"What?! You little brat, do you even know what you're saying?"
At that moment, Garp was truly panicking, clutching his head in disbelief.
Ever since Dragon had defected from the Marines, Garp had known his son was secretly plotting something. But after all these years of him vanishing without a trace and appearing only when he pleased, Garp had almost forgotten he even had a son.
Yet now, Dragon had suddenly appeared before him, standing on the same side as the Sky Pirates and making himself an enemy of the Marines. How could Garp not be anxious?
Even Garp, hero of the Marines, could not stay calm when he saw his son caught up in such a massive world-threatening incident.
Seeing his old man so anxious and worried, a trace of guilt appeared on Dragon's otherwise stern face.
"I'm sorry, old man. But you should be able to see it even more clearly than I do."
As Dragon spoke, he looked out over the vast sea.
"This world is already rotting to the core, and the root of it all is the existence of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. For any hope that can save this world, I'm willing to lend whatever strength I have."
"I see. So that's what you think."
Garp's expression darkened as he slowly stepped forward and spoke to his old friend.
"Looks like you'll have to wait a bit, Sengoku. Once I've taught this brat of mine a lesson, I'll come help you deal with Fire Dragon Yemu."
What else could Sengoku say?
"I understand!"
"Well then, old man, let's take this somewhere else."
After saying that, Dragon looked at Yemu and spoke with a hint of awkwardness.
"You'd better hurry on your end, Captain Yemu. Even I can't hold out against the old man's iron fists for long."
"Thank you, Dragon. Don't worry, I'll end this as quickly as I can!"
The moment his words fell, Dragon and Garp disappeared from where they stood.
Only then did Yemu look at Sengoku, whose expression was grim, and speak with absolute calm.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, time is tight, and I know we shouldn't waste it on pointless talk. But I still want to say one last thing. If the Marines choose to surrender now and hand the North Blue over to me, all the sacrifices that come next can be avoided. I can also promise not to invade the other three major seas for a short time..."
Sengoku's answer came in the form of his golden body growing enormous, along with a furious roar that shook the sky.
"Not a chance! A mere pirate dares to covet rule over the seas! Even if it costs me my life, I will stop you here!"
"I see. Then I understand."
As his words fell, Yemu pressed his palms together.
"Entei Model..."
...
On the ice not far away, as Garp and Dragon descended from the sky, the surrounding Marines and members of the Sky Pirates tactfully cleared space for them.
For Garp, Dragon's appearance was something he had never expected.
That was exactly why he was so furious now.
He was not angry because his son had chosen to oppose the Marines and the World Government. He was angry because Dragon had placed himself in such a dangerous situation. It was completely irresponsible, and it was also a direct challenge to him as a father.
And when it came to dealing with a disobedient brat, Garp had his own unique way of teaching lessons.
So he loosened his fists, making them crack, and looked at his son with an extremely stern expression.
"You actually dare go against your own old man, Dragon. Looks like you've forgotten my fists of love!"
Garp's words instantly made Dragon remember his childhood, those warm scenes of fatherly love and filial devotion, and his whole body seemed to ache faintly.
But in the end, he had grown up. He was no longer a child.
"I'm sorry, old man. But this is my choice, just like when I left the Marines."
"Is that so? Then don't blame me if I hit too hard!"
Garp showed no sign whatsoever of going easy on Dragon just because he was his son.
Seeing this, Dragon felt a headache coming on.
Just how painful his old man's iron fists were was something probably only he knew. But stopping the old man and buying time for Yemu was a promise he had made.
Just then, cries of shock rose from the battlefield as dazzling golden light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire world.
What appeared next was a massive golden Buddha radiating grand, righteous power. Its face was solemn and majestic, imposing even without anger.
"How nostalgic. Fleet Admiral Sengoku's ability."
And opposite that Buddha, high above the battlefield, a blazing sun had appeared at some unknown point. Its scorching heat immediately began melting the glacier beneath everyone's feet.
As the flames inside the burning sun spun without pause, a figure stepped out from within. Half god and half human, with one side made of fire and the other a human body.
Through the images transmitted by the TV Den Den Mushi, countless people across the world saw this scene.
Many of them could not stop the awe rising in their hearts, nor the urge to bow down in worship.
"A god in the human world..."
Garp watched the scene and felt the astonishing power erupting from the kid in that form. His brows furrowed deeply.
"So this is the special Devil Fruit form Sengoku mentioned? This is bad... I have to support Sengoku as soon as possible... Otherwise, if Sengoku is defeated in this war as Fleet Admiral, the impact will be beyond measure."
With that thought, he looked at his son.
"Sorry, brat, but I'm definitely not holding back from here on out!"
But to Garp's surprise, Dragon showed no intention of attacking. Instead, he said something that left Garp dumbstruck.
"Uh, old man. I got married."
"Huh?!!!"
"Want to hear about it...?"
...
At that moment, with Yemu and Sengoku entering the battlefield, the course of the entire war changed once again.
Although both of them were ready, neither moved. They simply stared at each other.
It looked like they were competing through sheer presence, but that was not actually the case. They were both waiting.
What were they waiting for?
On the vast ice plain beneath their feet, both the Sky Pirates and the Marines were frantically retreating in every direction. The battlefield, once packed with dense crowds of dark figures, began to empty out.
At that moment, both sides showed a level of unspoken coordination they had never had before.
But the two of them did not have to wait long. It was only about four or five minutes.
Yemu was the first to begin the battle.
He pressed his palms together, and countless flames appeared between heaven and earth. They spun rapidly, gathering into a massive fireball like a blazing sun.
"Ultimate Technique: True Mahavairocana!"