Vergo hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled the box from his embrace, opened it, and revealed the Ope-Ope no Mi inside:
"Vice Admiral Garp, I discovered this unexpectedly while clearing out pirates."
"This appears to be the Ope-Ope no Mi that was widely spread in the newspapers earlier..."
Ostensibly, Vergo should not have known the reason for Garp's presence here.
But in reality, as an infiltrator for the Donquixote Family, he knew very well that Garp was here specifically for the Ope-Ope no Mi.
After Garp landed just now, he released a wide-ranging Observation Haki to search for Charlotte Linlin; it was likely he had already detected the Ope-Ope no Mi on him.
Rather than waiting for the other party to demand it, he might as well proactively present it, which would also help him continue his infiltration mission.
Resistance was impossible; he was not one of those inexperienced fellows out on the sea.
In a situation where the Ope-Ope no Mi could not be kept regardless, Vergo acted decisively, immediately demonstrating that he was not after the Devil Fruit, which might clear up some of the suspicion surrounding his presence.
Garp looked at the Devil Fruit in the box, his previously bored expression instantly replaced by surprise, and his eyes widened:
"What? This is the Ope-Ope no Mi?"
He scratched his head, not expecting the mission Sengoku assigned to be completed so easily.
The way things turned out, it was as if he had actually come here to carry out a mission.
He had only intended to find a worthy opponent to vent his frustrations, but now, the mission was completed immediately, and he could go back.
Although slightly reluctant, Garp still reached for the small box containing the Ope-Ope no Mi:
"You've truly gone through a lot of trouble, Rear Admiral Vergo."
Vergo revealed an honest smile:
"It is truly my honor to be able to assist you."
Just as Garp's hand was about to touch the box, an extremely tyrannical Conqueror's Haki surged up in the distance, followed by a wild and sharp burst of laughter:
"Mamamama... It's really lively here... It seems the old geezers of the Marine have also discovered the secret of that thing..."
The loud laughter instantly shattered the atmosphere on the island, and the Conqueror's Haki inside Garp also burst forth, confronting Charlotte Linlin's Haoshoku from afar.
Facing the powerful enemy who had suddenly intervened, Garp casually closed the box:
"Linlin! You old hag are too late!"
Garp laughed loudly, his voice like a great bell, not concealing his excitement at seeing an opponent.
As he spoke, he turned his head to look out to sea, only to see the queen mama chanter cutting through the waves nearby.
Charlotte Linlin's massive body on the ship's bow was immensely oppressive. Her gaze was first firmly drawn to the box containing the Ope-Ope no Mi, then she abruptly turned toward Garp with unconcealed hostility:
"Mamama... Garp! Hand the Ope-Ope no Mi over to Mama!"
Her voice was full of excitement and greed.
"Then you'll probably have to come and take it yourself!"
Seeing this, Garp showed no weakness. He stepped forward, the snow under his feet exploded, and the ground cracked inch by inch.
Amidst the clash of ferocious Haoshoku, Vergo retreated, leaving the stage to these two sworn enemies of the old era.
Countless black and red arcs of electricity seemed to leap and tear through the air.
Facing Garp's provocation, Charlotte Linlin showed no fear and leaped directly from the ship:
"Mamama... Then I'll knock you down first!"
Before her voice faded, her massive figure had already cast a shadow over Garp.
"Elbaf's Spear—Ikoku!"
A massive shockwave, seemingly capable of tearing space, roared as it swept toward Garp, carrying her innate monstrous strength.
Where it passed, snow scattered, and the ground was ploughed into deep ravines.
Facing this terrifying blow capable of shattering a fortress, Garp neither dodged nor avoided, meeting it with a laughing punch.
"Fist of Love: Clash!"
The moment the two ultimate forces violently collided, a terrifying shockwave exploded in a ring shape.
The ground beneath their feet completely shattered and collapsed, and the entire Minion Island violently trembled from this clash.
Massive energy currents shot straight into the sky, instantly dispersing the clouds.
The Admiral and Emperor-level powerhouses in this world have a qualitative difference compared to those like Emperor's First Mates and Shichibukai.
This was merely their probing attack, yet it could cause such terrifying effects.
Garp grinned:
"I thought you old hag had spent all these years just having children!"
Charlotte Linlin was equally unyielding:
"It seems you old man haven't slacked off either!"
Garp's subordinate, Bogard, had seen major battles. Even standing near the energy collision, his Marine cloak flapping violently, he did not take a single step back. Instead, he placed his hand on his sword hilt, ready to support Garp at any moment.
"Don't even think about interrupting Mama's fight!"
Katakuri had appeared on the island at some unknown time, standing directly in front of Bogard, his scarf fluttering in the wind.
The energy currents had not yet completely subsided, but the snow beneath their feet had already turned into scorched earth.
Bogard did not reply, because the trident in Katakuri's hand was rushing toward him at an extremely high speed, the tip aimed directly at the opening he exposed while preparing to draw his sword.
Bogard had no choice but to immediately halt his movement and swing his sheathed longsword upwards.
Clang!
The sound of weapons clashing overpowered the distant explosions, and the ground where the two stood instantly shattered.
But Katakuri's offense did not cease. His attacks were woven like a net, subsequent moves coming ceaselessly, constantly compressing Bogard's space for movement and exertion.
Every time Bogard attempted to draw his sword, the accumulated momentum was forced to be interrupted by the opponent's faster attack or angle blockade, turning into a more strenuous block.
Katakuri's voice pierced through the flurry of attacks, without a ripple of emotion:
"It's useless... Before you touch me, the attack will already be over."
Boom!
Katakuri also possessed Conqueror's Haki, and when the battle was at its most intense, he suddenly unleashed it, causing Bogard's movements to momentarily lag.
Katakuri did not miss this opportunity. He activated his Mochi-Mochi no Mi ability, assimilating everything around him.
"Peerless Donut!"
"Monstrous Strength Mochi!"
The combination technique activated, and a gigantic mochi arm smashed toward Bogard's location.
At the same time, Cracker and Perospero, who had arrived together, also joined the battlefield.
Although Garp had brought quite a few Marine soldiers besides his subordinate Bogard.
However, these soldiers were usually just rookies whose potential Garp valued; not many of them could truly form a fighting force. Perospero alone could handle them, while Cracker immediately rushed over to support Katakuri, launching an attack against Bogard as well—
"Ripple Pretzel!"
A sword energy shockwave shot directly toward Bogard.
Nevertheless, Bogard was an old Marine who had followed Garp across the seas for many years, and he remained calm in the face of this situation.
He quickly rotated his body, dodging Cracker's attack, while gripping his sword in a reverse grip and slamming the hilt onto Katakuri's mochi arm.
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