A sudden, violent tornado tore through the battlefield, appearing without warning as if conjured from thin air!
The terrifying whirlwind connected heaven and earth, shaking the very sky and sending bodies flying.
Shanks instantly slashed out a golden sword beam, aiming straight for Caesar!
Luffy, being the closest, reacted immediately, throwing his strongest punch at Caesar!
Kizaru hesitated for a split second before firing a black-and-gold laser blast at Caesar!
"Red Hair! You bastard! And you, Straw Hat! You ungrateful wretches!" Linlin fumed, hurling thunder and flames at Shanks.
BAM!
Shanks was sent flying by Linlin's attack, crashing heavily to the ground.
Already at his limit, Shanks had poured every ounce of his strength and Haki into that single slash—just to stop Caesar from killing Garp.
If asked why, even Shanks himself wouldn't have a clear answer.
Perhaps it was because of Ace.
The son of the captain he admired most, Roger, had been raised by Garp for over a decade.
Though Ace's end had been tragic, Shanks still held some gratitude toward Garp.
And, of course, there was also a small part of it, for Luffy.
"Grandpa!"
Luffy's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he watched Garp's golden body shatter, blood spraying in all directions.
The towering figure crashed through the ice, propelled thousands of meters by Caesar's overwhelming force, his entire body splitting apart like a dried-up riverbed.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Fujitora and the others paled, disregarding their own injuries as they rushed forward.
"Woroorororo, in such a hurry to leave, Akainu? Vajrapani Thunder Bagua!" Kaido laughed savagely, swinging his club to scatter the storm of lightning and sending Akainu flying with a brutal strike.
"Mamamama, Ryokugyu, was it? Stay and become Ganzui's bride! Purgatory Thunderfire Slash!"
Linlin raised Prometheus and Hera high, unleashing a torrent of thunder and flames that engulfed Aramaki in an instant.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A violent tornado swirled in between, forcing the fighters on the ground to separate.
The rotating winds carried massive blades of wind, comparable to Kaido's destructive tornado slashes, indiscriminately cutting through everyone present.
Amidst the hurricane, Dragon stood clad in a blue robe, surveying the scene below.
"Hahaha, what a lively gathering! We're late, Rayleigh. Looks like the fight's already over."
A hoary laughter echoed from the sky as a figure descended from them, crashing violently onto the ground.
"Charlotte Linlin, what are you doing to Shanks? Stop this at once! Divine Departure!"
Rayleigh's voice carried a hint of anger as a brilliant flash of blade light suddenly sliced through the thunderous flames surrounding Shanks midair.
On the ground, Gaban gripped his twin axes, glaring darkly at Linlin.
Caesar sent Garp flying with a powerful blow before turning around.
The boiling demon blood coursing through his veins gradually cooled, and the berserk surge of power began to fade.
His body, now somewhat accustomed to the demon blood's might, felt an intense emptiness and thirst.
Luffy and Akainu, among others, abandoned their standoff with the others and rushed towards the fallen Garp.
Shanks struggled to his feet, his face lighting up with joy at the sight of Rayleigh and Gaban approaching.
He merely nodded in acknowledgment before dragging his heavily injured body toward Caesar.
"Red Hair, Garp wanted to kill you, yet you seek to save his life. How amusing."
Caesar reverted to his human form, flexing his wrist.
He had exerted himself a bit too much, leaving his wrist sore.
Shanks looked up at Caesar, his chest heaving as he caught his breath before speaking solemnly.
"Caesar, you wouldn't want to be obliterated by Imu using Uranus in your sleep, would you?"
"You...!"
Caesar's pupils constricted violently, his usually composed demeanor faltering for the first time.
"You actually know... about Imu? Red Hair, just who are you?"
Shanks hesitated briefly before answering gravely.
"My full name is... Figarland Shanks."
"Figarland? The Figarland family... No wonder you know about Imu and Uranus. Hmph! In Imu's eyes, Garp lost his usefulness after the battle 38 years ago. He's not that important anymore."
Caesar's turbulent aura settled as he regarded Shanks calmly.
Now it was Shanks' turn to be shocked.
His expression shifted as he stared at Caesar.
"You don't seem like a Celestial Dragon. How do you know so much?"
"Bororororo! Figarland Shanks, I, Caesar, know far more than you ever will!"
As Caesar laughed heartily, Kaido and Linlin stepped forward together.
"Caesar, are you alright?" Linlin examined him with concern.
Caesar approached, gently tucking a stray lock of her pink hair behind her ear before patting her head with a smile.
"What could possibly happen to me? More importantly, are you two seriously hurt? Do you need me to heal you?"
Still smiling, he extended his right hand.
Linlin quickly pushed it away, giving him a reproachful glare.
"We're fine. Don't waste your Life Force recklessly. You've already expended a lot today."
Kaido nodded slightly beside her, picking off chunks of dried magma from his body.
"What about the Marines? Do you plan to wipe them out? Your power's waning—it might be difficult. But... if you insist, taking out an admiral or two should still be possible."
Linlin spoke while glancing towards Dragon amidst the swirling tornado.
"Let it go. Forcing the fight would be more trouble than it's worth. We should withdraw and prepare for the Tea Party."
Following her gaze, Caesar watched as Dragon's figure gradually faded into transparency before vanishing entirely.
"Who is he? He appeared in Wano Country last time too," Caesar asked Linlin.
"The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon," Shanks answered from the side.
"Monkey?" Caesar raised an eyebrow in surprise, glancing toward the Marine forces in the distance.
"What's his relation to Garp?"
"Dragon is Garp's son and Luffy's father," Shanks replied.
Caesar froze for a moment, but soon a strange smile crept onto his face.
"Garp's was such a sad old fool, his son rebelled against oppression to become a revolutionary, and his grandson is a pirate — BORORORO! Red-hair, the successor you chose for Roger doesn't seem to have a bright future, does he?"
Shanks' expression darkened instantly.
"Caesar! What exactly do you know? Can't you tell me? I—"
"No!"
Caesar cut him off bluntly, wrapping an arm around Linlin's waist and signaling Kaido to leave with him.
Shanks glanced between the distant scene and Caesar's retreating figure, frowned, gritted his teeth, and ultimately followed Caesar.
Rayleigh and Gaban exchanged bewildered looks, feeling somewhat ignored despite being legendary figures themselves.
With a frustrated shake of their heads, they trailed after Shanks.
Caesar turned back in surprise.
"Aren't you going to find your godson?"
"What godson?" Shanks was momentarily stunned before realizing Caesar's implication.
His eye twitched, and he turned his head away with a huff, refusing to engage further.
Chuckling, Caesar draped an arm over Kaido's shoulder while keeping the other around Linlin, leisurely strolling toward Whole Cake Island.
Suddenly, Caesar frowned and muttered to himself.
"Hmm, feels like I forgot something... Ah well, must not be important. Never mind."
******
Deep within a massive crater in the ice, Ganzui was embedded, grievously injured—80% of his bones shattered—utterly unable to break free from the ultra-compressed ice formed by Fujitora.
Shortly after, Blackbeard arrived with Doc Q and Van Augur, staring in shock at the unconscious Ganzui.
"This guy seems pretty strong too. Which side is he on? Why isn't anyone coming to save him?"