Seated at the center of the Three Admirals' platform, Garp's half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open.
When Bahr's slash imbued with Space Power tore through the sky, his wrinkled face darkened instantly, veins faintly pulsing at his temples.
Almost the moment the Dimensional Slash left Bahr's hand, a terrifying scene flashed through Garp's mind.
That black rift would collide with an invisible barrier before the Marine headquarters, the air cracking like a mirror struck by a hammer, spiderweb-like fractures spreading at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye. Then, entire walls and towers would crumble as Space itself shattered, reduced to flying debris.
"Old man, it's you again." Bahr raised an eyebrow at the familiar figure leaping into the air, a defiant smirk curling his lips as he clenched his fist abruptly.
With his motion, the Dimensional Rift suddenly expanded violently, crackling electricity bursting along its edges as the Space Warp's range surged madly, bearing down on the Marine structures.
"Not a chance!"
Garp's roar shook the heavens. His burly frame twisted mid-air, erupting with overwhelming Conqueror's Haki—an invisible force surging outward like a tsunami.
The muscles in his right arm bulged like boulders, his bronze fist gleaming with a metallic sheen as he swung it fearlessly toward the black rift: "Galaxy Impact!"
A crimson Airwave tore through the atmosphere, carrying the force to shatter mountains, striking the heart of the Dimensional Rift.
With a crisp crack, the slash capable of shredding Space shattered like glass, black energy fragments dissipating into sparks mid-air.
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion rocked the world as the black rift and crimson fist collided, violent energy erupting like a tidal wave. A ring-shaped shockwave radiated from the impact point, roofs tearing off buildings, flags disintegrating into dust, even distant soldiers locked in combat sent flying—instantly clearing a vacuum at the battlefield's center.
Garp was pushed back dozens of meters by the shockwave, his feet slamming into the ground, spiderweb cracks spreading across the solid stone beneath him.
He glanced down at his fist, blood dripping between his fingers, splattering crimson onto the ground. His arm still tingled faintly from the recoil.
Meanwhile, Bahr was sent flying by the even fiercer impact, his body hurtling like a severed kite through the smoke, smashing through three stone walls before crashing heavily into a distant Marine residential district.
Garp surveyed the devastation, shaking his bleeding fist with a deep frown—This brat's abilities are getting more and more bizarre.
The wound on his fist still oozed blood. At the moment of impact, he'd sensed the twisted force hidden within that black energy—unlike straightforward Haki or Devil Fruit powers, it clung like a festering poison, worming its way into his meridians through the shockwave.
"Tch, always resorting to underhanded tricks." Garp spat to the side, but his gaze grew heavier.
This ability to crush Space was more troublesome than brute strength. If this kid kept rampaging unchecked, who knew what chaos he'd unleash?
"Lord Bahr!"
Hancock was kicking away the charging Marine soldiers when she caught sight of Bahr's figure being sent flying in her peripheral vision. Instantly, all traces of cold arrogance vanished from her stunning face.
The sea serpent beneath her abruptly arched its body, scales scraping against the ground with urgent hisses as it carried her charging toward the thickest plume of dust.
Marines and pirates were still locked in chaotic combat along the way. Several foolish soldiers raised their swords to strike at her, only to be met with Hancock's signature "Perfume Femur" kick. Wherever her toes grazed, the men instantly turned to rigid stone, crashing to the ground without even time to scream.
"Move!" Her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed as her voice carried undeniable fury. "Do not obstruct this queen from reaching Lord Bahr!"
The sea serpent accelerated, its massive body smashing through broken beams. Any figure blocking their path—whether clad in Marine uniforms or pirates' tattered clothes—was mercilessly swept aside.
Those mesmerizing eyes now held nothing but urgency. The usual smirk of disdain that graced her lips was gone, replaced only by concern for that buried figure.
She couldn't care less about Marine Headquarters or the battlefield's situation. Only one thought consumed her mind—to rush to Lord Bahr's side.
...
A rustling sound suddenly came from the rubble pile. Several heavy concrete blocks were violently shoved aside as Bahr struggled to rise from the wreckage. His dust-covered face was a mess, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his chest throbbing with dull pain.
Wiping his face with a hand, his expression darkened like dripping ink as he cursed inwardly, "Damn it."
The impact had been far stronger than anticipated—his bones felt like they'd been rattled apart. Flexing his numb arm, he couldn't help but replay the earlier confrontation in his mind.
Truthfully, ever since the siege battle against Aokiji and Kizaru, he'd vaguely recaptured that subtle resonance of freely manipulating space—the same feeling he'd had during his life-or-death fight with Golden Lion.
That last move, "Dimensional Rending," which affected the surroundings by slicing through space, was in his view already an Awakening of the Space Fruit's power.
Yet even such a technique had been shattered by Garp's single punch.
Bahr looked down at his slightly trembling palm and suddenly let out a derisive chuckle.
Of course he could tell—Garp's punch hadn't been ordinary either. Within that crimson glow swirled spiral currents of air, wrapped in overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.
That was Advanced Armament Haki infusion, a technique only the mightiest could master.
"Still far from enough," he muttered to himself, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. Haki truly stood above Devil Fruit abilities.
One fist to break all techniques...
Garp had dominated the seas for decades, even holding his own against the Pirate King Roger in their prime. His strength had been tempered like unyielding bedrock from the ocean depths. Compared to such an old monster, what were his own fledgling Awakening and barely-controlled Conqueror's Haki?
The Navy's Hero indeed lived up to his reputation.
He'd been smug about his fruit's advancement and Conqueror's awakening, even somewhat carried away, thinking himself just one step away from the pinnacle. But Garp's punch had brought him crashing back to reality.
None who left their mark on these seas were ever pushovers.
He clicked his tongue and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. The slightest hint of pride and complacency he had felt from his improved strength had long been shattered by that earlier "Galaxy Impact."
It seemed he would have to be more restrained in the future, no longer charging recklessly as he had before. Otherwise, one day he might run into someone even more ruthless, and he wouldn't even know how he died.
"Enough of this damn fighting and killing," Bahr muttered, rolling his stiff neck, his eyes brimming with impatience.
Compared to life-and-death battles with old-timers like Garp, tangling with fragrant women was far more comfortable and enjoyable...
Suddenly, a familiar scolding voice rang out in the distance, mixed with the crisp sound of shattering rocks. The voice was both haughty and delicate, with a hint of urgency trembling at the end.
Bahr raised an eyebrow and looked over. A nimble figure dashed through the smoke and dust like a serpent, her feet kicking aside obstacles in her path, leaving petrified Marine soldiers in her wake.
"That woman..." He couldn't help but smirk, his previously sinking mood inexplicably lifting a little.
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