"What exactly is happening? This is an unusual ground tremor."
On G-1 Island, the pirates and Marines engaged in battle had all stopped fighting because of the unusual commotion, looking around in surprise and uncertainty.
The sea outside the island was dark. Besides the shimmering waves brought to life by the cold glow, nothing else could be seen.
However, at this moment, not only was the surrounding air vibrating and the ground shaking beneath their feet, but the entire world seemed to be shaking with the sudden change. The wide sea several hundred kilometers outside the island was violently churning.
The moment the hundred-meter-tall, majestic tsunami crest behind G-1 Island appeared in the sight of both warring sides, everyone's faces showed signs of shock.
"A tsunami! It's a tsunami!"
"My God, why is there such a huge tsunami? Is this the end of the world?"
"It's over. In front of a tsunami of this level, the entire island will be swallowed up. Everyone is going to die."
The pirates looked desperate. Some even broke down, letting go of their swords and staring blankly up at the sky.
Garp's chest heaved. He looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, at the huge wave that completely surpassed the height of the G-1 fortress, and his face became a little grim.
"Has Whitebeard also joined the battle?"
Facing the world-ending super-giant wave, the entire G-1 Island fell silent, except for two men deep within the island who were still fighting like madmen, completely oblivious to the approaching tsunami.
Kaido and Akainu seemed to have not noticed the approaching tsunami at all. They continued to pour their terrifying, destructive ultimate attacks onto each other like raging lunatics.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light split the deep sky in two.
Then, a loud shout came down from the sky.
"Uncle Kuzan!"
Aokiji, who was continuously spewing extremely cold freezing gas from his hands, freezing Katakuri into a thick layer of ice, looked up when he heard this. He glanced at the giant, thousand-meter wave rolling down.
He pushed the eye mask on his forehead, tapped his foot, and his slender body shot up with a bang. In an instant, under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, he darted to the top of the G-1 fortress and shot a blast of extremely cold freezing gas at the monstrous wave that was roaring down.
"Ice Age!"
The extremely cold, ultra-low-temperature freezing gas instantly crossed a distance of several hundred meters and hit the crest of the incoming giant wave.
"Clack, clack, clack, clack."
As the crest of the monstrous wave was hit by the extremely cold freezing gas from Aokiji, large swaths of white ice began to quickly freeze the incoming tsunami at an unbelievable speed, turning it into a thick layer of ice.
The ice layer spread from top to bottom, from the crest of the wave, rapidly moving downward and expanding.
In just a few breaths, this world-ending tsunami, which was like a black mountain spanning the sea, was completely transformed into a giant glacier mountain.
After freezing the monstrous wave, the speed of the ice layer's spread did not decrease. It continued to expand wildly toward the sea even farther away.
A dozen seconds later, the sea for several hundred kilometers around G-1 Island had all turned into a solid, frozen glacier.
A swirling fog of cold air continuously rose from the ice surface.
The sudden drop in temperature made the shirtless pirates and lightly dressed Marines feel cold.
From the moment Aokiji shot into the sky to the moment the tsunami covering the sky turned into a glacier mountain, it had only been a dozen seconds.
The world-ending natural disaster that had made tens of thousands of people feel desperate was so easily neutralized.
Watching Aokiji slowly descend from the sky, the pirates couldn't help but retreat.
At this moment, their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at Aokiji.
This was the highest fighting force of the Marine Headquarters.
This was a Marine Admiral.
Were they really capable of defeating an opponent of this level?
"Crackle, crackle, crackle."
Tiny cracks spread across the ice globe on the ground before it burst open with a bang.
The tall Katakuri walked out, looked up at the frozen wave hanging above his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Aokiji with a solemn expression.
Although the Mochi-Mochi Fruit ability he possessed was considered a special Paramecia type with properties similar to a Logia type, it was not a true Logia type. In his confrontation with Aokiji, he had to be extremely careful not to get frostbite from the extremely cold freezing gas.
Although he had the ability to use Observation Haki to predict the future and anticipate Aokiji's next attack, being able to predict and being able to defend against were two different concepts.
Many ultimate moves could not be completely avoided, even if Katakuri could predict them.
He took a deep look at Aokiji, who was walking toward him. "Aokiji, I'm afraid that for you, these fellow Marines of yours have become your burden, haven't they? You can't freely unleash your freezing abilities as you wish."
Katakuri believed that with the terrifying freezing ability Aokiji had just shown, he could definitely freeze the entire G-1 Island in a few breaths.
The reason Aokiji didn't do so was because he was considering the Marine officers on the island.
Aokiji did not take the bait. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky.
Then, a crisp clang was heard from the top of the giant wave that hung inverted above everyone's heads.
Subsequently, a figure with long blonde hair took a step and walked to the edge of the frozen giant wave, looking down at the island below.
"Ze hahaha, you're quite capable, Marines. You can even easily resolve a tsunami of this level. It seems that the Marines of this era are not so incompetent after all."
Shiki put a cigar in his mouth, snapped his fingers, and used the rapid friction of his fingertips to create a flame to light it. He took a deep puff, exhaled a long trail of smoke, and grinned.
"Speaking of which, I really do remember you three. Back then, following behind those three old geezers, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, you caused us a huge number of casualties. Marine Admirals, ze hahaha. In fact, I've always failed to understand why you people, who possess such great power, are willing to stoop to being Marines."
Looking at the Marine officers below, whose expressions had changed, Shiki unapologetically disparaged the World Government, the Marines, and the Marines' justice.
His clothes were stained with a lot of blood on his chest, and he didn't know if it was from Kizaru.
"If you don't become a Marine, do you want to be a pirate like me and stir up trouble in this world?"
A cold voice came from the ground.
Everyone looked over and saw Onigumo holding his long sword on his shoulder, looking indifferently at Shiki.
"What's so bad about being a pirate?" Shiki spread his hands. His booming voice echoed like rolling thunder throughout the island. "Being a pirate is free and unrestrained. As long as you are strong enough, you can enjoy everything in this world at will. Wealth, power, fame, beautiful women; everything is within your grasp!"
A young Marine Lieutenant Commander covered in blood gritted his teeth and looked at Shiki. He angrily said, "Everything you're talking about is built on the suffering of others. Pirates plunder and slaughter civilians everywhere on the sea, bringing so much pain to this world. We uphold justice and will not be in cahoots with people like you, who disregard the lives of others!"
"Upholding justice?"
Shiki was stunned, as if he had heard the most hilarious joke in the world.
"Ze hahaha, justice? Ze hahahaha!"
He laughed so hard that he doubled over and his body trembled. The cigar in his mouth choked him, and he couldn't stop coughing.
"What are you laughing at!" The Marine Lieutenant Commander gritted his teeth and angrily reprimanded him.
"What am I laughing at?" Shiki straightened up, the smile on his face gone. He looked down and stared at the Marine Lieutenant Commander.
"You ask me what I'm laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at the justice you speak of!"
"Since when has being a dog for the world's most tyrannical rulers, an accomplice in a cruel killing game, and a slave to a bunch of disgusting Celestial Dragon pigs become what you call justice?"
The Marine Lieutenant Commander clenched his fists, glaring at Shiki.
The surrounding Marine officers also looked angry.
However, many of the pirates had expressions of fear on their faces.
Only a great pirate like Shiki would dare to publicly insult the World Nobles who ruled this world, right?
He even dared to directly call the Celestial Dragons pigs.
How arrogant was that?
"Shiki! If you want to fight, then fight! Since when did you become so fond of talking?" Garp frowned and scolded.
"Talking? Hmph! I just can't stand it." Shiki took the burning cigar out of his mouth, flicked off the ashes, and pointed mockingly at Garp. "Especially you, Garp. Your so-called title of Marine Hero only came about because you protected a bunch of pigs. 33 years ago…"
"Borsalino!" Garp shouted.
"Sorry, Shiki, that's a forbidden topic."
A dazzling golden light shot out and reached Shiki in an instant.
Shiki did not move. In front of him, an old man with a long sword suddenly appeared out of thin air, slicing the incoming laser beam and blasting it apart.
"Swoosh!"
Wang Zhi sliced apart the laser beam from Kizaru. His body flashed again, and he teleported behind Kizaru, swinging his sword at his neck.
"Oh, what a fast speed. How terrifying. It's teleportation."
Kizaru pulled his hands, and a brilliant golden light sword condensed. His body flashed, and he swung his sword back.
"Clang!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A sword and a blade collided rapidly in the air, making a crisp clang of metal. The two figures turned into blurry afterimages, fighting at high speed in the sky. Almost no one could see their movements.
With Kizaru no longer bothering him, Shiki continued to speak.
"33 years ago, in God Valley in the West Blue, those pig-like Celestial Dragons, just to satisfy their disgusting, superior desires, started a triennial hunting feast…"
On the island, the two sides, who had temporarily stopped fighting, were all watching Shiki, wanting to hear what he had to say.
Even Aokiji, whose Haki had just appeared in his hand, receded and he didn't make a move against Katakuri.
Garp caught a glimpse of Rorschach floating in the sky and quickly shouted, "Rorschach!"
He thought Rorschach would immediately attack Shiki, but to his surprise, Rorschach remained floating a few hundred meters away from Shiki, not moving.
Garp was stunned when he saw this. His lips moved. "Rorschach…"
Shiki had already noticed Rorschach, who had returned to his human form.
Although he was a little curious about this Marine who could fly in the sky, Rorschach was simply too young.
He only glanced at him and then ignored him, continuing to talk.
"Every three years, a country is slaughtered. Slaves from hundreds of races around the world are gathered on an island for the excellent Celestial Dragon descendants to hunt, thereby sharpening their skills. Ze hahaha, what a great activity, don't you think? Marines of justice."
"Every three years, a non-affiliated country is randomly selected for a hunting activity. Your World Government has been doing this for a full eight hundred years! No one knows how many people have died because of this activity, how many kingdoms have been destroyed, or how many races have been massacred in the long course of history. Yet, these rulers of the world, who are a thousand times more cruel than us pirates, have become the objects of protection for you so-called Marines of justice."
"If it weren't for the fact that those pig-like things were so afraid of Rocks 33 years ago, they would have continued to destroy countries! Garp! Tell me!"
Shiki raised his voice, staring at Garp, and demanded, "Don't you know what they did? But what did you do in God Valley? You helped those pigs? Is that your justice? A hero? Heh, how ridiculous!"
Garp clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. His burly body swayed violently. He gritted his teeth, and his face looked a little pale.
Aokiji looked at his aging back, remaining silent.
Listening to Shiki's words, the eyes of the Marine officers and soldiers on the island showed a hint of confusion, and they all looked at Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp, is what Shiki said…"
The Marine Lieutenant Commander who had just refuted Shiki was interrupted coldly by Onigumo before he could finish.
"Don't ask! It's just a failed person's barking. Either he or I will die today. What's the point of saying all this!"
"Yes." The Marine Lieutenant Commander lowered his head, his eyes filled with confusion.
For a moment, he felt a little shaken in the justice he had always upheld.
Just as the minds of the Marine soldiers were in a state of confusion, a faint voice rang out in the sky.
"So, are you saying we should thank your Rocks Pirates for this world, for these civilians?"
Shiki looked up and saw Rorschach slowly flying toward him. He was taken aback.
"Kid, who are you?"
Rorschach did not answer. He spoke in a low voice, "I admit that I know there are many pirates who were forced to become pirates because they couldn't survive for various reasons."
The confused Marine soldiers all looked up at Rorschach.
"Even in your most vicious Rocks Pirates, there are many such people."
Rorschach flew to a distance of ten meters in front of Shiki, holding his Sky Dragon Halberd and looking at Shiki standing in front of him.
"But when you became strong, how did you treat ordinary people who were just like your weak selves in the past? Did you ever think about protecting them? You refute the justice of our Marines as being worthless, but who the hell is protecting those weak ordinary people? Is it you? Is it the pirates? Is it the Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, or the Beasts Pirates?"
"In this world, there are good pirates and there are evil Marines. I don't want to generalize. But we uphold justice and only seek to have a clear conscience!"
"A clear conscience?"
Garp stared blankly at Rorschach, who was facing Shiki directly.
"A clear conscience, a clear conscience! That's right! We uphold justice and only seek to have a clear conscience!"
"It's enough to be worthy of ourselves and the uniform we wear. Why think so much? Hahaha, if we don't become Marines, are we supposed to become pirates who prey on civilians like you?"
"You're just spouting some high-sounding reasons. Pirates are pirates. You're wandering around the sea all day. Where do you get the money to eat and play if you don't work? It's all stolen from those pitiful ordinary people who can't fight back."
Listening to the sneers coming from below, Shiki's face became ugly.
He stared coldly at Rorschach. "Kid, who the hell are you?"
"In the Insect Kingdom, twenty-three thousand, five hundred, and seventy-five people were turned into monsters by a woman's ability. In your eyes, this may just be an insignificant number."
Rorschach's body grew bigger and bigger. The air in front of him exploded, and the Sky Dragon Halberd blasted out toward Shiki.
"I'm Marine Rorschach, and I killed your wife!"
End of Chapter)
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