Facing the overwhelming encirclement and fierce assault, Ivan stomped hard on the ground, propelling himself straight into the sky and evading all attacks.
Mid-air, black and red Conqueror's Haki Lightning surged wildly around him as terrifying Haki condensed on his fist:
"Fist Bone: Galaxy Impact!"
It was his own technique again!
Garp's eyes widened as he fearlessly charged forward, his iron fist carrying destructive force smashing toward Ivan.
The next moment, the two collided in mid-air, simultaneously striking each other's cheeks!
Boom!
A shockwave erupted with the two at its center. Vice Admirals like Onigumo, Kashō, and Stroberi had no time to defend and were instantly sent flying by the violent blast.
To others on the sea, these incredibly powerful Vice Admirals could barely even participate in this battle!
Though they were Vice Admirals, the gap between them and Garp or Fox was still far too vast!
The shockwaves from Fox and Garp's clash kicked up massive clouds of dust, soaring into the air and obscuring everyone's vision.
As the smoke slowly cleared, everyone stared intently at the two faintly visible figures within.
When they reappeared before the crowd, the scene in the smoke made every Marine's heart stop.
In a massive crater, Garp slowly straightened up, a trickle of bright red blood seeping from the corner of his mouth!
The hero Garp had actually been injured in this battle!
Standing opposite him, Fox, though struck in the face by Garp's punch, had a face that remained smooth and flawless, without a single mark of injury.
His breathing was steady, as if he hadn't suffered any damage at all.
"H-how... how is this possible?!"
This sight left the watching Vice Admirals utterly incredulous. They never imagined that in this clash, the legendary Marine hero Garp would be at a disadvantage!
Kashō struggled to his feet, leaning on his long sword, his pupils contracting violently as he exclaimed in shock:
"Vice Admiral Garp... actually lost in a direct fist clash?!"
Not only were Kashō and the others horrified, even Garp himself felt a storm of shock within.
He could clearly feel that his heavy punch had landed squarely on Fox's cheek!
Yet the sight before him left him stunned.
With a crisp crack, the mask on Fox's face shattered, revealing an utterly ordinary face.
However, it was this seemingly plain face that had withstood Garp's full-power punch without even a hint of redness or swelling.
Throughout his life of battling across the seas, countless great pirates had taken his heavy punches, but none had ever emerged completely unscathed!
But this Fox before him not only learned his technique after seeing it once but could also withstand his full-power punch without a scratch?!
Just how terrifyingly strong was his physical body?!
Opposite Garp, Ivan remained calm. Noticing the shock on Garp and the others' faces, he even raised an eyebrow slightly.
Only he himself knew that Garp's full-power strike had genuinely cracked his skull!
Suppressing the intense pain, he immediately activated Life Return and a bit of Reverse Cursed Technique, rapidly repairing the fractured skull to maintain an appearance of effortless ease.
At the same time, after two fist clashes with Garp, he had expended a massive amount of stamina. At most, he could clash with Garp two more times before having to retreat.
To be safe, he directly activated a prepared contingency.
Outside the wooden cage, a figure materialized in mid-air.
Clad in black with a Tanuki mask, it was another of Ivan's Wood Clones—the one known to the world as Tanuki!
Though Tanuki appeared in a remote spot, it quickly drew the attention of the surrounding Marines and pirates.
Noticing Tanuki's sudden appearance, Cracker's expression darkened in the distance.
"Two members of Shadow Garden actually came?
One Fox already forced Vice Admiral Garp and several Vice Admirals to join forces. Now with another reinforcement, it seems the Marines' encirclement operation is going to fail!"
Meanwhile, from a high vantage point on the outskirts of G-2 Base, the base commander overseeing operations, Vice Admiral Gumir, remained completely unruffled and had a different perspective.
His gaze sharp, showing not a hint of panic but rather confidence in victory, he declared:
"Tanuki, as expected, came to aid his comrade.
Perfect. I was worried Fox might find an opportunity to break through the chaos. Now that Shadow Garden has sent reinforcements, it seems Fox is truly in dire straits.
This encirclement operation will end in Marine victory!"
However, Gumir didn't intend to let Tanuki act freely. He turned to the several Vice Admirals gathered beside him and said:
"Let's go, colleagues. Our mission is here. As long as we stop Tanuki, victory is within reach!"
As Tanuki approached the area covered by Seastone Powder, Gumir and the other non-Devil Fruit users blocked his path.
Seeing his former superior, Vice Admiral Gumir, ahead, Tanuki raised an eyebrow slightly:
"Dogs of the World Government, you think you can stop me?"
Gumir lightly rested his hands on the hilts of the twin swords at his waist, his tone icy:
"Rebel scum, cease your insolence!
As a Marine, I uphold justice and guard these seas. Even if it costs me my life, I will never allow villains like you from Shadow Garden to run rampant again!"
Tanuki quietly watched Vice Admiral Gumir before him, a flicker of melancholy passing through his eyes.
He understood this former superior well.
In the world of pirates, Gumir was one of the rare few who steadfastly adhered to his principles.
He never killed innocents indiscriminately, seeking not power or glory, but only the simple peace and justice in his heart.
Yet it was precisely such a good man who was tightly bound by this era.
He wasn't blind to the darkness of the World Government, unaware of the Celestial Dragons' brutality, or ignorant of the dirty deeds carried out in the name of justice.
But constrained by the times, even if he saw the truth, he couldn't break free from this cloak of justice, couldn't escape the deeply ingrained rules and positions.
Thus, under the shadow of power, he clung to his own goodness while being forced to serve that vast evil, sinking deeper into contradiction and struggle.
Wasn't this another kind of pitiable soul?
It was precisely because there were too many such people in this world that Ivan decided to step forward. He would be the first spark to ignite the world, a single spark starting a prairie fire!
Therefore, he would not hold back!
At the same time, Gumir and the others activated Moon Walk, launching an attack on Ivan.
At the forefront, Gumir drew his twin swords, wrapping them in Armament Haki as he shouted sharply:
"Two-Sword Style: Wind-Splitting Slash!"
Two black slashes shot toward Tanuki.
Facing this attack, Tanuki easily dodged using Flying Thunder God, then condensed a sphere the size of a head in his palm.
Spiraling Sphere!
He shot out dozens of Flying Thunder God Kunai, hurling them toward the various Vice Admirals.
As the Flying Thunder God Kunai intersected with the Vice Admirals, his figure flickered repeatedly through the air.
When Tanuki's form solidified again in the sky, each Vice Admiral confronting him spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly injured by the Spiraling Sphere!