, his voice filled with both exhaustion and satisfaction.
Whitebeard grinned, his booming laugh echoing across the devastated landscape. "Gurararara! You're a tough brat, I'll give you that. It's been a long time since I've had a fight ."
Dave nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. He reached into his coat and tossed a vial to Whitebeard. "Here. Drink this—it'll heal you up. Think of it as my thanks for not holding back."
Whitebeard caught the potion, inspecting it briefly. He chuckled as he uncorked it and downed the liquid in one gulp. Almost immediately, his wounds began to close, the deep cuts fading as his body regained its strength. Even the fatigue that weighed on him seemed to lift as the elixir worked its magic.
Whitebeard flexed his arms, marveling at the potion's effects. "You've got some incredible tricks, brat. Makes me wonder what else you're hiding."
Dave smirked, his crimson eyes glowing faintly as he straightened up despite his injuries. "Wouldn't be any fun if I showed you all my cards, would it?"
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