Chapter 82: The Marine's Encirclement and Suppression!
[Sabaody Archipelago - Grove 9 - The Snack Street]
The air in Grove 9 was thick, heavy with the mouth-watering aroma of roasted spices, sizzling fat, and caramelized sauces.
This was the famous Snack Street, usually a bustling hub for tourists and hungry pirates. But today, the noise of the crowd had been replaced by a strange, tense silence.
The street was empty of customers.
Instead, the space was dominated by four colossal figures.
Along the center of the street, dozens of long tables had been pushed together to form a makeshift banquet hall. Food was piled high like small mountains—skewers of roasted sea king meat, pyramids of takoyaki, barrels of wine, and entire roasted pigs.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
"This takoyaki tastes amazing! It pops in your mouth!"
The Giants were devouring the delicacies like a whirlwind.
Dorry tossed an entire roasted pig into his mouth, bones and all, chewing with a crunch that sounded like grinding stones. Brogy drained a barrel of ale in one gulp, wiping the foam from his beard with a laugh that shook the nearby stalls.
"Boss! Ten more! No, twenty!" Oimo shouted, his face smeared with sauce.
They ate heartily, celebrating their reunion and their freedom. Each chew was an indulgence denied to them for fifty years. Each compliment to the terrified chefs was like a bell ringing in the silent street.
A dozen vendors, sweating profusely and trembling in their boots, ran back and forth, cooking as if their lives depended on it. They were seething with unspoken anger at the lack of payment, but the fear of being squashed kept them moving.
In stark contrast to this lively, gluttonous scene was a figure seated in a corner nearby.
Ulquiorra Cifer.
He sat at a small table, his white uniform pristine amidst the grease and smoke. He watched everything silently, his emerald eyes devoid of any discernible emotion.
The delicious food the Giants raved about seemed to hold no appeal for him.
He slowly picked up a skewer of grilled meat from the pile. He looked at it, analyzing its composition. Protein. Fat. Carbon.
He put it in his mouth and chewed.
"..."
Expressionless.
The taste was savory, salty, and rich. But to him, it was just data.
It is quite ordinary, Ulquiorra thought. Why do they make such noise over organic matter? Why does consumption bring them joy?
He swallowed. It provided energy, nothing more.
Is this also part of the 'Heart' Suzaku speaks of? The connection between sustenance and happiness? I do not comprehend.
Just then, Ulquiorra's hand paused mid-motion.
He slowly raised his head. His placid eyes looked past the noisy street, past the Giants, towards the distant port.
The deafening chewing sounds, the vendors' shouts, and the clatter of plates seemed to be completely stripped away from his auditory perception.
He focused.
A disturbance in the ether.
A uniform, murderous aura was rapidly approaching. It wasn't the chaotic malice of pirates. It was the cold, disciplined killing intent of an army. And leading them... were two massive energy signatures.
"It seems your gourmet time is over."
Ulquiorra's voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise like a knife, clearly reaching the ears of every Giant.
No sooner had he spoken than the festive atmosphere abruptly ceased.
CLANG!
Giant cutlery was thrown heavily onto the table.
The four Giants stood up almost simultaneously. Their massive bodies cast suffocating shadows over the street, blocking out the sun. The ground trembled under their weight.
They casually picked up the huge weapons leaning against the buildings—swords, axes, and clubs the size of towers. Their faces, which had been full of enjoyment just a second ago, were now filled with wariness and the battle-lust of Elbaf.
"What's happening, Mr. Ulquiorra?" Kashi gripped his giant axe, looking around warily. "Marines?"
But besides the trembling vendors, the surroundings were empty and eerily quiet.
Ulquiorra did not answer him immediately.
Without even glancing at the bewildered vendors, he casually reached into his pocket and tossed a small leather bag onto an empty table nearby.
Thud.
The bag opened on impact. Several dazzling gems—rubies, emeralds, and diamonds—glittered in the sunlight as they rolled out.
These gems were "donations" from a pirate crew that had tried to rob them earlier. That crew was now currently exploring the bottom of the ocean, but their treasure was serving a purpose.
"You've worked hard," Ulquiorra's tone remained calm. "Take these things and leave here immediately. The area is about to be sterilized."
The vendors looked at the valuable gems, stunned. Then they exchanged glances, seeing deep fear and a hint of greed in each other's eyes.
They were shrewd individuals making a living in the Sabaody Archipelago. They knew what it meant when a monster told you to run.
Without a word, several of them rushed forward, hastily grabbed the gems, and ran. They didn't bother packing up their stalls. They didn't look back. They ran headlong towards the end of the street, disappearing into the mangrove roots in the blink of an eye.
In an instant, the entire Snack Street was empty.
Only Ulquiorra and the four Giants remained.
The aroma of food still lingered, but the lively atmosphere had been replaced by the deadly silence of killing intent.
Buzz...
The air began to vibrate.
Without warning, a streak of extreme golden light suddenly appeared beside Ulquiorra.
It was faster than sound. Faster than thought.
Accompanied by a lazy yet deadly dangerous voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Admiral "Kizaru" Borsalino.
Before he finished speaking, the light had already condensed into a physical leg. It glowed with the power of a sun, aiming directly for the side of Ulquiorra's head. A kick powerful enough to snap the Mangrove root in half.
However, the attacker was fast, but the defender's reaction was supernatural.
The moment that voice sounded—even before the light fully materialized—Ulquiorra's hand had already moved.
His left hand gripped the hilt of his sword, Murciélago, at his waist.
As Kizaru raised his leg, Ulquiorra drew.
SHING!
There were no superfluous movements. Only a slash that was incredibly fast, guided by instinct and advanced sensory perception.
CLANG—!
The golden light and the pitch-black blade collided with a roar at point-blank range!
BOOM!
A destructive shockwave exploded from the point of impact. It wasn't just wind; it was a sphere of force that instantly overturned the heavy tables, shattered the stalls, and turned the remaining food into paste.
Dust swirled violently.
Amidst the chaos, both figures vanished simultaneously.
Zip. Zap.
When the Giants recovered from the violent wind pressure, shielding their eyes, they were horrified to discover the new positions.
Ulquiorra had appeared in front of them, ten meters away from his original seat. His long sword was already sheathed, his hands back in his pockets, as if he had never moved.
And in mid-air, not far in front of them, countless golden specks of light gathered like fireflies.
They reconstructed the tall, thin figure of a man in a yellow suit.
"Oh my, oh my... how scary..."
Kizaru maintained his signature lazy expression, pushing up his sunglasses with a finger. But behind the shades, his eyes were sharp.
"As expected of someone who can defeat Sakazuki," Kizaru drawled. "To be able to keep up with my speed... without even using Future Sight? That is quite rare."
He spoke of trouble, but the 'lewd' smile on his face remained unchanged.
"Today's mission seems like it will be very troublesome... what a bother. I might miss my tea time."
"Be careful! Mr. Ulquiorra!"
Kashi recognized the newcomer. His face went pale. He immediately shouted a warning, then roared at Kizaru in mid-air.
"This is also an Admiral! 'Kizaru' Borsalino! The Light Human!"
"Hey! You're the Marine's top combat power, yet you resort to such despicable tactics as sneak attacks?!" Oimo yelled, raising his club.
"Oh dear, oh dear, little Giant, don't mind those details," Kizaru lazily waved his hand, floating casually. "As long as the mission is completed, the process isn't really that important. Justice is results, isn't it?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Giants suddenly realized their situation.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The sound of thousands of boots hitting the pavement echoed from all directions.
Unbeknownst to them, the street exits—north, south, east, and west—had already been blocked by a dense crowd of Marine soldiers. They had set up a perimeter while Kizaru distracted them.
Among the crowd, several powerful Marine Vice Admirals stood with drawn swords. Momonga. Onigumo. Doberman. The elites of the Buster Call.
But one figure in particular made Kashi and Oimo's hearts sink into their stomachs.
Standing at the front of the formation, cracking his knuckles with a grin that was more terrifying than any demon.
Marine Hero, Garp.
"Hey, Borsalino! Why are you running so fast?!"
Garp laughed loudly, striding out from the Marine formation. His presence alone made the air feel heavy, like gravity had increased.
CRUNCH.
He cracked his neck.
"Didn't I say to let this old man meet him first! You young ones have no patience!"
Garp's eyes quickly scanned the group. He ignored the Giants completely. He locked onto Ulquiorra, who stood conspicuously calm beneath the massive shadows.
A hint of approval appeared in Garp's eyes.
"Oh? So you're the kid?"
Garp walked forward, stopping ten meters away.
"To have such strength at such a young age... truly remarkable. And to block Borsalino's kick without flinching? Not bad."
Garp grinned. "It seems Borsalino has already tested you for me; you are not someone with an undeserved reputation. You really did beat Sakazuki."
He crossed his arms.
"How about it, kid? Interested in joining the Marines? We have better food than pirates. And I can teach you how to punch properly."
"Mr. Garp..." Kizaru reminded him helplessly from the side, landing on a lamppost. "The other party is a pirate with a bounty of a billion Berries. He destroyed a government facility. Please don't joke around like that. Sengoku-san will have a stroke."
Ulquiorra's emerald eyes calmly gazed at the Marine Hero before him. He felt the immense, crushing pressure radiating from the old man—a pressure far different from Akainu's heat or Kizaru's speed. This was pure, physical dominance.
His expression remained completely unchanged. His tone was even colder, devoid of any emotion.
"I'm sorry," Ulquiorra said softly. "I'm not interested in what you're saying."
He paused, then added:
"If you want to capture me, you can try. However... that will also be a meaningless attempt."
"Wahahahahaha!"
Garp burst into laughter upon hearing this. He threw his head back, laughing so hard tears came to his eyes, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Young people nowadays! Their boasts are truly getting bigger and bigger! 'Meaningless,' he says!"
Suddenly, the laughter stopped.
SNAP.
The smile on Garp's face instantly vanished. It was replaced by a solemnity as heavy as a mountain range. The playfulness was gone. The Hero was here.
The air throughout the Sabaody Archipelago seemed to become as heavy as iron at this moment. The weaker Marines behind him struggled to breathe.
"Then let this old man try it himself," Garp bared his teeth, revealing a mouthful of white teeth in a savage grin.
He raised his fist. It turned pitch black with Armament Haki.
"Let's see if your strength is as hard as your words, brat!"
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