~ Support & Read 13 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
"THEY'RE FIGHTING!!"
"THIS IS THE GREATEST WAR IN THE WORLD!!"
"THE HIGHEST POWER OF THE MARINES VERSUS THE LEGENDARY GREAT PIRATES!!!"
Watching the worldwide broadcast, everyone's eyes were wide with shock, witnessing what was perhaps the most momentous battle in centuries.
All eyes stayed glued to the scene, terrified of missing even a single, spectacular moment.
"Hahahaha! This is the ultimate war! The thing that moron Kaido always fantasized about—" Seeing the chaos he'd set in motion, Arthur burst into uncontrollable laughter.
He was immensely satisfied with the scene he had single-handedly brought about. This would be a battle that surpassed even the War of the Best, twenty years from now.
————————
New World, on an island of ferocious beasts.
"Wuwuwuwuwu~" Kaido, looking like a demon god, watched the broadcast while drinking, crying like a child.
"I go off to kill myself one time, and I miss a war this grand! That bastard Arthur~ Wuwuwuwu!"
Tears streamed down his face like rain. The surrounding Beasts Pirates held their breath in terror.
"How long would it take to get to the Sabaody Archipelago from here?" After crying for a few minutes, Kaido wiped away his tears and asked the person beside him.
"Kaido-sama, from here to Sabaody would take at least a month. There's no way we could make it in time..." his subordinate explained, trembling.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
Before he could finish, Kaido's giant hand smashed down on him.
————————
"You damned brat! Must you throw the seas into eternal turmoil?!" Garp roared, seething with rage. He stomped his feet hard on the ground, and using the force of the rebound, he instantly appeared in the sky in front of Arthur.
"ALL PIRATES SHOULD GO TO HELL!"
His powerful muscles bulged, and his fists were hardened with Armament Haki in an instant. He drew back his arm and launched a punch, a surging force aimed directly at Arthur.
The only way to bring peace to the seas, to end the Great Age of Pirates, was to arrest all of these New World emperors.
However, everyone understood the domino effect. An emperor who had built their own faction was not so easily captured. The Whitebeard Pirates alone could cause heavy casualties to Marine Headquarters. What if you added the Thunder God Pirates to the mix?
But there was no time to consider that now. The Marines were making an all-or-nothing gamble, to take down Redfield, and perhaps even Whitebeard and Arthur, on the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Hahahaha! Don't be ridiculous, old man Garp!" Arthur danced in the air, unable to hold back a jeer.
"The only reason the World Government and the Marines can stand on the moral high ground and execute their so-called justice is because of pirates like us, isn't it?
Without the 'evil' of pirates, where would your justice come from?!"
Pirates could never be completely killed or captured. Even if all the legends at the top were arrested, it would be useless.
If the forces opposing the World Government were gone, once all the pirates were eliminated, the World Government, in such a state of peace, would inevitably fracture. Then, the weaker faction that split off would be labeled by the stronger faction as—the new "pirates"!
It was an absolute certainty.
In reality, the World Government deliberately allowed certain pirates to exist. They needed an enemy to justify their authority—having villains to fight made them look like the good guys acting in the name of justice.
Those who longed for freedom, who disliked being constrained, who did not listen to the orders of the World Government—they were pirates.
Even so, you could never stop those who had tasted freedom from setting out to sea.
It was the difference between being in a cage and being outside of it. What was so bad about being a free and unrestrained pirate?!
Every person who walks firmly on the path they believe in will never regret their choice, right? Even if it means being torn to shreds... so what? I'm happy to do it.
These principles—the Garp whose great wisdom appeared as foolishness probably understood them all. There were many reasons why he had always refused to be promoted to Admiral.
The fate of the D. clan, his desire for more freedom, his unwillingness to ascend to the peak of power... and perhaps, his desire not to see the filth and squalor that came with it.
————————
At this moment, Garp unleashed his full power. With the conviction to end Arthur's existence on the Sabaody Archipelago, he swung his unrivaled iron fist with unstoppable momentum, his power capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.
The usually jovial man was more serious than ever before. If a cancer like Arthur continued to exist, the seas would never know peace.
The worldwide broadcast split into three screens: Redfield versus Fleet Admiral Kong; Whitebeard versus Admiral Sengoku; and Arthur versus the Marine Hero Garp.
A battle like this had probably not happened in several hundred years. A true showdown of the world's highest powers.
On the seas, there was absolutely no one stronger than these men.
The battle reached a fever pitch from the very beginning, because the three high-ranking Marine officials were betting the future of the Marines on it.
"OLD MAN GARP, YOU'RE ALREADY OLD! THE NEW ERA IS IN MY HANDS!!" Arthur roared, transforming into a streak of purple lightning and charging forward.
He had lost to Garp many times, but so what? Just as he had said, the new era was in his hands—
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
A violent tremor.
Arthur's lightning, condensed to its absolute limit, blasted out. Like a volcano that had been building up to its peak, the power that erupted in that instant could shatter an island.
Garp's outstretched iron fist carried a ferocious, unmatched force. The strongest Armament Haki met the dazzling, brilliant lightning.
They crashed with a roar. The very sky trembled under the collision. The light that burst forth almost eclipsed the sun, its purple radiance so brilliant it could blind a person's eyes.
————————
"Fuffuffuffuffu! A battle between the strongest on the seas! It's... terrifying."
Not far from the Sabaody Archipelago, the Supernovas who had arrived with the new era watched this terrifying duel. Some had fervent expressions, their belief that they could one day surpass them ignited. Others were chilled from head to toe, their very souls shaken by this terrifying power.
The incredibly violent collisions continued to ring out. The clouds in the sky were shattered and dissipated. The ocean waves surged, converging into a super-giant tsunami that spread out in all directions.
It was unclear if they were intentionally restraining themselves, but the damage to the Sabaody Archipelago was only a few mangrove trees. Yet the aftershocks of their battle had already become a disaster.
At some point, the residents, merchants, tourists, and pirates on the island had vanished without a trace. The massive island was left with only these few people.
However, nothing could hide the six of them. They seemed to have become the only light in the world, drawing the attention of all.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
An intense collision, and the two shot past each other.
"The warm-up should be over, old man Garp. Let everyone on the seas witness the miserable defeat of the Marines' highest power. The sea will surely become even more chaotic..." Arthur said, twisting his neck and revealing a cruel smile.
"I won't let you get away with this, no matter what! You're going to Impel Down to pay for what you've done!" Garp said, his head lowered, murderous intent blazing in his eyes.
❁❁❁❁
~ 13 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)