The mission had, of course, already failed.
The Charlotte Family had been completely frightened by the Beasts Pirates.
Without their participation, there was no way the Navy could defeat the forces sent by the Beasts Pirates this time, let alone seize the copy of the Road Poneglyph in their possession.
In fact, if they didn't retreat now, they would soon find themselves trapped between two pirate crews.
That would be disastrous.
The Marine Vice Admirals were already turning tail, desperate to flee.
This wasn't a battle they could interfere in—right now, their only option was to run.
"Isshin! Aramaki! We'll cover you!"
Garp roared with fury.
"Galaxy Impact!"
His overwhelming Haki exploded into a violent shockwave that sent Bullet's enormous giant body staggering backward.
"Don't move!!"
Green Bull unleashed his power at full force. Vines burst forth, shattering the frozen plains Kuzan had created moments ago.
The Charlotte Family officers were once again pinned down, and even the massive legs of Bullet's giant form were bound tightly by the rapidly growing plants.
Fujitora didn't hesitate either. The ruins of the royal palace he had previously levitated into the sky now came crashing down like a torrential storm upon the battlefield.
"Damn it! Don't even think about running!!"
Bullet roared in rage. He hadn't even enjoyed the fight yet, and these damn Marines were already trying to escape?
Unacceptable!
He would never allow it!
His colossal fist swept across the field, Haki spreading like a raging gale, blowing away all falling debris and dust.
"That's right, that's right! We're not done fighting yet!"
Yamato's battle fervor was only slightly less than Bullet's. Laughing wildly, she kicked off the air and charged straight toward Fujitora.
"Aren't you going to move?"
Jack glanced at Kuzan, who had just climbed onto the giant's head.
The guy's face was a mess—Garp's punch had split his forehead open and knocked his jaw out of place.
"I'm seriously injured right now…"
Kuzan slumped on top of Bullet's head, looking utterly lifeless, as if he could die at any moment.
Jack's mouth twitched; of course he knew this man still wasn't mentally ready to fight the Navy to the death.
After all, how long had he been with the Beasts Pirates? And before that he'd served as a Marine for decades.
But that didn't matter.
Big Brother Ian had long expected this and didn't care; Jack had nothing to say about it either.
But, that didn't mean the man could slack off now.
"I'll leave that wood-using guy down there to you."
Jack said.
It wasn't false modesty — the man below was terrifyingly strong as well.
Not something he or Maria could handle; it would take that man's effort to deal with him.
"My, my — you really know how to squeeze people, don't you."
Kuzan remarked, then leapt down from the giant's head.
"Ice Spears!"
A vast number of ice spears materialized out of thin air and, in an instant, rained down like a storm toward the Green Bull below.
Green Bull, transformed into a colossal treant, was pierced through and through, as if turned into a sieve.
Yet, as a fellow Logia -type Devil Fruit user, he felt no harm from attacks that lacked Haki.
"Alright! Traitor who betrayed justice, you still dare attack me now?"
Green Bull roared. "Take this!"
Countless vines surged upward like snakes and shredded the falling Kuzan to pieces.
Still, as I said: against a Logia-type user, attacks without Haki were meaningless.
The fragments of Kuzan's body — frozen into ice — crashed to the ground, and in an instant the earth itself froze solid; every tree became an ice sculpture.
"My, my, what a hot-tempered fellow— you really are a lot like that Sakazuki fellow."
Kuzan rose from the ice and said lazily.
"Sakazuki is my favorite Marine!"
Green Bull laughed. "Then let me take his place and teach you, you damned traitor!"
Countless vines burst out from the ice in an instant — but this time, the tips of the vines were wrapped in Haki.
In the sky, Fujitora and Yamato clashed again and again, each impact fierce and brief, neither side gaining the upper hand.
"You're really strong!"
Yamato shouted with excitement.
As expected, a fight was only truly fun when the opponent was powerful enough!
At the same time, Fujitora couldn't help but marvel. "She's really just a teenager?"
It was truly humbling — such a young girl, yet already capable of facing him head-on.
It made Fujitora wonder if all his decades of experience had been lived in vain.
But then, he remembered the even more terrifying figure standing behind this girl.
An invincible man, someone whose very existence made the entire World Government tremble in fear.
The Emperor of the New World.
Ian — the man who, with his power alone, had built an empire.
And the boy of the same age as this girl was an even greater monster — a true, unprecedented prodigy.
However, now wasn't the time for sentimentality.
He had to stop this gifted young woman no matter what.
Each Admiral had already found their own opponent, while the Hero of the Marines, Garp, stood firmly in Bullet's way.
"Hahahaha!"
Bullet roared with laughter. "You trying to protect those Marines who are running away?"
His massive fist clashed once more with Garp's, sending shockwaves through the air.
Bullet's giant form staggered backward under the blow, but at the same time, Garp himself was sent flying by the overwhelming power.
In that instant, beams of light suddenly erupted from the massive cannon embedded in the giant's chest.
"What?!"
In the distance, several Marine Vice Admirals, stepping on air to flee the battlefield, turned back in terror.
They barely had time to raise their defenses—
Then—
BOOM!!
A brilliant explosion blossomed in the sky like a dazzling flower.
"Damn it!!"
Garp roared in fury, his eyes wide with rage — he hadn't been fast enough to stop it.
Roaring, he charged back and collided once more with Bullet's massive fist.
Garp indeed was very strong; despite his age he remained one of the ocean's acknowledged top fighters.
But Bullet was no weakling either.
With the aid of Ian, he had entered an awakened state, and his strength now slightly overmatched even Garp's.
Garp's furious punches did little — they only dented Bullet's giant fist and pushed the colossus backward.
While the Beast Pirates and the Navy fought fiercely, members of the Charlotte family simply watched the spectacle.
Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth as she watched the battle unfold in her own stronghold.
Damn it — these bastards!
Each one more damned than the last!
Those Navy scum were bad enough!
They hadn't even shown her any respect; they stormed straight into her headquarters to steal the stones.
And Ian's underlings — they deserved to be cut to pieces even more!
Not only did they show her no respect like the Navy, they actually dared to threaten her openly!
Who did they take Charlotte Linlin to be?
Fight!
Those damned bastards should tear each other apart — better that they all die here!
Charlotte Linlin cursed inside.
**********
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