Just as Ortolan was sent flying by the slash, a hand firmly caught his tumbling body.
With a bang, Ortolan's backward flight came to a halt. The force of the slash dissipated, while blood flowed from his arms. Clearly, even with Armament Haki reinforcing him, his Steel Bones and Iron Muscles could not withstand Roger's Kamunmiti.
"Not bad, kid. Not many people can take Roger's slash, and even fewer are your age. Though that bastard wasn't going all out," Garp said from behind Ortolan, a faint smile on his lips.
Ortolan looked at Garp in surprise before snapping back to his senses. "If you hadn't shoved me from behind, I wouldn't have gotten cut!"
Forces worked both ways. Ortolan had been preparing to find an opportunity to redirect the force, but Garp had grabbed and pushed him, leaving him no choice but to take the slash head-on. That was why his arms had been cut open.
Garp froze for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Ahahaha, sorry, sorry. Looks like I made things worse. But it's fine. I'll get revenge for you right now!"
Having said that, he ignored Ortolan and turned his gaze forward.
At that moment, Rayleigh stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger. Mihawk was lying amid the ruins, his eyes vacant, with an additional slash wound across his chest. Clearly, with Garp's arrival, Rayleigh no longer had time to keep playing around with Mihawk.
"Why do I run into you bastard everywhere I go, Garp?" Roger said unhappily, raising a hand to stroke his proud, upturned mustache.
Garp laughed heartily. "Doesn't that prove we're fated, Roger?"
"I could do without this kind of fate." Roger rolled his eyes.
"Thanks to you, Shiki took a huge loss, and the Marines had it a lot easier. As thanks, how about I invite you to Marineford for some tea?" Garp tore the Justice Cloak from his shoulders and casually tossed it into the hands of the bewildered Ortolan.
Ortolan looked at the Justice Cloak in his hands, its Vice Admiral epaulets clearly visible, then looked at Garp. Just as he was about to speak, a fierce aura crashed into him head-on!
It was Garp. His expression was no longer as carefree as before. Instead, his eyes gleamed sharply, brimming with excitement.
Garp rolled his wrists, then stomped down hard. The solid ground instantly shattered, and his muscular figure shot toward Roger and Rayleigh like a meteor.
"Fist Bone: Starfall!" Garp roared.
The Armament Haki on that fist was clearly aimed at Roger, yet Ortolan, standing where he was, could feel the overwhelming pressure. The air before him seemed to thicken, and merely being touched by the leaking aura made it hard for him to breathe!
Ortolan had long known that whether it was Charlotte Linlin, Rayleigh, or Roger, none of them had been going all out when fighting him.
But at this very moment, from the aura spilling from Garp, Ortolan finally understood just how vast the gap was between himself and these true powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the seas!
His instincts told him that if this punch had been aimed at him, it might truly have killed him!
"Still as full of energy as ever, Garp!" Excitement also flashed in Roger's eyes. He drew Ace from his waist and slashed down to meet Garp's punch!
"Kamunmiti!" Roger said in a low voice.
A single move, used to perfection.
The power of Kamunmiti was directly proportional to how serious Roger was. Clearly, against an old rival as powerful as Garp, Roger did not hold back in the slightest this time. He went all out!
For an instant, Ortolan seemed to see Roger's slash split even space itself apart!
The power of their Haki clashed before their attacks even made contact!
It was as though two invisible forces had locked them in place. Garp's punch hung in the air, unable to fall, while Roger's slash stopped before him as if blocked by some enormous obstacle.
But there was no obstacle. There was only the clash of their overwhelming Haki!
Black lightning burst from the void between their attacks, followed by sharp cracking sounds that reached Ortolan's ears.
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This time, it was no illusion. Ortolan clearly saw it: in the center of their Haki clash, the air... no, space itself seemed unable to withstand the pressure and aura of the two men, and black cracks appeared within it!
Though it sounded long, from Garp making his move to this clash, only a single breath had passed.
Before Ortolan could take it in any further, the air currents created by the collision of their immense Haki erupted from the center like a tsunami. They instantly crushed the sturdy buildings around them, while shattered stones, rubble, dust, and debris were swept up into a ring-shaped shockwave that spread in all directions!
A wave of dust rushed straight at Ortolan. Holding Garp's Justice Cloak, he whipped it forward and scattered the dust, while planting his feet firmly to resist the impact from the overflowing Haki.
At the same time, Garp changed moves. His punch slipped past Roger's Kamunmiti, both feet landing on the ground as he lunged forward. In the blink of an eye, he was beside Roger, reaching out to seize Roger by the shoulder.
"Sea Bottom Drop!" A triumphant smile appeared on Garp's face as he yanked hard, pulling Roger's body straight up from the ground.
The next moment, he was about to smash Roger viciously into the ground!
Roger reacted just as quickly. Ace carried a biting aura as he slashed along the shoulder Garp had seized, cutting toward Garp's armpit!
If Garp did not let go, he would lose an arm no matter what!
Left with no choice, Garp changed moves as well. The arm that had been about to slam Roger down drew inward, and by clamping it between his ribs and upper arm, he forcibly caught Roger's blade beneath his armpit!
At the same time, dense Haki gathered around Garp's other hand as he threw a punch straight at Roger's head.
Roger was holding his sword one-handed as well, leaving one hand free. He accurately grabbed Garp's wrist and, with a burst of strength, stopped Garp's fist.
Their figures seemed to lock in a stalemate at that instant, but only for that instant. After a brief contest of strength, Garp and Roger attacked again simultaneously.
Roger raised his leg, driving his knee toward Garp's abdomen, while Garp lifted his own leg and thrust it forward. Their knees collided fiercely with a dull boom, and the resulting shockwave swept away all the dust around them once more!
Without the slightest pause, as that strike landed, the two quickly opened a distance of several meters. Roger followed through with a slash, while Garp, his hand coated in Haki, unhesitatingly pressed down on Roger's blade. Then, amid a rapid series of crackling impacts, within that narrow space of only several meters, their figures became streaks of light—or perhaps black shadows—as they exchanged dozens of blows in succession!
Even after releasing his Observation Haki, Ortolan still found it difficult to clearly see their movements. At the same time, he was surprised that Rayleigh had not taken the opportunity to help Roger. Instead, he retreated immediately, not stopping in the slightest as he took Shanks and Buggy and fled!
Seriously? The captain stayed behind to cover the retreat? Was that some pirate rule?
After thinking for a brief moment, Ortolan decided to remain and continue watching the battle. He had no intention of pursuing Rayleigh anymore.
Trying to chase him now would be asking for trouble. There had been no outside pressure earlier, and Rayleigh had no intention of killing him, so his attacks had been casual, almost playful.
But if Ortolan went up and blocked his path now, Rayleigh probably would not be so casual as before. He might actually kill him!
Besides, this was a full-force battle between true top-tier powerhouses! Such an opportunity was exceedingly rare. Ortolan wished he could grow another pair of eyes to see it more clearly. How could he bear to waste the chance by chasing Rayleigh?
At the same time, Ortolan noticed that a large number of Marines were continuously helping ordinary civilians evacuate the area. In a few minutes, this place would likely be cleared out.
Given Garp's character, he was probably still considering the surroundings and had not truly cut loose yet, had he?
Sure enough, after the last onlooker was evacuated, the Marines quickly launched a signal flare into the sky.
Then Ortolan saw Garp soar up from the ground, flying dozens of meters into the air.
"Fist Bone: Galaxy Shatter!" Garp roared as he threw a punch downward through the air!
The instant he threw that punch, Ortolan was dumbfounded. I haven't gotten on the ride... no, I haven't evacuated yet!
In an instant, the Haki around Garp's fist spread across the entire sky like a galaxy before crashing down from above!
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