Akainu's eyes brimmed with killing intent, as if he were about to engulf Garp in magma the next second.
However, Garp remained standing in place, unmoved.
He merely clenched his fist slowly, Armament Haki coiling around his arm like black flames.
His gaze was filled with determination, as if telling everyone that no matter the cost, he would protect his grandson.
"Akainu, if you insist on standing in my way, then give it a try." Garp's voice was low, like a beast ready to strike.
"But I must warn you—my iron fist shows no mercy."
The atmosphere over the sea grew tense as drawn bows, as if an earth-shattering battle were about to erupt.
Nearby, Magellan was utterly dumbfounded.
Vice Admiral Garp was such a good man—whose side should he take?
Garp had often escorted prisoners to the Prison before, and over time, the two had become acquainted.
Who could have predicted things would escalate like this?
Hannyabal, on the other hand, relished the chaos and hoped Garp would win and take Luffy away.
That way, he could pin all the blame on Magellan and smoothly become the new warden of the Impel Down!
Just thinking about it made Hannyabal stifle a chuckle, though he knew he had to hold it in given the current situation.
Just as tensions reached their peak, A deafening laugh suddenly echoed across the sea, rumbling like thunder between the sky and ocean, growing rapidly closer!
Immediately after, A massive pirate ship cut through the waves, and standing at its bow was a towering woman wearing a captain's hat—one of the Yonko, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin!
Behind her stood a dense crowd of her children—Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, Daifuku, Oven... each one a fearsome figure known throughout the New World.
Big Mom's gaze swept over Akainu, Garp, and Luffy as a satisfied smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
"MAMAMAMAMA! What a lively gathering!
"I never expected the Marines and Pirates to gather in one place—saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one!
"Today, I'll finish you all off and take the blood of those prisoners from the sixth level while I'm at it!"
Akainu's face instantly darkened to the extreme, his fists clenched tightly as magma-like heat surged in his palms.
The situation seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.
"Big Mom, how dare you trespass on Marine territory! Don't even think about leaving here alive today!"
Magellan was also furious.
How dare she set her sights on his Impel Down? Unforgivable!
His body was instantly enveloped in purple venom, transforming him into a giant made of poison.
"Impel Down is no place for you Pirates to run wild! Since you've come, don't even think about leaving!"
His voice dripped with killing intent as venom oozed from his body, corroding the deck and leaving deep pits in its wake.
Akainu turned to Garp, his tone shifting from before as he coldly stated.
"Garp, set aside your grandson's matters for now. Big Mom is a Pirate—we absolutely cannot allow her to enter the prison, or the Marines will lose all face!"
"Hmph! I'm well aware. No need for your reminders."
Magellan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as these two weren't fighting each other, everything was manageable!
His gaze then shifted to Big Mom.
Something felt off about the Yonko Linlin today—she seemed... unusually arrogant!
When Marines and Pirates meet, there's no need for lengthy words—they dive straight into battle!
Garp's eyes swept over Big Mom and her children, his brow furrowed tightly.
Though he had come to save Luffy, as a Marine, he could never allow these Pirates to run amok in Impel Down.
Finally, his gaze locked onto Katakuri.
He slightly bent his knees, the deck beneath him groaning under the strain of his power.
The next moment, His figure shot forward like a cannonball, his fist clad in jet-black Armament Haki, aimed directly at Katakuri's face.
"Enough talk! If you want a fight, bring it on!" Garp's voice thundered, shaking the very air around them.
"Heh, think you've got me figured out already?"
Katakuri sneered, swiftly retreating while simultaneously swinging his trident.
The tip of the weapon was wrapped in dense Armament Haki, colliding violently with Garp's fist.
With a deafening boom, their powers exploded mid-air, the resulting shockwave sending nearby Marines and Pirates tumbling to the ground.
"Not bad for an old man. Your strength is truly extraordinary," Katakuri murmured, a trace of gravity flashing in his eyes.
His arm trembled slightly—clearly, he had taken some hidden damage from that punch.
But instead of retreating, he grew even more excited.
His dual Devil Fruit abilities made him all the more eager to test his current strength!
Katakuri's body suddenly softened, as if turning into mochi, easily evading Garp's follow-up attacks.
"The power of the Mochi Mochi Fruit?" Garp snorted coldly, throwing another punch.
This time, his assault was even more ferocious, his fist strikes sweeping forth like a storm.
Katakuri's body twisted in mid-air, easily evading Garp's attack.
His body suddenly began to transform as he growled.
"Mochi: Nine-Headed Divine Dragon!"
Instantly, vast amounts of mochi substance surged around his body, rapidly coalescing into nine enormous mochi dragons, each one lifelike with crimson light flickering in their dragon eyes.
Even more shocking was that the surfaces of these mochi dragons were covered with white scales, as if fused with the power of Kaido's Azure Dragon!
"Is this... the power of the Azure Dragon?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Garp's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"It seems you're not just a Mochi user - you've also gained Kaido's power."
"Exactly, this is my dual Devil Fruit ability!" Katakuri laughed heartily as the nine mochi divine dragons, under his control, lunged at Garp like living creatures.
Garp took a deep breath, the Armament Haki around his fists growing more concentrated.
His body sank slightly before he suddenly leaped up, his fist crashing down like a meteor toward one of the mochi dragons.
Boom!
The dragon's head was shattered by Garp's punch, but it quickly reformed.
"Useless! These mochi divine dragons can regenerate infinitely!" Katakuri sneered coldly as all nine dragons simultaneously opened their massive mouths, spewing blazing flames that swept toward Garp.
Garp's figure swiftly dodged through the air, but no matter how fast he was, he couldn't completely avoid the attacks from nine dragons.
The flames left several charred marks on his body, yet he didn't retreat because of it, his eyes still determined as the Haki around his fists grew increasingly intense.
"Infinite regeneration? Then I'll smash them all to pieces!" Garp roared, his body suddenly spinning as his fists swung out like a whirlwind.