"Hmm, seems like an acquaintance is coming?"
Giving up on meeting Tesoro's gaze, Nero's Observation Haki detected a familiar presence.
"Nero!!!"
A figure in the sky plummeted towards them at high speed, roaring Nero's name.
"Hmm, it's Garp! Haha, Hathaway, you take care of Stella, I'll go say hello."
The ground cracked, kicking up thick smoke and dust. Nero's body shot into the sky, flying towards Garp like a comet hitting Earth.
"Long time no see! Garp!!!"
The two soon met in the sky, wearing similar smiles.
"Killing a Celestial Dragon, you really are causing trouble, Nero!!"
"Hmm, such a small matter, it's fine!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Mwahahahaha!"
"Fist Bone: Galaxy Impact!!!"
"Kami-yomi (God's Repulsion)!!!"
It was as if a powerful bomb had exploded in the air. Centered around Nero's blade and Garp's iron fist, the surrounding people and debris were blown away.
Even the houses were covered in cracks, teetering on the verge of collapse and becoming completely uninhabitable.
The familiar force and angle, the unyielding aura transmitted through the blade, and the same red clothes—in a trance, Garp felt as if he saw Roger again.
Nero didn't miss this slight opening. Her limbs rapidly dragonized, horns spiraled from her head, and wings and a dragon tail burst forth from her back.
The force in her hands suddenly doubled. By the time Garp reacted and tried to increase his strength, it was already too late.
He was sent flying like a cannonball, stirring up a cloud of thick smoke in the distance.
Nero gently flapped her wings, slowly descending to the ground, planting the Primal Fire in the earth, and casually resting her hand on the hilt.
"Mwahahaha! Garp! You're still the same, you haven't changed a bit!"
Garp walked out of the smoke and dust. Aside from his disheveled clothes, he appeared completely unharmed.
"You brat are the same; it's been years, and you're exactly as before, no change at all!"
Garp was also a bit surprised. Nero still looked the same as she did when she was with the Roger Pirates, which made him think of Roger and Ace from Foosha Village.
"Hmm, I am also a woman, and I pay great attention to maintenance. Unlike you rough fellows, I am very refined!"
Nero declared confidently, and at the same time, the golden ring on her finger flashed with a faint light.
"But why did you come here? Hmm, have you willingly fallen into depravity to become a dog of the Celestial Dragons, Garp?!"
"How is that possible? What does the life or death of such trash have to do with this old man?"
Garp picked his nose, speaking nonchalantly, his tone also showing disdain for the Celestial Dragons.
Then he suddenly reacted, turning to the Marine soldiers behind him and saying, "I guess I'm not supposed to say that? Just pretend you didn't hear it."
The group of Marine soldiers behind him, led by Bogard, were clearly used to Garp's unreliability and simultaneously covered their faces with their hands.
They expressed that they couldn't bear to watch Garp's behavior.
Seeing this, Garp turned to Nero and said, "Sengoku is about to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, Zephyr isn't at headquarters, and Kuzan and Sakazuki are too far behind you."
At this point, Garp pulled out a donut from who knows where and angrily threw it into his mouth: "This old man is the only one left at headquarters who got conscripted!"
"Hmm, that's truly unfortunate!" Nero re-sheathed her sword.
"Whose good fortune do you think that is?" Garp's Haki also dissipated from his hand.
"No, no more fighting?" A Marine soldier asked, dumbfounded.
"It was just for show. A Celestial Dragon died; the Marine couldn't possibly show no reaction at all."
Bogard lit a cigarette and smoked half of it in one breath, not thinking much of such a superficial effort.
"Who do you think that is across from us? The rose emperor — Nero Claudius! To arrest her, the Marine would have to go to full-scale war."
"Is it that exaggerated? She's just one person!" The young Marine soldier frowned, feeling Bogard's words were too much of an overstatement.
"One person? Heh~"
Bogard chuckled. The young man was naive and adorable, not knowing the immensity of the world.
"Even if it's just one person, if a fight broke out, only Vice Admiral Garp among us could escape unscathed."
The young Marine soldier fell silent, but his expression showed that he was not convinced by Bogard's words.
Bogard didn't mind; he would understand once he had more experience.
"Hmm, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. I heard Newgate and Linlin have been causing quite a stir lately."
Nero dispelled her dragonization and waved to Garp, indicating her departure.
"Oh! Then you should hurry back. No! Wait a moment!"
Garp blinked, suddenly thought of something, and stopped Nero.
"Hmm, is there anything else?"
Turning back in confusion, Nero didn't think the current Garp had any intention of arresting her; the location alone was wrong.
Sabaody Archipelago was above Mary Geoise. If a real fight broke out, no one could guarantee that Nero wouldn't fly up and set it on fire or something.
"Ah, how should I put it? If I go back like this, it'll be hard for me to explain. Could you do them a favor? I also want to take this opportunity to rest for a while."
Garp pointed his thumb backward, his meaning clear.
Nero's eyelids drooped as she looked at Garp, speechless. This old man was a bit too uninhibited.
"Hmm, no! Can't they just punch and kick each other?"
"Well, don't say that. We're old acquaintances, it's just a small favor." Garp waved, signaling Nero to hurry up.
"What does that mean?" The young Marine soldier's muscles tensed, looking at Bogard in confusion.
Who knew Bogard also had a gritting-teeth expression: "That idiot!!"
And Nero, as if unable to tolerate Garp, her eyes turned bloodshot, and her Conqueror's Haki erupted like a mountain collapse and a tsunami.
"Careful! It's coming!!" Bogard roared loudly.
"What's…" The young Marine soldier didn't even finish his sentence before he felt like his head had been slammed hard, and he immediately lost consciousness.
"This is?" Bogard also resisted with difficulty, feeling incredible. Nero's Conqueror's Haki had grown stronger again!
"She really is a monster!" Garp also realized the unusualness of this Haki; its intensity, if not a world apart from two years ago, had visibly increased.
"What is this?" Tesoro asked with difficulty, his arms shielding his face.
Hathaway stood in front, shielding the two from Nero's Haki. She didn't respond to Tesoro's question, but instead looked at Stella with concern.
"Miss Stella, please just stand carefully behind me. Mr. Tesoro, please also die quietly to the side."
"What are you saying? You damn woman! I won't die so easily! I will definitely make something of myself and get Stella back!" Tesoro yelled in a fit of rage.
Hathaway subtly moved a few steps away, and Nero's Haoshoku instantly surged over.
Stella, hiding behind Hathaway, didn't notice anything, while Tesoro remained in his original position, fainting without a sound.
Miss Hathaway had her own understanding of Nero's act of releasing Haoshoku…
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