"Y... Yo... You..." stammered one of the pirates, finally finding his voice after a long moment of shock.
The rest of the pirates slowly came to their senses, staring in horror at the bald man before them.
"How could this be!?" exclaimed one.
"Kong was taken down with just one punch!"
"Even if those leaves were fake, they wouldn't be that weak," added another, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It must be an illusion!" someone else shouted.
"There's no way he could have done it!"
One of the more aggressive pirates, who was covered in needle-like stitches, pointed at Saitama and bellowed, "He must have used some trick to kill Kong! Don't be afraid! If we all rush him together, we can tear him apart!"
The cry seemed to bolster the other pirates' courage.
With weapons drawn and Haki armed, they charged at Saitama, their faces twisted in fury.
"Die, you bastard!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Feel the power of the pirates who challenged the Four Emperors for dominance!"
"You're a dead man!"
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Countless terrifying voices echoed around, but Saitama remained unfazed, his face still as emotionless as a salted fish.
Amidst the chaos, Saitama bowed, shouldered Smoker, and swiftly broke through the siege at an incredible speed. The pirates couldn't comprehend what had happened; more than half of them were slain, and they didn't even see how it occurred.
"Sorry, I borrowed him," said Saitama as he rushed towards the road with a bewildered Smoker.
Behind him, the bodies of the pirates began to shrink and vanish, as if dissolving into thin air.
In their place, scattered leaves fell to the ground, leaving no trace of the recent violence.
The surrounding crowds were stunned. It all seemed like a surreal dream. The once-feared villains, who had tormented the town, had been defeated by a bald-headed man who appeared as weak as a chicken.
"This man...who is he?"
"This is insane!"
"Who could have done this?"
It took a while for the gravity of the situation to sink in, but soon after, a cry of surprise echoed through the onlookers, causing a wave of hysteria that was equal parts tears and laughter. The people could hardly believe that the day they had longed for, the day when they would be freed from the clutches of the pirates, had finally arrived.
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Speeding back with Smoker and not far from the marine forces, Saitama noticed that the sound of the fierce fighting had gradually subsided. "Hmmm...I think Garp has taken control of the situation," he mused.
Smoker briefly regained consciousness and, upon realizing that he had been saved by a stranger, he thanked him and asked, "Who are you? Are you a Marine?"
Saitama replied, "Ah...I'm Saitama, a hero for fun!"
"A what?" Smoker asked, confused.
"Nevermind, a marine."
Saitama glanced back at Smoker and said reassuringly, "Go back to sleep, Mr. Smoker. There's no problem. Garp tracked your call location and came to take over. We'll handle the rest."
Smoker coughed violently twice and gritted his teeth before reluctantly admitting, "The guy who calls himself 'Patrick Redfield' can use a 'deformed leaf' to transform into anyone, even Mr. Garp. He may have done something despicable. We can't be sure... Cough!"
Smoker struggled to stay awake. "Please hurry to Headquarters...we need to ask for help..."
"That won't be necessary," Saitama replied with a confident smile. "You can rest assured that I'm here."
With a shining smile, Saitama was the last thing Smoker saw before falling back to sleep.
When Saitama returned to the port, he found himself in the middle of a bloody battle. Garp was lying on the ground, his body covered in blood. On the other side, the entire Marine army was destroyed, and only the unharmed 'Redfield' was standing in front of them.
"Hmm...my hunch wasn't all wrong! It was a fierce battle here," Saitama remarked.
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"Despite how formidable he may be, it's impossible to defeat so many legends alone,"
Redfield mused as he leaned on his umbrella and surveyed the heroes who had fallen to Garp's might. "Be it you or Newgate, your power fades with the years. Though you may have been stronger in your youth, age will inevitably weaken you. That's why it took me years to acquire the 'Bat-Bat Fruit,' which grants me eternal youth and immortality."
Redfield paused for a moment before continuing, "Lonely Garp...Now, I am ready to become the Pirate King. No one can stop me, not the Marineford, the World Government, nor even the Four Emperors. I am the new Pirate King! Today marks the beginning of my plan to conquer the Four Blues...To be completely honest with you, Garp, I initially planned to sacrifice the head of Loguetown Lieutenant Colonel in the same place where Roger died as a blood sacrifice, but now I find your head to be a more suitable offering...ha ha ha!"
With that, Redfield activated his Haki and prepared to impale Garp's skull with his weaponized umbrella.
But just as he was about to strike, he felt a finger tap his shoulder and a voice called out, "Hey, old man!"
Saitama gently placed Smoker on the ground and, with a burst of incredible speed, appeared in front of Redfield, halting the umbrella with just one finger.
"I won't let you do that. Surrender immediately," he commanded.
At the sound of Saitama's voice, Garp, who had fallen to the ground, lifted his head with a smile of pure joy. "You...You're finally back!"
Saitama grinned and scratched his head. "Sorry, it took me a while to find the punishment platform. I got a bit lost."
Garp stared at Saitama with a straight face. "But it's just one direction! How did you manage to get lost!?"
Redfield was taken aback as he laid eyes on Saitama.
"This bald, scrawny man with a fish face is who Garp was waiting for? Even his voice is high-pitched...," he thought to himself, feeling a twinge of pity for Garp.
"The reinforcement you're waiting for is this?" Redfield scoffed, holding his head high as he looked down on Saitama's bald head. "How ridiculous."
Without warning, Redfield whirled around and kicked Saitama in the head with lightning-fast speed.
However, Saitama barely flinched and looked at Redfield with a blank expression.
"What are you doing?" he asked with his fish-like face.
Redfield recoiled, waving his umbrella in the air and unleashing a barrage of red shock waves towards Saitama, but to no avail.
Saitama moved with lightning speed, appearing in front of Redfield and saying, "Time to go!" With one swift punch, he sent Redfield flying and crashing to the ground, lifeless.
Turning to Garp, Saitama asked, "Are you all right, Garp-san?"
"I'm fine," Garp replied, sitting on the ground with a bloody face and a laugh. "I told that old man that I have reinforcements too. He's been waiting for you for a long time... ha ha ha!"
"Ah, I see," Saitama nodded in understanding and then looked at Redfield's lifeless body on the ground. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
Reid had dreamed of becoming the new Pirate King, but his aspirations were tragically cut short on his first day with the Marine forces, when he was killed by a bald man.
Garp's tears of laughter were streaming down his face, but he hastily wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took a deep breath.
"Oh..." he said, noticing that Saitama was watching him. He quickly regained his composure and tried to act tough.
"Cough...I mean, how is Smoker?" he asked, his face turning red with embarrassment.
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