"Makino, if I don't come back, warn Luffy for me—he must never become a pirate."
Garp gave a simple instruction and strode toward the seaside, leaving Makino standing alone in a daze.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Smoker and a group of Marines hurried after him.
"Return to the ship and wait for me!"
Garp issued the order without looking back, leaving Smoker and the others confused. They instinctively looked up at the island descending from the sky.
Smoker clenched his cigar, seeming to understand.
Someone in the group asked nervously, "Lieutenant Commander Smoker, what should we..."
Smoker turned around, his expression complicated. "Follow me back to the ship. Once Vice Admiral Garp returns, we'll immediately set sail for Marineford."
"Yes!"
——
Seaside.
Garp crossed his arms and watched as the island hovered above the sea, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Before long, a flying carpet descended from the island.
No one was on the carpet.
Garp grinned and stepped onto it as soon as it landed in front of him.
The carpet quickly rose again, flying toward the island.
"You came after all, Dr. Reddy."
When Garp set foot on the island, he saw Reddy and Ark, the boy he had taken a liking to. He couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"I've always enjoyed helping others achieve their dreams."
Reddy smiled and pushed Ark toward Garp, adding, "His dream seems even greater than I imagined. But since he refuses to tell me, I won't pry. I'll leave him in your hands."
"He'll become an outstanding Marine."
Garp placed his right hand on Ark's shoulder and pushed him onto the carpet behind him. He then urged Reddy, "Hurry and send him ashore. You and I still have unfinished business."
"As you wish."
Reddy also grew excited. He immediately instructed Pyo to take Ark ashore, then stared at Garp with blazing eyes.
This time, sending Ark to Garp for special consideration was one goal.
Another was his desire to obtain Garp's genetic sample.
Lastly, and most importantly, after the battle in East Blue, the clones like Pyo had initially overcome their shortcomings of high potential but low combat effectiveness. But that wasn't enough.
He also wanted to fight Garp to further stimulate the clones' growth.
Shadow!
Invis!
Mon!
One by one, the clones appeared at Reddy's call.
The Maid and the Secretary stood behind him, not participating in the battle but focusing solely on protecting Reddy.
The other eight clones lined up in front of Reddy, shielding him.
"They've gotten stronger again."
Garp's fighting spirit surged, and his aura erupted violently.
A fierce wind swept outward.
His Justice Cape fluttered wildly in the tempest.
In the next moment.
Black lightning crackled and flickered around Garp's body.
Just the sheer pressure forced Reddy to take several steps back, his eyes burning even more intensely.
"Come on!"
Garp punched his palm.
Armament Haki instantly coated his fists.
"Go!"
Reddy snapped his fingers.
The clones immediately scattered, surrounding Garp from all sides.
Garp, brimming with confidence, quickly scanned the clones encircling him and grinned. "I won't be toyed with like last time."
As soon as the last word left his mouth, Garp vanished from his spot.
"This time, I don't have anyone to protect."
Garp reappeared in front of Mon, his Haki-coated fist striking out in an instant.
"So fast!"
Reddy's pupils constricted as he watched Mon get sent flying over a hundred meters. His heart pounded wildly.
Others might not know, but he was fully aware.
All the clones had already unlocked Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
Yet they still couldn't keep up with Garp's speed.
This gave Reddy a new understanding of this world's combat ceiling.
"Damn, they're tough."
After punching Mon away, Garp muttered to himself before flashing in front of Invis and throwing another punch.
He had experienced Invis's Clear-Clear Fruit abilities and knew this clone was the biggest threat—the most likely to land a sneak attack on him.
So after dealing with Mon first, he made Invis his second target.
Invis also failed to react in time and was sent flying like a cannonball, soaring hundreds of meters.
Having tested Mon's Armament Haki and exoskeleton defense, Garp no longer held back.
After sending two clones flying, Garp could only go this far.
Shadow and the others seized the moment Garp struck Invis to attack simultaneously.
Three Negative Hollows shot toward Garp.
At the same time, Slow-Slow Beams shot in from the side.
Meanwhile, Shadow activated his Devil Fruit ability, merging into Garp's shadow before launching a surprise attack.
"These tricks won't work on me!"
Garp laughed heartily, ignoring the Negative Hollows and Slow-Slow Beams. His right hand shot out and grabbed Shadow just as he emerged from the shadow, slamming him downward.
Boom!
The ground shattered.
Shadow was buried deep in the earth, unable to break free immediately.
At this moment, Garp used the recoil to leap into the air. Black lightning coiled around his fist as he prepared to deliver a devastating punch to eliminate Shadow first.
After all, facing eight monstrously strong clones alone, even he couldn't afford to be careless.
But Reddy wouldn't let him succeed.
With a grasp of his hand.
The Maid transformed into a long sword, which Reddy gripped tightly.
In the next instant.
Reddy vanished.
Just as Garp was about to unleash his full-power punch, a sudden sense of danger made him instinctively retract his strength and cross his arms in front of his chest.
A loud crash!
Reddy's slash sent Garp flying, his expression grave.
He had timed it perfectly, seizing the moment Garp was airborne and unable to leverage his strength, delivering a slash comparable to his previous spar with Mihawk.
Garp was sent flying, landing over ten meters away. His feet plowed two grooves several meters long into the ground.
Before he could steady himself, Ray 1 and Ray 2 attacked from behind.
Two fists coated in Armament Haki struck Garp's back, sending him flying back toward Reddy.
Reddy gripped his sword with both hands, focusing intently. His eyes locked onto Garp hurtling toward him.
A flash of cold light.
The sword, automatically coated in Armament Haki, descended toward Garp.
Just as the blade was about to strike, a Haki-covered hand grabbed it.
Reddy's pupils shrank.
"Didn't expect that, did you, brat?"
Garp yanked the blade and flung Reddy away.
Helpless, Reddy was sent flying like a cannonball.
Midair, flames burst from his back as he instantly switched to a defensive talent.
A loud explosion.
Reddy climbed out of the rubble, slightly disheveled but unharmed.
"What the hell!"
When Reddy saw the situation on the battlefield, he couldn't help but curse.
It had all been Garp's plan.
Earlier, Reddy's slash had sent Garp flying, and the two clones' sneak attack made him think he had gained the upper hand.
But in reality, Garp had feigned being hit to lure Reddy away from the battlefield.
The clones could fight independently, seemingly unaffected by his absence.
But Reddy knew that without him as the central command, the clones' reaction speed would slow down slightly.
This was an unavoidable flaw due to maintaining absolute control.
And Garp had noticed this nearly negligible weakness.
In the brief time Reddy took to climb out of the rubble, Garp had exploited this flaw to overwhelm the clones, sending five of the remaining six flying and creating a temporary one-on-one scenario.
What Reddy saw now was Garp brutally suppressing Specter.
At this moment, Specter was taking a beating.
Even with Armament Haki and exoskeleton defense, Specter was injured, blood trickling from his lips.
Reddy's gaze swept around, confirming the other clones were rushing back. A fierce fighting spirit ignited within him.
In a battle of attrition, I'm not afraid now!
——