The sky suddenly darkened as the Golden Lion descended and came to a hover in front of the two ships.
"Jihahahaha~"
"Garp! Given your personality, I never expected you to take part in an escort mission like this. Fancy running into you here!"
The Golden Lion appeared at the railing, a cigar clenched between his teeth and his long golden hair flowing like a lion's mane. Two Famous Swords, Oto and Kogarashi, hung at his waist, and his gaze was fixed on Garp, who wore a dog-head hat aboard the warship.
"Shiki, instead of fighting for territory in the New World, you've come all the way to Paradise? What, do you want a taste of my fists?"
Garp took off his dog-head hat and rolled up his sleeves, black-and-red lightning in his hands.
"Puhahaha, I'll capture you all right now and send you to Impel Down. That's where pirates like you belong."
"Enough big talk, Garp!"
"I'm the one who's going to crush you here. That Devil Fruit is mine today!"
"Men! Take them out! I'll retrieve the item myself!"
"Yes, Boss Shiki!"
At the Golden Lion's command, dozens of figures dropped from the Flying Pirates' ship in an instant.
They were all elites under the Golden Lion, including quite a few ability users and powerful warriors.
They rained down like dumplings onto the decks of the two ships below.
"Protect the ships! Stop them!"
On the marines' side, the officers who had followed Garp through major battles had already organized a defensive line without waiting for his orders.
Kuzan's gaze sharpened, wisps of cold air escaping his mouth. He waved both hands and instantly froze two charging pirates into ice sculptures.
"Tch! A Logia brat?"
Seeing this, one of the Golden Lion's division commanders gave a sinister grin, coated his long blade in Armament Haki, and lunged at Kuzan. The battle erupted instantly!
Meanwhile, aboard the White Dove.
Roy and Bullet stared intently at the center of the battlefield, using Observation Haki to sense the changes there.
"They're fighting!"
Seeing such a grand spectacle for the first time, Savi sounded both excited and nervous.
Roy took the storage bag from Pea, then smiled and patted him on the head, signaling him not to worry.
"Let's go, Bullet. It's our turn to make an entrance!"
"Stella, you and the others take the ship farther away first and be ready to leave at any moment. If anything goes wrong, retreat immediately! Don't worry about Bullet and me. We'll catch up to you safely!"
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.
Roy and Bullet exchanged a glance. Roy deployed his Telekinesis, and the two sped toward the World Government ship, skimming just above the sea.
By now, the fighting on deck had reached a fever pitch. Pirates and marines paired off against each other, the clash of blades, roars, and screams ringing out without end.
The true center of the battlefield, however, was in midair.
"Lion: Thousand-Cut Valley!"
The Golden Lion swung both arms, sending enormous Flying Slashes hurtling toward Garp.
"Puhahaha! Shiki, after all these years, are flashy moves with no substance still all you know?"
Garp laughed, Haki gathering around his hand and black-and-red lightning coiling around it. He pushed off with his legs, sending the bow of the Dog-Head Warship plunging downward, and met the incoming slashes without dodging.
"Fist Bone: Impact."
"Boom-"
A deafening explosion rang out. Garp's iron fist shattered the slashes, then continued toward Golden Lion Shiki in midair without slowing.
The shockwave spreading out from the impact pressed the entire sea surface down, and the resulting spray nearly knocked Roy and Bullet into the water.
Fortunately, Roy had kept his Observation Haki on alert and spread his Telekinesis beneath them when Garp attacked. Otherwise, there was no telling whether the two could have even gotten close to the ship.
"Tch, Roy, is this how strong the world's top fighters are? That's ridiculous!"
"Don't worry, Bullet. With our talent, reaching their level is only a matter of time. For now, let's find you the White Tiger Fruit first."
Sensing Bullet's fighting spirit, which had almost become tangible, Roy spoke in a low voice. His Telekinesis formed a shuttle around them, carrying them through the huge wave crashing toward them. Their speed surged again, and they quietly approached the stern of the World Government transport ship.
As the two slipped aboard, the battle in the air escalated.
"Float Lion: Imperial Earthbind!!"
The Golden Lion laughed wildly as the sea below boiled. Enormous lion heads made of seawater rose up and charged straight at the two ships, his intent clear-to destroy the marines' foothold first!
"Shiki, you despicable bastard!"
Garp roared in anger, but he had no choice except to divert his attention to deal with them. His iron fists struck out in succession, smashing the incoming lion heads apart.
The Golden Lion took advantage of the opening to circle around Garp and head straight for the World Government ship, where the Devil Fruit stolen from him was being kept!
"Stop him!"
The Cipher Pol members aboard the ship launched a desperate attack, leaping up one after another and rushing the Golden Lion with Shigan and Rankyaku.
"Out of my way, small fry!"
The Golden Lion swung Kogarashi with his right hand. A huge blast of sword energy flew out, slicing the Cipher Pol members in front of him in two.
After dealing with the Cipher Pol members, the Golden Lion put away both swords and was about to open the cabin door in front of him.
"Hum~"
An invisible wave suddenly struck him. What Roy unleashed was not an attack, but a repulsive force pushing in the opposite direction. It formed a shockwave that forcibly shoved him backward.
"Hmm?!!"
The Golden Lion took two steps back and raised an eyebrow, looking toward the source of the force.
"Two brats?"
The Golden Lion was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage.
"Where did you little bugs come from? How dare you stand in my way!"
"Bugs can bite too, Mr. Shiki!"
As Roy finished speaking, seawater gathered into a rope that burst through the surface and shot straight toward the Golden Lion's ankle.
"Hmm! You can control seawater? Not a bad ability!"
The Golden Lion moved his ankle and shattered the rising rope of water.
"Enough big talk!"
Bullet roared, the deck beneath his feet splintering as he shot forward. His iron fist coated in Armament Haki, he charged straight at the Golden Lion's face!
"Arrogant!!"
The Golden Lion casually threw a punch to meet him.
"Boom!"
Their fists collided. Bullet grunted and was sent flying backward. Roy hurriedly caught him with his Telekinesis and brought him back in front of him. Bullet's arm was trembling slightly, but his eyes were even more excited.
He could tell that his opponent hadn't used his full strength.
The Golden Lion was also slightly taken aback. Though his punch had been casual, it was still enough to take down an ordinary marine officer in one blow. Yet this brat had merely been knocked back?
"Interesting!"
The instant the Golden Lion's attention was drawn, Roy moved! With a flick of his finger, the cabin door opened, and the two of them flew inside.
"A diversion? You crafty brats!"
The Golden Lion realized what had happened and drew Kogarashi from his waist. A fierce Flying Slash tore through the air, heading straight for their backs!
"Roy!!"
The moment the slash came at them, Roy formed a shield with his Telekinesis without looking back, reinforcing it with Armament Haki.
"Clang!!"
The shield held for a moment before shattering, but it canceled out most of the force. The remaining impact made Roy stagger.
The two used the force of the impact to disappear even faster into the depths of the cabin.