Chapter 398: Navy vs. Rockefeller Pirates Part 4
Crackle!
Boom!
Lightning slammed against the ice shield—nullifying the attack.
But the paralyzing effect of the lightning seeped through, reaching Kuzan's body.
His body stiffened.
He could barely maintain his ice shield—
In the very next second!
A brilliant light blue slash tore toward him—
Boom!
Kuzan was sent flying again, crashing to the ground.
Esdeath's slash had hit dead on.
"Kuzan!"
Garp's voice rang out.
As the icy mist cleared, Kuzan clutched his chest and stumbled forward.
"Cough… Damn strong…"
A thirty-centimeter wound ran across his chest, blood staining his lips.
Watching from the bow of the ship, Charlotte smiled.
He then turned his gaze toward Garp.
Garp's face darkened.
The situation was deteriorating rapidly.
All the Navy's top fighters were now entangled:
Sengoku and Barrett were evenly matched.
Akainu and Caesar were in a draw.
Kuzan, who was originally holding his own against Esdeath, was now being pushed back after Tesla joined in.
Other admirals and vice-admirals were busy holding off the seven or eight swordmasters from the Rockefeller crew.
And then there were the two thousand elite pirate swordsmen who overwhelmed even the strongest marines.
The Rockefeller Pirates… had grown to this level?
Garp's fists clenched tightly.
His body tensed as his eyes locked onto the relaxed Charlotte standing tall at the bow.
Charlotte noticed the gaze—
and turned, smirking.
That look clearly said:
"Is this all the Navy has?"
"Charlotte!"
Garp roared, his anger reaching its peak.
His fists cracked audibly, lightning dancing around them.
"I won't let you go any further.
Die here!"
With a boom, Garp launched forward—
His speed triggered a sonic boom in the air.
Charlotte grinned—
electricity wrapped around his Seven Star Sword.
"You'll have to wait in line if you want my head!"
BOOM!
Their Conqueror's Haki collided midair—
a dark maelstrom of energy exploded outward.
Garp's punch and Charlotte's sword strike clashed across 100 meters, creating a thunderous shockwave.
It was as if hell had opened between them.
Everyone nearby—pirates and marines alike—was forced flat against the cracking ice.
Kuzan's frozen sea shattered beneath the pressure, water erupting upward.
The very space between them fractured and warped before healing again.
Back on Sabaody Archipelago, all onlookers were stunned.
"So this… this is the might of a Navy Hero and the World's Greatest Swordsman?"
Everyone—whether hiding or watching from a distance—was left speechless.
"Big news! Big news!"
Morgans, the World News president, shouted.
"The hero Garp versus Charlotte the Sword Emperor—who will prevail?!"
Elsewhere—
"Whew…"
On Island 13, a well-dressed woman exhaled a puff of smoke as she crossed her legs, watching the clash in the distance.
"Can't believe that kid Charlotte actually grew up to be this terrifying…"
Her voice trailed off.
The New World was getting livelier by the day.
It was now clear—
with such overwhelming strength on display, the Navy's operation had failed.
---
Marineford Headquarters
"Zeffar! Zeffar!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru rushed into the Navy training camp, panic in her voice.
Zeffar frowned—he could already sense something had gone wrong.
"Zeffar, we need you to reinforce Sabaody right now!
Sengoku and Garp are both tied down!
Charlotte's strength far exceeds our intel!"
She didn't wait for his response—she grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the docks.
"I've already told you—I've retired!"
Zeffar said sternly.
But… he didn't resist her hand.
"No time! We'll explain on the ship!"
---
Red Line, Mary Geoise
Fleet Admiral Kong had just finished briefing the Celestial Dragons when he received Tsuru's emergency message.
He bolted upright.
"Gentlemen! There's been a complication—
Rockefeller Pirates are far more powerful than expected!
Garp and Sengoku are locked in combat, and the entire siege force is in danger!"
The Five Elders frowned.
"Douglas Barrett?"
They muttered the name like it was familiar.
"He's the one who destroyed eight nations in the New World eight years ago!"
Kong explained.
That triggered memories.
They had paid eight Devil Fruits just to cover up that incident.
"Quick—dispatch CP0 to reinforce them!"
One of the Five Elders commanded.
Their elite forces were dispatched—
but even at top speed, they were an hour away.
And in an hour…
anything could happen.
---
Back on the battlefield—
Boom!
Sengoku's golden Buddha form clashed with Barrett's ice-armored giant once more.
He was pushing Barrett back—
but just barely.
The Ice-Ice armor fused from Kuzan's frozen sea kept regenerating, shielding Barrett from injury.
Meanwhile, Barrett's Haki-infused fists threatened to break through with every strike.
If Sengoku misjudged even once—he'd get flattened.
Smash!
Another fist came flying—
Sengoku raised his golden arms to block—
BOOM!
He skidded back dozens of meters.
Two gigantic figures battled like titans, their clashes louder than even Tesla's thunderbolts.
Elsewhere—
Akainu vs. Caesar was a brutal duel.
Akainu's left arm had a deep gash.
Caesar's chest scales were cracked, blood flowing.
But Caesar's dragon physiology allowed rapid healing—
new flesh regenerating over the wounds.
Both men were panting.
"You're not bad."
Caesar tossed a casual compliment.
Akainu didn't reply.
---
If Akainu vs. Caesar was evenly matched,
then Kuzan's side was…
bleak.
He'd been struggling against Esdeath alone.
Now that Tesla joined, it was twice as hard.
And the worst was yet to come.
---
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