"There was actually someone with this level of combat power." Sengoku wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stared gravely at Straw Hat, who stood at the center of the plaza, wreathed in steam like auspicious clouds and becoming the absolute focus of the battlefield. "What exactly happened during those ten missing days?"
It did not match the intelligence reports at all.
He had read the reports concerning Sabaody Archipelago from ten days ago. If not for Kuma's unusual behavior, Straw Hat Kid's crew would likely have been captured and imprisoned by the Marines.
Even with Kuma's help, Straw Hat Kid's entire pirate crew was, at most, a group of somewhat troublesome pirates. There was no way they could have held out against an Admiral for this long.
When Sengoku read the report, he had guessed that old fox Kizaru had deliberately held back because he did not want to offend Garp.
Even Sengoku himself had tacitly allowed it to happen.
If both of his grandsons were captured and executed, Sengoku truly did not think Garp would remain bound by the Marines' Justice and his duties.
It was precisely because he understood his old friend that he had not pursued why Kizaru failed to capture anyone during the incident involving the Celestial Dragon being assaulted.
Now, they were practically dancing on Garp's bottom line.
But that was a separate matter.
The current situation felt absurd and surreal even to him, the Marines' strategist.
"Luffy?!?"
Garp and Ace both stared in utter shock, their eyes bulging and mouths hanging wide open. If Luffy's earlier performance had merely been surprising, this was enough to make their jaws drop to the ground.
"Hey, hey, hey... no way, rookie."
The smile Doflamingo had worn since the start of the Summit War—the smile of someone in control of everything—had vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
This meant there might be unforeseen changes to his plans.
After witnessing that scene, Gecko Moria, who had been harvesting shadows, was so frightened that even the scissors in his hand stopped moving.
Did he still want to seek revenge on Straw Hat?
Boa Hancock's face was full of smiles, love overflowing from her eyes as she gazed tenderly in Luffy's direction.
"Mr. Smoker, Straw Hat can already send an Admiral flying."
Carrying the still-unconscious Smoker, Tashigi muttered to herself.
So perhaps it was not impossible to accept that Mr. Smoker had been taken down in a single move.
Probably only Smoker himself would be unable to accept it...
The reporters watching from outside the battlefield and the pirates following the broadcast were instantly dumbfounded. Their gazes met as they involuntarily swallowed. This thing was called a Supernova just like us?
Su Lin shook his head. If he had switched roles with Luffy, he might have made a fortune in points from this wave.
What a shame.
Mad Monk Urouge downed a cup of wine. "Monkey D. Luffy was still getting beaten so badly by Kizaru ten days ago that he couldn't fight back, just like us."
Jewelry Bonney wiped away her tears and emerged from the emotions stirred by seeing Kuma. She was turning those feelings into appetite and stuffing herself with meat when, upon seeing this scene, the meat in her hand fell onto the table.
"That's ridiculous."
Meanwhile, somewhere at sea, Kid stared blankly at the screen.
"STRAAAAW HAAAT KIIID!!!"
Akainu's roar rang throughout the plaza. Everyone could feel the volcanic fury in his emotions as his fist transformed into blazing magma and he lunged at Luffy.
Clang—
Akainu was intercepted by a kick from Marco.
A claw mark of blue flame was left on his burning right hand.
"Marco!"
"Nicely done! Ace's little brother." Marco smiled. "Go on. Leave this place to us."
While everyone was still stunned, Marco used the aerial superiority granted by his Fruit ability to easily break into the battlefield.
Marco looked at the dark-faced Akainu.
"Looks like the situation has turned around now. It's not good to bully rookies just because you're short-tempered."
"Wouldn't you agree, Akainu?"
His only response was Haki and scorching magma.
"Heh."
Marco sneered and calmly formed a pair of blue flame wings, evading the attack.
Sengoku's brows furrowed tightly.
Borsalino had been sent flying and still had not returned. Luffy's punch was powerful, but it was impossible for it to have taken Borsalino down.
That guy had not clocked out early, had he?
No, Borsalino was usually lazy, but he knew what mattered in critical moments like this.
Seeing that the Den Den Mushi in Sengoku's hand could not reach Kizaru, Garp felt somewhat helpless.
He had said long ago that Sengoku should retire. Now he was worrying himself into white hair, yet he dyed it every day. Tsk, tsk.
Then Sengoku's icy gaze made a chill run down his spine.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Garp turned his head and pretended to blankly pick his nose.
"I haven't seen Luffy in a long time!"
Sengoku turned away without saying anything else. In truth, he knew Garp could not possibly have had the time, nor should he have helped his other grandson in this matter on principle.
Now, one Admiral could not be contacted, while two more were tied down and unable to disengage.
Hm?
"Kuzan, what are you doing? Stop tangling with those ordinary pirates!" Sengoku commanded from the platform.
"Understood."
Aokiji released frost from his feet, freezing the pirates ahead before charging toward Whitebeard.
"Hey! Kuzan, what are you doing?!" Sengoku immediately realized something was wrong. That was not what he meant!
"His target is Pops! Stop him!" The pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates rushed to block his path.
"Leave it to me!" Diamond Jozu displayed speed wholly mismatched with his size and shattered Aokiji with a single punch.
Then, a mass of ice gathered once more and reformed into Aokiji.
Elementalization.
"This is troublesome, Mr. Sengoku." A streak of blood ran down Aokiji's head as he spoke helplessly.
"I told you to stop Straw Hat Kid!!!" Sengoku shouted in frustration.
What the hell are you and Kizaru doing?!!
It was not as though there were no enemies blocking Straw Hat Kid Luffy's path.
Even though Luffy had displayed ferocious strength, the Marine soldiers still gathered their courage and surged toward him.
Yet even the Vice Admirals who had come prepared, including the user of the Spotted Dog Fruit,
could only hold out for a few moves against Luffy.
Something was terribly wrong with Straw Hat Kid's strength.
There was a limit to how quickly a person could grow, no matter how talented they were.
This rate of transformation was practically like
a caterpillar skipping the cocoon stage and directly becoming a butterfly.
Whoosh! A sharp slash came from the side.
His Observation Haki had already foreseen the attack.
Luffy stopped and looked to his left.
The slash grazed past him and cut toward the enormous ice wall in the distance.
Everything in its path, including the ice wall, shattered into icy debris.
"Hawkeye." Luffy's expression was grave. Even now, he did not dare underestimate Hawkeye.
"Remarkable, Straw Hat." Hawkeye raised his black blade and asked with some confusion, "How did you do it?"
"What do you mean, how did I do it?! Don't stop me from saving Ace!" Luffy replied.
"Hmph."
Hawkeye Mihawk swung another slash.
The instant Luffy dodged it, Hawkeye accelerated forward.
In less than a few seconds, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows.
Hawkeye Mihawk calmly dodged Luffy's fists and even unleashed more slashes during their clash.
"Observation Haki."
The black blade clashed with Luffy's fist, which had turned the color of black iron. Yet they did not directly collide, instead stopping at an extremely close distance and leaving a vacuum between them. The surrounding ice fractured, and waves burst from the point where they fought, blowing away many nearby pirates and Marines.
"Haki Infusion."
"Not bad."
During their brief exchange, Hawkeye Mihawk had already confirmed that Straw Hat Kid Luffy's current strength was worthy of his serious attention.
His fighting spirit began to rise.
Luffy turned around and casually yanked someone out of the sandstorm blowing in from above.
"Straw Hat?" Buggy, who had been caught in the battle between Sand Crocodile and Doflamingo, had been spinning around in the storm in a daze just a moment ago.
"Gum-Gum Jet Sacrifice!"
(End of Chapter)