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Sabaody Archipelago—off the coast.
The Supernovas of the new era, every last one of them, had gathered here, ready to land on the island and enter the New World. But the sudden eruption of a cataclysmic battle had forced them to delay their plans for more than ten days.
To witness the power of the world's pinnacle firsthand—even without having yet been through the cruel baptism of the New World, it would force them to grow.
Doflamingo, Hawkeye Mihawk, Kuma, Moria, Crocodile, and a host of other rookies both famous and unknown—all of them stared, transfixed, at this duel for the ages.
Beneath the giant mangrove trees, Redfield, in his crimson robes, was pressing Kong with the slightest of advantages.
Whitebeard, a towering and indomitable figure, unleashed terrifying blows that shattered everything, and though the Golden Buddha held him back, the cracks were beginning to show. And high above, Arthur had seized the absolute upper hand; it seemed Garp could fall at any moment—
"Fuffuffuffuffu!" Doflamingo adjusted his red sunglasses, a crazed laugh escaping his lips.
"The Marines are going to lose. One can only imagine the chaos the sea will face after their utter defeat. I can hardly wait."
"Hey, hey, Doffy, this place is too dangerous. Let's get out of here first," said Trebol, his appearance utterly slovenly, snot dripping from his nose as he spoke with concern.
"Doffy!"
Diamante, his face painted with thick colors and a gladiator's cape on his back, his tongue seemingly unable to form words properly, added, "Trebol's right. This place is just too dangerous. The Marines are sure to lose, and once they do, those three New World emperors will definitely pass through here..."
Ten years ago, they had been crushed and driven from the New World, leaving them with a deep-seated awe and terror of these emperors. When they fled to the North Blue, they met the young Doflamingo, a boy with the disposition of a king, and pinned all their hopes on him.
To have mustered the courage to return to the New World had already used up every last drop of their bravery. To face a being like Arthur or Whitebeard again—they would likely be scared witless for the rest of their lives.
"Hah..." Doflamingo sighed internally. He was helpless. Still, he decided to respect their wishes. They were family, after all.
"Sorry, Young Master..."
Seeing they were about to speak again, Doflamingo cut them off with a wave of his hand. "Let's go. A temporary retreat is the right choice. One day, I will lead you all to become emperors of the New World myself."
The Donquixote Family, aboard their great flamingo ship, became the first pirate crew to leave before the war was even over.
Watching them leave from afar, the other Supernovas, who had some dealings with them, showed expressions of contempt, while others simply ignored them.
"To not even have the courage to face them... what a coward," Crocodile said, taking a drag from his cigar, a cold sneer on his lips as he turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
"Whitebeard's head is mine for the taking—"
As he turned his attention back to the fight, he witnessed a horrifying scene, one that cut his sentence short.
The pupils of all the watching Supernovas contracted violently.
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"If this arrest operation fails, and the World Government is forced to bear such an unprecedented humiliation, the future of the Marines is over."
Two months ago, upon landing on the Sabaody Archipelago, Kong had gravely entrusted this to Sengoku and Garp.
Were the Five Elders the highest power in the world? No. From his frequent conversations with them, Kong knew that those five old men were mere puppets, with someone else pulling the strings.
The threat to disband the Navy was not an empty one. If the Marines failed, the World Government would absolutely withdraw its resources and give them to a better option.
After all, the Marines had their mavericks, those who insisted on executing their own so-called justice, who had opposed the World Government's orders countless times for the sake of that laughable ideal. And what did the World Government need? Obedient dogs. Who cared if you were just or not?
Is it already rotten to the core?
Garp had scoffed at the time. Neither Kong nor Sengoku had refuted him. They had merely met his words with silence.
"Rotten or not, the Marines cannot be allowed to fall. Because the sea cannot exist without the Marines."
Without them, what would become of the already fragile concept of justice? The ocean would truly face an unprecedented era of anarchy.
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"I AM THE MARINE, GARP! AND JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!!!"
His head lowered, Garp let out a low, furious roar. He could not betray the Justice coat that billowed in the sea breeze—it was a man's creed.
He stared intently at the figure of Arthur, high and mighty above, and met his cold, ruthless purple gaze.
"LIFE RETURN!!"
A roar erupted from his mouth, and in an instant, Garp's eyes were filled with blood, becoming terrifying beyond belief.
"Huh?" Kong and Sengoku, who were desperately holding their own ground, heard the commotion from his side, and their faces turned extremely grim.
"Garp, stop! HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!!" Sengoku nearly shed tears.
To overuse one's Armament Haki to this extent was to burn one's own life force.
However, from the moment Garp became a Marine, he had been resolved to offer his life to justice—a trait he shared with his future grandson, Luffy.
The Marines might have a way to heal him, but what if they weren't in time? This place would become Garp's grave.
Unless absolutely necessary, no one would throw away their life to achieve a goal. But now... they had reached the last resort.
The Marines could not afford to lose.
"LIFE RETURN!!"
The veins on his forehead bulged. His face was as ferocious as a demon from hell. For some reason, Garp's entire body suddenly began to swell. His incredibly strong muscles bulged, and the blood beneath his skin accelerated its flow, turning him into a crimson man, as if his blood would burst through his pores at any moment.
For one who had mastered the ultimate of the Six Powers—Life Return—controlling any part of one's body was as easy as breathing.
His normal height had transformed into that of a small red giant. The temperature of the air around him rose, as if his very blood were on fire.
"BWAHAHAHA! ARTHUR, YOU BRAT! COME AND TRY MY STRONGEST FORM! I'LL CRUSH YOU WITH MY IRON FIST!"
Garp had put life and death aside. He grinned broadly, his spirit free. For a man who no longer cared even for his own life, what was there left to hold onto, besides his inner conviction?
But on the broadcast, his smile was more terrifying than that of a vengeful spirit, causing countless civilians to forget his title of Marine Hero and hide in fear.
"GARP! STOP, DAMN IT!!!"
After decades of fighting side-by-side, Sengoku's bond with him was truly closer than that of a brother. Seeing him now put his life on the line to defend justice, Sengoku screamed himself hoarse.
"I CAN'T STOP! THE MARINES CANNOT LOSE HERE!!"
"ARMAMENT—HARDENING!!"
With a low roar, a deep, pitch-black Armament Haki instantly covered every inch of his body. The swelling muscles were fixed in place, transformed into something like cast iron.
A terrifying aura erupted from his body. Garp twisted his joints, then leaped into the air. His drawn-back iron fist carried with it the will to shatter everything as it came crashing down on Arthur.
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