A massive twin-masted pirate ship slowly sailed into the bay.
On its sails, a bold and striking pirate insignia was painted—a skull with crossed swords and three blood-red slashes over its left eye.
It didn't take long for the Marines aboard the nearby warship to notice the massive ship's entry.
"Crossed swords with three blood streaks through the left eye—that's the Red-Haired Pirates' emblem!!!"
A Marine lookout in the crow's nest, peering through his spyglass, recognized the emblem and shouted a frantic warning.
Hearing the report, several Marines from the 158th Branch stationed nearby lost their will to fight on the spot.
In stark contrast, the Marines aboard Vice Admiral Garp's warship quickly entered full alert. They moved to their positions with the efficiency and discipline befitting members of Marine Headquarters, far surpassing the readiness of branch Marines.
"The Red-Haired Pirates…"
On the dock, Gion muttered under her breath.
Snapping out of her daze, she handed the heavily injured Wolfrat to the ship's doctor and leapt into the air, stepping on thin air using Moonwalk, landing beside Bogard.
"Bogard, should we engage?"
Her expression was grim.
Despite the overwhelming power difference, the Marines couldn't afford to sit idly by.
The signalman awaited Bogard's orders, ready to have the gunners fire on the pirate ship at his command.
Bogard adjusted his hat with his index finger, his gaze fixed on the approaching Red Force.
"Turn the ship around. Aim the cannons at the enemy vessel. Everyone, prepare for engagement!"
With his command, the warship mobilized instantly.
Despite the preparations, Bogard had no intention of firing the first shot. Against an opponent of that caliber, cannon fire wouldn't just be futile—it might provoke the beast.
The best outcome wasn't a desperate fight but avoiding unnecessary casualties altogether.
Aboard the Red Force.
Shanks stood calmly, observing the tense Marines.
When he spotted Garp's warship, he immediately understood the situation.
"Boss, should we make a move?"
Lucky Roux stood slightly behind Shanks, a half-eaten drumstick in hand. His small eyes glinted with excitement from beneath his sunglasses.
From the other side, Yasopp adjusted the rifle slung on his back, gripping it firmly in his hands. A faint, rebellious smirk played on his lips.
The crew on the deck looked equally eager.
This time, not all of the Red-Haired Pirates' officers had joined the expedition—someone needed to oversee their territory in the New World.
Only Shanks, Lucky Roux, and Yasopp had come along for this journey.
"Boss, what's the plan?"
The crew eagerly awaited Shanks' command, ready to unleash havoc on the Marines at the dock.
Feeling their anticipation, Shanks spread his hands with an exasperated smile. "Hey, don't forget why we came here in the first place."
The deck fell silent for a moment.
Then someone spoke up, "To help Yasopp 'find' his son, right?"
"Bwahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
"Hey, hey! Isn't the boss laughing the loudest? Yasopp, you should aim at him instead!"
"Hahaha!"
The deck erupted in laughter.
Yasopp's face darkened slightly, but he didn't point his rifle at his occasionally goofy captain.
He sighed at the teasing and focused his attention on Mad Hat Island as the ship neared the shore.
Silently, Yasopp activated his Observation Haki.
In an instant, the number of presences on the island became clear to him.
Among them, two stood out like blazing suns.
"Hm?"
Yasopp raised an eyebrow.
"Boss…"
He glanced at Shanks, his expression cautious.
On the dock.
The Marines' solemn expressions were a stark contrast to the hearty laughter echoing from the Red Force.
The pirate ship boldly anchored at the dock, as if Bogard, Gion, and the gathered Marines were mere bystanders.
Shanks disembarked first.
The sheer presence of his commanding aura froze the Marines in place, including Gion and Bogard. None dared to act rashly.
The Marines under Garp's command managed to hold their ground, but some from the 158th Branch collapsed in fear.
Without sparing Bogard or the others a glance, Shanks strode toward the town with Yasopp trailing behind, rifle in hand and an air of arrogance about him.
Back on the Red Force, Lucky Roux led the remaining crew, their cold eyes locked onto the Marines.
"At least they know their place," Lucky Roux muttered, his flintlock pistol trained on Bogard, the strongest among them.
Following the boss's intent, there was no need to fight here.
But if the Marines acted foolishly, restraint wouldn't be necessary.
Bogard remained silent, watching Shanks and Yasopp vanish into the town. He refrained from issuing an order to attack.
The Red-Haired Pirates' reluctance to engage was exactly what he had hoped for.
If a fight broke out, even if they managed to wound the Red-Haired Pirates, their own annihilation was inevitable.
As for the blatant provocation from the pirates, Bogard endured it.
At the ground beneath the Wall Mountain.
Lafitte hovered in the air, his white wings casting a shadow over the battlefield below. His sharp eyes scanned the chaos, though his focus was neither on Garp nor Saul. Instead, his attention lingered on Maude.
"Is that all?"
A tinge of disappointment colored Lafitte's voice. Personally, he had hoped to see more of the brilliance that had so captivated him before.
On the battlefield.
Aokiji was locked in a skirmish with Morley.
It wasn't that Morley had grown stronger; rather, Sol's relentless sniper fire made it difficult for Aokiji to maintain focus. While Morley couldn't threaten the Admiral directly, Sol's suicidal support managed to pin him down, forcing him to play defensively.
Sol's actions caused Garp to furrow his brow, though it wasn't enough for the seasoned Marine hero to pull his punches. Every strike was aimed at Sol's vitals, driving him into increasingly perilous situations.
And yet, Sol persisted. Even knowing a single misstep could result in death, he continued to fire, disrupting Aokiji at every opportunity.
To Aokiji, this behavior was incomprehensible.
As an outsider, Aokiji couldn't possibly grasp the weight Maude carried in Sol's heart.
"Troublesome," Aokiji muttered under his breath. To him, Sol's defiance was nothing more than the final struggles of a desperate man. Even if Maude and Sabo managed to gain some distance, catching them later would be a simple task.
Still, the constant harassment was irritating.
But such reckless support could only end in pain.
Weakened by his prior injuries, Sol mistimed a Moonwalk step, failing to evade one of Garp's devastating punches. The blow struck his left leg, unprotected by Armament Haki, and ripped through it like paper.
The force of the strike was catastrophic. Sol's leg was severed, flung through the air, trailing blood and carrying the explosive shockwave of Garp's immense strength.
Garp didn't relent. His massive fist, coated in advanced Armament Haki, sliced through the air, aiming directly for Sol's face.
In a split second, Sol, enduring the agony of his severed leg, raised his rifled musket to block.
Boom!
The clash of Armament Haki sent a thunderous shockwave rippling outward. The musket shattered first, unable to withstand Garp's overpowering force.
Even after obliterating the weapon, Garp's punch continued its trajectory, slamming into Sol's arm.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bone snapping filled the air as Sol was sent flying, crashing heavily into the ground.
Garp wasted no time, immediately closing the distance to the incapacitated Saul.
Meanwhile.
The severed, blood-soaked leg arced through the sky, landing with a sickening thud on the ground in front of Maude.
His heart skipped a beat.
Instinctively, Maude turned to look back.
The brutal sight froze him in place.
Before he even realized it, [Usopp] was already unstrapped and in his hands, his grip tightening.
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