"Hahahaha! Sakazuki, that brat isn't easy to deal with, is he?"
"Hmph."
Sakazuki didn't bother arguing with Garp; he simply turned his head away in silence.
"Kid."
Garp clenched his fist and spoke in a low voice.
"I have to admit, you've earned my recognition."
"But for the sake of justice, I have no choice but to teach you a lesson as well!"
You've got to be kidding me! Shameless old bastard!
Justice? What justice? I burned your fancy capes to ashes! You guys look more like a bunch of beggars right now, so drop the self-righteous act!
Two against one? Do you think I, Jack, am afraid?
I am Jack! The man who will surpass the Pirate King!
If I want to break my limits, I can't afford to fear any opponent!
With a thunderous roar, Jack, in his massive pink beast form, folded his wings, his entire body bursting into searing flames as he charged straight at Garp and Sakazuki.
"Giant Elephant Impact!"
"Elephant Whip!"
"Burning Tusks!"
"Flaming Ivory Barrage!"
The rampaging flaming elephant stormed forward, hurling debris in every direction. Garp and Sakazuki barely managed to dodge, their movements momentarily disordered. But as soon as they evaded, the two coordinated their assault, aiming to bring Jack down together.
However, when their fists landed on him, Jack barely flinched, as if he were being tickled. His massive, blazing tusks swung toward them once again.
Seeing Jack's enormous backside descending toward them, their faces darkened.
But just as the attack was about to land, Sakazuki's eyes flashed. He swiftly extended his arm toward the unbloomed "flower" before him.
BOOM!
"Argh...!"
"Mmph..."
"You son of a—! Despicable!"
"Shameless bastard!"
Jack's towering, fiery beast form vanished in an instant. Clutching his groin with one hand and covering his rear with the other, he pointed at Sakazuki, hopping in pain as he cursed him furiously.
"Hmph. Against pirates, there's no such thing as dirty tactics."
"Now die."
BOOM!
Jack, still hopping in place, was instantly sent flying dozens of meters. Sakazuki wasted no time, dashing forward and raining down fists covered in Armament Haki like a relentless storm.
BAM! BAM!
"Hmm?"
But as he continued to pummel Jack, Sakazuki suddenly realized something unsettling—the beastman was staring at him, expressionless. Even as Sakazuki's fists struck his face, Jack remained unblinking.
A deep sense of frustration welled up within the admiral, and his punches began to slow.
"What's wrong? Running out of strength?"
"Need some background music? Should I help with the sound effects?"
Jack pondered for a moment, then suddenly bellowed:
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA—!"
"You—!"
Just as Sakazuki's anger surged, he felt something coil tightly around his waist. Looking down, he saw Jack's long, muscular trunk wrapped around him. At the same time, his arms were seized in an unbreakable grip.
Jack grinned at him, his voice eerily calm.
"You put in so much effort massaging me... It's only fair I return the favor."
"Let's see if you can handle it."
A dangerous aura surged from Jack's tusks as they began to glow an eerie red before igniting in roaring flames. Jack reared his head back, aiming his blazing tusks directly at the struggling Sakazuki.
The admiral's instincts screamed at him. The overwhelming presence of the elephant's trunk made it hard for him to transform into magma in time.
At the last moment, he barely managed to shift into his elemental state.
The moment the tusks struck, the magma form held, but the sheer force sent shudders through his being.
CRACK!
SCHLICK!
Even though Garp arrived just in time and shattered one of Jack's tusks with a powerful punch, the tip of the broken ivory still managed to pierce straight through Sakazuki's shoulders, embedding itself deep within him.
"Why..."
"This heat..."
"Impossible... Absolutely impossible!"
"It's just fire!"
Sakazuki coughed violently, his face pale as he yanked the tusk from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. He stared at the gaping wounds on his body, disbelief and fear flickering in his eyes.
I was that close to death...!
Even Garp, usually composed, was visibly shaken. He had sensed the temperature of Jack's flames—they weren't any stronger than Sakazuki's magma. Yet somehow, they had managed to wound even his elemental form.
Garp felt a chill run down his spine.
That kind of attack... If I hadn't been careful...
Even I might've been gravely injured.
Now fully aware of the threat Jack posed, both Garp and Sakazuki adjusted their strategies, proceeding with greater caution. Jack attempted to land another deadly blow, but realizing they were now on guard, he abandoned the idea of using his flaming tusks again.
The battle raged on. The two marines coordinated seamlessly, their synergy evident in every attack.
Though Sakazuki's magma alone wasn't enough to suppress Jack, he remained a formidable opponent with immense endurance and Haki.
Compared to Jack's towering physique, both Garp and Sakazuki seemed "small," but their agility gave them an edge. Even with Jack's speed maxed out, they weren't far behind, allowing them to gradually seize the upper hand.
Their relentless punches rained down on him.
But Jack was built to endure. He ignored the pain, relying solely on his instincts to counter, focusing on attacking just one of them at a time. If not for Garp and Sakazuki's perfect teamwork, one of them might have already suffered a severe injury.
Neither dared to let their guard down. Their Observation Haki remained sharp, their Armament Haki striking without pause.
For three days and nights, they fought.
But as Garp sensed his Armament Haki reaching its limit, he glanced at Jack, who, though slightly exhausted, was still full of energy.
He frowned before turning to Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki... Maybe we should retreat."
"Vice Admiral Garp! What are you saying?!"
Sakazuki glared at him furiously.
"Are you willing to abandon justice?!"
"This is just a mere pirate! If we hold out a little longer, victory will be ours!"
"I..."
Just as Sakazuki was about to continue his speech on righteousness, Jack took flight once more, unleashing a bombardment from the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the dust settled and the pain in his shoulders intensified, Sakazuki took a deep breath, turned to Garp, and said:
"Vice Admiral Garp... I think you were right."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg