Chapter 19: A Single Toothpick: Nailing the Shield of the Gods
"Appetizers are done."
"Time for... the main course."
As soon as Garp's voice fell, the air around the kitchen shifted ever so slightly.
More than ten figures, dressed in pure white suits with cold masks obscuring their faces, seeped out of the shadows like phantoms, surrounding the kitchen in silence.
Some stood on the rooftops, others perched in the corners of the walls, while some lurked within the shadows of the coral clusters.
Every movement was precise, cold, and utterly silent.
Using hand signals incomprehensible to ordinary people, they exchanged intelligence and finalized their formation in an instant.
An invisible, inescapable dragnet had enveloped Garp in a heartbeat.
Inside the kitchen, the Fish-Man chefs, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt their hearts seized by an invisible hand the moment they saw these white-clad figures.
"Wh... Who are they?"
"White suits... masks... It's the Government!"
"They... They're here to arrest the old gentleman!"
"Thank goodness! We're safe!"
"No! Wait! Hide, quickly!"
"These guys... they look even more terrifying than the old man!"
The chefs' whispers shifted rapidly from relief to a primal, bone-deep terror.
CP0.
The name alone was synonymous with slaughter and ill omens.
The masked leader stood on the roof directly above the kitchen, making a slashing motion across his throat to the agents below.
"Target confirmed! Completely unguarded!"
His voice was transmitted clearly into the ears of every squad member via micro-Den Den Mushi.
"Execute!"
The command was given.
Simultaneously, over ten elite CP0 agents moved.
Their figures transformed into streaks of white lightning, launching an assault from all directions and angles toward the old man who sat on the bench, seemingly oblivious to the world.
"Shave!"
"Tempest Kick!"
"Finger Pistol!"
Vicious attacks wove together into a web of death, sealing off every possible escape route for Garp.
Meanwhile, the leader on the roof flipped in mid-air, diving headfirst like a hunting falcon.
He extended his index finger.
Amidst the high-speed movement, his fingertip turned pitch-black, wrapped in visible, spiraling energy.
"Finger Pistol: Underworld!"
This strike was the condensation of his entire body's power.
Fast! Precise! Ruthless!
It was strong enough to pierce the thickest steel plate and penetrate the strongest defense.
The target: Garp's temple!
He could already visualize the scene of the target's skull being perforated and brain matter scattering.
However.
On the bench, Garp didn't move a muscle.
He even let out a lazy yawn.
It was as if the incoming fatal attack was nothing more than a gentle afternoon breeze.
[Lazy Justice]
[Standing still for more than 3 seconds: Defense Doubled.]
Ding!
A sound so crisp it was like a silver needle hitting the floor.
Under the terrified gazes of the Fish-Man chefs, the CP0 leader's finger—which should have been able to pierce through anything—stopped less than a centimeter from Garp's skin.
It was as if he had slammed into an invisible, intangible, yet absolutely indestructible wall.
He couldn't advance a single millimeter further.
The terrifying recoil force from his fingertip caused the bones in his entire arm to groan in agony, on the verge of shattering.
"What?!"
Beneath the cold mask, the CP0 leader's pupils contracted violently to the size of pinpoints.
He saw it.
There was no sign of Armament Haki being used.
There was no blocking motion.
The target hadn't even moved his body.
He just sat there, and yet he had completely stopped a full-power strike!
"Impossible!"
"Captain's 'Underworld'... was stopped?"
"He didn't do anything! What kind of ability is this?"
"What is that defense? Is he a monster?!"
"Retreat! Now!"
The attacks of the other surrounding CP0 members were similarly blocked by the layer of invisible armor. Seeing their captain fail, they all cried out in disbelief.
"You're disturbing my after-meal nap."
Garp finally opened his eyes, looking annoyed.
He didn't glance at the CP0 agents who were already thinking of fleeing.
Instead, his gaze landed on the CP0 leader, who was still suspended in front of him in an attacking posture.
Casually, Garp reached into the pile of empty plates beside him and picked up a simple wooden toothpick intended for after-meal use.
Then.
He aimed at the CP0 leader and gently flicked it.
Thwip!
The tiny toothpick, the moment it left his hand, was completely coated in black Haki!
Its speed transcended sound, transcended thought!
It struck before the opponent could even register the movement!
Before the CP0 leader could even react, it instantly pierced through his shoulder.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Carrying his entire body weight, the toothpick turned him into a white streak flying backward!
BANG!!!
A deafening crash.
The leader of CP0 was nailed firmly to the hard coral wall dozens of meters away by that tiny toothpick.
His body hung in mid-air, limbs dangling limply.
"AAAAHHH!!!"
After a delay of several seconds, a heart-wrenching scream finally tore from his throat, echoing throughout the entire Ryugu Palace.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
All the CP0 members who were preparing to retreat turned to stone.
They stood frozen in place, stuck in various postures as if a paralysis spell had been cast upon them.
Inside the kitchen, the Fish-Man chefs gaped, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
What had they just witnessed?
A man.
Sitting still.
Used a single toothpick.
And nailed the legendary "Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons" to the wall.
A chill colder and more piercing than the water pressure at 10,000 meters deep shot from the soles of every witness's feet straight to the top of their skulls.
"A bunch of flies."
Garp didn't spare them another glance. He closed his eyes again, leaned back on the bench, and resumed his nap.
"Don't bother me."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it struck the hearts of every CP0 member like an invisible sledgehammer.
Run!
Run fast!
This was the only thought remaining in their minds.
They no longer had any will to fight, nor any thought of completing the mission.
Fear had thoroughly devoured their pride and ruthlessness as top-tier agents.
They turned around.
Using every ounce of strength they possessed, they activated "Shave" and fled frantically in all directions.
They wished their parents had given them an extra pair of legs.
They just wanted to get as far away as possible from this monster wearing human skin.
Garp didn't stop them.
He truly seemed to have fallen asleep, even letting out a soft snore.
He knew.
These fleeing flies would take everything that happened here today back to that place, word for word.
That was exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted those Five Elders to know.
That he could come whenever he wanted, and leave whenever he pleased.
The entire world was his backyard.
And he could return at any time to harvest their lives.
(To be Continued)