Bang bang bang!!!
After Aus finally stopped deliberately dodging, the three-way battle's shockwaves spread across the area. Towering cold air mixed with smoke and dust, drifting skyward.
The clear sky gradually darkened.
Spinning back with his blade, massive black sword energies flew out, intercepting every attack. Aus looked up at the sky.
The pitch-black heavens looked like a storm brewing.
"Aus, is this your doing too?" Both looked up, clearly noticing the sky's strangeness, asking him grimly.
"Stop blaming me for everything... This definitely isn't something we could pull off. Looks like some big shot just showed up."
Terrifying red light flashed. Surprise crossed Aus's face, but after thinking it over, he found it natural.
Right—Captain Roger's execution was coming up. About time.
Still, witnessing a historic moment would make this trip worth it.
"Looks like your little scheme's about to crash and burn. Marine Headquarters just got one hell of a visitor."
Aus sheathed his sword with interest, teleporting toward Marine Headquarters' front plaza without any battle courtesy.
"Besides you, who else would dare invade Marineford? Hey, wait—"
Gion tried to pursue but Kuzan grabbed her shoulder.
She looked confused.
Turning back, she found Kuzan hadn't moved an inch. Instead, he stared grimly at the sky above Marineford.
Following his gaze, Gion looked up too. Cold sweat broke out instantly, her pupils shaking uncontrollably.
This... how was this possible?
Meteorites?
No—they looked like islands.
Massive rocks like floating islands burst through the clouds, all descending toward Marineford.
Neither could spare another thought for Aus. Hell, all of Marine Headquarters' top brass had no time for some residential district scuffle.
They were about to face a crisis that could sink all of Marineford to the ocean floor.
Golden Lion Shiki's assault!!!
"I knew it was insane, but this ability really is straight-up cheating."
Sitting on Marine Headquarters' rooftop, Aus watched island clusters falling like the apocalypse, blotting out the sky. Gravity dragged them straight toward Marineford.
Nearly every Marine bigwig—including several familiar faces—used Moon Walk at full power to handle this crisis.
Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, Sakazuki...
Facing this attack, the gap was huge but not hopeless.
Just young Garp alone could shatter islands with one punch, never mind other Admiral-level powerhouses and those natural-type monsters built for massive AOE.
After one round of output, they'd smashed most islands, but roughly half of Marineford still got wrecked.
Not including the Marine Headquarters building where Aus currently sat, of course.
With the cloud movement came heavy rain, and a floating figure descended.
"Sashimi daina, Golden Lion."
Aus sat on the rooftop, looking at the golden floating figure nearby and casually greeting him.
"Hah?"
Hearing the voice, Shiki—who'd come to angrily storm Marine Headquarters—froze. He looked toward the voice's source: a windcoat-wearing figure sitting on the roof, calmly watching him.
"It's you! I remember you—the monster brat from Roger's ship!"
Seeing an actual acquaintance here surprised Shiki. "Hey, brat, you here for Roger too?"
Uh...
Aus wanted to say he wasn't actually here for a jailbreak, since he knew damn well Captain Roger got captured on purpose.
But he was here for Captain Roger—wanting to infiltrate Marine ranks and visit Impel Down.
"Well... sort of."
"Jihahahahaha! Just like I thought! People with Conqueror's Haki are all the same. Roger couldn't possibly get caught by trash Marines, and he sure as hell shouldn't die shamefully in the weakest East Blue!
Team up with me, brat! Let these Marines see what real pirates can do!!!"
Hearing this, Aus started to respond when his Observation Haki suddenly screamed danger.
"You pirates, one after another—what the hell do you think Marine Headquarters is?!!!"
BOOM!!!
Blinding red light erupted as black-red lightning filled the sky. A massive man with terrifying Conqueror's Haki coiling around his fist charged straight at Aus.
That kind of power—Aus had felt it from a distance plenty of times, but never aimed directly at him.
No Captain Roger to take the hit this time.
As the rooftop cracked inch by inch, that terrifying punch's aftershock shook the dark clouds above, stirring up waves.
"No fair, old man. I'm just a young guy from the new generation, Garp."
Somehow, Aus had appeared beside Golden Lion.
The Warp-Warp Fruit's continuous movement let him hover in the sky like he was walking on solid ground.
Hands in pockets, casual as hell.
Looking at the burly man on Marine Headquarters' rooftop—black-red lightning still crackling from his fist—Aus felt genuinely shaken.
This was a top-tier monster. His own Conqueror's coating still fell short against this king-level fighter.
At least right now, he probably couldn't match him head-on.
"Jihahahahaha! Garp, you getting too old to move?
Whiffing on a single brat—go home and retire!"
Seeing Garp's punch miss, Shiki ruthlessly activated his trash talk.
Meanwhile, Marines on the ground held up Den Den Mushi cameras, capturing the scene of Aus and Golden Lion standing side by side in the sky.
Seeing this, Aus felt helpless.
He'd just come to watch the show and witness history. How'd he become an accomplice?
Now it really was like mud falling in your pants—even if it wasn't shit, it looked like shit...
Looking down, he saw Marine Admirals, Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals... countless Marine soldiers.
This lineup actually wasn't much different from the Paramount War—maybe even stronger.
After all, in that war, Garp and Sengoku—those two ace fighters—plus two Marine Admirals barely did anything. They half-assed it the whole time. Only Akainu and some Vice Admirals actually tried.
But now they faced full-power Sengoku and Garp, plus countless Marine officers and the future three Admirals.
Honestly, Aus was tempted to just teleport the hell out.
But looking at this unprecedented epic scene, he had to admit—even if it was biting off more than he could chew—
His hands were seriously itching!!!
Think it, do it. Bail if things went south.
After all this training, he really wanted to see his limits. Besides, Garp and Sengoku had Golden Lion to worry about.
Time to go all out!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds