The vast, boundless desert raised up a curtain of sand, like a silken cloth unfurling.
The Karoo Ducks lived up to their name, truly the fastest creatures in all of Alabasta.
After mounting them, Jotaro and the others advanced at an extremely fast speed.
At this pace, in no more than thirty minutes, they would reach the northern coast. They could leave before the Marine Admiral arrived.
"The Ark Maxim was destroyed. Looks like we'll have to seize a Marine warship there!"
After realizing the problem of having no ship, Jotaro quickly thought of a solution.
———
[Marineford]
"Smoker, that bastard! Why did he leave his post without permission! And he even lost to that man!"
After handing over the gravely injured Smoker to the Navy's logistics personnel, Sengoku received the news. His heart could not calm down at all.
"Smoker, Akainu, in just one day, our Navy has lost two top-tier combat powers!"
"We dispatched so much manpower, yet if we still cannot take that guy down, what face will we Marines have to stand in this world in the future!"
"Garp! You bastard! Don't act like this has nothing to do with you!"
Garp's smile faded, and on his rugged face appeared a meaningful expression.
"Sengoku, it seems we've provoked an extraordinary enemy."
The sudden change in Garp's expression made Sengoku pause slightly, unable to adjust for a moment.
Garp's expression was more solemn than ever before.
"Don't forget, even Pirate King Roger at his age didn't have such ability."
"Akainu, Smoker, one is a Marine Admiral, the other an Admiral candidate. You should know better than anyone their strength."
"To defeat them both in a single day, he already has the qualifications to compete for dominance in this world."
Sengoku nodded. Though furious, he had no choice but to admit it.
"If today he escapes from our encirclement unharmed, then the balance of the world will definitely become even more complicated."
Garp's lips curved faintly, his eyes glancing sidelong, calm and sharp.
"And it's not just that the world's balance will become complicated. Perhaps the entire order of this world will change!"
"Have you forgotten how this era began?"
Sengoku opened his mouth.
How could he forget!
The order of the world had been overturned completely by a single sentence Roger spoke before his death.
"Don't tell me… you think he can achieve the same thing as Roger?"
Garp returned to his unserious self again, laughing heartily.
"That I don't know. I only know one thing, Roger possessed an ability surpassing even the three types of Haki."
"And that kid… has it too!"
Sengoku's eyes flew wide open, his whole body stiffened, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight up his spine.
"His ability does not come from a Devil Fruit. Seastone is completely useless against him!"
He had already forgotten who had passed this piece of information on to him.
But at this moment, it was like a muffled thunderclap exploding in his heart, reverberating endlessly.
If he hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, then where did his ability to stop time come from.
"Those who eat a Devil Fruit may have the ability to conquer the world, but they cannot conquer the seas."
"But that kid possesses the power to conquer both the world and the sea together!"
"I'd say he also has the qualifications to become Pirate King!"
After Garp finished, he burst out laughing, leaving Sengoku alone, lost in the storm.
"Why of all times now! At present, our relationship with Whitebeard is extremely tense!"
Sengoku's fingers trembled slightly, his fists unconsciously clenched tight, and he muttered under his breath, "A great war is about to break out! And now, of all times, we lose two Admirals. Is this fate?"
Was it fate that this world must become even more chaotic?
The combat power of two Admirals was no small thing.
Losing such strength, in the coming confrontation with Whitebeard, the Navy might very well fall into the weaker side.
———
The coast of Alabasta, Marine warships had already encircled the place completely.
"The Admiral will arrive in fifteen minutes!"
"Full lockdown! Not even a single fly is allowed to escape!"
Northern coast.
"Colonel, we've found the targets. It's confirmed, they're the wanted criminals Jotaro and his companions!"
"Why did they have to come here? Reinforcements haven't arrived yet!"
The Marines stationed at the north coast were restless, full of fear.
After all, Jotaro was the man who had defeated a Marine Admiral. Ordinary soldiers couldn't help but be terrified.
"They finally came…"
Smoker bit his cigar, staring at the approaching figures within the curtain of sand.
"Everyone, follow me to block him!"
"Colonel, shouldn't we wait a little longer? Reinforcements will be here soon. For now, maybe we should just stall him."
If they all went up at once and got wiped out instantly, what then?
"Shut up! Are you the Colonel or am I?" Smoker glared. "Listen to me, all units, come with me to block him."
To be honest, he could have chosen a roundabout strategy, delaying Jotaro until other forces arrived.
But he didn't want to do that.
He had to uphold his own justice.
Jotaro had saved his life, he had to repay that debt.
Yet as a Marine, he couldn't do nothing and let Jotaro go. So he chose to take his whole team forward, even if it meant sending them to their deaths.
These Marines weren't even as strong as him. How could they possibly stand against Jotaro?
The battle ended in an instant.
Sprawled out on the ground, arms spread wide, Smoker was once again defeated. Though the result was as he had expected, his heart was still full of bitter unwillingness.
"One day, I'll capture you with my own strength!"
"The ship is docked at one o'clock!"
"You only have ten minutes. Not a second can be wasted now."
Jotaro glanced at him from the side, saying nothing.
Hearing the crunch of footsteps on the sand, Smoker shut his eyes in unwilling resignation.
He wasn't lying. A Marine warship really was docked at one o'clock.
If they reached the shore and searched again, it would waste too much time.
Jotaro led everyone aboard the ship and set sail.
There were still five minutes before the Admiral arrived.
"Wait! A battle is about to start! Where are you going?"
As they had just left the shore, a nearby Marine warship under lockdown came alongside.
The ship Jotaro was on acted suspiciously. Anyone who saw it would feel doubt.
"What should we do? If we start a fight with them, the commotion will surely draw over all the other nearby warships."
"By then, it'll be impossible for us to escape!"
Nami and the others hid in the cockpit, crouching low, terrified of being spotted by the crew of the approaching warship.
Jotaro said nothing, his mind racing for a countermeasure.
Suddenly, a figure pushed open the door.
"You dare block my path? I am Spandam, chief of the World Government's direct secret intelligence agency, CP9!"
"I am on an important mission! Make way immediately!"
Someone on the other ship recognized him.
"You're the son of Chief Spandine! Ah, when Ohara's Buster Call was launched, I was there myself, I still remember your father's heroic bearing clearly!"
Little Spandam, "…"
Inside the cockpit, Robin clenched her teeth hard, her body trembling.
"I'm an idiot. Offer my regards to your father for me." The sailor on the Marine warship fawningly smiled, then immediately straightened his face and barked to his men, "Make way! Do not obstruct Chief Spandam's mission!"
The warships that had been encircling parted on both sides, letting Jotaro and the others slip away in style.
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