"Assassinating a Celestial Dragon and capturing CP0—was all of this just a means to lure out Garp? At this point, these actions alone are already shocking the world. Just how astonishing is Mr. Sig's grand plan going to be?"
The name of Navy Hero Garp was known to everyone, but the power Sig displayed before and after the assassination of Saint Charlos was equally astounding. No one doubted Sig anymore.
Emporio Ivankov, the Revolutionary Army's commander of the Grand Line division, was one of its top five commanders, holding a position of both high rank and strength. Yet, even he found himself unable to break through the defenses of an immobilized CP0, who could only stand there and take hits.
And yet, this same CP0—someone of such formidable strength—was not only easily discovered by Sig while in hiding but was also forced to his knees with a single strike, rendered completely immobile.
If such a powerful figure like Sig had laid out plans to confront none other than Iron Fist Garp, he must have had absolute confidence in his strategy and a trump card to rely on.
One could anticipate that this would be a battle of titans.
"Chief, should we… stand back and observe for now? If Sig's trump card can deal with the Navy's Iron Fist Garp, that would ultimately be a good thing for our Revolutionary Army," one of the officers suggested.
Dragon shook his head again, his gaze resolute.
He had his own thoughts.
The one coming after them this time was Garp—his father. Dragon could somewhat guess what was on Garp's mind.
Given Garp's personality, there was no way he had come for the sake of the Celestial Dragons or the Kingdom of Goa.
In the Navy, Garp's reputation and record were exceptional. Even if he took a laid-back approach to this mission, Marine Headquarters would likely turn a blind eye.
So why would someone of his prestigious standing, a hero of the Navy, involve himself in this messy situation rather than staying out of it?
It was likely because of Sig.
In other words—
Sig had perfectly accounted for Garp's character. Despite the numerous unexpected twists in his grand plan, Garp still ended up falling into his trap...
Dragon sighed silently.
As for whether the Revolutionary Army should stay out of this and watch from the sidelines?
Dragon didn't answer directly. Instead, he posed a question:
"Why was Sig able to draw Garp into pursuing him?"
After a moment of silence, someone responded, "Because he assassinated a Celestial Dragon."
Dragon nodded slightly, his tone deep and serious.
"Sig took action to protect the refugees and assassinated a Celestial Dragon."
"But these are things that should have been done by us, the Revolutionary Army."
These words rendered the officers completely silent.
The Revolutionary Army had saved the refugees from the great fire, but when the Celestial Dragons bombarded them, they hesitated.
The responsibilities that should have been shouldered by the Revolutionary Army were instead taken up by Sig, a mere bandit.
"Mr. Sig's righteousness, regardless of his ulterior motives, is undoubtedly heroic," Dragon continued.
"Perhaps, when he refused to cooperate with the Revolutionary Army earlier, it was to distance himself from us."
"He had long planned to act against both the Celestial Dragons and Garp. Afterward, Mr. Sig will remain in the spotlight, drawing the attention of the World Government, while we, the Revolutionary Army, can continue developing in the shadows."
"One in the light, one in the dark. Our goals may not be exactly the same, but they are both aimed at opposing the Celestial Dragons and the World Government."
"Of course, this is merely my optimistic interpretation."
"So, do you truly believe we should sit idly by and watch Sig's confrontation with Garp?"
Listening to Dragon's analysis, the officers fell silent again. His words reshaped their perception of Sig.
Initially, they saw Sig as a mysterious and powerful figure—a meticulous schemer with a deep mind who acted as a hero by protecting the refugees and opposing the Celestial Dragons.
Now, Sig had gained yet another aura of admiration.
"A person like him is practically born to join the Revolutionary Army. Failing to recruit Sig to our side is a loss for us," one officer said regretfully.
A faint smile appeared on Dragon's face. At last, he had managed to change the way these officers thought.
He was just about to voice his plan when his expression suddenly changed.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion came from outside the cabin, and the entire ship jolted violently.
Moments later, amidst hurried footsteps, a Revolutionary Army soldier rushed in with a panicked expression.
"Chief, the Navy's warship has arrived."
"It's Iron Fist Garp's battleship!"
"The warship of Vice Admiral Garp has arrived! It's bombarding us!"
This news, accompanied by the sudden booming sound of cannon fire, jolted the entire fleet awake.
Sig immediately ascended to the deck and, staring at the distant warship, felt his heart sink.
'Sig!'
From afar, Garp's thunderous roar echoed across the sea. A cannonball then came hurtling through the air, slamming into the ocean and causing Sig's ship to rock violently.
'It's really Garp? What should I do?'
'Release Morgan to stall for time?'
Sig felt momentarily overwhelmed.
Although Morgan's abilities were formidable, they probably weren't enough to handle someone like Garp at this point.
Even dealing with CP0 had been a near-death experience; facing Garp left Sig with no confidence at all.
Staring at the furious Garp from afar, Sig's head throbbed. The Emperor's Engine within him roared to life immediately.
Sig was currently equipped with two character cards, but against an elite powerhouse like Garp, he still felt helpless.
'Should I... repeat the same tactic as last time?'
This thought surfaced in Sig's mind as he cautiously pulled out the loudspeaker from his pocket.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
The sound of a pounding heartbeat roared like a drum, and a majestic aura surged forth in an instant, resonating with the distant Garp on the warship.
The two auras, blazing and ferocious like erupting volcanoes, clashed from afar, creating a standoff that exuded suffocating pressure.
Even standing so far apart, both sides of the fleet could feel the terrifying intensity.
"Is Mr. Sig about to make his move again?"
"Last time, he dealt with the Celestial Dragon and CP0. This time, is he going to confront the Navy Hero Garp?"
"I wonder if we'll get to see Mr. Sig's Immortal Ambush Sword Technique again. I didn't quite understand it the last time…."
The other refugees on the ships were in awe, and rather than panicking, there was a faint sense of anticipation for a titanic battle to unfold.
At this moment, Garp, standing on the far-off warship, narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening as he released the cannonball in his hand.
"Sig! Do you really think you can fool me a second time?"
"Your strength has clearly recovered enough to defeat CP0. Let me see just how far your power has returned!"
BOOM!
The battleship's cannon fired with a thunderous blast, sending a cannonball hurtling through the air.
In a flash, Garp leaped, appearing on top of the cannonball, his justice cloak billowing in the wind as he rode it toward Sig.
Sig remained motionless on the deck, his expression calm and unbothered.
It was as if he didn't consider Garp, who was riding the cannonball, worth his attention.
As Garp approached the pirate ship's airspace on the cannonball, a shadow suddenly streaked in from the side, lunging directly at Garp.
BOOM!
The cannonball under Garp's feet exploded with a deafening blast, shrouding the area in smoke and debris.
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