"Damn it! What kind of monster is this guy?!!"
Garp panted heavily, his beast-like crimson eyes fixed on Linlin, his expression filled with seriousness.
Linlin was the first woman who had fought him in hand-to-hand combat up to this point.
Linlin felt the same way. Except for her big brother, there was actually someone else whose physical constitution was on par with hers.
This guy even blocked her strongest move, Ikoku Sovereignty.
This was not looking good.
"Who is this woman? To push Garp to this extent??"
While fighting, Zephyr used his Observation Haki to keep an eye on the battle between Linlin and Garp.
"Daring to be distracted while fighting me? You're looking to die!!!"
Shakuyaku raised her long sword high. The Fire Homie attached itself to the blade, igniting it with raging flames.
"Heavenly Fire!!!"
Shakuyaku swung her sword, unleashing a flaming flying slash that rushed toward Zephyr.
"What a nuisance!!" Zephyr spat in extreme annoyance. Waving his arm covered in Armament Haki, he shattered the slash. The attached flames scattered in all directions like fireworks exploding.
At this moment, Zephyr looked extremely disheveled.
His whole body was charred black, his clothes were tattered, and his purple hair had turned black at some point.
Although Shakuyaku's abilities couldn't deal fatal damage to him, the endless stream of elemental attacks—fire, earth, lightning—was relentless. Getting hit just a little bit had turned Zephyr into his current state.
"I need to deal with this guy quickly and go support Garp." Zephyr glanced at the stalemated Garp and Linlin.
His expression hardened. He didn't expect that this battle would require him to break the deadlock.
"Played enough?? This farce ends now!!!" As he spoke, Zephyr tore off his tattered shirt completely.
Revealing a muscular chest no less impressive than Garp's.
In his youth, Zephyr was full of confidence in the Marines, carried out justice in his heart, and possessed immense strength.
He was countless times stronger than his future self after losing his arm.
Sensing the danger, Shakuyaku stopped smiling. In her eyes, the current Zephyr seemed like a different person.
Obviously still the same person, but the aura radiating from him was completely different from before.
"Want to finish me quickly?? Let's see if you have the capability!!"
With a thought, the Earth Homie vanished. Only the Thunder Homie and Fire Homie remained by her side.
Although the Earth Homie had an advantage in ground combat and caused Zephyr quite a bit of trouble...
Zephyr's Taijutsu and Haki were extremely strong; the Earth Homie's methods couldn't pose a fatal threat to him.
Most importantly, fighting until now, Shakuyaku had consumed a large amount of stamina. Continuing to control three Soul Homies in battle was beyond her current capacity.
After all, she wasn't a stamina monster like Linlin with inexhaustible energy.
Settling for the next best thing, she kept only the Fire Homie and Thunder Homie, which had the strongest lethality and destructive power.
But that was enough!!
"Pirate! Die!!!"
"Soru!!"
"Rankyaku!!!"
Zephyr launched his killer moves again. His figure shifted constantly across the battlefield, moving so fast that even Observation Haki struggled to track him.
As a future Marine Admiral, Zephyr had long cultivated the Marine Rokushiki to the extreme.
He used them with effortless mastery.
With a few instant movements, Zephyr appeared in mid-air behind Shakuyaku. His right leg kicked out continuously, sending dozens of pitch-black air blades flying.
They rushed toward Shakuyaku one after another, carrying immense power and infused with Armament Haki.
If these slashes hit, Shakuyaku would be severely injured, if not dead.
"Do you think you're the only one who knows the Marine Rokushiki??"
"Soru!!!"
Shakuyaku snorted disdainfully. Just as the attacks were about to land, her figure also vanished.
All the slashes missed, striking the ground instead.
BOOMBOOM—BOOM
The terrifying power carved dozens of deep ravines directly into the ground.
"Damn it! You know the Marine Rokushiki too??"
Zephyr was furious.
The Marine Rokushiki were secret techniques of the Marines. Only Marine officers and World Government agents were qualified to learn them.
These abominable pirates actually had the training methods too.
Reappearing, Shakuyaku didn't bother explaining.
Among the Marine Rokushiki, she had only learned Soru and Geppo.
These two techniques were the most practical for her.
Soru allowed her to move at high speeds instantly, useful for both pursuing enemies and dodging attacks.
Geppo gave her temporary aerial capabilities.
As for the other techniques, she saw them as mere icing on the cake, unnecessary to learn.
"Hehehehe.... Do you pirates only know how to dodge??"
"Truly useless!!" Zephyr looked at Shakuyaku with extreme contempt, then glanced at Linlin and continued:
"Compared to that woman, you are far inferior!"
Zephyr's words made Shakuyaku's eyes narrow instantly.
What a woman hated most was comparison, especially with someone she knew.
She admitted she was no match for Linlin, but hearing it from someone else's mouth left a bad taste.
"Go to hell!!" The previously gentle Shakuyaku rarely let out a roar of rage.
"Mama Raid!!"
Unable to take him down from a distance, Shakuyaku changed tactics and initiated close-quarters combat.
Although this fighting style didn't favor her, it was the only way to defeat Zephyr.
The Thunder Homie and Fire Homie attached themselves to the long sword in Shakuyaku's hand simultaneously.
Thunder and fire merged into one.
Lightning and flames blended together.
Shakuyaku leaped high into the sky, somersaulting in mid-air, faster and faster.
In the end, the naked eye could only see a sphere flashing with silver and red.
"Die!!!"
Shakuyaku charged at Zephyr with extreme speed. In addition to the power of the Thunder and Fire Homies, she also concentrated Haki into the attack.
Even if her Haki development wasn't as advanced as Zephyr's, the combination of three powers meant even Zephyr had to take it seriously.
"Now it's finally getting interesting." Facing Shakuyaku's attack, Zephyr grinned.
He stepped forward actively, faintly excited.
As a master of Taijutsu and Haki, his fighting style was the same as Garp's.
So the opponents he preferred were more like Linlin, not flashy ones like Shakuyaku.
But now that Shakuyaku was engaging him in close combat, in his view, this battle was basically over.
Buzz—
With a humming sound, both of Zephyr's arms turned pitch black as powerful Armament Haki climbed up them. His eyes shone with excitement.
"Come on! You bunch of damned pirates!!"
"Mama Raid! Die!!!"
Both let out a loud shout at the same time. The long sword concentrating three powers collided fiercely with Zephyr's heavy fist.
BOOMBOOM
Beams of energy shot into the sky. The ground beneath their feet was torn apart directly, sending countless rocks flying.
"This guy's fist is so hard!!!"
Shakuyaku frowned. The opponent only used Armament Haki, while she added three powers, yet she was barely evenly matched with him.
This showed just how terrifyingly advanced Zephyr's Armament Haki cultivation was.
"Let's see where you can run this time!!!"
"Smash Buster!!!"
Having finally seized an opportunity, Zephyr naturally wouldn't let Shakuyaku escape again.
Launching another killer move, his fist smashed down from above toward Shakuyaku's face.
If this hit landed, Shakuyaku would be severely injured.
Even from a distance, Shakuyaku could sense the powerful wind from the fist.
If not for her Armament Haki protection, the wind alone would be enough to tear her skin.
Shakuyaku snorted coldly, tapped her toes lightly, and retreated to a safe distance from Zephyr.
Bang—
Missing his target, Zephyr punched the ground. Powerful force exploded, cracking the earth layer by layer.
A massive crater instantly appeared on the flat ground.
The power was evident.
Seizing this opportunity, Shakuyaku launched a counterattack.
The Fire Homie bit the end of the sword, while the tip passed through the Thunder Homie. The three formed an energy loop.
"Try this one!!!"
"Maser Cannon!!!"
With her Observation Haki firmly locking onto Zephyr, Shakuyaku swung her long sword. A high-density laser beam shot out instantly, rushing to kill Zephyr.
The laser was incredibly fast, hitting Zephyr directly and causing a violent explosion.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The three elemental powers contained within erupted completely. For a moment, smoke and dust filled the air.
"Beautifully done!!!"
Watching from afar, Jace and the others let out excited roars upon seeing this.
The battle between Garp and Linlin was deadlocked, but Shakuyaku had the upper hand against Zephyr, so naturally, they were happy.
Hit by Shakuyaku's move, even if Zephyr's Haki was strong, he couldn't possibly escape unscathed.
Shakuyaku held her long sword, her Observation Haki locked onto Zephyr within the dust, not relaxing in the slightest.
Only after fighting Zephyr did she realize the opponent's strength.
Even if this move could hurt Zephyr, it was definitely impossible to defeat him.
As expected, Zephyr burst out from the smoke and dust very quickly. His massive pitch-black fist, flashing with a faint light, rushed toward Shakuyaku.
Although blood trickled from the corner of Zephyr's mouth, his aura hadn't diminished in the slightest.
"To be able to injure me with your strength... you should be proud!!"
"Die! Smash Buster!!!"
Teleporting in front of Shakuyaku, Zephyr threw a punch. The Thunder Homie fired lightning bolts, and the Fire Homie spewed flames, trying to block Zephyr's advance.
Shakuyaku launched a counterattack, and the two engaged in a fierce battle once again.
Compared to them, the battlefield between Linlin and Garp was much quieter.
After one collision, both tacitly refrained from attacking each other immediately.
A minute later, Garp stood up and twisted his neck, cracking it loudly.
"Hehehehehe... You're very strong!"
"You're the first woman to push me to this extent!"
"But a pirate is a pirate. The meaning of our Marines' existence is to wipe you out completely!!!"
With a roar, Garp charged at Linlin again.
Sensing the terrifying aura radiating from Garp, Linlin's pupils constricted slightly. This guy's stamina was actually even more monstrous than hers.
Not wanting to show weakness, Linlin roared and went to meet him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fist to flesh, simple and crude.
"Hahahahahahaha.... Your strength doesn't seem as strong as before!!!"
Feeling the power on Linlin's fist, Garp mocked mercilessly.
"Enough to defeat you!!" Linlin snorted coldly, increasing her strength again and forcing Garp back.
"This battle should end!!!"
Forced back, Garp showed no anger. Seizing this opportunity, he leaped high into the air.
Soon, he reached a height of ten meters.
Linlin looked up. Her Observation Haki clearly sensed that a terrifying power was gathering in Garp's body.
High in the air, Garp's expression focused. His Observation Haki locked onto Linlin. The power within his body and his Armament Haki surged out wildly, converging on the iron fist of his right hand.
"Genkotsu Impact (Fist Bone Impact)!!!"
The iron fist, wrapped in high-density Armament Haki, smashed ruthlessly down toward Linlin from above.
In the original story, Garp had used this move. Its power and range were immense, capable of easily destroying large numbers of buildings and ships.
And Garp intended to use this final move to end the battle.
Facing Garp's killer move, Linlin's expression became unusually solemn.
Fighting in this style until now, even her robust physique was starting to struggle.
Not to mention her strongest move had already been blocked by Garp.
"Damn it! I don't believe this!!" Linlin spat, refusing to accept fate.
"Then let's see who has more stamina and stronger Haki!!"
Mobilizing the strength in her body again, Linlin leaped up, clashing head-on with Garp's fist.
Bang—
Garp's heavy and powerful strike smashed Linlin directly into the ground. The earth instantly cracked open.
"Linlin!!!"
"Jace, watch those Marines!"
Hajrudin's face changed drastically, and he quickly ran toward Linlin's battlefield.
No matter what, they absolutely couldn't let Linlin get hurt. Not only was she their nakama, but if Raynor came back and saw this, he would go berserk.
"Are you okay, Linlin??" Hajrudin helped Linlin up from the deep pit.
"Cough, cough..." The dust rushing into her nose made Linlin very uncomfortable.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. This little attack can't hurt me."
Linlin waved her hand, giving Hajrudin and the other partners a reassuring look.
"This Marine is indeed quite formidable!!!"
"Hajrudin, go back first. I haven't finished fighting him yet."
"But..."
Although he didn't want to admit it, Hajrudin felt that if the fight continued, the probability of Linlin losing was greater.
"Stop babbling and move aside."
The proud Linlin didn't want anyone interfering in her battle.
Knowing he couldn't stubbornly refuse Linlin, Hajrudin could only return to the sidelines.
"Still resisting stubbornly??" Garp looked at the blood trickling from the corner of Linlin's mouth, a hint of playfulness on his face.
But in the next second, his gaze suddenly became sharp. "Too much time has been wasted here. I must finish you quickly!"
Garp repeated his old trick, leaping high into the air again.
"Genkotsu Impact!!!"
Looking at Garp charging to kill again, Linlin's face was solemn.
She had to block it!!
"Bastard! I'll fight you to the end!!"
"Let me handle this!!!"
Just as Linlin wanted to risk everything on one throw, a gentle voice in her ear made her movements freeze abruptly.
She stood frozen on the spot.
"Who!!!!"
Garp's Observation Haki screamed a frantic warning, discovering another enemy immediately.
"Whoever you are, die!!!"
The heavy iron fist smashed down ruthlessly toward the newcomer.
"Garp, did you enjoy the fight just now??!!"
Raynor snorted coldly. Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki emerged simultaneously, condensing on his fist, and collided fiercely with Garp's iron fist.
Bang—
The power rushing into his body through his fist made Garp's face change drastically. Before he could react, he was sent flying by this powerful force.
With a bang, he crashed heavily onto the ground.
"Garp!!!!"
Raynor's sudden attack forced Zephyr to temporarily abandon attacking Shakuyaku and teleport to Garp's side.
"Are you alright??"
"Cough, cough, cough..... Damn, that really hurts!!!"
Garp shook his right arm, wincing in pain.
"Captain, you're finally here!!"
"Big Bro!!!"
Seeing Raynor appear, Linlin and the others happily gathered around.
"Are you guys okay??"
Looking at the blood at the corners of Linlin and Shakuyaku's mouths, Raynor asked with concern.
"Don't worry, it's nothing. Those two aren't much better off than us."
Linlin waved her hand dismissively, and Shakuyaku did the same.
"You've done well enough."
Raynor glanced around. Under the battle of several people, the entire Kast Port was shattered.
Looking around, there wasn't a single piece of intact ground.
"Captain???"
"You are the captain of this pirate crew??"