"Marine Hero Garp?!"
Vista froze. His previously indifferent expression vanished in an instant.
A Marine powerhouse from the same era as their old man—someone worthy of genuine respect.
The pirates partying on the deck also fell silent.
They put down their bowls of sake and hunks of meat,
and all eyes turned to their captain—Whitebeard.
It was as if they were simply waiting for one word from him— and they'd grab their weapons without hesitation,vcharging at the legendary Marine hero head-on.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard's face showed a flicker of surprise.
"Didn't expect that old geezer Garp to show up."
"Looks like Sengoku's really getting desperate."
"Sending Garp to keep an eye on me, huh?"
It only took a moment of thought for Whitebeard to understand the intent behind Garp's sudden arrival.
Sengoku was clearly afraid he might actually team up with Sanders… or even Kaido.
So, he'd sent Garp as a deterrent.
Gulp—gulp—
Whitebeard grabbed his giant sake jug and downed it in one go.
After wiping the liquor from the corner of his mouth,
he picked up Murakumogiri, the bisento resting beside him, and slowly stood.
Seeing this, his sons—some seated, some lounging—moved at once.
They stood in unison with Whitebeard.
"Old man, maybe it's time we show the Marines what we're made of!"
shouted Rakuyo, commander of the 7th division.
"That's right, Pops!"
added Namur, commander of the 8th division.
"First it was Admiral Akainu, now it's Garp the Hero,"
he continued.
"The Marines clearly think nothing of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"It's about time we reminded them just how terrifying we can be!"
Blamenco, 6th division commander, followed up with a cold snort.
As he spoke, he reached under the stitched flap beneath his chin.
A Bag-Bag Fruit user, Blamenco could store items inside his body.
After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out his weapon—a massive warhammer.
It looked rather like him—bulky and stout.
With those words, the deck exploded with a surge of fighting spirit.
Members of the Whitebeard Pirates began reaching for their weapons.
Their reputation had taken a hit in recent times.
It was one thing for reckless rookies in the New World to challenge them—that was nothing new.
But the Marines?
They'd provoked them again and again.
If this kept up,
who knew what would happen next?
They had to strike back.
Just like when they faced the Beasts Pirates—
Strike hard and show no mercy!
Make them feel the pain.
Let them know what it means to cross the Whitebeard Pirates!
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't mind them. Keep drinking and feasting to your heart's content."
"I'll go have a little chat with that old geezer Garp."
With one hand gripping his giant sake jug and the other holding Murakumogiri,
Whitebeard leapt from the Moby Dick to the flagship moored nearby.
Vista the Flower Blade followed close behind.
The pirates still on deck exchanged looks.
"Should we go too?"
Blamenco, resting his hammer on his shoulder, seemed uncertain whether to follow or stay and drink.
"Let the others keep partying," said Rakuyo, after thinking for a moment.
"Any captain who wants to go take a look can tag along."
"It's just Garp. Nothing to worry about."
Being one of the Whitebeard Pirates' founding veterans, Rakuyo's words carried weight.
A few division commanders followed his lead and jumped onto the flagship.
Whitebeard glanced back and saw them, but said nothing to stop them.
"Gurararara!"
"Turn the flagship—head straight for Garp!"
Whitebeard laughed and gave the order.
Soon, under the helmsman's guidance, the ship slowly turned and headed for the approaching Dog-Head Warship.
In no time, that tiny dot on the horizon began to grow in size.
From a distance, they could already make out the silhouette of a Marine sitting cross-legged atop the warship's dog-shaped figurehead.
At the same time, Vice Admiral Garp, aboard the Dog-Head Warship, also spotted Whitebeard in the distance.
He grinned broadly and seemed ready for action.
"Vice Admiral Garp," said Bogard, standing on deck,
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku only told us to keep an eye on Whitebeard."
"If you're going to clash with a Yonko—no, a Five Emperors level threat—"
"we'd need clearance from the World Government."
"'Five Emperors', huh?"
Garp laughed.
"Doesn't matter to me."
"I just want to say hello to an old friend."
He laughed again, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Seeing Garp's expression and knowing exactly what was coming, Bogard's face tensed and he shouted:
"Everyone, grab onto something—NOW!"
The Marines on deck didn't hesitate.
They immediately clung to whatever they could find on the warship.
"Hahahaha!"
Garp burst into laughter and bent his knees, leaping into the sky.
Mid-air, he turned to face Bogard and the others on deck and shouted:
"Launch!"
Then, he threw a punch at nothing but air.
The terrifying force behind his fist collided with the atmosphere, releasing a devastating shockwave.
Whoosh!
The Dog-Head Warship, which had been resting calmly on the sea, suddenly launched into the air—
as if pushed by an unimaginably powerful force, it shot upward like a cannonball.
"The warship—it's flying!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
Chaos erupted on the deck.
Many Marines were caught off guard and tumbled around helplessly.
Bogard, clutching the railing with one hand and pressing down on his hat with the other,
watched Garp now standing atop the Dog-Head figurehead with a resigned expression.
"Still as reckless as ever, huh, Vice Admiral Garp..."
—
Back on Whitebeard's ship, the division commanders stared wide-eyed at the absurd scene unfolding before them.
"Gurararara!"
"Same old Garp!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily, downed a gulp of sake, then tossed the jug to Vista.
With Murakumogiri in hand, he turned his gaze to the airborne warship.
"Long time no see, Newgate!"
Garp's booming voice carried across the sea.
All eyes turned skyward—there he was, walking forward atop the Dog-Head with ease,
his Justice cloak fluttering dramatically behind him.
A terrifying aura radiated from his body.
Crackling black and red lightning danced around him.
His massive fists were clad in dense Armament Haki,
pulsing with restrained violence.
Then—with one stomp, Garp launched himself from the figurehead,
hurtling directly toward Whitebeard's flagship.
The warship, no longer held aloft by his power, began falling rapidly back toward the sea.
"Newgate! Let's see if you're still tough—or just old!"
Muscles rippled across Garp's frame.
Both arms were wrapped in thick black Haki, his clenched fists crackling as joints popped in anticipation.
A deep crimson glow pulsed from his knuckles.
It cast its light across the ocean—so bright, it seemed to steal the color from the sun itself.
"Bone Fist!"
Garp roared and hurled his punch at Whitebeard.
"Gurararara!"
"You're older than me, Garp—you should be the one worrying!"
Whitebeard looked up at Garp, laughed, and vanished from his spot in an instant.
Like an arrow released from a bow,
he reappeared midair, face-to-face with the flying Marine hero.
"Impact!"
Seeing Whitebeard arrive in front of him, Garp grinned madly and threw his fist forward—
and in that instant, a titanic surge of power exploded between them.
It erupted like a volcanic explosion,
surging with overwhelming might— like a meteor crashing down, devastating and unstoppable.
The force was unleashed toward Whitebeard with terrifying momentum.
Even space itself seemed to be ripped apart by the onslaught.
"I can't let you wreck my flagship, Garp!"
Whitebeard didn't back down an inch.
He raised Murakumogiri high above his head.
Buzz!
The power of the Gura Gura no Mi surged from within him, coursing down his arm and into the naginata—as if it had been coated with an invisible membrane of pure destructive force.
With a mighty swing—
Craack!
A sound like shattering glass echoed through the sky.
The very air fractured under the tremor.
Whitebeard's Murakumogiri collided with Garp's monstrous punch.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion burst out high above the sea.
The energy from Garp's fists kept pouring out, only to be shattered again and again by Whitebeard's quake powers.
The two forces—equal in might and ferocity—clashed, tangled, and exploded.
A massive shockwave, visible to the naked eye, erupted outward from the point of impact,
spreading in every direction like a storm.
Under the force of the blast, Whitebeard Pirates' flagship was pushed backward,
as if struck by a category-eight hurricane.
At the same moment, the Dog-Head Warship came crashing down into the sea,
smashing waves into the air like a falling boulder.
Bogard, now soaking wet from the spray, looked down at his drenched cloak and sighed.
"We were only supposed to keep an eye on the Whitebeard Pirates..."
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
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