A rough roar echoed, and another familiar face came into view.
An inverted triangle physique, muscles as solid as cast steel, a large white cape billowing behind him in the gale-force wind brought by his advance.
Holding a cannonball like a human cannon, his mature, square-jawed face was lit up with a hearty laugh, the iconic scar etched beside his left eyebrow.
White Accident·Garp, makes his entrance!
With a casual toss, a cannonball was launched with immense force, landing with a thunderous boom that blasted away all the pirate cannon fodder caught in between.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Charlotte Linlin's face immediately twisted into an expression of annoyance.
"Dammit, why does it have to be this guy!"
Garp, as a Marine, was already described as a demon; now, as a pirate, he was practically loathed by all. Once he set his sights on someone, there was no leaving without a fight.
Looking at the man exuding a wild, beast-like aura, Chronos also twitched his lips, muttering a low curse of trouble.
That was the kind of guy even Pops Whitebeard would curse as bad luck upon seeing.
In this world, Garp and Roger still shared their love-hate relationship—perhaps this was the bond of the East Blue's twin stars.
The moment he charged out, Garp abruptly turned his head toward Charlotte Linlin, or more precisely, toward Chronos perched on Charlotte Linlin's shoulder.
"Hey, kid! I don't know why, but I'm really not liking the look of you right now. Stop hiding behind a woman and come down for a fight!"
Garp clenched his fist, a deep, dark gleam flashing brilliantly.
Chronos clicked his tongue and leaped down.
At that moment, Charlotte Linlin and the two giant captains seemed to be under some kind of restraint, standing completely still like spectators.
"Hey, Chronos, is that Garp?"
Moria hefted his large blade and asked, glancing a few more times at the giants nearby before stepping forward.
"Also conjured up, but it's certainly lifelike."
Chronos replied, his gaze fixed on Garp.
Having become a pirate, this old man's words were even more blunt.
The moment Garp appeared, a large number of assistants dressed in white surged forward behind him.
Leading them was a swordsman with an ordinary appearance, wearing a tall hat that covered his eyes.
Compared to the earlier lackeys, these white-clad assistants all had fists or weapons shimmering with a dark gleam.
The Tanuki Transformation Fruit truly lived up to its status as a Mythical Zoan, undoubtedly among the elite even within that category. It could replicate not only Devil Fruit abilities but even the level of Haki.
Even if it was just a weakened, bargain-bin version.
"Moria, and Jackie Chan, Tohru—the rest are yours."
Moria grinned, immediately confronting the swordsman. Tohru's expression hardened as he raised his large hands, ready to charge. Only Jackie Chan stepped forward with a pained look.
"Your words are as blunt as ever, old-timer. But the you right now isn't anything to fear."
Walking up to Garp, Chronos spoke, fierce electric currents crackling around him as he instantly activated his God Speed State.
The actual speed of lightning cannot match the speed of light, and Kizaru, the Glint-Glint Fruit Ability User, clearly possesses only some of light's abilities rather than its full speed.
Examples such as Rayleigh, Zephyr, Red-Haired Shanks, and Nika Luffy are enough to prove that Kizaru does not possess light speed; otherwise, these individuals would also have it.
Similarly, as the Rumble-Rumble Fruit Ability User, Chronos does not inherently possess the speed of lightning. He may achieve it in the future, but for now, he does not.
Facing a martial arts master like Garp—especially from the God Valley era, even in a weakened state—requires giving it his all.
"Nothing to fear from an old man like me? Truly the words of youth!"
Garp laughed heartily, disregarding everything else, and with a powerful kick, his figure vanished instantly.
The next moment, Chronos' Observation Haki flared with warning—danger was already upon him!
A massive, merciless iron-like hand reached out, nearly covering Chronos' entire head in the blink of an eye.
Electricity surged violently as Chronos' nerves and muscles reacted instinctively, his head jerking aside in a reflexive dodge.
A miss by a hair's breadth is as good as a mile.
Seafloor Drop…
Huh?
With a bang, Garp's iron grip closed on empty air, like a massive balloon bursting, sending shockwaves in all directions.
God Speed: Kick!
Leaning back and leaping, Chronos executed a perfect evasion.
Bending his knees and gathering strength, power concentrated in an instant.
Without hesitation, the moment Garp's grasp missed, Chronos unleashed his force, kicking upward like a rabbit striking an eagle.
His lightning-wreathed feet slammed fiercely into Garp's chest.
Thud!
Like the beat of a massive drum, the sound echoed from Garp's chest as his heart pounded heavily, sending blood surging through his body.
"You damn brat!"
Garp cursed loudly, yet despite the heavy blow, his movements showed no sign of slowing.
His empty hand clenched into an iron fist, and swinging his arm, Garp aimed squarely at Chronos and struck with devastating force.
Galaxy: Impact!
A massive shockwave flashed into existence—no longer the restrained grip of the earlier Seafloor Drop, its range now vast enough to engulf the three giants behind them.
Observation Haki warned once more as Chronos tensed every muscle, coating himself in Armament Haki.
Boom!
The overwhelming shockwave swallowed Chronos, the pure Haki assault washing over him like a torrential mudslide, bringing waves of intense pain.
Enduring the first wave of Haki, Chronos swiftly transformed into his Logia state. His lightning energy-body turned nearly intangible, flickering with blue light as it was swept away like leaves in the wind.
Crackle!
Chronos landed, but the lightning dispersed across the ground, avoiding any secondary damage.
Electric currents converged, and in the next instant, Chronos reappeared at a distance.
Pointing casually toward Garp, Chronos waved his hand.
Divine Punishment!
A fully charged bolt of lightning descended abruptly. Garp had just looked up when the pillar of thunder engulfed him.
This is the advantage of a Logia Fruit—large-scale elemental attacks can be unleashed effortlessly.
However…
"What a pleasantly tingling massage!"
Beneath the thunder pillar, Garp laughed with a wide grin, his skeletal frame and bulging eyes visible through the flashes of lightning, giving him a demonic, ferocious appearance.
With a sweep of his hand, Garp's Haki surged, tearing through the thunder pillar and revealing his robust physique.
Chronos remained silent, merely glancing at the torn white clothing and slightly charred skin on Garp's body.
Shifting slightly, Garp sensed something amiss. Looking down, he grew visibly irritated.
"Why has this old body become so fragile?"
Chronos shrugged. So, as he said—there really wasn't much to fear from Garp now.
"Old man, are you asking what you already know?"
Angrily clenching his fist, the current Garp possessed memories—though mostly from others, there were also his own.
In other words, he knew exactly what was happening.
"Someday, we'll meet again on the sea. When that time comes, I'll definitely give you a good beating."
Garp said fiercely, not backing down in the slightest.
"I hope that day doesn't come too late, otherwise your old body might not hold up."
Chronos also laughed. The Garp of God Valley probably didn't know that in the future, he would become an old popsicle.
With the nonsense over, Garp said no more. With another kick, his body shot forward like a cannonball.
Splitting the air, bursting with shockwaves, a long, deep trench appeared on the ground.
Chronos gripped with both hands, once again holding the Thunder Lance in his left and the Thunder Sword in his right. Electric waves spread out and retracted, his Observation Haki locking onto the man.
Facing Garp, Chronos swung the Thunder Lance in the most standard javelin-throwing posture and hurled it fiercely toward Garp.
At the moment of release, Chronos willed it—the Life Orb within him blazed brightly, the power of the Thunder Plate transforming into light that merged into the Thunder Lance.
Arceus, also Zeus!
Great Thunder!
Garp clenched his fist. At this time, he knew nothing of fear. Even when fighting Roger, taking a divine evasion head-on with his body, he still managed to land a hit on Roger's face.
Galaxy: Collision!
The massive iron fist shot out without yielding, centered on the knuckle of his middle finger, crashing directly into the tip of the Great Thunder.
Crack, crack, crack, crack...
The iron fist shook the Great Thunder, Haki flashes and lightning clashing head-on, each trying to overwhelm the other. The chaotic flow of energy surged outward once again.
Centered on this spot, the ground split open as if by magic, spreading like a spiderweb, with ravines appearing one after another.
"Get out of my way, old man!"
Garp roared. Though it was a pity that only black lines flickered without the wild black lightning, his fist still gradually pushed back the Great Thunder.
Until...
Crack!
A fine fissure appeared on the surface of the Great Thunder. In less than an instant, the fissure split the entire Thunder Lance open, and the thunder within surged out like a flood!
A torrent that could almost be described as thunderous slurry slammed into Garp all at once.
"Ahhhhh!"
With a thunderous roar, the true Great Thunder swallowed Garp's body, the thunder slurry grinding away at him bit by bit as it washed over him.
Chronos stared intently at Garp, then firmly gripped the Thunder Sword, not letting his guard down in the slightest.
During this time, he hadn't been idle. He had sought knowledge of electromagnetism from Tom Flam, mobilized the Life Orb, and grown accustomed to the God Speed State...
When you possess a treasure trove, you must learn to develop it!
Zzz...
As the last bit of thunder slurry dissipated, what appeared before Chronos was essentially a large, human-shaped lump of charcoal.
Behind the charcoal was a long, fan-shaped expanse of blackened ground, stretching endlessly, almost beyond sight.
Thud!
The charcoal took a step, shaking off clouds of ash.
Grinning, the last bit of white on Garp's body appeared.
"What a pity, having to fight with such a weak body."
The Garp who still pursued the thrill of battle genuinely felt regret.
"Then... this is the final punch!"
As the words fell, the charcoal transformed into a shadow. With a surge of Haki, Garp's knuckle-defined fist clearly appeared in Chronos's perception.
Beyond that, even Garp's face had nearly carbonized to the point of shattering.
It seems to be a memorable fist.
Raising his Thunder Sword and stepping forward, Chronos flashed—not opting for the best retreat but surrendering his body to instinct, meeting that fatal punch.
Zzz…
!
Suddenly, Chronos's heart skipped a beat. A burst of electricity erupted—not from him, but from Garp!
Amidst the dense lines of Haki, a distinct black lightning flickered.
Infinitum Explosion!
A wall of countless fists slammed toward Chronos.
Garp's ferocious grin appeared before his eyes, his body already crumbling bit by bit, starting from his legs and spreading upward—only his fist remained intact until the end.
God Speed: Unyielding Wind!
A red light flashed in Chronos's eyes as he fully unleashed his Observation Haki, leaving behind afterimages as he raised his sword.
A wall of swords clashed against a wall of fists!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!…
The two walls collided, creating the most primal and man-made percussion. For every fist shadow, there was a sword shadow to meet it.
The howling winds from the collision never dissipated, only continuously surging in all directions until the ground caved in.
"Ha!"
Garp let out his wildest laugh, no longer holding back, releasing his mind and body as he struck forward with all his might.
A flash crossed Chronos's eyes—the wisp of black lightning had not faded in the slightest, entwined around the fist aimed at his head.
Crack!
The Thunder Sword gleamed as Chronos swung, severing Garp's head before him.
And then…
Boom!
Chronos's head was shattered by a punch, his body flung backward and plummeting to the ground, where it shattered with a crash, dispersing into several streaks of lightning.
"Wahahaha!"
Even as his head fell, Garp continued to laugh wildly until he uttered his final words.
"Next time we really meet, let's fight again, Thunder Brat!"
Then, with a poof, smoke rose, and a leaf slowly drifted down.
Zzzap～
Lightning flashed as the thunder re-coalesced. A hand reached out and caught that leaf.
Chronos reappeared, his other hand clutching the large bump swelling on his head, his face twisted in pain.
"That hurt like hell! Was that Conqueror's Haki Infusion? No, it shouldn't count—too weak.
Whichever one it was, they're both such damn old men!"
Chronos cursed, his words carrying a double meaning.
He vigorously rubbed his head, continuously flushing it with Armament Haki and then dissipating it through naturalization until he felt slightly better, finally lowering his hand.
Though reluctant, Chronos solemnly placed the leaf into his pocket.
This could be considered a symbol of him beginning to face legends head-on—even if it was a weakened version.
Turning to the other side, Moriah had exchanged a few sword scars to take down the swordsman.
Tohru, charging recklessly, had basically cleared out most of the reinforcements.
The remaining stragglers were left to Jackie Chan, who was still locked in combat.
Seeing this, Chronos shrugged and looked at Jackie Chan. With a wave of his hand, several Thunder Lances materialized.
With a flick of his wrist, the Thunder Lances shot forth.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!…
Several sounds echoed as the white-clad figures around Jackie Chan burst into smoke, all transforming into leaves.
Chronos walked over slowly, approaching Jackie Chan. With a sheepish grin on Jackie's face, Chronos patted his shoulder.
"There's nothing to use as a weapon here. It must've been tough for you, Jackie Chan, fighting empty-handed."
Jackie Chan blinked, momentarily unsure whether to agree or question the statement.
"What do we do next? A conjured Garp was already this tough, and there's more than just Garp here."
Moriah said solemnly, unusually serious.
He had witnessed the earlier battle. If not for Chronos's swift and decisive actions, had he been the one to face Garp, he would likely have taken several more punches before securing a victory.
"Elite Monsters... no, this should count as a BOSS Unit. I really wonder how long that old-timer spent accumulating these."
Chronos sighed under his mask. This just proved how poorly balanced the stats were in those movie spin-off games.
The Leaf Clone of Aokiji and Smoker that Red Count transformed into at the start had already destroyed two warships. Though not on the scale of a Buster Call, the firepower was still overpowered.
Then, in the game's storyline, the BOSS Unit Aokiji he transformed nearly killed post-timeskip Luffy, requiring Ace—also a transformation—to step in and save him.
The plot didn't specify exactly how many days, but it certainly didn't exceed a week. In such a short time, the Tanuki Transformation Fruit managed to produce a whole batch of BOSS Units.
If Red Count had wanted to, with the power of the Tanuki Transformation Fruit, the number of vice admiral-level combatants he could command might have surpassed even the Marines.
However, creating such units probably required significant energy and effort to produce.
In the final chapter, Red Count instantly created Leaf Clones of major BOSSes, the Straw Hat crew, and the three Admirals.
But those instant clones were quite weak: Kizaru's lasers were blocked by Franky's arms, Robin's giant leg crushed Aokiji in one stomp, Sanji clashed with Akainu's magma fist with a kick before spinning around to shatter Akainu with another.
The Leaf Clones before them were crafted by Red Count at his peak, based on people from his own era whom he knew intimately, not later individuals drawn from others' memories. Their combat strength could be considered normal under these circumstances, yet it was still utterly absurd.
Chronos glanced at Charlotte Linlin beside him. She probably qualified as a BOSS Unit, but Dorry and Brogy nearby did not.
"Though I can't say for certain, units like that old-timer Garp earlier likely number no more than a dozen. Let's keep going—we're already here."
Chronos concluded calmly.
From the Rocks Pirates: Rocks and Whitebeard. From the Roger Pirates: Roger. From the Giant Kingdom: Charlotte Linlin. The Giant King had been foreseen, but he wasn't present.
It was unclear if Joy Boy had one, but on the World Government's side, it should only be Imu.
As for Garin and Saturn, they seemed a notch below.
Counting it up, the total definitely wouldn't exceed five.
Shaking off his thoughts, the group set off once more. They had gradually moved away from the twin peaks of God Valley and were now approaching the northwest direction.
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Ark Maxim, Jade, entangled by the red shadow mask, stared pleadingly at Angeles, her small hands fidgeting incessantly.
"Please, Ange."
"But..."
Angeles didn't hesitate for long.
Soon, a flash of white flapped toward them from the horizon.
"Angeles! Jade!"