Chapter 87: The Situation Turns Twist!
[Sabaody Archipelago - Outer Sea - The Cruiser Pola]
Several kilometers away from the coastline, the massive steel hull of the Pola bobbed gently in the turbulent waves created by the distant battle.
On the deck, three figures stood frozen at the railing.
Nami, Ram, and Rem stared in absolute horror at the island.
KA-BOOM!
A towering pillar of flame erupted from Grove 9, piercing the clouds. A massive mushroom cloud of dust and smoke mushroomed outward, painting the sky in shades of apocalypse.
The shockwave hit the ship seconds later.
Creak... groan...
The 10,000-ton cruiser rocked violently. Nami grabbed the railing, her face pale as a sheet.
"Rem... Ram..." Nami's voice trembled, her eyes wide with fear. "What kind of monsters are they fighting? Is the island... going to sink?"
"Elder Sister..." Rem gripped Ram's hand tightly, her knuckles white. "Suzaku-kun... he will be fine, right?"
Ram, usually the picture of calm arrogance, forced a stoic demeanor. But her red eyes were fixed on the center of the explosion with an intensity that betrayed her concern.
"Don't worry," Ram said, her voice steady but lacking her usual bite. "Suzaku-sama's strength is immense. And Albedo-sama is with him. Their power far exceeds our imagination. There is no need for us to worry. We just... wait."
While she said this, it was unclear if she was comforting the trembling Nami and Rem, or trying to convince herself. The sheer scale of the destruction was beyond anything they had seen, even on Sky Island.
[Grove 9 - The Center of the Crater]
Garp skidded backward, his boots carving deep trenches into the bedrock. He used the immense shockwave of the explosion to create distance.
He shook his head, clearing the ringing from his ears. He didn't even look at Suzaku. His gaze locked instantly onto Albedo, who was effortlessly holding back Kizaru with her black barriers.
Garp's mind raced. He was a brute, but he was also a Vice Admiral with decades of war experience. He assessed the situation in a microsecond.
Vice Admirals... fallen. Ulquiorra... regenerating. The Giants... unchecked.
He knew very well that with Suzaku's entire group present, the Marine's advantage had vanished into thin air. This wasn't an arrest anymore; it was a potential massacre of the Marine elite.
"We can't win this," Garp thought, grinding his teeth. "Not without sacrificing every soldier here."
Now was not the time to consider how to capture the enemy. It was time to minimize losses and withdraw before the Justice of the Marines was wiped out.
The key to survival was to free Admiral Kizaru, who was being pinned down by the black-winged woman.
"BORSALINO!"
Garp's roar echoed across the chaotic battlefield, drowning out the screams of the dying.
"The situation is FUBAR! Quickly! Find a way to evacuate with the remaining men! I will open a path for you!"
Before his words finished echoing, Garp moved.
BOOM!
His iron fist, wreathed in black Armament Haki and red lightning, tore through the air. He ignored Suzaku, aiming a haymaker directly at Albedo to break her barrier and free the Admiral.
However, how could Suzaku's attention ever have left the Marine Hero?
"Dream on, old man!"
As soon as Garp moved, a crimson afterimage flashed.
FWOOSH!
Suzaku shot out with lightning speed, wreathed in the flames of the Vermillion Bird. He arrived before Garp, interposing himself between the Hero and his subordinate.
"You're fighting me!"
Suzaku's pitch-black fist, covered in high-density Armament Haki and swirling with the fledgling sparks of his own Conqueror's Haki, met Garp's mountain-shattering iron fist head-on!
"You reckless brat!"
A fierce, predatory glint flashed in Garp's eyes.
Opportunity!
According to Aokiji's intelligence report, this kid's Armament Haki was decent, but far from top-tier. He relied on his Devil Fruit and tricks.
Garp had expected Suzaku to use his flying ability to kite him. He didn't expect the boy to be foolish enough to clash head-on in a contest of raw strength.
This is my chance! I can break his arm and break the stalemate!
With that thought, the black and red lightning on Garp's fist instantly surged. He poured his spirit into the blow, increasing its power by another thirty percent.
"FIST BONE: METEOR!"
CLANG—!!!
The two fists collided.
It wasn't the dull thud of flesh hitting flesh. It was a terrifying, metallic clang, like two giant mountains made of steel crashing together at supersonic speeds.
The air liquefied.
A visible white shockwave, centered on the point where their fists met, exploded outwards. It tore up another layer of the already cracked earth, stripping the ground down to the mangrove roots below.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Suzaku's body was forced back. He skidded backward more than ten steps, his boots plowing through the stone, creating spiderweb cracks with every impact.
Smoke rose from his arm. His sleeve was disintegrated.
"Hah..."
Suzaku finally managed to steady himself. He shook his slightly numb arm, feeling the bones vibrate.
Instead of pain, a brilliant, savage smile spread across his face.
"So this is the power of Advanced Conqueror's Haki coating? The weight behind it... it's indeed formidable!"
He clenched his fist, feeling the surging blood and Qi within him.
"It seems the physical enhancement brought by my Haki breakthrough is working! Even taking a full-power blow from the Marine Hero is not unbearable!"
On the other side, Garp only retreated one step. He stomped his foot, standing firm as a mountain.
But his expression was even uglier than Suzaku's.
It was a complex expression mixed with surprise, disbelief, and deep apprehension.
This brat...
Garp looked at his own fist, which was throbbing slightly.
His Armament Haki... it has become so profound in such a short time! It's dense!
The feeling of that punch couldn't be wrong.
This was not the opportunistic rookie described in the reports. This was a genuine top-tier expert who had already stepped into the threshold of Admiral and Yonko level strength. He had tanked a serious punch and smiled.
Even if he is slightly inferior to me in raw power right now... in this desperate situation, surrounded by multiple enemies of the same caliber, having another guy of this strength is simply deadly!
Garp's heart sank.
Without enough time, I can't take him down. And time is the one thing we don't have.
Just then, a final, gurgling scream came from a distance.
"Guh..."
Kizaru looked back in horror.
He watched as Ulquiorra expressionlessly withdrew his slender blue light sword (Luz de la Luna) from the chest of the last standing Marine Vice Admiral—Doberman.
The Vice Admiral coughed blood, his eyes glazing over. He fell heavily to the ground, joining his comrades in the dust.
All the Marine Vice Admirals responsible for the main assault were... completely annihilated.
"..."
The usual laxness and playful smile on Kizaru's face completely vanished at this moment. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes were cold and calculating.
He understood.
Their operation had failed. Utterly and completely.
Without the slightest hesitation, Kizaru abandoned his clash with Albedo.
Zwoop.
His body transformed into a golden light. He leaped instantly to Garp's side at an astonishing speed, re-materializing with a solemn expression.
"Mr. Garp," Kizaru said, his tone urgent and grave. "Let's retreat. We... have lost this round."
"But...!" Garp looked at the battlefield. He saw the thousands of unconscious Marines. He saw the dead Vice Admirals. His eyes went bloodshot with grief and rage. "There are still so many young Marines here! They are only unconscious! We can't leave them!"
"If we don't leave now, both of us will be stuck here!" Kizaru's voice was sharper than ever before. "The enemy's strength is extraordinary. We cannot save them if we are dead!"
And in the instant they conversed, the noose tightened.
Whoosh.
Ulquiorra transformed into a black shadow, silently blocking their rear path to the port. His wings spread wide, blocking the sun.
Thud. Thud.
The four Giants advanced with heavy steps from the flanks, casting mountain-like shadows over the Admirals.
And in front of them, Suzaku and Albedo stood side by side.
Suzaku cracked his knuckles, his Haki flaring. Albedo summoned another layer of barriers, her eyes glowing with malice.
A deadly net woven by Yonko-level combatants and giants was slowly tightening around the two legends of the Marines.
It was a checkmate.
"Tch."
Garp gritted his teeth. He looked at his fallen men one last time. "Forgive me."
Garp and Kizaru exchanged glances. They nodded. No more hesitation.
Both simultaneously pushed their power to the absolute limit.
"YASAKANI NO MAGATAMA!"
Kizaru crossed his arms. A blinding storm of light bullets erupted, covering the sky.
"FIST BONE: METEOR SHOWER!"
Garp punched the air a thousand times in a second, sending shockwaves flying in every direction.
It wasn't an attack to kill. It was a smokescreen.
A sky-covering rain of light bullets and world-destroying shockwaves instantly turned the area into an inferno of energy, dust, and blinding light.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Taking advantage of the earth-shattering explosion to obscure everyone's sight and Perception Haki, and while Ulquiorra and Albedo were forced to defend against the terrifying AOE attacks, the Admirals moved.
Flash.
Both men simultaneously transformed into streaks of light and motion. They fled at full speed towards the coastline, abandoning the island.
When the smoke and dust of the explosion finally cleared, the two strongest Marines were nowhere to be seen.
"Tch," Suzaku lowered his arm, shielding his eyes from the glare. "They ran fast."
He looked out toward the sea.
A golden light was streaking across the water at an incredibly fast speed. Upon closer inspection with his Haki, he could see Kizaru carrying the heavy form of Garp on his shoulder, moving at light speed away from the archipelago.
Suzaku lowered his guard. He understood.
In a battle between top-tiers, unless one side was willing to die, it was impossible to stop an Admiral from fleeing. Their physique and abilities gave them the ultimate freedom to choose their battles.
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