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A murderous intent flooded Garp's eyes. His desire to kill someone had never been so resolute.
In the old era, he had faced men like Roger and Whitebeard, but he had never felt such killing intent. In terms of the danger he posed to the seas, Arthur surpassed them all.
The chaos on the seas these past few years had been almost single-handedly instigated by him. With a man like him in the world, the seas would never know peace.
"Even if I die here today, I will send you to Impel Down to atone for the sins you have committed!" Garp roared, his head lowered.
His eyes were terrifyingly grim. The coat of Justice billowed behind him, and his entire being radiated a horrifying aura as he walked forward, step by step.
The pressure was so intense it could make the very air tangible.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
An earth-shattering punch flew out without any warning.
"Everyone has their own path—one they believe is right, one that can't be shaken by what others think. As long as you believe you're doing what's right, you have to see it through no matter what... So what if the whole world sees me as a monster?!"
"GARP! TODAY, YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE DEFEATED!!!"
"FIVE HUNDRED MILLION VOLTS—THUNDER EMPEROR!!"
Arthur roared with excitement. The purple lightning enveloping his body danced wildly, drowning the surrounding space. Then, he emerged from the thunder, his cold and ruthless eyes like those of an emperor who ruled over all living things.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
The two clashed in mid-air. The surrounding space trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment. The massive roar echoed through the island.
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The duel between Garp and Arthur was even more frightening than those between Redfield and Kong, or Sengoku and Whitebeard. Garp had gone berserk, fighting with the conviction that he would never stop until Arthur was captured. He was giving it his all.
"The Marine Hero Garp... he truly lives up to his name! He's just... too strong!"
"No, Thunder Emperor Arthur is the strongest!"
"You bunch of idiots! Whitebeard is the strongest man on the seas!"
Watching the worldwide broadcast, people stared in horror at this duel, their hearts pounding, wishing they could take the place of the combatants.
Lightning crackled around Arthur's fist with a piercing shriek. He threw his punch like divine judgment itself—purple energy blazing with raw, destructive power.
"Galaxy Impact!!"
Not to be outdone, Garp's black iron fist crushed the very air, forming a powerful air cannon that destroyed everything in its path.
The air was blasted away by the force of his punch, forming a vacuum. The aftershock slammed into the sea behind Arthur, instantly creating a monstrous wave that swept towards the farther reaches of the ocean.
In the center of the battlefield—
Neither man dodged. They met each other's powerful blows head-on, their bodies taking the full force of the island-shattering impacts.
"PFFT!!"
"PFFT!"
Their internal organs were severely damaged, and blood poured from their mouths. Taking a direct hit like that... maybe only Kaido could walk away without a scratch. And even he'd be hurting for weeks afterward.
"This is a man's duel! It's only because of men like you that the sea is so damn exciting!" Arthur wiped the blood from his mouth, his expression exhilarated, showing no sign of his injuries.
His physique, after being enhanced by his electric field for so many years, was definitely at the top of the sea's second tier. The first tier had only one person—that mad dog, Kaido.
If Whitebeard and Arthur represented the pinnacle of Devil Fruit abilities, then Garp, Kong, and Redfield represented the pinnacle of Haki and physical skill. And Kaido was the sole pinnacle of the physical body.
"A battle of attrition like this is a price I can't afford to pay. But when you're arresting pirates, how can you not get injured?!" Garp's will to capture Arthur was incredibly firm. He ignored the damage he had taken, a sight that was nothing short of shocking.
"Old man Garp, if there's one man on the seas I truly admire, you are the only one," Arthur said, pausing in mid-air.
"Roger, in my opinion, was a bit of a fool. A man like Whitebeard, who doesn't even have ambition, is even less worthy of my attention. But you, who can live so freely within the Marines—you are a true man."
"What a pity. Our different positions and paths make us helpless. We are destined to be enemies. Today, a victor must be decided."
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"BASTARD!!"
"Wait until Pops deals with Sengoku, then he'll come and take his head!"
Hearing Arthur's disdainful words, on the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's loyal followers trembled with anger.
"Bwahahahaha! That's a real honor, but it won't make me go easy on you!"
"COME WITH ME TO THE GREAT UNDERWATER PRISON!"
Garp roared, forcibly suppressing his injuries. His entire body was covered in Armament Haki, as if he had become a man of steel. His ferocious and domineering iron fist smashed down without mercy.
"Showing mercy would be the real insult to me!" Arthur said, his head held high, a violent storm of lightning gathering as he dived down.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!"
With a massive roar, their two fists met in mid-air. The violent impact shattered the clouds high above, and circles of white air currents scattered in all directions. The terrifying shockwave spread out, pushing back the sea on all sides of the Sabaody Archipelago, exposing the roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove trees.
Head-on clashes were the most wonderful kind of battle. No matter what the attack, Arthur would choose to meet it head-on. To retreat—wouldn't that be admitting defeat?
The brutal three-way melee was broadcast to every corner of the sea. The spectators were shocked into silence, their mouths agape as they stared intently at the duels.
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Redfield, holding his umbrella-sword, his posture elegant, clashed with Fleet Admiral Kong using pure physical skill.
Two men who could stand at the pinnacle of the sea by relying on their own strength, without the help of a Devil Fruit—in the history of the world, they were both among the absolute strongest.
Kong's Haki was overflowing; Redfield's was elegant. The scene was magnificent.
Whitebeard, as always, was disdainful of everything. His left hand held his naginata, and his right hand glowed with the halo of his power. He threw a punch that shattered the sky.
Spiderweb-like cracks spread out, enveloping the entire Sabaody Archipelago, as if the sky were made of paper. The sound of shattering glass echoed continuously.
Sengoku—in his Buddha Form—met the great quake with a shockwave of his own, not losing an inch of ground. The Golden Buddha fist, under the golden light, stubbornly resisted the spreading earthquake, preventing Whitebeard's horrifying blow from destroying the island.
Still, some of the mangrove trees could not bear the strain and were snapped on the spot.
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"They're getting serious now," Arthur said, the corner of his eye catching sight of Whitebeard and Redfield beginning to unleash their power. He knew they were growing tired of this war.
"It's time to decide the victor. On the seas, chaos is the eternal, unchanging theme!!"
Muttering to himself, the lightning beside Arthur suddenly surged. His entire body was enveloped in thunder. The flashing currents seemed to assimilate with every inch of his flesh and blood.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"
He stepped forward, one step at a time, a brilliant radiance shining from him. He was like a god, or a demon. The heavy weight of his steps carried an aura that could crush everything.
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