Vice Admiral Garp knelt on one knee, glancing at William before shifting his gaze to the hand pressed against the ground. On the back of his hand, an unmistakable green spot had appeared at some point.
"Vice Admiral Garp," William began, his voice calm despite the situation. "Do you know what 'Golden Lion' Shiki has been up to all these years? And do you know what I've gained from him?"
As he spoke, William suddenly charged toward Garp. Mid-sprint, his body transformed into streams of steam. For a Logia Devil Fruit user, recklessly turning into their elemental form against an opponent with vastly superior Armament Haki was rarely a wise choice, as it only increased the surface area vulnerable to attacks.
Sure enough, Garp, though still surprised by the earlier anomaly, instinctively threw a punch that sent William sprawling. Yet, in the same moment, William managed to grab the two gas masks strapped to Garp's waist. High-temperature steam erupted from his palm, destroying both masks.
Garp didn't even glance at the ruined masks. Still kneeling, he slammed his fist down toward the fallen William. Once again, William shifted into his steam form to evade. Garp's punch landed on the ground, and the resulting impact was no less devastating than his earlier strikes at the mine. The earth cracked like a spiderweb, and the groaning of splintering wood filled the air as several massive trees toppled in succession.
William emerged from the dust clouds, dodging the falling trees, and fixed his gaze on Garp, who remained standing in place. The relentless pursuit and series of powerful attacks had left the old Marine slightly winded. Invisible, microscopic particles mixed with the air and entered his body through his nose and mouth. As they were exchanged through his blood and tissues, the particles began to spread throughout his system.
A few more green spots appeared on Garp's face. Upon closer inspection, one could see that as his breathing grew heavier, the spots gradually expanded.
"Daft Green." The locals of Merveille called it the "Mad Green," the trees that protected their villages from the island's ferocious beasts.
These trees constantly emitted microscopic particles invisible to the naked eye. Even the beasts on Merveille—those bred to be more savage and bloodthirsty under Golden Lion Shiki's influence—dared not approach the forest.
When inhaled into the human body, these particles caused green spots to appear on the skin, accompanied by stiffness, functional deterioration, and other debilitating symptoms. The terrifying aspect of this condition, referred to as "Daft Syndrome" by the locals, lay in its insidious nature and cumulative effects.
Unlike toxins such as M.H.5, developed under William's command, or other poisonous gases in the world, the effects of Daft Syndrome weren't immediately apparent. Unless one was already aware of its dangers, by the time symptoms manifested, the victim would likely be beyond saving, with a significant accumulation of particles in their body.
Even the locals of Merveille, who lived far from the Mad Green forests, would develop symptoms after years of exposure to trace amounts of the particles carried in the air. In the original story, Nami, unaware of the forest's dangers, had once entered the Mad Green woods without protection. It didn't take long—just the time it took to set some explosives—before she succumbed to the particles, losing her ability to move. She nearly lost her life after prolonged exposure to the particles.
On Merveille Island, even someone as powerful and arrogant as Golden Lion Shiki would tread cautiously in the Mad Green forest, always wearing a gas mask.
Back then, the Mad Green surrounding Shiki's palace was merely a small grove. But now, the forest on this island was the result of William transplanting the entirety of Merveille's Mad Green trees here.
Moreover, William had deliberately chosen this location in the Calm Belt for a critical reason: the absence of wind to disperse the particles. On this small island surrounded by the Calm Belt, the air within the dense forest was saturated with countless Mad Green particles. By luring Garp into a relentless chase and provoking him into exerting himself with unrestrained attacks, William had ensured that Garp's heavy breathing would accelerate the intake of the particles into his body.
With Garp's formidable physique, the Mad Green particles wouldn't kill him outright. However, without the antidote, the stiffness, functional deterioration, and other symptoms that had already begun to manifest across his body wouldn't fade. In fact, the longer Garp remained exposed to the particles, the more severe his condition would become.
If William had used a toxin like M.H.5, even if Garp were initially caught off guard, he would have quickly taken protective measures. For someone as powerful as Garp, William had no illusions about instantly incapacitating him with M.H.5. But this was different.
William himself wasn't immune to the Mad Green particles. Earlier, he had taken a vial of antidote derived from IQ, but as he continued to expose himself to the particles, symptoms inevitably began to appear. However, thanks to his prior knowledge of the Mad Green's dangers, he had consciously slowed his breathing and refrained from using Overheat, allowing the residual effects of the antidote to mitigate his symptoms. As a result, his condition was far less severe than Garp's.
William took a slow, deliberate breath, seemingly unconcerned about the Mad Green particles around him. As his chest heaved violently, his skin turned red, and white steam began to pour from his mouth and nose.
Overheat!
With a sudden burst of power, William charged at Garp. As he swung Wado Ichimonji, the blade cut through the air with a piercing whistle, slicing through several massive trees. Yet when it collided with Garp's fist, it produced only a dull thud.
Even at the cost of aggravating his own Daft symptoms, William was determined to prolong the fight, keeping Garp exposed to the Mad Green particles for as long as possible.
Garp's physical strength and willpower were monstrous. He was a legend of the same era as Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, and Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Despite his advanced age, his body seemed untouched by time. Unlike Shiki and Whitebeard, who had begun to show signs of wear and tear, Garp's body remained as robust as that of a young man.
But no matter how powerful Garp was, he was still human. He needed food, and more importantly, he needed to breathe. He couldn't stop the microscopic particles from entering his body.
After prolonged exposure in the forest without protection, the Daft symptoms had become increasingly apparent. Even so, Garp had not lost his combat ability. In fact, he still held the upper hand against William, even in his Overheat state.
However, as time dragged on, the green spots on Garp's body multiplied and grew larger. Though he gritted his teeth and fought on, his movements inevitably slowed. Each punch seemed to sap the last of his strength.
BOOM!
William landed a punch on Garp, sending him flying. Wado Ichimonji, which had been knocked from William's hand earlier, was nowhere to be seen. Standing in place, William panted heavily as he watched Garp struggle to his feet, his movements stiff and labored.
William had already deactivated Overheat. His face and arms were covered in visible green spots. The affected parts of his body felt numb, as if he had lost control over them—a sensation that was both unsettling and terrifying.
Taking a few labored breaths, William stumbled toward Garp. His movements were awkward, like a puppet with stiff joints. Reaching Garp, he swung his fist downward, striking Garp's face. Garp, in turn, grabbed William and delivered an elbow to his chest.
The two men, stripped of their former grace, grappled on the ground like common street brawlers, enduring the pain brought by the Daft particles.
Had someone viewed the scene from above, they would have seen the Mad Green forest littered with bodies. Both William's guards and the Marines who had pursued them into the forest had succumbed to the particles, rendered immobile.
From the lowest-ranked soldiers to Vice Admirals and commanders, all had fallen to the invisible enemy known as Daft Green. Only Garp and William continued their relentless fight, their eyes locked onto each other. Even as green spots and blood mingled on their faces, creating grotesque patterns, they refused to stop.
Finally, both men collapsed, their bodies no longer able to move. Yet even as they lay on the ground, they kept their eyes open, glaring at each other.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the island, a steamship slowly docked at the shore.
(End of Chapter)
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