Black and red Conqueror's Haki Lightning collided once more, sweeping across the surroundings and widening the massive crater on the ground.
Ivan was sent flying backward, skidding hundreds of meters before stopping on one knee to steady himself.
At this moment, his fists were covered in bloodstains, and he was breathing heavily, his stamina nearly depleted.
Raising his head, Ivan looked toward Garp in the distance. The other man still stood tall and straight, only slightly out of breath, as if the earlier Conqueror's Haki Infusion had been nothing more than a warm-up for him.
Ivan's voice was hoarse: "Ah, the peak powerhouses of the sea are truly stamina monsters."
With Hyper-Speed Computation, his offensive power was already on par with these top-tier fighters, but his stamina paled in comparison.
After all, some of them could engage in high-intensity combat for days on end before a victor was decided!
"I've reached my limit!" Ivan rose to his feet again, steam billowing from his body as his injuries rapidly healed. "It's time to leave, or else I'll have overplayed my hand."
In the distance, Garp heard Ivan's words and roared, "Brat, where do you think you're going? With me here, you're not going anywhere!"
Garp's confidence was so absolute that Ivan's expression beneath his mask turned peculiar.
Not only did Seastone have no effect on him whatsoever, but the Tanuki clone outside could easily whisk him away.
Once he decided to leave, Ivan wasted no time. Taking advantage of the moment Garp charged toward him, he suddenly turned to face Vice Admiral Gumir, who had his back to him.
Then, he clapped his hands together, summoning what he needed: "Earth Release: Conqueror's Haki Infusion: Earth Dragon Technique!"
The ground erupted violently as a hundreds-of-meters-long earth dragon burst forth, its body wreathed in raging Conqueror's Haki Lightning. It roared and charged toward the unprepared Gumir!
Gumir's full attention was fixed on the battle between White Dove and Tanuki, completely unaware of the lethal attack from behind.
Seeing this, Garp's face darkened with fury as he bellowed, "Bastard! How dare you launch a sneak attack from behind!"
He never expected the seemingly bold Fox to resort to such a despicable ambush!
But the distance was too great; he couldn't rush over to intercept in time and could only watch helplessly as the earth dragon closed in on Gumir.
Just as the earth dragon's claws were about to strike Gumir, a white figure suddenly turned back. White Dove, disregarding his own safety, forcefully positioned himself in front of Gumir.
Thwack!
As if anticipating this move, Tanuki seized the moment to unleash a Wind Blade imbued with Armament Haki, slashing viciously across White Dove's back.
A deep, bone-exposing wound instantly appeared on White Dove's back, blood gushing out and staining his Justice Cloak crimson.
White Dove grunted in pain but didn't retreat a single step.
Enduring the agony, he tightened his grip on Snowfall, channeling all his Armament Haki into the blade, and roared, "One Sword Style: White Dawn: Horizontal Slash!"
A broad Flying Slash erupted, crashing precisely into the oncoming earth dragon.
The earth dragon was forcibly halted by the sword's light, unable to advance any further.
But the cost of stopping the earth dragon was immense. Not only was White Dove severely wounded by Tanuki's Wind Blade, but the impact from the earth dragon also inflicted internal injuries.
White Dove's face turned deathly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly weakening. He was clearly gravely injured.
Yet he still clutched Snowfall tightly, standing firm in front of Gumir, refusing to fall.
Vice Admiral Gumir witnessed this scene in its entirety. Gazing at White Dove's bloodied back as he stubbornly shielded him, Gumir's eyes instantly reddened:
"Vice Admiral White Dove, why have you gone this far?!"
Though his breath was unsteady, White Dove straightened his spine, his voice hoarse yet resounding:
"I uphold Burning Justice. What must burn has always been evil. How could we let the pure justice beside us burn out first?"
Gumir froze in place, his eyes reddening instantly as scalding tears fell to the ground.
He stared at the blood-soaked yet unwavering White Dove before him, his lips trembling uncontrollably. His hand gripping the broken sword tightened fiercely, his knuckles turning white.
What must burn has always been evil. How could we let the justice beside us burn out first?
These words struck him hard in the heart.
This vice admiral, who had guarded the G-2 Branch for years and witnessed countless darkness and helplessness, felt a surge of scalding emotion and bitterness in his chest, momentarily choked with speechlessness.
Looking at White Dove's swaying yet steadfast figure shielding him, he felt the dormant flames of justice in his heart reignited by this young light, burning fiercely and passionately.
Vice Admiral White Dove was the true inheritor of justice!
The smile vanished from Garp's face, his expression turning as hard as iron, devoid of any trace of amusement.
Black and red Conqueror's Haki Lightning surged around him, tearing through the air with deafening roars.
Only now, at this moment, did this often carefree Navy Hero truly get serious, fully committing to the fight.
He had been thoroughly awakened by Vice Admiral White Dove's words.
Yes, he had been holding back all along, intending only to let Shadow Garden escape and spite the World Government. But he never expected...
Within the Navy, there were never few young people like this, holding onto pure hearts and upholding justice!
He was not just a member of the D Clan; he was also a Navy soldier!
A Navy Hero who must protect true justice on these seas!
"To think I'd be taught a lesson by a young man!" Garp's eyes widened in fury, his roar shaking the battlefield, his voice filled with rage:
"Brat, earlier I held back because I couldn't be bothered to deal with you seriously. But you dared to launch a sneak attack!
Then let me show you the true Iron Fist of the Navy Hero!"
The next moment, Garp charged toward Fox with extreme speed.
His right fist clenched, Armament Haki wrapping around it like layers of ink, completely merging with the raging Conqueror's Haki. Dark lightning flickered on his fist, and with each step he took, the ground cracked open into trenches several feet deep.
"Iron Fist: Meteor Impact!"
As his low shout echoed, Garp's fist, carrying world-shattering force, shot straight toward Fox.
The power of this punch was far greater than before!
Sensing the terrifying force behind Garp's Iron Fist, Ivan knew that in his current near-exhausted state, he couldn't possibly withstand this blow head-on!
Nevertheless, Ivan remained completely calm because, the moment before Garp struck in anger, the Wood Clone he had secretly separated had already completed its deployment.
After the intense earlier struggle, he and Garp had unknowingly reached the edge of the area covered in Seastone Powder.
Just as Garp's Iron Fist was about to strike him, outside the Seastone Powder zone, Tanuki's eyes suddenly sharpened. His chest vibrated as he roared:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent hurricane erupted from his mouth, sweeping forward.
The wind was ferocious, tearing through the air and instantly lifting rubble and broken wood from the ground.
The hurricane swept precisely past Ivan, scattering all the Seastone Powder around him and completely clearing the area.
The moment the powder dissipated, Ivan immediately seized the opportunity, pretending to break free from the Seastone's suppression.
Then, his figure suddenly blurred. Using his Teleportation Ability, he vanished from his original position just a split second before Garp's Iron Fist landed, narrowly avoiding the world-shattering blow.