Ignoring Garp's furious charge, Leo blasted him back down with a single, precise lightning strike. He then turned to the women with a smile. "Today, Marine Headquarters is no less dangerous than a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. Are you afraid?"
The women shook their heads, their resolve firm.
"Leo, don't worry. We definitely won't hold you back," Nami declared proudly, lightning crackling around her.
"Brother Leo, my swordsmanship has improved quite a bit recently~" Tashigi said with a soft smile, the black blade Shusui boldly leaving its sheath.
"Captain, you can leave the rear to us with confidence!!" Robin looked down at the battlefield below, a dangerous glint flashing in her narrowed, beautiful eyes. Once hunted across the world by the Marines and CP with no way out, the Queen of Vengeance was now officially online.
"Captain, your enemies are our enemies!!"
Doll and Kalifa affirmed one after the other. Leo's will was the direction their blades would point.
"Brother Leo, I'll make all these nasty guys kneel before my Negative Hollows." Perona, holding her small parasol, vowed confidently. So far, no one affected by her Negative Hollows had remained unaffected.
"Captain, I won't disappoint you regarding that Devil Fruit." Margaret clenched her delicate fists, throwing Leo a grateful look. On the way, Leo had given her the recently acquired reward—the Zoan Type, Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Black Cat. Her strength had reached a new level.
Looking at the confident women before him, Leo nodded in satisfaction. This was what his women were like.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire battlefield, Leo piloted the Maxim to a smooth landing in a relatively empty area. After everyone had stepped onto the ice, Leo stored the airship away. Instantly, countless heated gazes fixed upon Leo and the women.
"Leo?!" Marco the Phoenix hesitated for a moment before flying to Whitebeard's side and whispering a few words in his ear. For the first time, a grave expression appeared on Whitebeard's impassive face.
Marco nodded in confirmation. "Pops, it's all over Sabaody. Ace's brother, Straw Hat Luffy, really was killed by Leo."
Whitebeard fell silent, shooting an almost imperceptible glance at Ace on the execution platform before shaking his head. "We'll discuss that later. Right now, the priority is to save Ace." Marco nodded slightly and said no more, transforming back into the Phoenix to dominate the skies.
Meanwhile, on the Warlords' platform, the moment Hancock saw Leo land, her beautiful eyes filled with delight and unconcealed heart-shaped adoration. "Leo, feel free to act.妾身 will unconditionally support you." Her slender fingers gently stroked the bat-shaped ring on her right hand; she was fully prepared to turn traitor at any moment.
"LEO!!"
"LEO!!!"
Both Garp and Kizaru completely abandoned the Whitebeard Pirates, their towering figures brimming with killing intent as they charged straight for Leo. Their eyes were bloodshot, wishing they could skin Leo alive, tear out his sinews, eat his flesh, and drink his blood.
While everyone was looking at Leo and his crew with varied expressions...
"As expected of Marine Headquarters. So many powerful auras," Nami said, her face gradually turning serious after carefully sensing the area.
"Of course. To deal with the Whitebeard Pirates, the Marines have almost emptied their entire base," Leo remarked casually, observing the situation on the battlefield.
Leo then expanded his Observation Haki, covering the entire Marine Headquarters to locate his targets for this trip. Finding a specific person on a battlefield of 150,000 was difficult, but... The next second, his eyes lit up. In an inconspicuous corner, Marine Captain Hina was locked in combat with Whitebeard Pirates members.
Hmm?
And that person is...
Leo looked closer. Not far from Hina was another tall, beautiful figure. It was none other than Marine Ensign "Nail-Hand" Isuka. In the original story, she didn't have much screen time, but she was a veritable beauty tied to the plot.
I'll take her! A faint smile spread across Leo's lips. He must have been blessed by the God of Luck today. In a single day, he'd acquired six Devil Fruits, four Marine beauties, and mastered Haki Infusion. Wonderful.
Why six? Aside from the already reclaimed Venom-Venom, Join-Join, and Multiply-Multiply Fruits, plus the rewarded Cat-Cat Fruit, there were also Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit and Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit! No need to rush Whitebeard; with Akainu here, the two would inevitably weaken each other, and he could just reap the rewards. As for Kizaru, this old bastard's killing intent was practically overflowing. He couldn't be left alive.
"Leo! Don't think you'll leave Marine Headquarters alive!!"
"Hehehehe... Leo, this time next year will be your anniversary!!"
Garp and Kizaru charged from different directions. No one dared to block their path. Even the Whitebeard Pirates members, pressured by their immense aura, gave way. They didn't want to suffer unjustly.
"Leo, just die!!" Kizaru's gaze was ferocious. Beating Garp to the punch, he launched a Lightspeed Kick brimming with powerful laser爆破力 (explosive force), kicking with full force towards Leo.
"You old fool! I've had enough of you!!"
"Thousand Thunder Strike!"
"Cliff Sword!!"
"Ghost Bomb!!"
Several angry voices rang out simultaneously. A pillar of lightning, a sword slash, and miniature bombs intertwined in the air, colliding fiercely with the incoming Lightspeed Kick. With a tremendous explosion, their attacks detonated, transforming into points of light and arcs of lightning that spread outwards.
"Th-these women... they're this strong?!" Seeing Nami and the others block Admiral Kizaru's furious attack, both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marine elites viewed them in a new light. They never expected the women around Leo to possess the capability to rival a Marine Admiral. It seemed they had been too superficial. Very few on the entire battlefield could have blocked that kick from Kizaru.
"Tashigi~" Amidst the Marine ranks, Smoker, cigar in mouth, stared blankly at the beautiful figure beside Leo, his feelings mixed. In just a few months, Tashigi's strength had improved by leaps and bounds. Now, even he was probably no match for her. Smoker laughed mockingly at himself. Perhaps this was everyone's destiny.
"Kizaru, you can't even defeat my crew members, and you still want to kill me?!" Leo looked at Kizaru, who was reforming not far away, with utter disdain, then added, "Or have you forgotten how you lost your right arm?!"
Struck in his sore spot, Kizaru's mouth twitched involuntarily. Even though the wound had long healed, hearing Leo mention it made it ache faintly again.
"Leo, enough talk! Today is your death day!!" Garp, arriving late, could barely contain his rage! He'd been worried about finding Leo, and now his enemy had delivered himself to his doorstep. Today, he would avenge Luffy!!
Leo looked coldly at Garp, sneering. "Hehehe~ Kill the young one, and the old one comes out."Since you miss Luffy so much, I'll send you to see him!" "Let you two grandfather and grandson have a good chat down below!" "As for you—"
"Captain, leave Kizaru to us!!" Before Leo could finish, the seven women stepped forward in unison. One-on-one they might not be Kizaru's match, but联手 (working together), the outcome was yet to be determined.
"Ants trying to shake a tree, overestimating your own strength!!" Kizaru snorted coldly, flashing towards them. He had no concept of怜香惜玉 (cherishing beauty and sparing the delicate).
"Ama no Murakumo!" Kizaru pulled out golden swords from his hands, slashing mercilessly at the women.
"You old fool, you really think we're just pretty faces?!" Nami's body surged with powerful energy as she pressed her right hand down violently.
BOOM! BOOM!
"Ten Thousand Thunderbolts!"
Not to be outdone, Robin opened her Observation Haki to its fullest and struck out decisively.
"Diez Fleur: Clutch!!" Robin crossed her arms. A flurry of petals danced, and multiple jet-black arms suddenly sprouted from Kizaru's body.
"Sword of Judgment!!" Simultaneously, a giant sword phantom appeared in the sky, slashing down towards Kizaru from above.
"Tempest Kick: Hundred-Segment Kick!!" Kalifa's legs were a blur as she launched nearly a hundred vacuum slashes one after another, swarming towards Kizaru.
"Rending Claw!!" Margaret transformed into her most powerful combat form, the human-beast hybrid, pouncing on Kizaru to attack.
"Hehehe~ Kizaru, taste the power of the Negative Hollows. I've never seen what a Marine Admiral looks like kneeling on the ground." Perona gave a sly smile, immediately summoning dozens of white Negative Hollows flying towards Kizaru from all directions.
"Soul Bass Boom!!!" Doll closed in, her Observation and Armament Haki maxed out. Knowing exactly how formidable a Marine Admiral was, she didn't bother testing the waters, going straight for a killing blow.
The seven women coordinated flawlessly, attacking almost simultaneously, giving Kizaru no time to react.
"Dammit! To think they'd be this troublesome?!" Kizaru's face tightened slightly. His Observation Haki surged wildly. Just before the black arms could snap his limbs, he reacted, quickly turning his body into light and reappearing elsewhere. Seeing the women surrounding him, Kizaru finally discarded his contempt.
"Vice Admiral Garp! After I deal with them, I'll come help you!!" Throwing these words to Garp, Kizaru immediately became locked in a fierce battle with the women. He wasn't worried about Garp; he'd seen the signs during the last fight with Leo. While Leo's teleportation was troublesome, he couldn't do much to Garp. Once his own battle was over, the two of them joining forces would, at the very least, make Leo retreat in defeat, even if they couldn't kill him.
"LEO!!" Garp stared fixedly at Leo, his eyes bloodshot, like a beast ready to devour its prey. As their powerful auras erupted, the area within several hundred meters of Leo and Garp was completely empty. No one was foolish enough to get caught in the crossfire of their fight, which promised certain death or injury.
"DIE!!!" Fueled by the hatred born from the loss of his grandson, Garp vanished from his spot, his iron fist shooting straight for Leo's face. His fighting style held no flourish. A simple,朴实无华 (unadorned) punch was enough to split mountains and shatter peaks. Even from a distance, the fierce拳风 (fist wind) tore Leo's upper garment.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Well met!!" Leo laughed loudly, advancing instead of retreating!
Big Mom's 'Iron Balloon' talent, Lightning Body, Observation Haki: Future Sight, Armament Haki: Ryou, Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
With multiple powerful attributes backing him, why should he fear Garp?!
"Old fool, go keep your grandson company down below!!!" Leo roared, throwing a punch of his own. Pure Armament Haki nearly solidified into substance as he met Garp's iron fist without flinching.
BOOM!
A tremendous shockwave呼啸而出 (roared outwards), sweeping across the surroundings. Centered on the two of them, the hard ice collapsed layer by layer, cracking open into deep chasms. The powerful force transmitted through their fists into their bodies. Garp was forced back several steps, barely steadying himself.
"Th-this... how is this possible?!" Garp stared at Leo in disbelief, inwardly shocked. During their last fight, Leo hadn't been this powerful. It had only been over a month! Damn, was this kid cheating?! Garp's expression was grave, seriously suspicious.
"I don't believe it!!" Garp snorted coldly, launching another killing move, his Armament Haki firing on all cylinders. High-density Armament Haki instantly covered his entire body, turning him into a 'little black man'.
Feeling the powerful aura erupting from Garp, Leo grinned ferociously, feeling his blood boil. This was a real fight! For a moment, their soaring fighting spirit pierced the clouds.
"HAHAHAHA! Garp, let's fight!!!" Leo laughed, launching a counterattack. He instantly teleported above Garp, throwing a punch through the air. A powerful burst of fist force erupted, causing the very air to distort slightly.
"Who's afraid of you?!" Garp, refusing to be outdone, didn't dodge in the slightest, meeting the punch head-on. When it came to hard clashes, he'd never feared anyone!!
Immediately after, Leo and Garp engaged in the most primitive form of combat—fist against fist, flesh against flesh, grand and straightforward, without any flashy tricks. Their speeds reached their limits; within several hundred meters, only their afterimages remained. Often, the shockwaves from one clash hadn't even fully dissipated before the two appeared elsewhere, clashing once more.
Watching Leo fight on par with Garp, the jaws of both Whitebeard Pirates and Marine soldiers alike practically hit the floor. Furthermore, judging from Kizaru's earlier words to Leo, it was clear that the one who had severed his arm was none other than Leo. After reaching these conclusions, the entire Marine Headquarters彻底沸腾了 (completely erupted)!!
"Holy crap!! Admiral Kizaru's arm was cut off by Leo?!"
"No wonder the Marines hid it so deep; they were afraid of losing face!!"
"Is this the worth of a man with a 4 Billion Berry bounty?!"
"Fame doesn't live up to the reality! Even the Marine Hero Garp can't gain any upper hand; Leo is truly amazing!!"
"Never mind Leo, even his women are no pushovers. Sure, it's seven against one, but that's Admiral Kizaru!!"
"HAHAHAHAHA! The Marines have really provoked a formidable enemy!!"
"The Marines have bitten off more than they can chew this time!"
"...."
Countless Whitebeard Pirates members discussed the scene, praising Leo while taking the opportunity to mock the Marines.
Seeing this, Whitebeard's eyes shone, and he immediately raised his arm, rallying his troops:
"GURARARARARARA! My sons, seize the opportunity! Rescue Ace!!"
Whitebeard's voice acted like a shot of adrenaline, exciting all his crew members. With an overwhelming, disdainful fighting spirit, they pushed forward relentlessly. Their goal was singular: Ace on the execution platform!
Seeing the favorable turn in the battle, Whitebeard nodded in satisfaction. Even if Leo wasn't here to help them, their paths converged; their enemy was the same. With Leo pinning down two top-tier combatants—Admiral Kizaru and Garp—the pressure on the Whitebeard Pirates was drastically reduced. Combined with the Marines' dampened morale, now was the time for their all-out assault.
"HAHAHAHAHA! My sons, kill these damned Marines! Rescue Ace!!"
"Tonight, we drink victory sake back home!!"
"Charge! Rescue Commander Ace!!"
"Hehehehe~ Marines, your doom is here!!"
"Let us show you the consequences of offending the Whitebeard Pirates!!"
Led by Marco the Phoenix, Diamond Jozu, Flower Sword Vista, and the other Whitebeard division commanders, the Whitebeard Pirates advanced as if breaking through bamboo, pushing forward nearly a hundred meters in a short time. The Marines suffered heavy losses for a while.
"That bastard Leo, coming to cause trouble at a time like this!!" Sengoku glared at Leo, his eyes nearly bursting with fury. The Marines' entire plan had been ruined by him!
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T/N :
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