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Noir stared, eyes wide with shock, at the massive explosion on the sea's surface. A few wisps of white fire still flickered and danced on the waves.
Ace must have developed a special high-temperature flame and then used compression and expansion to create a bomb.
Even though Noir had only made a passing suggestion, Ace had somehow managed to develop an even hotter, paler flame.
As expected of someone with the blood of the Pirate King.
But where was Ace?
A chilling thought struck Noir. Had Ace used that move to take Akainu down with him?
Garp clearly had the same thought. He anxiously scanned the area. After a moment, a still figure appeared within his range of perception.
"Ace!"
A charred figure, barely recognizable, floated lifelessly in the depths, slowly sinking.
Panic seized Noir. He plunged his hand into the water. The boiling sea rapidly cooled, a layer of frost forming on the surface.
The ice spread, thickening, reaching towards Ace until Noir finally grasped him.
With furious strikes of Devil Blade, Noir shattered the ice and quickly pulled his friend out of the water.
Garp didn't interfere, watching them with a complex expression.
Thank goodness he's alright, that reckless Kid…
As the old man stood there, lost in thought, a faint stirring beneath the ice caught his attention. It was Sakazuki, trapped within the frozen layer.
Akainu wasn't in good shape either. He was unconscious, covered in severe burns, his arms particularly badly injured. His usually bulging muscles seemed to have shrunk significantly.
Garp's eye twitched. It's a miracle he survived such a close-range explosion.
Akainu was out of commission, and so was Ace.
That must have been a suicidal move from Ace, like Luffy pushing himself to the limit with Gear Second and Third simultaneously.
A thousand damage to the enemy, twelve hundred to himself. Ace's injuries were so severe they'd even affected his internal organs, potentially causing long-term damage.
Noir carefully hoisted the weakened Ace onto his back. While Garp was busy tending to Akainu, he made a dash for the Underworld Pirates' ship.
Garp's stern face hardened. He tossed the rescued Akainu aside and charged after Noir, roaring,
"Noir! Drop Ace and surrender!"
Noir leaped to the side just as Garp's fist shattered the ice where he'd been standing.
"Are you crazy?! Your grandson is injured!" Noir yelled back, exasperated.
Garp's reply was just as loud and indignant. "That's why I'm telling you to drop Ace! You surrender, and I'll take him in!"
Damn you, you stubborn old geezer!
More and more Marines were closing in. Those scattered by Ace's white fire bomb attack had regrouped.
Noir, his face grim, continued to run towards the Underworld Pirates' ship.
Enel, still dazed from the shockwave of the explosion, called out, "What a powerful blast! Did that idiot really do that?"
Ace, or "Idiot" as Enel called him, was the label Enel had given him.
Incidentally, in Enel's mind, the other crew members had labels like: "Vulgar Annoying Woman," "Mustachioed Cat-Man," "Woman Who Will Beat You Senseless If Provoked," and so on…
Using his Mantra, Enel realized most of the enemy had been caught in the explosion. He cheered, but his joy was short-lived as he spotted Noir running towards them.
Noir waved his arm, and a dense black fog materialized from somewhere on the sea. He shouted to Enel, "Enel! Get the Ark Maxim airborne!"
"The other two ships are going into the Underworld!"
The Underworld Pirates, seeing their captain return, were filled with renewed confidence. "Aye, Captain!" they responded in unison.
Garp glared at the pirates and roared, "Don't even think about it!"
His black fist slammed onto the ice, sending powerful shockwaves towards the ship. Just then, a certain laid-back swordsman finally decided to act.
A flash of emerald green filled the air for a split second, followed by a deafening explosion that shook the heavens.
Garp stared at the man on the ship, his expression a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "Dracule Mihawk, you're a Warlord. What do you think you're doing?"
Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, casually held his massive black blade, Yoru, his sharp golden eyes fixed on Garp.
"Your men are in my way."
Garp glared back. He'd warned Sengoku that the Warlords were a bunch of unreliable brats.
Despite his carefree demeanor, Garp had a keen understanding of the world's political landscape. Otherwise, Sengoku wouldn't have tolerated his constant presence in his office.
Besides slacking off, Garp often provided Sengoku with valuable insights on important matters.
The Warlord system, a method of appeasing powerful pirates, was destined to fail from the very beginning.
They were nothing more than tools used by the Marines to maintain a precarious balance of power.
So Garp had no illusions about Mihawk's loyalty or reliability.
While the world's greatest swordsman and the Hero of the Marines faced off, Noir reached the Spade Pirates' ship and carefully handed Ace over to his crew.
He then ordered his crew to sail the remaining ships into the Underworld and promptly closed the entrance to the Underworld River.
The Marine fleet, left behind in stunned silence, stared at the vanishing Underworld Pirates, their minds reeling.
What ability did Devil Noir copy now? How did he make those ships disappear into thin air?
The Underworld River was Noir's personal dimension, and he could open its entrance wherever he was.
All Noir needed to do was board the Ark Maxim and fly to a safe location.
"Wait! Look! That ship's flying?!"
A Marine pointed at the Ark Maxim in disbelief. Garp watched Noir's ship ascend, a look of admiration on his face.
"What a magnificent vessel!"
But as a high-ranking Marine officer, Skywalk was a basic skill.
Garp propelled himself into the air, rapidly closing in on the Ark Maxim's hull. "You're not getting away!" he roared.
Noir transformed into light, hovering in the air to engage Garp in combat.
With experience from his previous encounter, Noir fought with more confidence this time.
The more they fought, the more surprised Garp became. Although still raw, Noir's Haki carried a familiar feel.
It resembled Garp's own unique Haki, yet it had a distinct, new essence, as if Garp himself had trained Noir.
Not only does this kid have the Copy-Copy Fruit, but his Haki aptitude is monstrous as well?
Haki coursed through Noir's body. He let out a satisfied breath.
Battle truly is the best training.
Ever since he'd copied Garp's talent, no matter how much he trained, he'd been unable to replicate the "Fist of Love"
But now, fighting against Garp himself, he was finally making progress.
However, even with Mihawk's intervention, he couldn't keep Garp at bay forever. He still needed a way to escape...
An idea struck Noir. Using his light speed, he returned to the ship and grabbed someone, soaring high into the sky.
"Help... help me!"
"You Kid! Put me down this instant!"
Noir chuckled, his voice echoing through the air.
"With pleasure..."
...
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