"Little Crane..."
Garp muttered, his eyes heavy with worry.
That terrifying combat power of Ayr—they all felt it firsthand. For the first time in decades, even the strongest Marines felt the looming shadow of invincibility.
Competing with a monster like Ayr in raw strength wasn't a rational choice. He wasn't just a powerful fighter—he was a force of nature.
Hearing Crane's calm declaration to stay, Garp fell into silence.
They had already gauged Ayr's strength in just their brief clash—and it was terrifying. If Crane had followed orders and left, the rest of them—Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr—would certainly fall here.
And once they were gone, the Op-Op Fruit would fall right into Ayr's hands.
"The three of us will launch a full-force attack on Ayr," Garp said decisively.
"Create an opening for Tsuru to touch him—even once."
Both Sengoku and Zephyr nodded in solemn agreement.
They understood what Garp was planning. They weren't fools.
Defeat meant disaster. Not only would they die, but the world would fall into the hands of someone with limitless potential—and soon, immortality.
But Crane's presence added a sliver of hope to the battlefield.
Her Wash-Wash Fruit, developed to its ultimate stage over years of discipline and mastery, held the rare ability to purify an opponent's fighting spirit, sins, and even weaken their strength—if she could make contact.
As a strategist, Tsuru had always chosen logic over emotion. But this time, she made the irrational decision to stay.
And for the first time, Garp realized—maybe that's what they needed.
"Even if the four of us team up, the chance of a direct victory over Ayr is slim," Zephyr said grimly.
"But if Crane can touch him... just once... we might have a real shot!"
And that was it. Their only win condition.
Because Ayr hadn't even shown his full strength yet. And if he did, even the four of them together—Marine Headquarters' greatest legends—might not survive the encounter.
At a short distance away, Ayr stood calmly, watching them gather.
The moment he saw Crane step forward to join the fight, he narrowed his eyes, his tone cold and arrogant:
"Staying to fight, huh? Saves me the trouble of hunting you down later."
His voice echoed with chilling certainty.
Meanwhile, from another end of the battlefield, Doflamingo and several others from the Underworld and New World had heard the chaos and were now racing toward the scene, sensing a war that could change history.
Zephyr turned to Garp, Sengoku, and Crane.
"If there's ever a time we use everything we've got—it's now."
They were the last wall between Ayr and a world he would dominate eternally.
Even though defeating three Marine powerhouses would take Ayr some time, that time was exactly what Crane needed.
Crane took a deep breath. She was calm, steady, and unshaken.
Her Devil Fruit—the Wash-Wash Fruit—had long since transcended its original capabilities. She could now affect the very will of the person she touched, washing away more than just sin—weakening their fighting will itself.
Sengoku looked toward her, eyes blazing with resolve.
"If you're staying, then fight with us, Crane. All of us—together!"
And with that, the top battle of the era truly began.
One man against the strongest force the Marines could assemble.
One chance to cleanse the world of darkness—or let it be swallowed whole.
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