Chapter 194: Marineford in Uproar, Garp Makes His Move
The self-proclaimed god was sent flying like a cannonball, carving a long trench through the ice before finally dissipating into lightning to negate the last of the impact, barely managing to stabilize himself.
CRACKLE!
The lightning coalesced, and Enel reappeared. He was breathing heavily, clutching his golden staff, his eyes locked on the tall figure in the distance. The arrogance and disdain in his eyes had finally been replaced by a deep-seated apprehension.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Since descending upon the Blue Sea, this was the first time he had been so thoroughly dominated in a direct confrontation. This mortal... was far more terrifying than he had anticipated! To preserve his divine dignity, he had to go all out from the very beginning!
Then, with this attack...
"Amal!"
A fierce light flashed in his eyes as he raised his right arm. The sky above was instantly filled with roiling thunderclouds.
CRACK!!!
A deluge of blue lightning rained down from the heavens, completely blanketing the area where Kuma stood. It was an indiscriminate, carpet-bombing style of attack with a terrifyingly wide range, even engulfing the Marines who were charging toward the Dressrosa rock wall.
"Aaargh!"
"Get out of the way!"
Screams filled the air as dozens of the closest Marines were swallowed by the lightning. A few collapsed, twitching, but the majority were instantly incinerated.
Smoker, who was engaged with a Marine Vice Admiral, was also within the blast radius. His expression changed as he dissipated into smoke, reforming a moment later. He chewed on his cigar and glanced over, his brow furrowed.
"This guy... he doesn't even hold back against his own allies..." Smoker muttered.
The Vice Admiral he was fighting, a man named Momonga, was enraged. "Enel! You bastard, do you know what you're doing?! Are you trying to get your Warlord title revoked?!"
The Seven Warlords... just pirates, in the end. Untrustworthy!
Enel didn't even seem to hear him, nonchalantly picking his ear. He didn't spare them a single glance. Both the rain of thunder and the dew of the morning are blessings from a god! Should a god concern himself with the lives of mortals when bestowing his grace? As for his Warlord title, he couldn't care less. He never planned on staying in the Blue Sea anyway. Once he had gathered enough gold and found the world's greatest shipwright on that island called Water 7... he would fulfill his true dream.
The Endless Vearth! That was a land truly worthy of a god!
For now... his eyes were fixed on the tall figure who had remained motionless amidst the downpour of lightning.
"Didn't dodge this time, huh?" Enel observed for a moment, his confidence slowly returning. He chuckled. "Why aren't you deflecting it back at me? Hey! Say something, mortal! This isn't even my ultimate technique. If you fall now, I'll be very disappointed!"
As if in response, the tall figure finally moved.
"It's no use," Kuma's voice, calm and steady, came from within the lightning.
Eh?
Before Enel's astonished eyes, Kuma walked out of the lightning storm, step by step. Arcs of electricity crackled around his body, but he was completely unharmed. Even the glasses on his nose were intact.
"A man who can control lightning... how rare. I've only ever known one other. His strength and his conviction were among the greatest in this world." Kuma looked down at Enel, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Compared to him, the Devil Fruit you possess is no less powerful... However, that's where the comparison ends. Your attacks are all flash and no substance. Their power... it seems they can't even break through my Haki."
In fact, he hadn't even needed Haki. The raw durability granted by his Buccaneer bloodline was enough to withstand most of it.
"..." Enel's face darkened, a vein throbbing on his temple. Flash and no substance? And he claims my divine power is just from some Devil Fruit? How dare this insolent Blue Sea mortal speak to me this way?!
He was about to retort when Kuma's figure vanished.
"Behind me!"
Enel's Mantra screamed a warning. He spun around, only to see Kuma was already upon him, a massive hand descending with terrifying pressure.
"Pad Cannon: Barrage."
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Five shockwaves erupted almost simultaneously, each one more than twice as powerful as the last Pad Cannon and far more difficult to dodge.
This time, however, Enel just sneered and dissolved into a bolt of lightning.
"Foolish mortal. Did you really think the same trick would work on a god twice?" his voice echoed from all around as he flickered in and out of existence, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow. Even Observation Haki struggled to lock onto him.
Troublesome, Kuma thought, his brow slightly furrowed.
In his assessment, his opponent's overall combat ability was riddled with flaws. Aside from his impressively strong Observation Haki, which even Kuma had to admire, every other aspect—physicality, strength, will, Armament Haki, and combat experience—was lackluster.
But... that Devil Fruit of his was a real pain.
"Kiten!"
Enel suddenly reappeared behind Kuma. His golden staff melted into a liquid state from the intense heat of the lightning and instantly reformed into a sharp trident, aimed straight at Kuma's back.
"Got you!" A savage glint appeared in Enel's eyes as the trident crackled with raw power. But just as it was about to connect—
"Ursus Shock."
Kuma's expression was calm. Without even turning his head, his right hand shot backward at an unnatural angle, the paw pad on his palm precisely meeting the tip of the trident.
VWOOM!
A terrifying spherical shockwave erupted. Enel felt an irresistible force, and the trident instantly twisted and deformed. He was sent flying hundreds of meters once again, smashing deep into the ice.
"Gah!" Enel coughed up a mouthful of blood from the depths of the crater, his golden trident snapped in two. He was horrified to find that, this time, his Logia body hadn't been able to completely nullify the impact. His internal organs were severely rattled.
"What is this bizarre power...?"
He struggled to his feet, only to hear a sound from above. He looked up to see Kuma descending, his massive shadow enveloping him.
"Pad Cannon: Three Hundred Strikes."
Kuma's voice was low. His palms moved in a blur, and hundreds of transparent, paw-shaped bubbles of air rained down!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The continuous explosions shook the entire ice plain.
And yet... Enel transformed into a streak of lightning, weaving and dodging, avoiding every single attack.
Kuma watched him silently. He had expected this. This was the trouble he had anticipated. If his opponent attacked, he could seize the opportunity to deal heavy damage. But if he was afraid and refused to engage, relying solely on his powerful Observation Haki and the speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to dodge... even he would have a hard time finishing him quickly.
But it didn't matter. As long as he maintained the upper hand, the accumulated damage would eventually take its toll. He had never been short on patience.
The rest of the Curtain Call officers were also scattered across the ice, locked in fierce combat.
Jack was facing off against Vice Admiral Momonga and had quickly gained the upper hand, pressing him so hard he could barely breathe. He hadn't transformed into his full mammoth form, but was instead in his hybrid state. His already massive frame had swelled to over ten meters tall, his long trunk acting like a third arm. It could be used to defend his face or to deliver a surprise attack, making him incredibly unpredictable.
He hadn't gone full mammoth for a reason... something Shane had taught him.
"For Zoan users, especially those with large, bulky forms, going full beast mode at the start of a real fight is the dumbest thing you can do!"
"A true warrior learns to use their fruit's power flexibly, not be dominated by it! The mammoth form has incredible strength and defense, but its speed is drastically reduced. Against a more agile opponent, you'll just become a giant target!"
"The hybrid form is the answer! It balances strength and speed! Look at Kaido, that's how he fights!"
Captain Shane's words echoed in his mind. Jack took them to heart. Besides, fighting on an ice plain... you'd have to be an idiot to turn into a giant mammoth. It would be far too easy to fall through and sink to the bottom of the sea. He'd learned that lesson the hard way, and it had left him with a bit of a phobia.
THUD! THUD!
His massive, Haki-coated fists slammed against Momonga's sword, making it shudder violently. It was beginning to bend. Jack was finding the fight easier and easier, even having the presence of mind to experiment with Shane's teachings in the heat of battle.
But for Momonga, it was the opposite. At first, he'd been able to trade blows, but now, his sword was on the verge of breaking. His body was, too. The web of his hand had split open, and blood dripped from the hilt of his sword onto the ice. His consciousness was beginning to fade. He was holding on through sheer willpower.
Just then, a powerful voice roared from the side! "Hold on, Momonga! I'm here to help!"
Jack glanced over. A Vice Admiral in a justice coat was racing toward them. He was a large man with a cigar, and what looked like a dog-head hat. But on closer inspection... like him, he was a Zoan user in his hybrid form. Dalmatian, was it?
Jack licked his tusks. Finally, things are getting interesting.
He'd heard from Smoker that this guy had been with Akainu when they ambushed the crew before he'd even joined. He'd even managed to overwhelm Kuina. According to Captain Shane, the power gap between Vice Admirals could be bigger than the gap between a man and a pig. This guy was one of the tough, veteran ones.
But... perfect!
Fighting two veteran Vice Admirals at once... now that was a decent warm-up!
"You think two-on-one is enough to take me down?!" Jack laughed wildly. He stomped his massive legs, and his ten-meter-tall body shot forward with surprising speed. He threw two Haki-coated fists, one at each of them!
"—Who the hell do you think I am?!"
In the northwest corner of the ice plain, two figures blurred across the ice, the clang, clang, clang of their swords ringing out. The battle between the two master swordswomen, Kuina and Gion, had reached its peak. Both were agile fighters. Kuina, with her "Sweeping Blade" technique, could constantly reposition herself, her attacks coming in relentless, suffocating waves. Gion, on the other hand, was a master of the Six Powers, her "Shave" and "Moonwalk" at the highest level. Combined with her vastly superior combat experience, she was able to keep up with Kuina's pace, appearing almost relaxed.
"Hey, if I remember correctly, you're not a Devil Fruit user, are you?" Gion asked with a curious smile as they fought. "A pure swordmaster who can control the wind? I've never heard of such a style. Would you care to teach me?"
"I'm afraid not. The tuition at our dojo is very expensive," Kuina sneered. She tapped the ice with her foot, and her form blurred. In the next instant, she was directly above Gion, her blade shifting from a slash to a thrust, aimed straight at Gion's forehead.
Swoosh!
Before the blade even arrived, the chilling sword intent was already there.
CLANG!
As if expecting it, Gion blocked with her own sword, Konpira. The moment the blades met, she twisted her sword, using Kuina's own momentum to fling her high into the air.
"Senbonzakura!"
Gion's sword swept upwards, her style suddenly changing. She unleashed countless fine slashes that filled the air like a storm of cherry blossoms, descending upon Kuina from all directions!
What a strange technique!
Kuina's eyes narrowed. She spun Wado Ichimonji at high speed, creating an invisible wall of wind in front of her.
"Wind Wall!"
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
The countless slashes slammed into the wind wall, creating a shower of sparks before being swallowed up.
However, a few slashes still managed to slip through from the sides, leaving shallow cuts on Kuina's sleeves and cheek.
"Tch..." Kuina frowned, glancing at the blood before dismissing it. She adjusted her posture in mid-air and landed gracefully. This woman... she claimed to have never seen her wind-based style, yet her own swordsmanship was far stranger. She was a tough opponent. Kuina was beginning to realize that this Admiral candidate was a truly formidable foe, with almost no weaknesses. Her presence was even more oppressive than Chaton's had been.
If this had been her from a few weeks ago, this would have been her limit.
But now... Kuina's eyes narrowed.
Just four days ago, on the way to Dressrosa, Lord Shane had found her in the dojo and placed a glowing ball of energy into her body. He had said it was a strange power he had come across that would be a great benefit to her physical conditioning.
And it was true. Kuina felt her strength and stamina had increased dramatically. Her physical shortcomings had been greatly compensated for. Now, she was confident she could go the distance with the Marine's strongest swordswoman.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the office with the "Absolute Justice" plaque, the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Sengoku's goat, oblivious, was slowly chewing on a top-secret document. In front of it, its owner paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression anxious.
"How long has the battle been going on?" he finally stopped and asked.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! Over five hours!" his adjutant snapped to attention. "From what we can tell... the situation is still a stalemate, with no clear advantage on either side."
"Five hours! And we still haven't gained the upper hand?!" Sengoku's face was grim.
This ambush had been Kizaru's idea, and Sengoku had personally approved it after careful consideration. This was the level of respect the Curtain Call Pirates now commanded. Even an Admiral couldn't engage them without approval from HQ. Akainu and Aokiji were tied up with other duties, so from the beginning, the goal had not been to capture Shane, but to cripple his core forces before he could establish a foothold in the New World.
Capturing a man who was approaching the level of a Yonko? In the New World? That was far too ambitious, too unrealistic. Akainu had made that mistake, and Sengoku wouldn't make it again.
But even crippling them was proving to be a difficult task. He had thought that one Admiral, one Admiral candidate, a powerful Logia Warlord, and several elite Vice Admirals would be more than enough. He had calculated that Kizaru could easily keep Shane busy, while the others overwhelmed his crew. The key to victory was Gion. He knew that Kuina, despite being the first mate, was still a step below a Yonko's right-hand man. She might be able to hold Gion off for a short time, as she had with Chaton on Sabaody, but in a prolonged battle, she would surely lose. Once Gion was free, the tide would turn decisively in their favor.
And yet... the reports from the front line were a slap in the face.
Was it still not enough? Had he, despite all his caution, still underestimated the growth of the Curtain Call Pirates?
"..." Sengoku's face was as dark as a storm cloud. He walked to the window, staring out at the crescent-shaped bay. After a moment of thought, he spoke. "Get Garp on the line. Ask him if he's reached G-1 yet. If he has, tell him to move out immediately!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" The adjutant saluted and hurried out.
Sengoku remained at the window, staring out at the sea. Sending Garp to the New World early was his contingency plan. He hadn't wanted to use it, for fear of provoking the other Emperors. That old fool, who was always taking vacations and was, in his opinion, completely unreliable, was practically retired. But to the Four Emperors, he was still a threat on par with, or even greater than, the three active Admirals. Sending him deep into the New World could easily be seen as an act of aggression.
But now... with the battle at a stalemate and his original strategy in shambles, he had no choice.
Dressrosa was a location the World Government had specifically ordered to be secured. Its strategic importance to the Marines' future plans in the New World was immense. It was the will of the highest authority. Not even the Curtain Call Pirates, not even that troublesome Shane kid, could be allowed to interfere. If they dared to meddle, they would pay the price. Otherwise... what would become of the Marines' honor? What would become of his?
BOOM!
A fist wreathed in black-and-red lightning slammed into the Ama no Murakumo sword. The light-saber finally cried out in protest, dissolving into a shower of golden particles. The fist grew larger in Kizaru's vision. He was about to turn into light to dodge, but the fist suddenly opened, grabbing the back of his white justice coat.
"You know, there's something I've never understood," Shane sneered, his arm muscles bulging as he unleashed another blast of Conqueror's Haki. "I get wearing a cape to look cool, but do you Marines really have to wear these things when you're fighting someone on your own level?!"
It just looks so annoying!
WHOOSH!
Before Kizaru could react, he felt a sharp tug on his neck, and he was swung through the air like a ragdoll, creating a sonic boom.
CRASH!
SMASH!
BOOM!
Shane used his body as an axis, swinging the Admiral around in a full circle, then in the opposite direction, again and again, slamming him into the air and then into the ice. After doing this a hundred times, as if he'd finally had his fill, he kicked Kizaru with tremendous force, sending him flying into the Dressrosa rock wall.
BOOM—!!!
Rubble rained down, and a cloud of dust filled the air.
"Cough, cough..."
Covered in dust, Kizaru clutched his chest, coughing violently, before stumbling out of the wall. His hair was a mess, his sunglasses were long gone, and his body was covered in cuts and bruises. He looked utterly defeated. He reformed his light-saber and gripped it tightly.
He looked up at the sky.
The tall, black-haired young man descended with Moonwalk, his hair whipping wildly in the turbulent Haki-infused air. He slowly opened his clenched fist.
The tattered remains of a white justice coat fluttered down.
"Hey, old man..." Their gazes met. Shane looked down on him, a mocking smile on his face. "I just used you as a flail for five minutes, and you didn't even put up a fight? We've only been fighting since noon. It's only been a few hours. What's the matter...?Can't keep up with my speed anymore?"
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