On the vast ocean, the Dog-Head Warship closed in on the enormous pirate fleet in the distance.
As the distance between them narrowed, the pirate ships at the rear of the fleet noticed it too.
"Captain! A warship is approaching about three nautical miles away! It looks like they're planning to attack us!"
"A warship? How many?"
"Just one!"
"One?" The pirate captain found that rather laughable. "We have thirty-three ships! Not to mention the invincible Lord Norton! Are those Marines blind?"
Faced with such an overwhelming difference in numbers, no sane person would charge straight at them-unless he was a lunatic.
To take on the Norton Pirates and the invincible Admiral Norton, Marine Headquarters would need to send at least ten warships just to stand a chance!
"Report to Lord Norton that a warship is approaching! Request instructions!" the pirate captain ordered.
"Understood!"
Inside the floating restaurant, Norton was enjoying his meal when he received the pirate captain's call on his Den Den Mushi.
"Hmm? Some blind fools actually came looking for trouble in a warship?" Beside him, Kuro adjusted his glasses.
Norton leisurely wiped the corner of his mouth. "They must be pretty confident!"
Anyone bold enough to attack thirty-three pirate ships head-on was either an expert or a reckless fool!
Before Norton could issue any orders, the Den Den Mushi suddenly mimicked the pirate captain's panicked expression.
"They're throwing cannonballs at us... That's... the Hero..."
Before he could finish, a tremendous explosion burst from the Den Den Mushi! The call cut off, and the snail mimicked a charred, shell-blasted face, puffing out a mouthful of smoke.
Sensing something was wrong, the officers nearby gathered around.
"What happened?"
At that moment, at the rear of the Norton Pirates' fleet-
A pirate ship had taken a direct hit from a cannonball and was already beginning to sink!
And the cannonball hadn't been fired by a naval cannon, but thrown by an old man with graying hair and a dog-head hat!
"Bwahahaha! Not much to them, huh? This Norton crew!"
"Vice Admiral Garp! The Special Heavy Cannonballs you requested are ready!"
A squad of strong young soldiers struggled to push a cart loaded with heavy cannonballs over to Garp, stumbling along and nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
"Let me count! Ten, twenty, thirty... Bring three more!" Garp counted the cannonballs, not quite satisfied.
"One cannonball to destroy each ship! Sengoku ought to thank me, right? So economical!"
Several nautical miles away, aboard the White Pearl-
"You've got to be kidding! What kind of naval cannon can shoot that far?" Nami lowered her telescope in astonishment.
"No... They weren't fired by the warship. It was a person!" Zoro shouted down from the lookout, telling everyone.
"An old guy wearing a dog-head hat! He's throwing the cannonballs!"
"A dog-head hat?" Funing murmured, then her expression suddenly changed. "Don't tell me..."
"Garp the Hero!" Norton realized it too, his eyes shining as his desire to fight blazed like fire.
He should have thought of it earlier. In the East Blue, who besides Garp would charge at a massive fleet of thirty-three pirate ships like some reckless fool?
"What rotten luck!" Sanosuke's expression darkened.
They had encountered the legendary Garp the Hero in the East Blue! For pirates, that could hardly be called good fortune! This man was more intimidating than even a Marine Admiral-the pride of the Marines!
"King! Let's run! We're at sea! That's the terrifying man who chased the Pirate King his whole life!" Funing tugged at Norton's hand.
"Run?" Norton grinned. "That's not what I have in mind!"
"Pass down the order. Have the ships behind us speed up and overtake us! I'll cover the rear myself!"
"Are you serious, King? That's Garp!" Kuro asked, stunned.
Any pirate who spotted Garp's ship would give it a wide berth, wouldn't they?
The right thing to do was to escape while Garp's attention was fixed on the ships at the rear!
King was certainly strong... but he couldn't possibly be stronger than Garp the Hero!
They had only just brought those ships under their command, but in exceptional circumstances like this, they had to sacrifice something to escape a legendary figure like him!
"Didn't hear me? Then I'll say it again!" Norton's grin grew wider. "I said, have the ships behind us move ahead! I'll take on that old man!"
Seeing how firmly Norton had made up his mind, the others knew nothing they said could change it.
The orders were relayed through the Den Den Mushi.
"Well? What did Norton say?" Buggy hurriedly asked the subordinate beside him.
"Admiral Norton said we should go ahead. He'll cover our retreat!" the subordinate answered, somewhat stunned.
"Haha! Then what are we waiting for? Run! That's Garp! Only an idiot would turn back!" Buggy let out a heavy sigh of relief and broke into a relieved grin.
Aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship, Jango learned of Norton's arrangements and sped past the White Pearl without the slightest hesitation!
"Captain Gin... Are we running too?"
The members of the Krieg Pirates turned to Gin.
Gin nodded, his expression grave.
"Since Admiral Norton has made his decision, we shouldn't disobey orders!"
One ship after another accelerated and overtook the White Pearl. The last was the Baratie. As the two vessels passed, Zeff came onto the deck and tossed something to Norton from afar.
"What's this?"
Norton caught it and looked it over. It was something black and very hard.
"A new dish! I'm thinking of calling it Great Chocolate! After you've tasted it, don't go losing to that old man! Though countless pirates have already lost to him!" Zeff said with a laugh. He was the only one who had faith in Norton.
Norton tossed the Great Chocolate into his mouth and bit through it with a crisp crunch. It felt like a glacier melting on his tongue.
"Delicious!"
Norton gave Zeff a thumbs-up. "Go on, don't worry! Zeff! We'll meet in Loguetown!"
"Right!" Zeff nodded and waved goodbye.
Norton turned back just in time to see a black dot rapidly expanding in his field of vision!
"Here it comes?"
Norton grinned.
"It's coming! Get out of the way!"
Everyone was alarmed.
"I'm trying!"
Nami frantically spun the wheel, trying to steer clear of the projectile's path!
On the entire ship, only Norton remained calm. He threw a punch!
A tremendous gust surged from his fist!
The incoming Special Heavy Cannonball struck what seemed to be an invisible wall!
Unable to advance another inch, the cannonball spun furiously until its momentum was spent, then dropped into the sea!
Boom!
The violent explosion sent up waves that rocked even the White Pearl.
"He actually did it!" Nami's eyes widened as she stared in astonishment at Norton, standing atop the figurehead of a girl cradling a bird at the White Pearl's bow.
Norton had blocked the cannonball Garp had thrown!
And he had made it look quite easy!
Several nautical miles away, aboard the Dog-Head Warship, Garp suddenly burst out laughing.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Vice Admiral Garp, what's wrong?" A soldier wiped away his sweat and struggled upright, supporting his lower back.
Just pushing that cart of heavy cannonballs had been more exhausting than training!
"The cannonball I threw was blocked! Must've been that 'Silver-Haired Norton,' eh? He's pretty strong!" Garp said, flexing his knuckles before picking up another heavy cannonball.
"Then how about this? Let's see you stop these!"
"Fist Bone: Meteor Shower!"
Black cannonballs flew from Garp's hands one after another, thick as a shower of falling meteors! Yet every meteor in that shower was a cannonball powerful enough to sink a ship!
As the dark mass of cannonballs hurtled toward them, Nami and the others aboard the White Pearl looked utterly despairing.
"We're dead!!"
Norton looked up, the cannonballs filling the sky reflected in his eyes like stars catching fire.
Unfazed by the danger, he thrust both arms forward, muscles bulging, as though pushing open a heavy iron door!
But it wasn't a door he pushed. It was the wind-or, more precisely, a vast mass of air!
A scene even more terrifying than his earlier punch unfolded. At Norton's push, the seawater churned violently, and a fierce torrent of wind erupted without warning!
Amid the raging hurricane, the incoming cannonballs actually began flying backward! They hurtled in the opposite direction, back toward the warship!
"Aaaah!"
"Mr. Garp! Help!"
"How is this happening!"
The soldiers aboard the warship panicked.
A brief look of astonishment crossed Garp's face, but he soon burst into laughter.
"Interesting!"
The next second, Garp somehow pulled out an enormous iron ball, even bigger than the Dog-Head Warship!
In an instant, the returning cannonballs smashed into the iron ball.
A tremendous explosion thundered across the entire stretch of sea! The water shuddered with it!
Big Black, the Mist Whale hiding beneath the White Pearl, trembled in fear. Damn it, two humans this absurd, both at once!
For a while after that, Garp and Norton simply kept hurling cannonballs back and forth!
The explosions never stopped. It sounded like dozens of ships exchanging fire.
But in truth, it was merely two people playing!
Two monsters playing!
Amid those violent explosions, the White Pearl and the Dog-Head Warship drew closer to each other.
From several nautical miles to one, then from one nautical mile to a few hundred meters.
Until Norton, standing at the bow, could clearly see Garp in his dog-head hat aboard the opposing warship!
"You brat!"
"You old geezer!"
Sparks flew as their gazes met.
"You're the one who killed the king of the Sage Kingdom and hundreds of soldiers, aren't you, Silver-Haired?" Garp glanced at the massive fleet behind the White Pearl. "Now you've assembled a pirate fleet this big. Planning a rebellion?"
"Mind your own business! You're getting old-retire already!" Norton showed Garp no respect whatsoever, grinning as he said, "Otherwise, once you lose to me, your lifelong reputation will become a stepping stone for the younger generation!"
"What an arrogant brat!" Even Garp couldn't help being taken aback.
It had been many years since anyone had dared speak to him like that!
But after just a few seconds of surprise, Garp's mouth stretched into the widest of grins.
Then he leaped into the air!
"Vice Admiral Garp!! Where are you going?!"
"Aaaah! That old man's jumping over here!"
In midair, Garp braced his shoulder and raised his fist, black energy bursting out like lightning!
Norton's gaze sharpened. For the first time since breaking through his body's limiter, he sensed a threat!
Haki! And Conqueror's Haki at that!
Black-and-red lightning crackled-the visible manifestation of Conqueror's Haki coating!
"If you've got what it takes, take this punch, brat!"
"Galaxy Impact!"
Garp's airborne body tilted with his descending punch. Aboard the White Pearl, nearly everyone passed out under that suffocating pressure!
Before Garp's fist had even landed, barely anyone on the White Pearl remained standing!
Norton was unaffected, his eyes filled with fervor.
This old man might actually let him enjoy himself!
He leaped from the maiden figurehead at the White Pearl's bow, swinging his fist to meet Garp's!
There was no Haki coating it, but this was a punch thrown in earnest!
"Old man, don't even think about wrecking my ship!"
As their fists collided without touching, Garp's expression abruptly changed.
Those iron fists, forged through relentless training day and night and by flattening countless mountains, felt pain for the first time in ages!
Wind and waves exploded from the point where Norton's and Garp's fists met. The sea for several kilometers around seethed, a terrifying sight like the end of the world.
Below them, the White Pearl rocked violently in the towering waves! At that moment, the hundred-meter vessel seemed unable to keep its balance, on the verge of capsizing!
An immense repulsive force drove Garp and Norton apart, sending each back onto his own ship.
Garp held up his fist, unable to settle his emotions.
Norton was brimming with excitement. He hadn't held back with that punch!
Yet Garp had actually stopped it!
In all the years since he had broken through his limiter, this was the first time anything like this had happened!
This old man was stronger than anything he had ever encountered!
If they kept fighting... perhaps he would find an opportunity to grasp Haki!
But after seeing everyone sprawled across the White Pearl, Norton restrained his impulse.
"Come find me in Loguetown if you've got the guts, old man! If you can make it there alive!" Norton shouted at Garp.
"What are you talking about, brat? Don't underestimate me!" Garp frowned, his fist still aching faintly.
"Haha, I'm looking forward to a fierce fight with you, old man! But now's not the time!" Norton waved.
"Big Black! Flip that warship over!"
The sea, which had calmed somewhat after the two exchanged punches, suddenly churned again. A gigantic black whale covered in gray spots surfaced from the depths!
"What a huge Sea King!" Even Garp was somewhat taken aback.
Then, following Norton's order, the giant whale rammed the warship and capsized it!
The Dog-Head Warship was over fifty meters long, making it a large warship, but before the kilometer-long Mist Whale, it looked far too tiny!
With almost no effort at all, the Mist Whale flipped the Dog-Head Warship over!
But what followed was the Marine Hero's fury!
"You stinking fish! Take this!"
With his Justice Coat draped over his shoulders, Garp leaped into the air and brought his fist down! A huge lump rose on the kilometer-long whale's head!
The Mist Whale was on the verge of tears. What did I do to deserve this?
With the task complete, the whale hurriedly sank back into the depths.
Humans had left the whale traumatized!
As the warship capsized, most of the Marines aboard fell off the deck and into the sea. Fortunately, every one of them could swim, so no one suffered the tragedy of drowning.
But pursuit was impossible under these circumstances. Garp landed on the half-sunken warship and watched the White Pearl sail away, his expression grim.
"That little bastard!"
The soldiers cried for help in the water. "Vice Admiral Garp! Save us!"
Garp could only look away and jump into the sea, trying to turn the warship upright.
"I'm furious! Contact Sengoku and have him send reinforcements! I'll send that brat to the execution block in Loguetown!"