"Old man, don't even try to attack my king. Your opponent is me!"
Before Garp could reach Adrian, Ace—now "Death Song"—flashed in front of him, a mountain-shaking blow meeting Garp's furious fist.
Boom!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air. A hurricane of energy raged from between the two fists, and the ground beneath them collapsed into a bottomless, pitch-black chasm.
"The ground just cracked from the aftermath!" a Marine yelled, trembling. "Their strength is terrifying—no less than Whitebeard's full power!"
"How can a legendary marine like Garp be stopped by a brat like Fire Fist Ace?" another asked, completely bewildered. "How could he suddenly become so powerful?"
The Marines who had no idea what was going on were filled with fear and confusion. To them, Garp was a "legend." Thirty years ago, he had single-handedly fought the invincible Rocks Pirates with Roger, defeating Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom, and Kaido, earning him the title of "Hero Garp." He was a man who had cornered the Pirate King himself. And now, he was fighting evenly with Fire Fist Ace. Could it be believed?
"Vice Admiral Garp, have you really been unable to escape the shackles of family love?" Vice Admiral Momonga's expression was complicated. He couldn't believe that in this critical moment, Garp was holding back. He knew that even though Ace was resurrected, his fighting power wasn't enough to compete with Garp. If Garp were serious, it wouldn't be difficult to kill him.
"Why?" Momonga sighed, then drew his sword. "Fire Fist Ace will be Garp's problem for now. Everyone, follow me to rescue Marshal Sengoku!"
But before they could take another step, a purple shadow blocked their path.
"Presumptuous! No one is allowed to take a step forward without my lord's consent... Slave Arrow!" The Empress fired without hesitation, her fingers creating a giant, pink, heart-shaped substance that launched a barrage of pink arrows. Every Marine soldier it touched turned to stone. Even their weapons were petrified.
"Damn it, Boa Hancock, Marine will never forgive you or the Amazon Lily Kingdom!" Momonga threatened. But that was all he could do. He couldn't even look her in the eye as he dodged, knowing he was no match for her.
"Ace, get out of the way and let your grandpa kill the bastard who did this to you," Garp said, retreating. He couldn't bring himself to attack his grandson with all his strength.
"Smelly old man, my name is not Ace. I'm Death Song," the zombie replied, poking his ear with his pinky finger. "And I will never allow you to hurt my king. Your enemy is me." His subconscious action was just like Garp's. Death Song had begun to incorporate Garp's personality.
"Ace... Grandpa killed you," Garp whispered sadly. He looked past Ace and roared at Adrian. "Adrian, you bastard! What the hell are you trying to do? Ace is dead. Why drag him into this?"
"Vice Admiral Garp, you asked me to revive him, didn't you?" Adrian said innocently, spreading his hands. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, you'd better not stand in the sun from now on, or... you will die!"
"You bastard!" Garp yelled.
"And Ace will die with you, too! So, please take care of your body and strive for a long life!" Adrian's smile turned sinister. He pointed at the cloudy sky, a chilling grin on his face.
The Marines who heard this gasped, a cold shiver running down their spines. Adrian's true purpose was revealed. He was a monster! Being his enemy was worse than death itself. A Marine soldier took a step back, and soon, others followed. Their fierce charge a moment ago vanished with Adrian's words.
What's the point? they thought. Even Hero Garp is being toyed with. There's also an Empress who can turn us to stone. We're just cannon fodder.
Momonga stopped as well. He looked at his sword, now broken and petrified. Anger and helplessness filled his eyes. I'm still too weak, he thought. And that kid Adrian hasn't even made a move yet. I wonder how Fleet Admiral Sengoku is doing? Will Marine be completely defeated today? The corners of his eyes filled with tears of grief.
"Damn you, you're just lucky today!" Garp roared and charged again.
But Adrian sat unfazed. Death Song greeted Garp with another volley of thunderous explosions.
"My lord, why didn't you just kill that annoying old man?" the Empress asked, her face resting sweetly on Adrian's legs.
"If he were that easy to kill, he wouldn't be a Marine hero," Adrian said, stroking her hair. "I was very lucky to cut his shadow. I'll need to under training for a while after this battle." He knew he couldn't kill a top-tier fighter like Garp with a sneak attack. Garp had to be killed by his own close relative.
Suddenly, a blinding stream of light flashed and Kizaru appeared.
"Oh, you two are causing quite the ruckus," Kizaru said, pinching his chin. "Aren't Warlords supposed to be enemies? What's with you two...?"
His words trailed off as he saw the collapsed Naval Headquarters. "Huh? Why did the headquarters building collapse? Did Garp fight himself?" Then he saw the figure fighting Garp, and his eyes widened in surprise. "How did Fire Fist Ace survive?" He looked at the wall of fire, immediately assuming it was Ace's doing. "I see."
"Vice Admiral Garp, are you tired? Why have you been in a stalemate with a dead man for so long? Why don't I take over?" Kizaru appeared beside Garp and Ace. He felt a rare sense of satisfaction at being able to mock Garp. They all call me lazy, he thought. Look at Garp today.
But... Sakazuki, your execution seems incomplete! I, Marine's number one Admiral, will reluctantly take the credit for executing the Pirate King's son.
"Fire Fist boy, I don't know how you were resurrected, but a person with such an evil bloodline is not worthy of living in this world." Kizaru's fingertips glowed with a dangerous laser beam. "Today, I, Kizaru, will represent justice and end you completely!"
"My lord, Admiral Kizaru has made his move! Should we go help Death Song?" the Empress asked nervously.
"It's alright, Vice Admiral Garp will take care of it for us," Adrian said calmly. "We'll just sit here and watch the show!"