Garp pulled his fist out of the deck and laughed. "Nicely done, Claudius!"
"Claudius?" Byrnndi World's eyes narrowed as he pieced together the identity of the blond man. The legendary leader of CP-X? The infamous Celestial Dragon with a reputation unlike any other?
"I'd say this guy isn't as tough as expected, Garp. Maybe we should forget about pushing him to the island and just take him down here?" Claudius said with a grin, shaking the demon blade Shinsō in his hand.
Garp, the unorthodox and unpredictable Marine hero, found himself agreeing. "You know what? You're right. Sengoku's plan feels a bit overblown anyway. Let's just finish him here!"
Of course, Garp hadn't considered that if he hadn't made his move earlier, World might have already reached Cyborila Island on his own.
"Are you underestimating me?" World roared, a mix of rage and humiliation on his face.
Enel, wielding his golden staff, gave a smirk of pure arrogance. "No doubt about it. We absolutely are."
"Die!" World bellowed as he launched himself forward, vanishing in a burst of speed. He reappeared in front of Enel, aiming a powerful punch at his head.
But Enel barely flinched. His body dissolved into a burst of lightning, evading the strike and leaving World punching empty air.
"Thunder Fruit, huh?" World muttered as realization set in.
"Thunder Metallurgy—Snake Bind!" Enel reappeared at World's side, and with a twist of his staff, it softened and coiled around World's body like a constricting serpent. The staff, reinforced with Armament Haki, tightened its hold, binding World in place.
Claudius seized the opportunity and lunged forward, Shindō ready for another strike. He couldn't help but feel that he was straying deeper into the path of a swordsman with each battle.
"Frost Burial!" Claudius whispered, his voice cold and steady.
World's eyes blazed with fury, and in a sudden burst of strength, his body surged with raw power. The golden staff wrapped around him shattered, fragments spinning away as he roared, "Moa moa—ten times the power!"
Without hesitation, World met Claudius's blade head-on, fist cloaked in Haki. The impact shattered his armored gloves into frost-covered shards, and the skin beneath turned pale and lifeless from the cold. Claudius felt the irresistible force slam into Shindō, knocking the weapon from his grasp and sending him skidding across the deck before he tumbled overboard.
"What is this? Can his ability enhance strength too?" Claudius thought as he stabilized himself, floating in mid-air thanks to his Logia powers.
Moments later, he noticed that Enel, under the pressure of World's Moa moa—fifty times speed, had failed to dodge the next blow and was sent crashing into the Marine cabin with a loud impact.
"Moa moa—thirty times impact!" World roared, pivoting to deliver a crushing blow to Garp. Even Garp, with all his experience and strength, was sent flying by the attack.
Claudius watched the scene intently, narrowing his eyes as he noted the blood trickling from World's mouth and the sudden flush of his face. "So that's it. Using that much power must take a toll on his body," Claudius realized.
World stood on unsteady legs, his body trembling from the self-inflicted strain. Yet, he gathered enough force to punch the deck beneath him, splintering it and sinking the ship's bow.
"My dog head!!!" Garp shouted in anguish as he righted himself mid-air, using Moonwalk to hover. His eyes widened with grief as he saw the figurehead of his beloved warship sink into the sea.
"It's just a figurehead," Claudius muttered, unable to resist a chuckle at Garp's reaction.
He tightened his grip on Shinsō and aimed it at World. "Shoot him, Shinsō!" he commanded.
Sensing imminent danger, World activated his ability once more, vanishing at thirty times the speed just as Shinsō's blade sliced past, barely grazing his arm and embedding itself in the shattered deck of the warship.
"Claudius! You're going to owe me a new ship!" Garp yelled, his voice tinged with frustration.
World reappeared on his own ship, clutching the wound on his arm as blood trickled between his fingers. Relief washed over him as he caught his breath. "Barely made it... but at least I have the upper hand now. Their warship's damaged beyond use. Let's see them chase me without it."
Raising his voice, World shouted, "Garp! Claudius! Remember this day, because I'll make sure you regret it. Don't let me catch you off-guard again!"
Garp's eyes widened with realization. Was World about to make a break for it through the storm? Before he could react, Claudius's expression shifted to one of amused confidence. "Running, are we? A little late for that, don't you think? Crocodile!"
As if on cue, a swirl of yellow sand swept across the sea, cutting through the waves and slicing World's ship clean in half.
"Desert Spada!" Crocodile's voice called out as he materialized on the mast of World's ship. A cigar dangled from his mouth, and he wore the brown coat Claudius had gifted him long ago. His eyes narrowed, clearly displeased. "If it weren't for your storm and lightning, I'd have been here sooner."
Crocodile had been lying in wait, watching the commotion from a distance. But with no movement from the battlefield and the storm clearing, he decided to intervene. His sand-based powers allowed him to fly short distances, so he arrived just in time to see World preparing to flee.
World's eyes blazed with rage as he locked onto the new arrival. "Sand Crocodile?! You're a pirate! Why are you siding with these Marine dogs?!"
"Pirate?" Crocodile smirked, exhaling smoke from his cigar. "Don't mistake me for trash like you. I'm not just any pirate, I'm a Warlord of the Sea."
"Warlord of the Sea? What in the world is that?" World asked, bewildered.
Crocodile had no intention of explaining. With a flick of his wrist, he sent another blade of sand hurtling toward World.
***
For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 40+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.