Chapter 8 - Two Legends, One High-Stakes Gamble!
That scorching, tyrannical aura, filled with pure, undiluted killing intent, washed over the entirety of Amazon Lily like an invisible tidal wave.
The smile on Garp's face vanished.
At the end of the horizon, it was no longer a solitary warship.
One by one, black dots emerged from the mist, expanding rapidly.
It was a colossal fleet composed of dozens of battleships.
The hulls were painted with garish magma patterns, and the sails bore the pristine, terrified emblem of the New Marine Headquarters.
The flagship leading the formation was like a moving volcano.
Its hull was encased in jagged black obsidian rock—customized for Akainu—and the bow spewed rolling columns of thick black smoke, dyeing the sky an ominous, bruised red.
That undisguised killing intent radiated directly from that flagship.
The New Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki.
"Sister!"
Sandersonia and Marigold threw themselves in front of Hancock, aiming their weapons at the approaching armada.
"It's the main Marine force!"
"Prepare for battle!"
Hancock did not give the order.
She simply walked to Garp's side.
The warriors of Amazon Lily understood instantly, forming line after defensive line, shielding the beach layer by layer.
From the depths of the dense forest, Rayleigh emerged. Hand resting on his sword hilt, he walked step by step to flank Garp's other side.
The air across the entire island seemed to solidify into concrete.
A muscle on Garp's cheek twitched violently. It was the contortion of a man who desperately desired violence but was forced to suppress it.
His clenched fist cracked as the knuckles popped, only to slowly relax in the next second.
"What a pity."
His brow slowly unfurrowed as he muttered to himself.
"I can't tear you apart with my own hands today, Sakazuki."
The massive fleet ground to a halt several kilometers from the island's shore.
On the deck of the flagship, a towering figure stepped forward.
Half of Akainu's body was already submerged in roiling magma. Scorching steam rose from him, twisting the light and air around him into a heat haze.
He didn't use an amplification Den Den Mushi.
Yet, his voice—saturated with murderous intent—rang clearly across the entire harbor.
"BUSTER CALL."
"TARGET: AMAZON LILY."
"KILL EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND. MAN, WOMAN, CHILD. LEAVE NO SURVIVORS!"
The order was given.
Simultaneously, the cannons of dozens of warships swiveled, locking onto the peaceful island.
The aura of annihilation suffocated everything.
Fear appeared on the faces of the Kuja warriors, yet not a single one took a step back.
The longsword at Rayleigh's waist slid half an inch out of its scabbard, emitting a clear, sharp hum.
Schwing.
Just as Akainu was about to scream the order to fire.
VROOOOM!
A completely different engine roar thundered from the rear of his fleet.
A slightly smaller, yet equally elite fleet arrived from behind, cutting through the waves with an unyielding posture.
They didn't slow down.
They rammed their way directly between Akainu's fleet and Amazon Lily, using their own hulls to block the pitch-black muzzles of the cannons.
On the bow of the lead ship stood two figures.
One wore casual clothes and round-rimmed glasses—the retired Buddha Sengoku.
The other was the Great Staff Officer, Tsuru.
Every Marine on Akainu's fleet froze.
"That's... Sengoku-san?"
"And Vice Admiral Tsuru! Why are they here?"
"They're blocking our line of fire!"
"What is happening? Is the Navy about to start a civil war?"
"Madness! It's all madness!"
On the deck, seeing the newcomers, the magma on Akainu's body churned even more violently.
"SENGOKU!"
A roar that shook the heavens erupted from Sengoku's mouth in response.
"SAKAZUKI! STAND DOWN!"
BOOM!
Sengoku's shout carried a visible golden shockwave, rippling the ocean surface.
Akainu's voice turned gloomy. Magma dripped from the corners of his mouth, landing on the steel deck with a harsh HISSS, melting holes through the metal.
"Sengoku-san... do you intend to shield a traitor as well?"
"I am protecting the Navy!"
Tsuru took over the conversation. Her voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight of authority.
"If you start this war, how many men in the fleet behind you do you think will make it back alive?"
"Garp. And the Dark King Rayleigh."
"Do you intend to make the Navy fight two Legends at the same time?"
The magma on Akainu's body erupted, turning his arm into a giant molten fist.
"ABSOLUTE JUSTICE ALLOWS NO COMPROMISE!"
"THIS ISN'T JUSTICE!"
Sengoku pointed at him, his body glowing with a faint golden light, entering his Buddha form's pre-state.
"THIS IS YOUR PARANOID PRIVATE VENDETTA!"
While the two Fleet Admirals—past and present—faced off on the high seas, the air crackling with Haki and heat...
On the beach.
Garp fished a Golden Den Den Mushi out of his swim trunks pocket.
He leisurely dialed a number.
World Economy News Paper HQ.
President Morgans was throwing a tantrum because he had missed the exclusive scoop on the Summit War.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
It was an unfamiliar, Golden Snail.
He picked it up.
"Morgans. Do you want an exclusive that will shake the entire world?"
Garp's voice came through.
Morgans froze.
A split second later, his giant wings began flapping in excitement.
"BIG NEWS! THIS IS BIG NEWS! KWEH!"
Mere minutes later.
Countless News Coos flew out from the headquarters, scattering to every corner of the globe like a white cloud.
Freshly printed newspapers were dropped into everyone's hands.
The headline on the front page was written in the boldest, most striking font possible:
[THE NAVY FRACTURES! NEW FLEET ADMIRAL SEEKS PRIVATE REVENGE, DISREGARDS MARINE LIVES TO PROVOKE A WAR OF ANNIHILATION ON AMAZON LILY!]
[THE TARGETS: NAVAL HERO GARP AND DARK KING RAYLEIGH!]
The world went into an uproar.
"What? Is the new Fleet Admiral insane?"
"He wants to challenge two Legends by himself?"
"That isn't upholding justice; that's sending Marine soldiers to their deaths!"
"How can a madman like that be the Fleet Admiral!"
"The World Government must stop him!"
The wave of public opinion swept across the world at unprecedented speed.
The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The Room of Authority.
CRACK!
The bald, sword-wielding Elder sliced the globe in front of him in half with a single stroke.
"Bastard!"
"Sakazuki, that fool! He has completely thrown away the World Government's face!"
"Contact him immediately!"
The blonde Elder picked up the highest-priority Den Den Mushi.
"Order him to retreat at once!"
The command rang out directly on Akainu's flagship through a special encrypted channel.
It was a cold voice, devoid of any emotion.
"Sakazuki. Lead your fleet and retreat immediately."
"The face of the World Government is more important than your personal Justice."
"The Navy is currently severely weakened. We must rest and recover. Now is not the time for such a conflict!"
ROAR!
The magma on Akainu's body sprayed outward in an uncontrolled burst, only to be forcibly suppressed the next instant.
His chest heaved violently.
For a long time, silence reigned.
Finally, he squeezed two words out through his gritted teeth.
"...We retreat."
The massive fleet began to slowly turn around.
Akainu's eyes, filled with endless killing intent, remained fixed dead on the direction of Amazon Lily. It was as if he wanted to burn the island and everyone on it to ash with his gaze alone.
The crisis was temporarily averted.
Rayleigh slowly pushed his sword, which had been drawn half an inch, back into its sheath. Click.
Hancock waved her hand, signaling the Kuja warriors to stand down.
On the beach, Garp remained sitting in his beach chair.
He looked down at his own ordinary fists—fists that, for the moment, he could not swing.
One more year.
But he knew one thing for certain.
Sakazuki would never let this go.
(To be Continued)