Chapter 42: The Definition of Justice? This Old Man's Fist is Justice!
Dressrosa, The Port.
Garp's voice, amplified by the Den Den Mushi crushed beneath his foot, transformed into an invisible thunderclap, exploding loudly in every corner of the world.
"You piece of trash from the Donquixote Family who was expelled from Mary Geoise back then."
"Are you even fit to call yourself a Celestial Dragon?"
In that instant—
The live broadcast signals across the entire world seemed to stutter eerily.
Mary Geoise, The Room of Authority.
The composure on the faces of the five old men shattered completely.
At the same time, inside Garp's mind, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice rang out right on time.
[Detected that the Host's inner "Absolute Justice" is being activated...]
[Entry settlement will be rated and rewards distributed after the event concludes.]
The force beneath Garp's foot increased by a few degrees. The poor Den Den Mushi let out a wail of being overburdened.
On the streets of the port—
Hearing Garp's words, the veins on the hand Fujitora used to grip his cane sword bulged violently, then slowly relaxed.
Behind him, the Marine soldiers, who were already trembling due to Garp's appearance, were now frightened out of their wits. They retreated again and again, wishing they could vanish from this place of trouble immediately.
"Cleaning up... garbage?"
Fujitora's voice became incredibly low. Every word sounded as if it were being squeezed through his teeth.
"Mr. Garp, Doflamingo is a Royal Warlord of the Sea recognized by the World Government, protected by treaty."
"Your words just now, and your current actions, are tantamount to openly declaring war on the World Government!"
"The World Government?"
Garp sneered. That laugh was filled with undisguised contempt.
He took a step forward.
BOOM!
A terrifying aura exploded outward with him at the center.
The stone pavement beneath his feet cracked inch by inch. Spiderweb-like fissures spread frantically in all directions.
Fujitora felt a pressure like a collapsing mountain rushing toward his face, forcing him to stab his cane sword into the ground just to stabilize his body.
"Since when could that bunch of trash sitting in the highest seat represent this old man's Justice?"
King's Plateau, Inside the Palace.
"Bastard!"
Doflamingo's face was iron-blue.
Watching the old man on the screen who had just exposed his secrets to the public, he could no longer maintain his composure.
He crushed the telephone receiver in his hand.
"Fujitora! What is that blind man doing!"
"Find a way to stop him! At all costs!"
His roar echoed through the empty palace, filled with hysterical madness and fear.
Back at the Port.
Fujitora ignored the roaring coming from the Den Den Mushi in his coat.
His entire mind was focused on the man before him.
Garp's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering the scales named "Benevolence" in his heart.
"I... do not understand."
Fujitora's voice was difficult and hoarse.
"The Justice I seek is to abolish the Warlords, so that the world no longer has 'legal' pirates."
"Mr. Garp, as the former Hero of the Marines, what is your Justice?"
Garp stopped walking. He finally looked the new Marine Admiral straight in the eye.
"My Justice?"
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of forest-white teeth.
"It's very simple."
"The people I want to protect must live, and live happily."
"The people who want to hurt them must die, and die painfully."
Garp raised his hand.
He pointed at himself, then pointed at the sky.
"As for who deserves to live and who deserves to die..."
"This old man decides that for himself."
"The World Government? The Celestial Dragons? Or you, a Marine Admiral?"
"None of you are qualified to define my Justice!"
These words were simple, crude, and unreasonable.
Yet, like a bolt of lightning, they cleaved through all the confusion in Fujitora's heart.
He understood.
In front of this man, any logic, any stance, was pale and powerless.
The only thing he believed in was his own fist.
Fujitora slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, it was as if stormy seas were churning within those blind eyes.
He took a deep breath.
He spoke no more.
The new Marine Admiral abruptly drew the cane sword in his hand.
A purple halo instantly wrapped around the blade.
"Gravity Blade: Raging Tiger!"
He swung the blade.
BOOM!
A terrifying purple gravity wave detached from the blade, transforming into a ferocious, roaring tiger.
It tore through the ground. All buildings, rocks, and debris in its path were crushed into fine powder the instant they made contact with that terrifying gravity.
That force of destruction, strong enough to crush several warships, swept toward Garp.
"Grandpa!"
"Garp-ya!"
Sabo and Law, who were just about to move, cried out in unison upon seeing this earth-shattering attack.
However.
Garp, standing in the dead center of the attack, didn't even look at the pouncing gravity tiger.
He simply raised his right foot casually.
And stomped gently on the ground.
BANG!
An invisible, pure shockwave!
Centered on his landing point, it spread out instantly like ripples on the water.
The purple gravity tiger, enough to make countless strong men tremble in fear, solidified the moment it touched this shockwave.
Its roaring form, its destructive momentum—everything froze in that moment.
The next second.
Like a massive wave hitting an invisible reef, it collapsed with a loud bang!
It turned into specks of purple light that filled the sky before dissipating into the air.
"Wh... What?!"
"You've got to be kidding! That was an Admiral's attack!"
"What did he do? He just stomped his foot?"
"The gravity... was the gravity canceled out? No! It was shattered!"
"What kind of monster is he?! Is this the legendary Marine Hero?"
The Marine soldiers watching from afar erupted in screams of ultimate terror.
Their worldview was ground into powder at this moment.
Inside the palace, the Supreme Officers behind Doflamingo slumped to the ground one by one. The arrogance and fanaticism on their faces were replaced by pure stupefaction.
Garp ignored the shock surrounding him.
He waved his hand impatiently at Luffy and Sabo, who were staring dumbfounded behind him.
"Stick to the plan."
"Leave this place to me."
Luffy snapped out of his shock instantly, his face erupting with unparalleled excitement.
"Oh! It's all yours, Grandpa!"
He shouted at Zoro and Franky.
"Let's go! Let's go get that Mythical Zoan fruit!"
"Oh!"
The three of them hesitated no longer.
Like three arrows leaving the bow, they sprinted madly toward the direction of the Corrida Coliseum.
Sabo and Law exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
Sabo hesitated no more and nodded at Nami and the others.
"Let's go! To the inner city!"
The Straw Hats, Law, and Sabo immediately split into two groups, rushing toward the Coliseum and the inner city respectively, vanishing into the chaotic crowd in an instant.
"Don't think about leaving!"
From the direction of the King's Plateau, a colossal figure rose from the ground.
It was the Supreme Officer of the Donquixote Family, the user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit), Pica.
He was preparing to intercept them.
"Hmph?"
Fujitora's blind eyes glanced slightly in his direction.
BOOM!
An invisible, terrifying gravity descended from the sky.
Pica's massive stone body, along with Diamante, Trebol, and the others beside him, were all pinned firmly in place by this immense force, unable to move a muscle.
A massive circular crater caved into the ground with them at the center.
Fujitora's gaze locked back onto Garp.
He understood.
If he didn't stop this man here today, Dressrosa would never know peace again.
The entire island, and even this world...
Would be turned upside down by this unreasonable old man.
Garp grinned.
He rolled his wrists, making crack-crack explosive sounds.
"Come on."
"Let this old man see just how much weight..."
"...a monster chosen by the World Military Draft actually carries."