One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 38 The Incomprehensible Reason for the Battle!

Then, the peak-form Whitebeard turned around and faced Jozu, Vista, and the others who had rushed over. The smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by an impatient and domineering air of supreme authority.

"What are you all still standing here for?"

His voice was like a thunderclap, carrying an undeniable authority.

"I want to be alone for a bit, all of you get back to the ship!"

"But, Dad..."

Joz wanted to say something more, but was silenced by a cold glare from the peak-strength white-bearded man.

The oppressive look in his eyes sent a chill down the spine of the young Third Division Captain, and the words he was about to say were stuck in his throat.

"roll!"

One word, concise and to the point.

Without further hesitation, the captains, filled with doubt and worry, quickly withdrew from the ravaged battlefield and returned to the Moby Dick.

Soon, the coastline, which had been ravaged by the two whitebeards, was left with only the peak-form Whitebeard.

He didn't turn around, but casually spoke to the empty space behind him.

"Come out."

"I've sent everyone away."

Just as the peak-level white-bearded man was leading the charge, Chen Ye, hidden in the spatial interlayer, suddenly heard a series of urgent system notifications in his mind.

[Ding! Host detected close contact with legendary character illustrations. Information being collected...]

[Ding! Host detected in special spacetime coordinates, triggering hidden mechanism 'Echoes of the Era'!]

[Warning! Two extraordinary auras not belonging to this era have been detected. Forced analysis is underway...]

[Analysis failed! The target's energy level is too high and the distance is too far, resulting in unclear information!]

[Data simulation based on residual aura... Simulation successful!]

[Obtained ??-level character illustration fragment (1/3) - 'Gol D. Roger (Current Stage)!']

[Obtained ??-level character illustration fragment (1/3) – 'Hades' Silvers Rayleigh (Current Peak)!]

For a moment, Chen Ye's breath caught in his throat!

It actually belongs to both of them!

These two monsters only exist in legends!

Although he only obtained a fragment of the encyclopedia, it was enough to make Chen Ye's heart surge with excitement!

"System, what are these encyclopedia fragments for?"

[Ding! Collect three fragments of the same name to synthesize the complete illustration! The host can consume energy to summon, or choose to undergo a one-time 'Power Absorption' to permanently strengthen themselves!]

Chen Ye's heart began to pound.

If only I could obtain half the power of Roger and Rayleigh at their peak...

With that strength, I would probably be qualified to face off against the Five Elders head-on in an instant!

"very good!"

Chen Ye suppressed his elation and gave instructions to the system.

"Save all these illustrations; they'll be very useful later!"

After doing all this, he nodded to the elderly white-bearded man and Marco.

"Dad, Marco, that's enough."

hum!

A ripple spread through the space.

The three figures appeared out of thin air a few meters behind the peak-white-bearded man.

The white-bearded man at his peak slowly turned around, his golden eyes sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on his aged self.

Two people, two witnesses to a golden age, fell into a brief silence on this land they themselves had destroyed.

In the end, it was the elderly white-bearded man who broke the eerie atmosphere.

He plopped down on a relatively flat boulder and rubbed his aching back.

"Gurgling... It's been so long since I've had such a refreshing workout."

Peak Whitebeard looked at his old and decrepit appearance, curled his lip, and followed his example, finding a larger rock to sit on, and casually pulled out a huge gourd from his bosom.

"Hey, old man."

He tossed the gourd of wine over.

The elderly man with the white beard caught it steadily, pulled out the stopper, and tilted his head back to take a big gulp.

The rich aroma of wine instantly filled the air.

"Gura... Ha..."

He wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and handed the wine gourd to Marco, who was still in a daze.

"You should have some too."

And so, four people who should never have met sat around these ruins and began what could be called the world's most peculiar drinking party.

After several rounds of drinks...

Finally, the peak-white-bearded man spoke.

His sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on his aged self as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Old man."

"You are indeed 'me'."

"I felt it the moment our fists met."

That resonance, originating from the soul, from the bloodline, from the deepest part of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, is something that no ability can imitate.

Although Chen Ye had expected this, hearing it with his own ears still put him and Marco completely at ease.

However, the next question made both of them widen their eyes simultaneously.

Chen Ye couldn't hold back any longer.

Looking at the apocalyptic scene around him, and then at the two composed white-bearded men, he finally asked the question that had been nagging at him for so long.

"That... young old man."

He looked at both of them at the same time.

"Since you discovered it long ago, then why... why did you fight for so long?!"

Marco was nodding frantically beside him.

Yes!

They almost sank the island!

Upon hearing this question, both the elderly white-bearded man and the prime-age white-bearded man stopped drinking simultaneously.

The two of them slowly looked at Chen Ye with eyes that seemed to look at an idiot.

The expressions and angles were exactly the same.

next second.

Two voices, one aged and the other powerful, spoke with identical rhythm, in unison, and with righteous indignation, resounding throughout the entire coastline.

"Because I wanted to see what it felt like to fight myself!"

"..."

"..."

The air froze instantly.

Chen Ye stared wide-eyed, feeling as if his brain's processor had simply burned out.

Marco dropped his gourd with a "thud," spilling wine all over the ground, but he was completely unaware.

what?

What?

Just for this reason?

Just because of this curiosity that sounds like something a three-year-old would have, the two of you split an island in two and almost killed us all?!

What is this?

What is the most incomprehensible reason for fighting?