The three Vice Admirals leaped from their respective ships. At their level, mastery of the Six Powers (Rokushiki) came naturally. In mid-air, they moved as if walking on solid ground, stepping on Moonwalk (Geppo) to traverse the sea and head straight for the mine and dock.
Among the three, Garp was the fastest. Instead of aiming for the dock, he headed directly for the mine, which had already descended into chaos. It appeared that Morgan William's crew was completely unprepared for the Marines' arrival, with most of them resting onshore.
Garp landed like a cannonball in one corner of the mine, kneeling on one knee before slamming his fist into the ground.
With Garp's strike, the crowd finally understood why he was called "Iron Fist." An invisible shockwave radiated from Garp's position, akin to a high-yield explosive detonating. The ground beneath him cracked like a spiderweb, and the entire mine seemed to tremble. Amid cries of alarm, the laborers from Tequila Wolf and the guards stationed there lost their balance and fell to the ground. Those closest to Garp were even sent flying by the sheer force of the impact.
Meanwhile, Doberman and Strawberry headed for the steamships at the dock. However, there were hardly any people aboard the ships. Neither William nor his cadres, who were now on the Marines' wanted list, were present.
"Vice Admiral Garp, they're all onshore!" Strawberry shouted.
Garp looked up through the rising dust and spotted William and several of his cadres emerging from the unstable buildings nearby.
William's face was pale, and his expression grim. To Garp, this was clearly the result of his sudden Marine assault catching William off guard.
Beside William was his trusted aide Dampier, known by the Marines as the "Pirate Scholar." After William himself, Dampier was the most wanted figure in the Morgan Group. Another figure, a dark-skinned man with a gaunt face, was none other than Gin, a former Marine Lieutenant now considered a traitor and hated by the Marines in the East Blue.
Because of the distance between Garp and William, coupled with the surrounding noise, Garp couldn't make out what William was saying. However, from his lip movements, Garp could faintly guess that William was instructing his men to retreat into the forest. Shortly afterward, the cadres listed on the Marines' wanted list began running toward the forest outside the mine, followed by the guards who quickly withdrew in the same direction.
Seeing that the ships held no significant targets, Doberman and Strawberry also moved to the shore. Garp called out to them before leading the charge toward William, completely ignoring the guards around him.
Several mid-ranking Marine officers took command of the troops at the dock and ships, organizing a pursuit into the depths of the island. Meanwhile, the three Vice Admirals abandoned all command responsibilities, focusing solely on capturing William and his cadres. They knew full well who posed the greatest threat.
William had reached the edge of the forest. Turning back, he glanced at Garp before suddenly swinging his blade, Wado Ichimonji. A wave of heat-infused sword energy sliced through the air, passing over a nearby building in front of Garp. In the next moment, with a rumbling sound, the building was cut cleanly in half by the distant strike, collapsing onto the path between Garp and William.
BOOM!
A single collapsed building was clearly no obstacle for Garp. Amid the swirling dust, he shielded his eyes with one hand to prevent debris from obstructing his vision. Without hesitation, he charged through the wreckage, leaping out from the ruins. Before he could land, another sword strike from William came his way. This time, the attack was even more formidable. Everything in its path was split in two—trees, rocks, even the ground itself. A deep trench was carved into the earth, faint steam rising from within.
Garp's expression remained unchanged. He acted as though he hadn't seen the attack, continuing his charge toward William. As the sword energy approached, Garp simply punched forward. The collision caused the energy to explode, releasing waves of intense heat that forced Garp to squint. Yet beyond this, he showed no sign of slowing down, his pace remaining unbroken.
William had no illusions about defeating a legendary Marine like Garp with a single strike. While he distracted Garp, Gin, Dampier, and the other cadres had already made their way into the forest. William turned and ran toward the forest as well.
Just as William turned, he heard the sound of something cutting through the air behind him. Garp had leaped from his position, crossing over a hundred meters like a cannonball, hurtling toward William at incredible speed.
As Garp was about to land, he swung his fist at William. The move was simple and unadorned, relying solely on raw strength and speed. William dared not turn his back on an opponent of Garp's caliber. He turned around, raising Wado Ichimonji vertically to block the incoming punch.
CLANG!
Garp, true to his reckless and ferocious style, made no effort to evade. His fist collided directly with the blade of Wado Ichimonji. Yet his hand showed no signs of injury. Instead, William let out a muffled grunt, his hands trembling from the impact. Using the force of the blow, he propelled himself deeper into the forest, appearing as though Garp had punched him into the air.
"Strawberry, go after Dampier. Doberman, take Gin," Garp barked, pointing toward the directions where the two cadres had fled. Turning his gaze toward William's retreating figure, he gritted his teeth and declared, "I'll handle Morgan William!"
Neither Strawberry nor Doberman doubted that William was a match for Garp. Strawberry merely issued a warning: "Be careful of Morgan William's tricks. They might have something hidden in the forest—possibly poison gas."
"I know," Garp replied, patting the two gas masks strapped to his waist before rushing off.
The M.H.5 poison gas used by William's crew had long been exposed to the Marines. From Garp down to the rank-and-file soldiers, all were now equipped with gas masks. High-ranking officers like Garp even carried spares.
Though M.H.5 was highly lethal, it couldn't incapacitate someone like Garp, whose physical strength far exceeded normal humans and could rival a superhero from William's previous life. Even in a surprise attack, Garp could quickly react, escape the gas's range, and don his mask.
Strawberry and Doberman, following Garp's lead, quickly charged into the forest. Doberman, moving at high speed, sliced through a large tree blocking his path and yelled, "Pirates, you've reached the end of the line!"
Doberman's shout echoed into William's ears. His expression remained icy as he continued fleeing, seemingly ignoring the words.
Suddenly, William's throat twitched, and he coughed lightly, spitting out a glob of green-tinged phlegm. He quickly retrieved a small vial of medicine from his pocket and poured it into his mouth.
(End of Chapter)
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