Dragon, with only one arm still able to move, darted around on the deck, trying to avoid Lucia's relentless attacks. He wasn't aiming to confront her directly, merely stalling for time.
Lucia, however, had no intention of sparing him. Every sword stroke targeted Dragon's vital spots, her focus sharp and deadly.
Seizing an opportunity, Lucia slashed across Dragon's back with her sword, leaving a deep gash that exposed bone. Dragon groaned in agony, collapsing onto the deck, his bright red blood pooling beneath him.
Struggling to his feet, Dragon saw Lucia charging again. Desperate, he quickly summoned a small tornado and hurled it at her. But Lucia effortlessly dispersed it with a surge of sword energy, her body glowing with purple flames. Her speed increased, and in the blink of an eye, she was right in front of him, raising her sword for a killing blow.
"Die!" she shouted, bringing the blade down.
Dragon, knowing he couldn't dodge, channeled his last bit of Haki into his right hand, forming a claw to block Lucia's strike. But his strength had waned too much. Though he managed to stop the sword, it drained the last of his Haki.
In a last-ditch effort, he formed a wind barrier, but Lucia was undeterred. She prepared to strike again when Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief. He saw something in the distance, and an ecstatic expression crossed his face. He roared,
"Father!"
From the dim sky, a black shadow rapidly approached the ship. All eyes turned skyward, and soon the figure became clear—it was Carl, returning with Garp.
Upon seeing this, the few remaining soldiers loyal to Garp dropped their weapons in despair.
Dragon's eyes filled with disbelief, he even thought his severe injuries were causing hallucinations. Only when Carl landed and threw the unconscious Garp onto the deck did the reality sink in.
"Father…" Dragon whispered, his voice trembling, but Garp remained motionless.
Dragon's eyes turned bloodshot, and he glared at Carl, fury rising. "Carl! I'll fight you!"
Consumed by rage and anguish, Dragon charged at Carl. Garp's soldiers, watching from the side, were overcome with sorrow. They knew the dragon's attack was suicidal.
And indeed, Carl moved with lightning speed. A red glow enveloped his hand as he grabbed Dragon by the throat.
Just as Carl was about to drain Dragon's life force, something unexpected happened. Garp, who had been lying motionless, suddenly sprang up and landed a powerful blow on Carl, knocking him back.
Garp's body creaked like rusted gears as he moved, clearly worn from battle. But his focus was on Dragon. His eyes softened for a brief moment, seeing his son's white hair. Then, with all his remaining strength, Garp flung the dragon high into the air and roared,
"Fist Bone Meteorite!"
Dragon shot through the sky like a cannonball, disappearing from sight. Garp collapsed onto the ground, panting. He watched where Dragon had flown and muttered,
"My son… this is all your father can do for you…"
Before he could finish, Carl was back. He stomped down on Garp, pinning him to the ground. Garp groaned and lost consciousness.
Carl looked down at the fallen Garp, then crushed him harder before summoning the Dark Bible and sealing Garp inside.
Lucia approached Carl, a look of guilt on her face. "I'm sorry. If I'd killed Dragon sooner…"
Carl raised his hand, silencing her with a smile. "It's not your fault. You did well. Garp fooled me… I didn't expect the old man to put on such an act."
Just then, Ginny walked over, having dealt with Garp's remaining soldiers.
"Carl, Dragon was already severely injured. With Garp throwing him away like that, he's probably dead."
But Carl shook his head. He was certain Dragon was still alive. He suspected the world's will was real, and that the D family was integral to it. Especially those connected to Luffy, the supposed protagonist of the world—killing them before they fulfilled their destiny was nearly impossible.
Glancing at the Dark Bible in his hand, Carl muttered,
"Garp… it seems your mission has come to an end. I'll see if your D family can truly turn the world upside down."
As the sun began to rise, Carl looked up at the sky, dark energy swirling from his body, forming a pillar of shadow that blotted out the sunlight.
"One day," Carl whispered, "I'll make the world bow to my will…"
After collecting the rest of the Heavenly Tribute, Carl returned to Mary Geoise. He handed the Heavenly Tribute to Spandam and requested another ship, leading the navy back to Marineford.
By the time Carl's ship docked at Marineford, Kong and several officers were waiting to greet him. To the navy's leadership, Carl's mission had greatly bolstered the navy's standing with the World Government.
When Carl disembarked with his officers, Kong led the applause. But Tsuru, frowning, whispered to Sengoku,
"Why hasn't Garp come out yet? Have you heard from him during this time?"
Sengoku shook his head. "No, but that's Garp for you. He rarely checks in on missions. And with his son involved, why would he?"
Tsuru's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "What about Dragon? And where are Garp's soldiers?"
Realizing something was wrong, Sengoku's thoughts were interrupted when the last group disembarked—five navy soldiers, bound and escorted off the ship.
Kong and Sengoku froze. Among those five were Garp's personal soldiers. The realization hit them like a tidal wave of shock.
-----------
+95 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg