Tora Itto felt the changes in his body with unbelievable amazement.
Magical, unbelievably magical.
A powerful, unimaginable energy flowed through his body. His aged and infirm body was now radiating with powerful vitality and had improved.
So powerful.
With such strength, all he needed was to develop it further, and Tora Itto was supremely confident that reaching SS-class would be simple.
"How do you feel?" Benedict asked, looking at Tora Itto.
"A feeling like never before," Tora Itto replied with a hearty laugh.
"Give me some time. Ten of these demons, I wouldn't be afraid."
Benedict burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Benedict was satisfied with Tora Itto as a person.
His justice wasn't pure, but he had a bottom line.
Frankly, in all of history that Benedict had witnessed, no one's justice was truly pure or absolute.
But this bottom line was very important.
"There will be plenty of battles like this."
"It all depends on whether you have the ability."
Benedict chuckled, not worried at all that the World Government would do nothing.
When they made their move, their lineup would definitely not be ordinary.
"Have the chefs prepare a hearty feast. After a busy day, we must eat well,"
Benedict said with a light smile to the Great Tengu Qingfeng.
The Great Tengu Qingfeng nodded with a smile, turned, and went to make arrangements.
The island where Whitebeard was located.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Whitebeard coughed, a trace of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Just as Cake Island was attacked by demons led by Ryokugyu, Whitebeard's side also faced a demon attack.
The one leading them was Hai Hou, bringing nearly a hundred demons.
Whitebeard, leading the Whitebeard Pirates, fought this demon legion for half a day.
The Whitebeard Pirates suffered heavy losses, and Whitebeard himself was severely injured.
Whitebeard alone, with his terrifying strength as the strongest man at sea, smashed over a dozen demons and repelled or heavily injured thirty to forty demons.
It could be said that more than half of the demon pirate crew brought by Hai Hou were handled by Whitebeard alone.
The captains also suffered many casualties.
Vista, Izo, Fossa, Atmos, and others.
Marco's arm was also broken.
If it weren't for his Devil Fruit power having awakened, he would have truly become a one-armed warrior.
"Old Father, why did they leave so suddenly?" Marco slumped on the deck, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
Marco was relatively fine, but everyone else was bandaged.
Currently, among the captains, those with Devil Fruit abilities were targeted.
Therefore, Jozu, a Diamond-Devil Fruit user, and other fruit users from affiliated pirate crews were captured.
"Devil Fruit users."
"Perhaps there are other reasons as well,"
Whitebeard took a large gulp of sake, feeling his body warm up considerably, and then looked at the island, mostly destroyed by the war, and mused.
The abilities of wind, fire, lightning, and various other special powers had devastated this island.
This was also the first time since the founding of the Whitebeard Pirates that their base had been attacked, and so disastrously.
Whitebeard had five shockingly deep wounds, which were the most severe injuries he sustained in this battle.
Fighting dozens of artificial demons alone had also demonstrated his terrifying strength to the world.
The result, naturally, was Whitebeard being heavily injured.
"If they hadn't left, we would have all been wiped out."
"These demons' power is too immense."
"Not only powerful, but they also possess immense numbers."
Marco recalled the recent battle with lingering fear.
As a Devil Fruit user, he had naturally received special attention from the demons.
He fought three artificial demons alone.
If it weren't for the special nature of his Devil Fruit ability, which had awakened, allowing him to move with demons in the air, and also speeding up his recovery from injuries sustained during the fierce battle, he would have died.
"Old Father, Captain Buffalo is dead," a senior crew member suddenly cried out.
This was a crew member from the Thirteenth Division; his captain was Buffalo Atusute.
"Captain Vista is also dead."
"Captain Fossa died a terrible death."
...
After that person cried, the surviving members of other divisions, under the oppressive atmosphere of sadness, could no longer control their emotions and burst into tears.
Whitebeard and Marco both clenched their fists instinctively.
Especially Whitebeard; the death of so many of his sons pained him the most.
However, facing the power displayed by the World Government, he could unleash his strength and fight the World Government to the death.
But his sons would one by one depart because of it.
Even though he knew this day was unavoidable.
When this day arrived, and so many of his sons died before his eyes, it was still difficult to accept.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Whitebeard suddenly coughed violently, blood spraying uncontrollably from his mouth.
What's more, Whitebeard's wounds split open again.
"Old Father!"
Marco's expression changed drastically upon seeing this.
The other crew members also looked terrified and filled with worry.
"Old Father, don't get agitated. We won't cry anymore. We won't cry."
"Everyone stop crying. Old Father is also very heavily injured."
"Laugh, all of you laugh! We are the victors now, why are we crying? *sob sob*"
...
Whitebeard casually wiped the corner of his mouth and waved his hand, indicating, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"You are my sons, and I will continue to shield this sky for you."
"No matter how many demons come, I will kill them with my fists."
Marco did not believe this at all.
He didn't believe his father could continue fighting with such injuries.
Marco showed hesitation.
Marco returned to the ship's cabin.
Then, under Whitebeard's puzzled gaze, he reappeared before him.
Marco took a bean from a box, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "Old Father, eat this."
Whitebeard looked at Marco's ordinary-looking bean with some doubt, but then smiled and said, "A bean? It's not even enough to get between my teeth."
"This is medicine," Marco said with a serious expression.
"Medicine?" Whitebeard was taken aback.
"Yes, it's medicine."
"I don't know if its effects are as legendary as rumored, but your injuries, Old Father, are critical."
"Your body cannot withstand the fighting just now."
"We need you."
"Old Father,"
Marco said with great emotion.
This was a Senzu bean.
It was also something Dragon had secretly given to Marco after contacting him.
The purpose was to prevent a situation where Whitebeard might be injured and in mortal danger, and to save his life.
After all, in Dragon's eyes, the Whitebeard Pirates were a crucial force in resisting the World Government.
Besides this Senzu bean, there was also a Den Den Mushi.
The reason Dragon contacted Marco, and not Whitebeard, was because of Whitebeard's personality.
If Dragon had appeared directly and handed it to Whitebeard, Whitebeard would definitely not have accepted it.
Marco, being the person Whitebeard trusted most and a more rational individual, was the most likely person to handle this matter well.