Somewhere in the center of God Valley.
"You filthy vermin! Hurry up and drive those wretched pirates away!"
"If any harm comes to us, your noble betters, even execution will be too good for you! I'll have CP9 drag you all off as slaves! You'll be stepping-stools in the Holy Land Mary Geoise!"
"Damn it! How dare they give us such a tiny room! With all of us jammed in here my bubble helmet got knocked off! Stop it! I'm breathing the filthy air! Someone get me a new helmet—now!"
"I want coffee! I want dessert! Where are my slave girls? Make them serve me!"
A horde of World Nobles, bubbles perched on their heads and dressed in gaudy finery, crammed into an ancient-looking castle.
This had once been the royal palace of the small West Blue kingdom that occupied God Valley.
Now it served as a refuge for the Celestial Dragons.
Outside, rings of Marines stood shoulder-to-shoulder, weapons ready, nerves taut.
Inside, the Marine Vice Admiral in charge couldn't even lift his head under the torrent of abuse from the nobles.
Outlandish order after outlandish order poured from the lips of these World Nobles.
He hadn't the courage to refuse outright.
All he could do was bow again and again, sweat streaming as he stammered explanations.
"Your exalted lordships, please be patient! These are extraordinary times! Once we beat back the pirates you'll be able to return to the Holy Land in safety…'"
"Who says we want to go back? I haven't had my fun yet!"
"Exactly! I haven't even won the hunting contest's grand prize, and I still want a taste of Shakky's beauty! Open up—let me out so I can keep competing!"
"Out of the way, you lowborn cur—open that gate! We're going back to the contest!"
A pack of grotesque Celestial Dragons surged against the castle doors, roaring to be let out.
The Vice Admiral panicked.
He was still trying to placate them when a deafening battle-cry erupted outside.
A laugh so arrogant it shattered the sky rolled down from above.
"Shishishi! First place is mine! I'll wipe out every last Celestial Dragon in one shot and claim all the points!"
"Lion Majesty: Earth Scroll!"
The Vice Admiral's face drained of color.
"That's Golden Lion Shiki's voice! Damn it—the pirates are here, and Golden Lion's leading the charge!"
Forgetting the squabbling nobles, he yanked the doors open and sprinted outside.
Sword half-drawn, the Vice Admiral froze.
In front of the castle the earth erupted, thousands of tons of soil geysering skyward like a sudden mudslide, climbing dozens of meters.
Under some unseen power the mass compacted into a colossal lion of earth—bigger than the castle itself.
"Roar!!"
The earthen behemoth opened its maw and slammed straight toward the fortress.
One hit from that mountain-sized body would shatter the castle in an instant.
Of the three hundred-plus Celestial Dragons inside, more than half would be obliterated on the spot.
If even one noble died, every Marine present would be branded unforgivable traitors.
They would face fates worse than death—and their families would suffer with them.
Imagining himself dragged to Impel Down, executed, or enslaved in the Holy Land, the Vice Admiral felt despair close around his throat.
"I won't let you, Golden Lion!" he bellowed, hurling himself sword-first at the charging titan.
"A mere Marine Vice Admiral?" Golden Lion sneered, bringing down his longsword oto.
The titanic slash outraced the earthen lion, snapping the officer's blade and flinging him through the castle gates, bowling over several nobles who had tried to rush out.
Screams of pain and outrage erupted.
Those near the doorway saw the lion bearing down and turned chalk-white, shrieking as they stumbled back.
The monster was heartbeats from smashing the fortress apart when a chain of sonic booms ripped the sky.
A thunderous roar followed.
"Moonwalk: Meteor Dash!"
"Garp?!" Golden Lion snapped his gaze upward; white shock-rings blossomed overhead.
A blur shot across kilometers in the blink of an eye and, like a falling star, punched the lion's crown.
Boom!!
The towering earthen beast exploded under Garp's fist.
Kicking off the air, Garp rocketed a hundred meters higher and drove a punch at the startled Golden Lion.
"Fist Bone! Meteor!"
No talk, no mercy—Garp opened with a blow that split the air itself.
Golden Lion crossed twin blades to meet him.
Black-crimson Haki Entanglement met the blades in a sky-shattering clash that tore the roof off the castle behind Garp.
Rubble rained down, instantly crushing several unlucky Celestial Dragons into paste.
Golden Lion was hurled backward before he could grab the fallen identity tags.
Below, more pirates poured in from every side, blades flashing as they slammed into the Marine line.
Only the boldest and strongest had dared come to slaughter nobles.
The defenders stood no chance.
Within moments the cordon was shredded by Kaido, Byrnndi World, Bologram, Silver Axe, Black Charcoal Cicada, and their ruthless crews.
With greedy howls the pirates surged toward the castle as though the Celestial Dragons inside were walking treasure chests.
With a hundred cutthroats about to storm the fortress, Garp—still airborne on Moonwalk—filled his lungs, coiled Haki into a crackling sphere around his fist, and smashed it toward the castle below.