"They're here!!"
As Roy finished speaking--
"Boom--!!!"
A figure descended from the sky like a meteorite, crashing heavily onto the street in front of the auction house ruins!
The stone pavement shattered instantly, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing everywhere.
A huge crater, several meters in diameter, spread outwards from the spot where the figure landed.
The dust slowly settled.
A burly old man straightened up from the pit.
He had a full head of short, gray hair, and his face was etched with the lines of time, but the power contained within his body made everyone present feel breathless.
He was wearing a white naval uniform with a cloak emblazoned with the word "Justice" on it. His right fist was still in the position of slamming into the ground, and visible Armament Haki was wrapped around his fist.
Navy hero, " Fist Bone " Garp.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!!!"
Garp straightened up, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over Roy and his group above the ruins.
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like muffled thunder, booming throughout the entire street.
"Pirates! Haven't you caused enough trouble?!"
A fierce aura swept over us!
Bullet, nicknamed " Blood Axe," was hiding behind the ruins in the distance, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
"This... this is a naval hero..."
His grip on the axe tightened unconsciously.
" Sea Snake " Mona's snake eyes narrowed to slits, and her body instinctively tensed up, like a snake encountering its natural enemy.
" Iron Arms " Gura swallowed hard, and the gray metallic sheen covering his hands faded slightly without him noticing.
The three exchanged a glance, and each saw the same joy in the other's eyes.
Thankfully, they didn't rush in. If they had actually attacked Roy, they would be facing Garp, not Roy, right now.
No, that's not right.
Even Roy couldn't possibly face Garp...
Gura's thoughts hadn't finished processing.
"Swish swish swish--!"
Three whooshing sounds came from different directions almost simultaneously!
The first one comes from the direction of the port.
A black figure moved at high speed through the air, using Geppo.
He was incredibly fast; every step he took created a white shockwave in the air.
In a few breaths, he landed to Garp's right.
Black Arm Zephyr.
Former Marine Admiral, now chief naval instructor.
When he stood still, the stone slab beneath his feet silently crumbled into dust.
Those black fists, covered in Armament Haki up to their wrists, gleamed with a metallic sheen in the setting sun.
The second one comes from the direction of the Sabaody base.
A torrent of red lava shot out from between the buildings.
The walls, streetlights, signs—everything that stood in the way was instantly melted away by the high temperature of the lava.
The magma condensed into a human shape on the left side of Garp.
Akainu, Sakazuki.
Admiral of the Marine Headquarters.
The moment he landed, the ground beneath his feet began to melt, turning into a pool of dark red lava.
Those gloomy eyes were fixed on Roy from beginning to end, the killing intent almost tangible.
The third one fell from the sky.
A streak of icy blue light stretched down from mid-air, like a slide.
A tall figure slid down the ice rink, hands in pockets, yawning.
Aokiji, Kuzan.
Admiral of the Marine Headquarters.
The moment he landed, a thin layer of ice formed on the ground beneath his feet, refreezing the magma pool where Akainu had melted.
Ice and fire sizzled at my feet.
Four Marine Admiral, forming a semi-encirclement, completely cut off Roy and Shanks's group's path.
The setting sun cast long, long shadows of the four people, which intersected with the shadows of Roy and his group on the ground.
The air froze.
The pirates hiding behind the ruins in the distance held their breath, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Many of them had never seen anything like it in their lives.
The last time the Navy deployed four Admiral -level combatants at the same time was probably back in the Pure Gold incident a few years ago.
And those rookie pirates present with bounties over 100 million—" Blood Axe " Bullet, " Sea Snake " Mona, and " Iron Arms " Gura—
At this moment, they were all intimidated by Garp's fierce aura, cold sweat slid down their foreheads, and their bodies froze on the spot, motionless.
It's not that I don't want to move.
It cannot be moved.
That sense of oppression was like an invisible hand, pressing them firmly to the spot.
This is the strength of a naval hero.
The sheer presence of the ship rendered the pirate with a bounty of over 100 million incapable of moving.
But Roy didn't move.
He remained suspended in mid-air, arms crossed, his expression as calm as if he were watching a play that had nothing to do with him.
Shanks stood beside him, his right hand already on the hilt of his sword. The shadow of his Straw Hat obscured his eyes, making his expression impossible to see.
Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux... all the officers of the Red Hair Pirates assumed fighting stances.
Behind Roy, Yamato gripped his spiked club tightly, his eyes filled with excitement;
Savi's fists clasped together, and his Giant Ape form was ready to be activated at any moment.
Jesus Burgess laughed heartily, but his eyes were more serious than ever.
Enel floated in mid-air, Thundercloud churning overhead;
Pea clutched the seed tightly, her little face tense;
Kazami's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his body leaning slightly forward...
The two sides are locked in a standoff.
The air was oppressive, like the sky before a storm.
Akainu's magma surged beneath his skin, and his gloomy eyes never left Roy.
His killing intent was almost tangible, and the lava pool beneath his feet grew wider and wider, causing the surrounding ground to sizzle and crackle.
This is the person.
They stole the Heavenly Tribute, causing the navy to lose face.
His rampage in Mary Geoise caused the World Government to lose all credibility.
Now they're attacking the Celestial Dragons in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Every single one of these incidents challenges the bottom line of the Navy and the World Government.
And yet, he was still standing there, looking at me calmly, as if I were an insignificant passerby.
Akainu's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
" Sakazuki."
Garp's voice rang out, deep and warning, "Don't be impulsive."
But Akainu did not respond.
His eyes shifted from Roy to behind Roy —to the Celestial Dragons being held by Tesoro and Yamato.
Saint Charlos and the Shalria, two descendants of the Creator, were now like two fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered, being held by the scruff of their necks and suspended in mid-air.
Their bubble hoods had long since shattered, their arrogance replaced by fear, and they trembled, unable to utter a single word.
Akainu's pupils contracted slightly.
Celestial Dragons.
Although he looked down on these so-called " Celestial Dragons " to the core, they were, after all, the foundation of the World Government and objects that the navy had to protect.
Now, they are being held hostage by pirates and paraded in front of everyone.
This is a great disgrace to the navy.
"Navy--"
Roy spoke up.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.
His tone was as relaxed as if he were greeting an old friend.
"Don't be impulsive!"