People are sailing and synthesize the devil fruit of phantom beast sp

The combat power of seven admirals.

For a moment, everyone was breathless.

Even Whitebeard felt the crushing pressure. On the surface, there were seven formidable forces to reckon with—but in reality, there were two others who deserved just as much, if not more, attention: Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Iron Fist Garp.

Those two alone could rival Whitebeard in strength.

If they attempted to rescue Ace now, they wouldn't just fail—they might drag the entire crew to their deaths.

At that moment, Whitebeard's heart twisted in pain.

A deep sense of helplessness swept over him. Once, he had stood tall on the world's grandest stage, shining with unmatched glory. But now, the weight of his twilight years was upon him.

No one dared provoke him… but time did.

"Say no more," Whitebeard said, forcing himself to sound calm. "Let's put this matter aside for now. I'll figure out a way to save Ace… somehow."

But inside, he was drowning in despair.

Just then, the sea next to the ship erupted in a massive splash. A figure shot into the air from beneath the waves, spinning once before landing heavily on the deck.

"Jinbei?"

Marco blinked in surprise. He'd been lost in thought, still scrambling for a way to save Ace.

"Dad."

Jinbei strode toward them quickly. After a few brief questions, it was clear he already knew Ace had been captured.

Now, everyone was at a loss. Against such an overwhelming naval force, there was simply no way they could win.

"Whitebeard, maybe Kairos Flint can help you," Jinbei suddenly said.

Ever since he'd dealt with Kairos, Jinbei had become acutely aware of the man's power. All it had taken was one Devil Fruit in exchange, and in return, Jinbei received a crystal.

After consuming it, his strength skyrocketed.

Previously, he'd been just shy of admiral-level power. But now? He was no mere rookie admiral—he had reached mid-tier admiral strength. He could go toe-to-toe with Sakazuki (Akainu). And if they fought on the sea, Jinbei might even have the edge.

He'd rushed over as soon as he saw the news about Ace in the papers.

Whitebeard had protected Fish-Man Island from human oppression—a debt Jinbei would never forget. Whitebeard was the man he respected most in the world.

Jinbei had come with one goal: to persuade Whitebeard and his sons to join forces with Kairos Flint. If they could strike a deal and obtain more crystals, they could raise the entire crew's strength.

If they had even two admiral-level fighters on the battlefield, their odds of saving Ace would increase drastically.

Marco looked at Jinbei, confused.

"Jinbei, how could Kairos Flint help us? We still owe him a fortune. Why would he lift a finger for us?"

"Owe him money?"

Jinbei paused, clearly stunned.

"What happened?"

After a round of questions, the crew explained everything that had gone down—the deal, the crystals, the price.

When Jinbei finally understood it all, his lips twitched in disbelief.

Kairos Flint really was ruthless.

He didn't take losses—anywhere.

In one transaction, he had squeezed over 10 billion berries from Whitebeard.

Now, Kairos was easily among the wealthiest men alive.

But now that Jinbei had the full picture, he exhaled and said, "Dad… I have a solution. But you might not like it."

"It's the only option left."

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. Despite everything, he was still listening.

He had to admit—age had caught up to him. His strength wasn't what it once was, and he couldn't drag his sons into a deathtrap just to cling to pride.

If there really was a way out of this…

"What's the solution?" Whitebeard finally asked.

Seeing Whitebeard's interest, Jinbei continued cautiously:

"Old man… Kairos Flint has been making deals with Neptune and other allied nations. He told them—if you bring him a Devil Fruit, he'll trade you special crystals."

"These crystals grant unique abilities. Once consumed, your strength instantly increases."

"I've already made a deal with him. I used my crystal, and I'm pretty sure my strength is now at admiral level. I went from nearly there… to there. It took less than a minute."

Jinbei shared everything he could about the experience.

Everyone fell silent in shock.

What?

Crystals that could increase strength?

What was this? Could it really be true?

They were all skeptical. If they didn't know Jinbei so well, they might have assumed he was spinning fairy tales.

Eat something—and grow stronger?

Sounded like a bad bedtime story.

Most of them didn't buy it. Except for one man.

Whitebeard.

Unlike the others, he'd experienced it firsthand. He'd tasted the miraculous effect of the crystal that Kairos Flint had given him.

And it had worked.

That memory alone kept him from dismissing Jinbei's claim.

Marco was the first to speak up. "If you've really reached admiral-level strength, show us. Prove it."

Jinbei understood their doubts. They had all fought together before. Though they hadn't seen each other in a while, they were familiar with each other's capabilities.

As one of the Shichibukai, Jinbei had always been powerful—but not quite admiral level. Close, but not quite. Against an admiral? He stood no real chance.

Now he claimed he'd crossed that threshold.

Only one way to prove it.

Jinbei didn't hesitate.

He calmly walked to the bow of the ship, facing the land ahead.

He bent his knees slightly, grounding himself.

Then suddenly—a wave of terrifying energy erupted from his body like a tidal wave. Haki surged, forming around his right fist.

The air itself warped and compressed.

The entire crew stared in awe.

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