Savior, Garp's Wavering

"Bang!"

Murakumogiri, coated in Haki, collided violently with Ace, tearing countless ravines into the surrounding ground.

"Gurararara! Roger, did you skip a meal today?!" Whitebeard laughed heartily as he pressed down hard with his naginata.

"It's not over yet, Newgate!"

Roger grinned and forced the weapon aside, though beads of sweat had appeared at his temple.

Over on Rayleigh's side, had he found Shakky yet...

He had to make it in time!

Meanwhile.

In a courtyard at the edge of the battlefield.

A woman was struggling to move.

Her hands were shackled behind her back, but that had not completely robbed her of mobility.

Even in such desperate circumstances, her breathtaking face still bore an unyielding determination.

The grand prize of this Human Hunting Game, Shakky, was escaping on her own.

Suddenly, a figure blocked her only path.

It was a haggard-looking man wearing a God's Knights uniform.

Somaz.

He approached step by step, moving unhurriedly.

"Should I say I'm lucky..." Somaz said with a smile. "Garling and the Marines were all lured away by that Lunarian."

"That let me be alone with you so quickly... Shakky."

"Hahaha."

"Move." Shakky's voice was icy, her eyes filled with disgust.

Somaz acted as though he had not heard her. Instead, he grew increasingly excited, his laughter becoming more frenzied. "Tell me, why does everyone want to have you?"

"Why? Why is that?"

"It would be one thing if it were just lowly pirates... but why did even Garling set his sights on you?"

He spread his arms, nearly roaring, "They call you the champion's prize? Hahahaha!"

"In truth, him obtaining you was inevitable! This competition is merely procedure! A ritual!"

"I love you so much."

His voice suddenly turned cold as he raised the spiked club in his hand.

"So, to keep anyone from having you."

"You should die, Shakky!"

Before his words had even faded, he charged forward!

Shakky's gaze sharpened. Even with her hands bound, she swung a high kick at his head with the strength of her waist and abdomen.

Somaz tilted his head to evade it, then seized Shakky's slender yet powerful ankle.

Crack!

The spiked club tore through the air and smashed viciously into her lower leg.

The sound of bone cracking was perfectly clear.

"Urgh—!" Agonizing pain swept through her. Shakky groaned and collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Blood quickly stained her dress red.

As she looked at Somaz standing before her, preparing to deliver the final blow, there was no fear in her eyes—only deep regret.

Rayleigh... goodbye...

Somaz laughed wantonly and raised his spiked club to its highest point.

From this moment onward, let the pirate world feel pain!

However, Somaz's expression suddenly changed. He abruptly swung the raised club sideways toward his back.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air, but there was no one behind him.

He looked up.

In the air, a man with black wings on his back, brown skin, and short white hair stared coldly down at him.

"A Lunarian? Could it be..." Somaz's face turned grave. "What are Garling and the others doing? They couldn't even take care of this guy?"

Lin Nuo clicked his tongue in regret. "Tch, you noticed me after all."

"No choice, then. I'll take you head-on!"

If assassination would not work, then he would fight head-on.

The flames on Lin Nuo's back abruptly went out. The next moment, sky-blue flames ignited around his legs and part of his wings.

Partial Beast Transformation: Phoenix Form.

"Phoenix Seal!"

He dove down, his clawed hand shrouded in blue flames as it shot straight toward Somaz.

"A Phoenix?!" Somaz had no time to think. In his haste, he raised the spiked club horizontally before himself.

At the same time, countless hard black thorns emerged across his body's surface.

Boom!

The blue-flamed claw collided violently with the thorn-covered spiked club!

Somaz staggered back several steps, minor burns appearing across his body.

Yet those wounds rapidly healed at a visible rate. The regenerative power granted by Imu's Demon Contract left him nearly unscathed.

However, when he steadied himself and looked closely, there was already no one where Lin Nuo had been.

"Not good!" Somaz had only just realized it.

When Lin Nuo scooped Shakky up and flew a considerable distance away.

"Damn it—!!!"

The frustration of having victory snatched away made Somaz roar in unwilling rage.

High in the sky.

"Thank you for saving me." Shakky thanked him sincerely, then looked at Lin Nuo in confusion.

"I don't think I've seen you before."

"Are you... a pirate?"

"Me? Not a pirate for now." Lin Nuo answered as he flew at high speed.

"But I know Roger and the others. They're already on the island, so I was planning to hand you over to them."

He paused, then added, "No, to be precise, I'll hand you over to Rayleigh."

The moment she heard that name, Shakky's cheeks flushed red.

"Hehe," Lin Nuo teased, "if not for me, you two would have become a pair of star-crossed lovers today."

"Remember my name, Lin Nuo. I'll collect this favor someday."

Of course, even if I hadn't come, Rayleigh probably would have made it in time... but I'm definitely taking credit for this favor.

"No matter what, thank you again, Lin Nuo," Shakky said sincerely.

Just then, her attention was drawn to a figure on the ground running desperately in their direction.

"Rayleigh!" Shakky recognized the figure she had longed to see at a glance.

She could not help waving and calling out.

On the ground, Rayleigh, who had been anxiously searching, looked up at the sound. When he first saw Shakky safe and sound, wild joy bloomed across his face.

Then he saw the strangely transformed Lin Nuo holding Shakky, and surprise flashed in his eyes.

Lin Nuo dove down, landed steadily, and gently set Shakky down.

"I'm sorry, I was late! You're not hurt, are you?!"

Rayleigh rushed forward and pulled Shakky into his arms. His voice trembled with lingering fear as he carefully checked her condition.

"Ah, I..." Only then did Shakky realize that she had been so happy that she had completely forgotten about her leg injury.

She looked down, only to find that the gruesome wound from before had already healed completely.

"Lin Nuo!" Shakky turned around, but the winged figure had already soared into the sky, becoming a black speck as he flew toward another part of the island.

Rayleigh looked in the direction Lin Nuo had vanished, his gaze deepening. Then he gripped Shakky's hand tightly. "I know you have a lot to tell me."

"But this isn't the place to talk. Let's get out of here first! Follow me!"

He took Shakky's hand and swiftly withdrew toward where the main force of the Roger Pirates was located.

"Whoa! It's Shakky!"

"Miss Shakky!"

Along the way, those pirates who had originally wanted to play the hero and save the beauty immediately rushed toward her upon seeing Shakky.

But when they felt Rayleigh's undisguised, overwhelming Haki, they all stopped in their tracks.

Then, seeing Shakky and Rayleigh's tightly clasped hands, along with the happiness and reliance plainly written on her face, everyone was dumbfounded.

In an instant, half of God Valley became the site of a massive collective heartbreak.

"Damn it! That bastard Rayleigh..."

"I'm so jealous of Rayleigh, I'm dying of jealousy!"

The pirates beat their chests and stomped their feet, tears streaming down their faces.

Before long, Rayleigh reunited with the Roger Pirates members who had come to meet him.

"Captain! Shakky's been rescued!" Rayleigh called out.

"That's great!" Roger also breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Shakky was unharmed.

But he immediately noticed the intimate scene between Shakky and Rayleigh.

Still, the situation was dire, so he could only command, "Quick! Cover each other and retreat to the outskirts!"

And so, a strange scene unfolded.

Roger, Gaban, and the other Roger Pirates who had just suffered heartbreak wiped away tears as they carved out a bloody path for their brother.

"Wait!"

However, Roger, who had been charging through the enemy ranks as though no one could stop him, suddenly halted, his expression turning serious.

Before Roger could explain why, Rayleigh, Gaban, and the others behind him quickly felt that mountain-like pressure as well.

Ahead of them stood a burly figure in a Marine coat, his back facing them.

All around him lay waves upon waves of slave corpses.

This Haki...

Monkey D. Garp!

"I'll hold him off. You retreat first." Roger stepped forward, Ace ringing as it left its sheath.

Rayleigh and the others knew that this was not the time to argue over who would stay behind. They immediately changed direction and withdrew.

Yet to everyone's surprise, Garp was unusually calm at that moment.

He slowly turned around. The boldness and fighting spirit that once seemed to tower above everything were gone from his face.

In their place were confusion, disbelief, and... rage suppressed to its absolute limit.

"Hey, Roger..." Garp asked a question that left everyone baffled.

"Tell me, am I dreaming?"

Roger was taken aback by the question and frowned deeply. "Of course not! What nonsense are you talking about, Garp?"

"If you don't want to fight, then I'm leaving. Don't get in my way!"

"Then..." Garp's voice suddenly rose.

He raised a hand and pointed at the slave corpses around them, asking word by word, "Answer me one question."

"These dead slaves."

"Everything that happened on this island!"

"Was it all done by the Celestial Dragons?! By us Marines?!"