"Who?"
Moria was startled, only to realize it was a pink-haired guy.
"Garp is one thing, but who do you think you are, you brat!"
The shadow under Moria's feet shifted into countless bats and swarmed at the attacker.
"Hah!!"
Koby threw a punch, the shockwave dispersing the shadow bats.
But shadows never truly vanish. As long as a person lives, they cast one. The moment Koby landed, the shadow behind him lashed out, forming a black spear that pierced his abdomen.
"Marine Hero Koby? How dare you show off in front of me! Do you think you're Garp?!!" Moria laughed maniacally.
Both Garp and Crocodile were out of the fight. Garp was ultimately too old, successfully ambushed, and with Crocodile desperately sucking the moisture from half his body, he was severely injured.
The situation on the other side was even more intense. The destructive power of the fight between Sengoku and Mihawk was immense.
Sengoku's defenses were monstrous. Transformed into the Great Buddha, his body gleamed with a brass-like golden sheen. Moreover, he was the first Marine publicly known to possess Conqueror's Haki.
This former Fleet Admiral didn't rise to his position just by his brains; his strength was genuinely formidable.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Mihawk's slash was shattered by Sengoku's fist. Sengoku turned his head to glance at Garp lying in a pool of blood.
"Still as reckless as ever," Sengoku muttered, slamming another punch that forced Mihawk back.
"Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku… strong indeed. But your weakness is clear." Mihawk, though disheveled, looked up coldly. The legendary "Buddha" was gasping for breath.
"It's true I'm old. But dealing with brats like you is still no problem. Where's Kuzan? Where is he?" Sengoku asked.
"He went somewhere else," Hawkeye said.
"Damn it… I never thought he'd make such a choice. And you a pirate why make this decision? Where's Buggy the Clown?"
"Buggy the Clown..." At that, Mihawk's face darkened with uncharacteristic anger.
"We're looking for him too. Once I find that clown, I'll personally feed him to the fish," Mihawk said with venom.
"It seems something happened. Still, since you've chosen to oppose the World Government, you must be ready to face the consequences," Sengoku said.
"You haven't witnessed that monster's strength. With him here, the world is destined to be overturned," Mihawk said solemnly.
"Yes." Mihawk's tone was grave.
"So that defeat broke you all apart," Sengoku said.
"I have never seen someone so powerful. It's as if he shouldn't exist. His strength isn't something anyone in this world should possess," Hawkeye said.
"So you think he can defeat the Celestial Dragons?" Sengoku asked.
"Without doubt, the Celestial Dragons are doomed," Mihawk said.
"Then you are mistaken," Sengoku said. "The power of the Celestial Dragons far exceeds your imagination."
"Perhaps they are strong, true. But you can't fathom how strong that man truly is. Do you know how long we lasted against him?" Mihawk swung his blade, Sengoku's fist smashing the slash apart.
"How long? Don't tell me you couldn't even last an hour," Sengoku scoffed.
"Ten seconds."
"…What?"
"In almost an instant, every one of us was defeated."
Whether Sengoku believed him or not, the fight continued.
....
Meanwhile, at the Red Port, the fight between Sakazuki and Dragon raged on. Neither could gain an advantage over the other, both fighting with all their might to crush their opponent.
Suddenly, Sakazuki sensed something and turned his head sharply.
A familiar aura reached him. He immediately knew who it was.
"That bastard's here too," he growled, eyes narrowing at the distance.
"It's so cold."
"The ship... the ship can't move!"
"Why did it suddenly get so cold?"
"T-the sea... it's freezing over!"
Panic rippled through the marines. The sea itself turned to ice.
The Marine officers, seeing this, immediately realized what was happening.
"It's him!!" Vice Admiral Yamakaji said grimly.
"Trouble has come. He actually came back. And he certainly won't be on our side now," Vice Admiral Stainless said.
The biting cold was oppressive. The air temperature plummeted. A figure walked across the sea.
That familiar silhouette... who present wouldn't recognize him?
"Ad-Admiral Kuzan!!"
Having served as a Marine Admiral for so many years, Kuzan held high prestige within the Marines. Even after losing to Sakazuki, many were willing to follow him when he left.
But no one expected him to join a pirate crew, disappointing many to the core.
"What are you doing here?!!"
Sakazuki stared at him. Ice and fire stood opposed once more.
"Ah, how to put it... The world probably needs a new order. The Marines should also step down," Kuzan said.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you understand the situation of this world? You've witnessed the power of the Celestial Dragons yourself. Their strength is something even the Marines cannot defeat," Sakazuki said.
"I used to think that way too. After all, the Celestial Dragons' power is truly immense. But after I witnessed that guy, after he defeated me with one move, I understood. Someone capable of dealing with the Celestial Dragons has appeared," Kuzan said.
"You were defeated in one move? By Roy?" Sakazuki asked seriously.
"Yes. He effortlessly wiped out the Cross Guild. I just received news that the Five Elders have all been killed," Kuzan said.
"The Five Elders... are all dead?" Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this.
"Not just the Five Elders. There are no Celestial Dragons left on Mary Geoise."
As the crowd reeled, something plummeted from the sky, finally coming to a steady stop mid-air.
On a bubble lift, Issho, missing an arm, stood covered in blood.
"Issho!!!"
Sakazuki, seeing Issho's appearance, was instantly enraged.
"What did you do?! Did you storm Mary Geoise and kill the Celestial Dragons?!"
"Calm down, Sakazuki. My injuries aren't from fighting Celestial Dragons. However, I must apologize. I killed Aramaki. These injuries are from my fight with him," Issho said.
"What?"
Sakazuki's eyes widened upon hearing this.
"Bastard! You actually killed Aramaki!!"
"If I hadn't, he would've killed me. So I struck him down. As for the Celestial Dragons… they were slaughtered by someone named Imu. Supposedly the Celestial Dragons' Creator God, someone from nine hundred years ago."
...
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