THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

Amidst the thunderous clash of light and steel, few on the battlefield recognized the man known as Alastor, the "Thunder Calamity" of the Beast Pirates. But as the blinding brilliance of his thunder and the world's strongest slash collided, their eyes filled with shock.

And then, something even more unbelievable occurred.

The thunder around Alastor's body surged violently, reaching an apex before erupting in a deafening crackle. In the next instant, the unthinkable happened—Hawkeye Mihawk's most powerful slash, capable of cleaving mountains, was caught.

Caught and shattered.

With nothing but his bare hands, Alastor crushed the slash. It fragmented like glass, scattering into glimmering shards of light before vanishing into the air.

The thunder dissipated, revealing Alastor's full figure. His chest bore a deep, fresh wound—evidence of the devastating power he had just endured. But the fact that he stood, having completely resisted the world's strongest swordsman's attack, left the battlefield in stunned silence.

For context, even Vista, a master swordsman of the Whitebeard Pirates, could only deflect Mihawk's slashes in the original war. But Alastor, the Thunder Calamity, didn't just deflect it; he obliterated it outright.

Whispers began to ripple through the battlefield.

"It's him... it's the Thunder Calamity! Alastor has come!"

The murmurs turned to gasps as recognition spread.

Hawkeye Mihawk, known for his stoic demeanor, narrowed his eyes. His grip tightened on the hilt of Yoru, the black blade, as he silently acknowledged the unexpected strength of his opponent.

Queen, one of Kaido's All-Stars, felt his heart race. Though he was far from sentimental, he couldn't help but feel something akin to admiration—or perhaps infatuation—for Alastor's audacity and strength.

Doflamingo, standing amidst the chaos, tilted his head back and let out an eerie laugh:

"Fufufu... what the hell is that lunatic doing here? Does Kaido even know? Or is this another one of his reckless stunts? Fufufu! What a madman!"

On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's expression darkened instantly. His mind raced as he considered the implications of Alastor's presence.

Alastor had become a nightmare for the World Government ever since he killed a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago—a crime so egregious that it prompted not one but two Buster Call operations in pursuit of him. And yet, he had escaped.

The humiliation to the Navy and the World Government was immeasurable, and Alastor had been placed at the top of the assassination list. The Five Elders had been pressuring Sengoku relentlessly to deal with him.

Yet here he was, not hiding in Wano under Kaido's protection, but brazenly stepping into the heart of Marineford.

Whitebeard, standing tall on the deck of the Moby Dick, observed the scene with narrowed eyes. Holding his supreme-grade weapon, Murakumogiri, he addressed Alastor with a booming voice:

"You're injured, brat. What's your game? Don't think I'll thank you for getting in the way."

Alastor, unfazed by Whitebeard's imposing presence, smirked and replied coolly, "A serious injury like this? Don't confuse me with someone in your condition, old man."

A momentary silence hung between them before Whitebeard erupted into laughter.

"Gurararara! You're still as arrogant as the last time we crossed paths. Let's see if your luck is just as good!"

The last time they met, Alastor had barely escaped Whitebeard's wrath by cunningly using the pirate's own attack to launch himself to safety.

But this time, the circumstances were different. The Navy's presence loomed as the dominant threat, and Whitebeard, ever pragmatic, had no reason to waste time on a skirmish with Alastor.

Even so, Sengoku on the execution platform silently hoped for conflict between the two powerhouses. If they clashed, the Navy could swoop in to finish them both.

As if to defy everyone's expectations, Alastor moved again.

With a burst of lightning-quick speed, he launched himself toward Whitebeard.

Gasps erupted across the battlefield.

"Father!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried out in alarm.

Whitebeard's instincts kicked in, his massive blade poised to strike. But as Alastor closed the gap, Whitebeard hesitated. With a discerning eye, he realized Alastor's target wasn't him.

In a split second, Alastor darted past Whitebeard, leaving him untouched.

The battlefield was thrown into further confusion. Even Sengoku, who had been intently observing, frowned in surprise.

"What is that man planning?"

As Alastor came to a halt, his thunderous aura flared once more, drawing the attention of both the Navy and the pirates.

While Whitebeard's allies speculated that Alastor had come to join forces against their common enemy, the Navy, others couldn't help but question his motives. After all, Alastor was a member of the Beast Pirates, and Kaido wasn't exactly known for alliances.

For now, one thing was certain—Alastor's unexpected appearance had turned the tide of Marineford into an even greater storm of uncertainty.

The entire process took less than a second.

When everyone on the battlefield finally spotted him again, Alastor was perched atop the Moby Dick's main sail—standing at the highest point of the battlefield, a vantage point that declared his dominance.

In his hand, he held something white and wispy.

The soldiers, pirates, and commanders instinctively focused their gaze. Then came the collective gasp.

What Alastor held was none other than a handful of Whitebeard's beard!

The beard of Edward Newgate, the world's strongest man, a symbol of an entire era—plucked right from his face. Not even Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King himself, had ever dared to do something so audacious.

Alastor twirled the handful of hair in his fingers before tossing it casually into the air.

He smirked, his voice carrying across the chaotic battlefield.

"Well, it seems I've finally settled the score from our last encounter. Next time, I won't just stop at a beard—I'll bring you the end of your era. Prepare yourselves, lackeys of the World Government, because death is coming!"

The reaction was immediate.

"Bastard! How dare you humiliate the old man!"

"Father's legacy will not be tarnished by the likes of you!"

"I'll rip that smug grin off his face myself!"

The commanders and pirates of the Whitebeard crew roared in outrage, their loyalty to Whitebeard unwavering.

But amidst the uproar, Whitebeard himself remained calm. The titan of a man, with his supreme blade Murakumogiri resting beside him, raised a hand to silence his furious "sons."

"It's just a beard," Whitebeard said in his deep, gravelly voice, his tone unbothered. "Don't lose your heads over such childish antics. Focus on the real enemy—the Navy in front of us."

Though Whitebeard dismissed the act as trivial, the symbolic weight of Alastor's actions was undeniable. He had challenged not just Whitebeard, but the entire era that the Yonko represented.

The momentary pause in the battle caused by Alastor's appearance came to an end.

On the frozen surface of the bay, where Aokiji's ice had created a battlefield, Whitebeard's forces launched a coordinated assault. Sixty thousand pirates roared as they clashed with one hundred thousand elite marines. The air was filled with the sound of cannon fire, clashing steel, and rallying cries.

In the midst of this chaos, Whitebeard glanced briefly at the sail of the Moby Dick. Alastor had disappeared.

"The brat's speed has improved... far more than the last time we crossed paths," Whitebeard muttered to himself. Though his voice betrayed no emotion, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. Each era had its heroes, and his own was nearing its end.

But Whitebeard wasn't done yet. He still had one final role to play—for the sake of Ace, his crew, and the future of his family.

On the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku furrowed his brow. His focus darted between Whitebeard and the flashes of lightning across the battlefield.

"Where did that damn Alastor go?" Sengoku muttered, his tone tinged with frustration.

Alastor had been a thorn in the side of the World Government ever since his debut. His acts of rebellion, including the audacious murder of a Celestial Dragon, had made him one of the Navy's most wanted criminals. Wherever he went, chaos followed.

Sengoku's unease only grew when Garp approached, adding another layer of tension. Balancing his attention between Whitebeard, Ace, and the unpredictable Alastor was proving to be an impossible task.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Admiral Kizaru—ever laid-back—spotted a streak of lightning weaving through the chaos.

"Hm?" Kizaru cocked his head, squinting through the blinding flashes.

The lightning moved with purpose, striking down high-ranking naval officers one by one. Every time the streak stopped, another marine commander fell, lifeless.

"So fast... almost as fast as light itself," Kizaru murmured, his usual laziness giving way to curiosity. "Could this be the extreme speed of thunder?"

The streak of lightning revealed itself to be Alastor, now a harbinger of death. He moved across the battlefield with precision, targeting only officers of vice admiral rank or higher.

"Lightning Finger Gun!"

With a sharp crackle, Alastor's electrified finger pierced the throat of a rear admiral. The man collapsed, blood spilling as his face twisted in disbelief. He never even saw his death coming.

The surrounding marines erupted in rage.

"Kill him!"

Bullets and swords rained down on Alastor, but his lightning-infused body evaded or endured the attacks with ease.

[The host receives slight damage, defense +5]

[The host receives slight damage, defense +3]

[The host receives moderate damage, defense +10]

Despite their efforts, the marines couldn't pin him down. Even a vice admiral who landed a solid hit barely phased Alastor. His cold, indifferent gaze sent shivers down the spines of those who dared to stand against him.

Without hesitation, Alastor disappeared in a flash of thunder, leaving his attackers behind.

He wasn't interested in prolonged fights or petty soldiers. His strategy was clear—hunt down and eliminate the Navy's strongest officers, disrupting their chain of command.

For every second that Alastor roamed free, the Navy's grip on the battlefield weakened.

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