Sengoku flew across half the battlefield, drawing the attention of the vast majority of those present.
In an instant, countless gazes converged on Maud, who had sent Sengoku flying.
Even from far away, the owners of those gazes could clearly sense the astonishing aura radiating from Maud.
His overwhelming presence was as conspicuous as the bright moon in the night sky.
"Sengoku..."
Garp, who had been fighting Aokiji, suddenly stopped and looked toward the distant island ruins shrouded in thick smoke.
Relying on Observation Haki, he sensed that Sengoku's aura had weakened, and only then did he slightly relax.
As long as Sengoku was still alive, the outcome was acceptable.
Garp suddenly stopped, and Aokiji did not pursue him. He stopped attacking as well.
However.
Aokiji did not pay attention to Sengoku's situation. Instead, he looked toward Maud, who stood atop Impel Down.
Amid that openly unleashed, astonishing aura, Aokiji sensed emotions mixed with anger and killing intent.
From this alone, Aokiji realized—
Saul was not inside Impel Down. More likely, he was already dead.
That was why Maud, who had emerged from Impel Down, was reacting this way.
After realizing this, Aokiji became even more inclined to believe that Saul was dead.
As a former Marine Admiral, he understood the Marines' usual methods to a certain extent—or rather, he understood Akainu's usual methods.
"From the very beginning, you never intended to spare Saul's life..."
Aokiji slowly withdrew his gaze from Maud and turned to look at Garp directly ahead.
Former comrades who had once stood on the same side were now enemies.
Garp met Aokiji's gaze. After a brief silence, he said nothing and merely nodded, acknowledging Aokiji's conclusion.
Seeing Garp admit it with a nod, cold mist drifted across Aokiji's cheek as he sighed. "Using a 'dead man'