Luffy sensed the impending danger, instantly tensing his entire body and putting up his utmost resistance, yet he still could not withstand the fatal assault.
With a thunderous boom, the magma struck his body squarely. Luffy was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground.
Instantly, large areas of his body were severely burned, his skin and flesh festering as excruciating pain swept through him.
Struggling to prop himself up on the ground, his whole body trembling, even with injuries pushed to the extreme, he gritted his teeth, fighting to stand up, never abandoning his determination to rescue Ace.
Not far away, Ivankov quickly approached Luffy's side. Seeing the young man's bloodied and mangled state, his heart ached with pity and helplessness, and he hurriedly tried to dissuade him:
"Straw Hat, don't keep charging recklessly.
You're already gravely injured, your stamina completely exhausted. If you keep rushing toward the execution platform without regard for anything else, all that awaits you is death. Stop here!"
Lifting his blood-stained face, Luffy fixed his gaze intently on Ivankov, his eyes filled with unwavering determination as he hoarsely pleaded:
"Little Iva, please help me… I must save Ace, I'm begging you!"
Ivankov looked at the young man, silent for a long while, ultimately unable to harden his heart.
He sighed helplessly, his expression grave as he warned:
"Alright, I'll help you one last time.
But you must remember, this is your final chance. If you fall again, no one will be able to save you. When that happens, you will die completely."
With those words, he inserted his fingers into Luffy's body, hormones surging quietly, once again stimulating his latent physical energy.
Enduring the intense pain, Luffy's Haki surged once more, crimson currents of air swirling around his body as Gear Fourth activated again.
Clenching his teeth, without further hesitation, he transformed into a crimson blur, charging fiercely once more toward the execution platform.
This scene was caught by Akainu.
His gaze icy, his magma-churning body radiating killing intent. Having failed to completely eliminate Luffy earlier, seeing him advance again now, he immediately raised his hand to unleash magma, aiming to deliver the fatal blow.
Just as the destructive magma was about to erupt, an aged yet immensely imposing figure abruptly interposed itself.
Garp's figure arrived in an instant, stepping in front of Luffy a split second earlier, forcibly cutting off Akainu's line of attack.
This navy hero who had stood firm on the seas for decades now wore a solemn expression, complex pain and struggle churning in the depths of his eyes.
On one side was the navy Justice he had upheld his entire life, on the other was his flesh-and-blood kin. These two convictions clashed violently within his heart, nearly tearing him apart.
"Brat, stop right there," Garp spoke heavily, his voice hoarse and weighty. "Don't rush forward recklessly anymore. With your current strength, you can't save Ace. You'll only throw your own life away for nothing."
Luffy, battered and wounded all over, was already blinded by rage.
He clenched his fists tightly, glaring up at Garp as he roared:
"Damn old man! You clearly have the power to stop all this, you clearly could save Ace, yet you just stand by and do nothing!
If you won't save him, then I'll save him myself!"
The bonds of blood and the principles of the navy—the long-suppressed conflict erupted completely at this moment.
Garp stared at his stubborn and headstrong grandson, feeling as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart, waves of agony spreading through his entire body.
As a Marine Vice Admiral, he knew he could not show favoritism or abandon Justice for the sake of family ties.
Yet watching his two grandsons step by step walk toward a dead end, his heart was already riddled with wounds.
"I must stop you." Garp slowly raised his fist, layers of Armament Haki covering it, his gaze suddenly turning resolute:
"If you want to cross this battlefield to save Ace, you'll have to step over me first! Today, I absolutely will not let you take another step forward."
"I won't lose to you! Get out of my way, you old geezer!"
Luffy's eyes were wide with fury, the grief and rage in his heart erupting completely.
He held nothing back, channeling all his Haki into his right arm, a powerful explosive force bursting forth.
In the next instant, two fists collided head-on before the eyes of the entire crowd.
"Galaxy Impact!"
"Gomu-Gomu King Kong Gun!"
A dull explosion roared out, the shockwave from the collision sweeping in all directions, churning up rubble and ash from the ground.
Everyone instinctively paused their actions, their gazes locked on the clash between grandfather and grandson.
However, the next moment, a scene that left the entire battlefield utterly stunned unfolded.
The expected outcome of the collision did not occur.
Garp's heavy fist, capable of clashing with the King of the Pirates and suppressing countless great pirates, was instantly shattered the moment it met Luffy's King Kong Gun.
A tremendous impact force surged along his arm, piercing through his defenses. Garp's burly frame shuddered violently, and he was sent flying uncontrollably backward, crashing heavily into the ruined debris.
Dust billowed into the air. A hero of the Marines, just like that, was knocked down by Luffy's single punch, his eyes closed as he fell completely unconscious.
Silence—an extreme, profound silence—instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
The Three Admirals simultaneously wore expressions of speechlessness, their brows tightly furrowed.
Whether it was Akainu, Aokiji, or Kizaru, they all knew Garp's true strength all too well.
He was undoubtedly a top-tier powerhouse, not inferior to the King of the Pirates Roger or the world's strongest man Whitebeard, with Haki at its peak and an incredibly formidable physique.
Even in his old age and declining strength, there was no way he could have been sent flying and knocked unconscious by a single punch from Luffy, who was severely injured and physically exhausted at that moment.
Everyone understood clearly—this was not a difference in combat power.
It was Garp, in that moment, deliberately holding back. It was the guilt, pain, and struggle in his heart that made him willingly lower all his defenses, allowing himself to be "defeated" by his own grandson.
He could not bring himself to stop Luffy with his own hands, nor could he bear to deal a fatal blow to his grandson. The only way left was to let himself be defeated in such a wretched manner, to preserve the last shred of familial love in his heart.
Akainu's brow furrowed deeply, the killing intent in his eyes growing more intense.
With Garp "unconscious" and defeated, no one could stop him anymore. The time to kill Luffy had arrived.
The scorching magma around his body churned violently, the intense heat distorting the air. He was about to step forward and end the Straw Hat's life.
But just as he moved, a figure radiating a bone-chilling cold had already firmly positioned itself in front of Luffy.
Aokiji's expression was calm, but a hint of helplessness was hidden in his eyes as he spoke indifferently:
"Straw Hat, that's enough. With me here, you won't take another step forward."
Aokiji's heart was also conflicted.
As a Navy Admiral, his duty was to suppress pirates and quell chaos.
Yet for many years, he had been deeply indebted to Garp, respecting the character and integrity of this navy hero.
He had long seen Garp's pain and understood that Luffy and Ace were inherently good-natured, never committing heinous crimes—they were merely youths chasing freedom.
On one side was duty, on the other was gratitude; he had to defeat Luffy while doing everything in his power to preserve his life, preventing Akainu from delivering a fatal blow.
To take this step in front of Akainu was difficult.
But he had to do it!