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Chapter 255: Borsalino the Scapegoat
Sengoku's roar still echoed over the plaza of Marineford. That golden shockwave, belonging to the Fleet Admiral, had carved an unbridgeable chasm between Garp and Kizaru. The surrounding Marines didn't even dare to breathe, each shrinking their necks for fear of being caught in the crossfire of the three titans. This was a live scene of the highest Marine combat power in a domestic dispute! Just one glance felt like it would shorten their lifespans!
Garp, forced back by Sengoku, had "unpleasant" written all over his face. However, he didn't continue swinging at Kizaru. Sengoku had truly lost his temper, and he had to give his old friend some face. More importantly, the old rival who had made his blood boil was currently fleeing!
Garp turned abruptly, looking up at the sky. Ten thousand meters up, Shiki's figure had become a faint black speck. But to Garp, who possessed top-tier Observation Haki, the man's aura was still clear.
"HEY!!!" Garp took a deep breath. This shout was louder than the shockwaves of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Every window in Marineford rattled. "SHIKI! YOU OLD BASTARD, WHERE ARE YOU RUNNING?! STAND STILL! THAT LAST ROUND DIDN'T COUNT! THIS SNEAKY BRAT BORSALINO HAS NO MARTIAL ETHICS AND AMBUSHED US! I'VE ALREADY TAUGHT HIM A LESSON! COME BACK! LET'S DO IT AGAIN! I PROMISE, NO ONE WILL INTERFERE! ONE-ON-ONE! WHOEVER RUNS IS A GRANDSON!"
Garp's voice, like rolling thunder, pierced through the clouds and detonated precisely in Golden Lion Shiki's ear. Shiki, flying at high speed through the clouds, stumbled and nearly fell from the sky. His face, which had just regained its youth and should have been triumphant, looked as if he had swallowed two pounds of flies.
One-on-one? Do it again? Shiki looked back at the ruined Marineford and his mouth twitched. Do you take me for a moron?
Even though the battle had lasted only a few minutes, Shiki had never fought such a stifling battle in his life! That dog Garp simply wasn't human! Before, the old hound was strong, but it was just hard fists and powerful Haki. Now? Good grief! He could teleport, fire electricity, and shatter space with his bare hands! If that last punch had actually landed, forget about the Susanoo—his newly grown legs would probably be out of commission again.
And... Shiki touched his chest, which was still throbbing. Just to save face, he had maintained the Perfect Susanoo to go head-to-head with Garp. That feeling of his body being drained made his hands shake even now. Go back and fight that monster Garp who was as energetic as a beast? That was just asking for a beating!
"Phew..." Shiki took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Even though he was terrified, he couldn't lose face! He was the Golden Lion! He was the man who had almost ruled the world! If he ran away like a kicked cur, how could he keep face in these seas?
Shiki stopped mid-air. He straightened his wild golden hair and pulled his tattered kimono back into place. Then, he focused his remaining chakra and amplified his voice through his gravitational field. That iconic arrogant laughter rang out through the heavens once more.
"Jiehahahaha!!! Garp! What do you take me for? A three-year-old child?!" Shiki's voice was filled with disdain and mockery. "Go back and fight you? Look at your old face—do you even believe yourself? Just now, I was having a proper duel with you, and what happened? Your light-monkey was hiding in the back firing cold arrows! Is this the so-called Justice of the Marines? Is this how a Marine Admiral behaves?"
Shiki spoke with growing fervor, as if he were standing on the moral high ground. The shadow of being beaten into a retreat was now transformed into an accusation of the Marines being "despicable and shameless." This "exit strategy" was simply too timely! It's not that I can't win! It's that you Marines have no martial ethics! You ganged up on me! I simply disdain playing with such despicable people!
"Garp! For someone called a Marine Hero, I didn't expect you to get more shameless with age! You promised a duel, but called for backup the moment you couldn't win? Let me have a hand? I bet you wanted that light-monkey to give me another shot from the shadows! You Marines only know how to use numbers and pull underhanded sneak attacks! A battle like this is an insult to my swordsmanship! An insult to my eyes!"
"BULLSH*T!" Garp yelled back, his face turning red. "That was Borsalino being an idiot! I didn't ask for his help! Come back! I'll make him stay away right now!"
"Jiehahahaha!" Shiki didn't listen. He knew that quit while you're ahead was the way to go. He had acted cool, he had cursed them out, and he had his excuse. If he didn't run now and that old fox Sengoku joined in, he'd truly be finished against three monsters.
"Save your hypocrisy, Garp! I'm not in the mood to play house with you rule-breakers today! Tell Sengoku! I've marked this debt down! Once I've adapted to these eyes and this new body... I'll be back! At that time, I will make this ocean understand the meaning of true terror!"
With that, Shiki didn't hesitate. He slammed his hands together. The ocular power of his Mangekyo Sharingan erupted again.
Hum—!!!
The gravitational field around him distorted to the limit. This time, he wasn't just flying; he used a massive repulsive force to launch himself like a cannonball.
Boom!
A ring of sonic boom clouds detonated in the sky. Golden Lion Shiki's figure turned into a streak of light and vanished at the horizon. The speed was so fast that even Kizaru would have called him a pro.
"BASTARD!!!" Garp jumped in anger as he watched the tiny black speck disappear completely. He slammed a fist into the ice beside him.
Crack!
The already shattered plaza floor split open with a hundred-meter-deep abyss. Sea water gushed in, and the spray soaked several Marines who hadn't run far enough, turning them into drowned rats.
"Running faster than a rabbit! And you call yourself a Pirate Admiral?! I think you're a Runaway Admiral!" Garp cursed as he retracted his fist. His terrifying muscles slowly relaxed, and the Senjutsu Chakra around him dissipated. That suffocating pressure finally vanished, but everyone could feel that the old man was currently a powder keg ready to explode.
Garp turned his head abruptly. Those fierce eyes locked onto Kizaru, who was still hiding behind Sengoku.
"BORSALINO! This is all your fault! If you hadn't interfered, I definitely would have kept him here! Give me back my opponent!"
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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