Chapter 476: Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon
Although Garp was momentarily stunned by Aizen's display, he quickly regained his composure.
He looked at Aizen, who stood not far away, and asked directly, "Aizen, Are you here for the Mythical beasts as well?"
In response to Garp's question, Aizen smiled faintly and said gently, "Vice Admiral Garp, please hold that thought for a moment. After all, there's still a small matter to handle here."
Aizen turned his body slightly.
In the direction he had come from, the massive conical current had vanished.
Even the combined ultimate move of hundreds of B-level Mythical beast subspecies could not breach Aizen's Splitting Void.
Beneath that Splitting Void, which resembled an impassable chasm, the Banana Crocodiles halted.
As they stopped, their attack ceased.
The Splitting Void disappeared as well.
Many onlookers were astonished by Aizen's defense just moments ago.
This method of defense was indeed striking.
Just by witnessing it, one could sense Aizen's unfathomable strength.
However, this was not the end.
Aizen intended to deliver a small retaliation to the Banana Crocodiles that had attacked.
Under Garp's watchful gaze, Aizen raised his right hand slightly, facing the Banana Crocodiles.
At that moment, they sensed the danger.
They had not expected that their attempt to vent their frustration would lead them to provoke such a formidable opponent.
Looking at the small man, their hearts began to race as his piercing gaze met them.
The Mythical beast subspecies hurriedly conjured massive water shields to envelop themselves.
Aizen remained unfazed by their defenses.
He spoke calmly and said, "Hadō no. 88, Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon."
A blue light, stretching from earth to sky, illuminated the sea.
It was so intense that many onlookers shielded their eyes.
"Gurararara! It's a bit dazzling!" Whitebeard said, squinting as he stood on the White Whale ship at the end of the three stages, observing the beam of light that radiated a terrifying aura.
The beam struck the Banana Crocodiles' water shields directly.
Rumble!
A massive roar accompanied a blinding burst of firelight.
Shockwaves swept across the sea, water evaporated into mist, and the frozen ice in the area trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
People stared at the enormous blaze with dumbfounded expressions.
After a while, the shaking gradually subsided.
Whoosh!
The wind expanded and receded as the mist cleared, revealing a surprising scene.
All the fearsome Banana Crocodiles floated chaotically atop a massive current cavity.
Their faint breathing was the only sign they had not perished instantly.
This scene left both the live broadcast audience and those present gasping in shock.
The Banana Crocodiles were terrifyingly powerful.
Their strength was evident from their few appearances.
The Demon Pattern Guilds had used seemingly exaggerated moves to sink them into the sea.
Yet, it was not long before they reemerged, full of vigor.
Upon reappearing, they unleashed the massive conical current, which was clearly formidable at first glance.
Durable, powerful, monstrous—these were the impressions ordinary people had of the Banana Crocodiles.
Yet, such mighty creatures had all been defeated.
People could not help but sigh after witnessing this scene.
Was this the strength of a demigod?
To dispatch these monsters so effortlessly.
The conclusion came easily because Aizen's demeanor was so casual, as if he had done something trivial.
"Hahaha, that's incredibly strong!" Garp said, laughing as he looked at Aizen.
Garp meant it sincerely.
The defenses of those creatures were clearly extraordinary.
Yet Aizen had taken them all down with a single move.
For that alone, Garp admitted he was at a disadvantage.
Of course, what concerned him more now was Aizen's purpose for coming here.
"Your strength is quite impressive, Vice AdmiralGarp." Aizen said, looking at the laughing Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp, I am here to capture these two Mythical beasts. I trust you will not stop me."
Garp looked at Aizen, who adjusted his glasses in front of him.
His polite demeanor made Garp feel a bit uneasy.
Was the World Government truly intent on preventing the Marines from obtaining these two Mythical beasts?
In a fleeting moment, Garp felt he had grasped the truth.
Based on the ideas in his mind, it was a reasonable deduction.
These two Mythical beasts held immense value, and the World Government likely did not want the Marines to claim them.
The reason was straightforward.
The relationship between the Marines and the World Government was somewhat delicate.
Nominally, the Marines were a subsidiary of the World Government.
But in reality, the Marines were semi-independent.
A clear sign of this was that the Marines had begun controlling resource points that belonged to them.
These included one large magic mine and two medium-sized ones.
By common sense, such highly valuable magic minerals should belong to the World Government, even if discovered by the Marines.
But Kong had a bold idea, which he shared with the Marines' senior leadership.
Thus, a daring plan was executed by the then- Marine Admiral Sengoku.
The two medium-sized magic mines discovered by the Marines became their resources.
The large magic mine was secured through competition with numerous forces, including the World Government.
This move drove the Five Elders at the top of the World Government to fury.
The Marines' leadership wanting to control their own finances was testing their limits.
How could they tolerate this?
In their anger, they declared with a smile that the World Government was short on funds and had excessive expenses.
Either return the magic mines to the World Government, or the national funding would be delayed, depending on the situation.
Then, nothing more came of it.
Military spending continued, but it was significantly reduced.
Most of the budget was allocated to Admiral King and Admiral Esdeath and their teams.
After all, no matter whose budget was cut, it could not affect those two god-tier figures.
Everyone understood this.
Thus, the relationship between the Marines and the World Government grew tense.
Yet, despite the deadlock, Sengoku had to persevere and continue this strategy.
The benefits were clear.
The Marines' salaries were now higher than before.
The magic mines were incredibly lucrative, like picking up money.
By handing the captured magic mines to the Great Chamber of Commerce for management, the Marines simply waited for the profits.
With the Marines acting this way, the World Government did not dare push too far.
They had little choice.
In this sea, the Marines had new options.
Various transcendent powers were entrenched across different sea regions.
The Kingdom of Miracles, the Realm of Chaos, the Dark Curtain—any of these forces would likely be eager to provide financial support and resources to the Marines.
Most importantly, the Marines had two god-tier figures, nominally their patron saints.
Since the Marines were affiliated with the World Government, these figures were also the World Government's patron saints.
Exactly so.
In a world where gods roamed freely, only the top leaders of the World Government felt secure.
If the Marines broke away from the World Government, facing forces with gods or demigods, would not anyone be able to trample them?
Thus, the World Government could not afford to pressure the Marines too heavily.
This led to the Marines' increasingly bold endeavors.
( End of this chapter. )