"Bogard, this brat's yours. I'll take care of Rayleigh!"
Garp jabbed a thumb toward Malverick as he spoke.
He had full confidence in Bogard's strength — strong enough that even if he went up against the Dark King Rayleigh himself, Rayleigh would still come away with injuries.
Someone like that was more than capable of handling Malverick.
"No problem."
Bogard drew his saber in one smooth motion, his cold gaze locking onto Malverick like a tiger eyeing its prey.
That sharp killing intent was palpable, forcing Malverick's eyes to narrow slightly.
"Heh… interesting. I didn't expect Vice Admiral Garp to have such a powerhouse under his command," Malverick smirked. "That makes this even more worth my time."
To clash with the strong — that was what thrilled him most.
Both of them were of the same rank — Starshine level, though Bogard was at the peak of it, while Malverick was just a step short.
Still, that difference wasn't enough to decide victory or defeat.
"Susanoo, deal with the marines!"
"Xiaobi — go berserk!"
ROAR!
At Malverick's command, Xiaobi's huge body suddenly began to change.
Its once-white fur turned blood-red, the muscles beneath bulging until its entire frame radiated raw savagery.
Gone was the adorable little dog — what now stood before them was a hellish beast.
Unlike Susanoo's evolution, which required life force from its master, Xiaobi's Berserk Form had no such restriction — it could trigger anytime.
ROAR!!!
Xiaobi let out a thunderous howl and charged straight toward the marines!
"Open fire! Quick! FIRE!"
Gunfire erupted instantly, bullets raining against Xiaobi's massive form — but they might as well have been raindrops.
CRUNCH!
With a single bite, Xiaobi's fangs tore through a marine's torso — leaving only the lower half standing as the rest disappeared into the beast's maw.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
The sound of bones being crushed echoed chillingly across the battlefield.
"It—it's EATING people?!"
The marines froze in horror, cold sweat pouring down their backs as they stared at the blood-soaked monster before them.
In the midst of battle, Malverick traded blows with Bogard — his fist slammed into Bogard's chest even as Bogard's blade sliced across his arm.
"Xiaobi," Malverick said with a sneer, "go wild. These men are your food — eat to your heart's content!"
ROAR!!
At his words, Xiaobi's excitement hit a fever pitch. Its red eyes gleamed as it lunged toward the nearest soldiers.
"Run! Run, damn it—it's a monster!"
"I don't want to be eaten! Help!"
The once-orderly ranks of marines dissolved into chaos, screams filling the air.
An hour later.
Yes — a full hour had passed.
The battlefield was devastated.
Malverick and Rayleigh were fighting side by side against Garp and Bogard.
Rayleigh was slightly weaker than Garp, while Malverick and Bogard were evenly matched.
At this point, neither side could gain the upper hand — with their strength so close, it would take days of battle to reach a conclusion.
Malverick glanced toward Bogard in the distance, then suddenly raised his right hand toward one of the massive mangrove trees nearby.
BOOM!
A massive surge of suction tore through the air — the colossal red tree, easily hundreds of meters tall, began to tilt and topple.
It came crashing down toward Garp and Bogard!
But Bogard didn't flinch.
With a cold glint in his eyes, he swung his blade.
SHING!
The arc of light sliced cleanly through the air — and the enormous tree trunk was cleaved neatly in half!
The shockwave from the four-way battle shook the entire Sabaody Archipelago. The ground itself seemed to quake.
"This isn't good, Malverick," Rayleigh said grimly. "We need to get out of here. If we keep this up, more marines will be on their way!"
The Navy headquarters wasn't far. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
Garp and Bogard alone were already difficult to handle — if two more heavy hitters showed up, escape would be impossible.
Malverick sighed.
He looked around the battlefield — the situation wasn't in their favor.
Xiaobi was still rampaging in its berserk form, its jaws soaked in blood. No one knew how many marines had been devoured.
Susanoo stood amid a pile of unconscious bodies, surrounded by fallen marines.
"It's been an hour. Shakky and the others should be long gone by now," Malverick said finally. "We've done our part. Time to go."
Rayleigh gave a wry smile. "Easier said than done. You think Garp and Bogard will just let us walk away?"
"Relax," Malverick grinned. "I've still got one last trick."
As he spoke, he looked toward Xiaobi and Susanoo.
The two immediately stopped fighting and moved behind him.
"Vice Admiral Garp, Bogard—farewell."
"Next time we meet, we'll settle this properly."
The air behind Malverick suddenly warped, twisting into a dark vortex.
He shoved Rayleigh and Susanoo into it first, leaving only himself and Xiaobi outside.
"Stop him! Don't let them escape!"
Garp bellowed, leaping forward with Bogard right behind him.
If Malverick got away today, there was no telling if he'd ever have another chance to capture him again.
But Malverick only smiled. "Too late. Xiaobi!"
Xiaobi's Berserk Form had one more terrifying trick — a sonic roar that immobilized everything within range.
ROOOOAAAR!!!
The monstrous bellow shook the air itself, creating visible ripples in the space around them.
Garp and Bogard froze mid-charge — their movements slowing, then stopping entirely.
Even Malverick winced as a sharp ringing filled his ears — the technique didn't distinguish friend from foe.
But the vortex behind him was unaffected.
Without hesitation, Malverick grabbed Xiaobi and let the vortex's suction pull them in.
As soon as the beast disappeared, the pressure on Garp and Bogard vanished.
They immediately lunged forward — but it was already too late.
The black vortex shot upward at incredible speed, vanishing into the sky.
Their Geppo (Moon Step) wasn't nearly fast enough to catch up — and both men were far from skilled in aerial combat.
"Damn it!"
Garp slammed his fist into a nearby boulder, shattering it with a thunderous crack.
He looked around at the ruined port and the countless injured marines — and the emptiness left by Malverick's escape.
It was infuriating.
A failure. A humiliation.
After a long silence, Garp finally exhaled heavily.
"...Let's head back."
~~--------------------------
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