Seeing Sengoku make his decision, Whitebeard ceased his advance. He hoisted his Cloud Cutter onto his shoulder and turned to stride toward the main ship of the Rocks Pirates. His strength was on par with Sengoku's, and though he held a slight advantage, achieving a decisive victory would be no easy feat. Continuing the fight would only result in mutual destruction, which did not serve the interests of the Rocks Pirates.
Meanwhile, Rocks unleashed another slash, forcing Garp back before drifting away like a phantom. It wasn't Moon Walk or Shave but some even more bizarre method of movement, as if space itself shortened beneath his feet. Garp, using Moon Walk, pursued frantically, his roar thundering through the air:
"Rocks!! Stand your ground, damn you!!"
"Return the Celestial Tribute!!!"
But Rocks merely glanced back at him, a mocking smirk curling his lips. Then he raised his hand toward Garp's direction—and pressed the void.
Boom—
Top-tier Conqueror's Haki descended like a colossal mountain weighing ten thousand tons! Garp's charging form abruptly stalled, as if he had crashed into a solidified gel. He roared, unleashing his Haki in an attempt to break free, but in that brief moment of delay, Rocks had already returned to the main ship's deck.
"Set sail," he ordered calmly.
Over a dozen pirate ships simultaneously raised their sails, turned, and accelerated, shooting like arrows toward the direction where the sun was setting.
Garp finally broke free from the restraint, but Rocks' ship was already far away. He tried to continue the chase using Moon Walk but heard Sengoku's roar from behind:
"Garp! Fall back!!"
"That's an order!!"
Sengoku bellowed, but Garp's figure had already shot into the distance like a loosed arrow, ignoring the shouts behind him. Sengoku was equally furious, but pursuing the Rocks Pirates now was pointless. Even if they caught up, victory was far from certain.
The Navy's top-tier combatants had been heavily depleted in the recent battle. Zephyr was seriously injured, Tsuru was critically wounded and unconscious, Sengoku himself had less than thirty percent of his stamina left after his fierce fight with Whitebeard, and the soldiers had suffered heavy casualties.
In contrast, the Rocks faction: Whitebeard, though evenly matched with Sengoku, still seemed to have energy to spare. Golden Lion Shiki, despite taking a hit from Garp's Iron Fist, remained combat-ready. Rocks' own strength was unfathomable. And then there was that Raiver Sky...
At the thought of that young man, a shadow crossed Sengoku's eyes. He had assumed that with Tsuru assisting Zephyr, even if Raiver Sky were strong, he wouldn't escape their encirclement. Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit ability naturally countered most Paramecia types, and Zephyr's physical skills and Haki were among the Navy's finest. Together, they could force even a powerhouse like Golden Lion to retreat temporarily.
Yet Raiver Sky's strength far exceeded expectations. Not only did he use his bizarre Devil Fruit ability and masterful swordsmanship to push Zephyr into a difficult fight, but he also found an opening despite Tsuru's coordination and severely wounded her in one blow. This setback to the Navy's top-tier forces allowed Golden Lion Shiki to seize the opportunity and take the Celestial Tribute unimpeded.
All the variables stemmed from that young man named Raiver Sky.
"All Navy forces—follow Garp!" Sengoku ordered through gritted teeth, watching the resolute figure charging ahead, his tone betraying deep helplessness.
That bastard may be impulsive, reckless, and repeatedly defies orders, but...
Meanwhile, Garp's figure shot forward like a rocket, white ripples spreading through the air beneath his feet.
These were sonic booms produced from the ultimate combination of "Shave" and "Moon Walk."
His eyes were fixed solely on the fleet gradually disappearing in the distance, the boiling rage in his chest churning like magma.
The image of Tsuru severely wounded and unconscious flashed repeatedly through his mind.
"Rocks... Raiver Sky..."
Garp gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples:
"I... will never let you get away!"
...
In the distance, the Rocks Pirates were returning to their ship.
"Gurarara... That guy Garp is actually chasing us?!"
Whitebeard looked up at the figure shooting through the air like a cannonball and laughed heartily.
"Gehahaha... Once he exhausts his stamina, he'll naturally retreat!"
By now, Shiki had also returned to the ship.
As for the transport ship carrying the Celestial Tribute, it was being pulled by his Float-Float Fruit ability, suspended a thousand meters in the air and flying rapidly toward Hachinosu Island.
In Shiki's view, Garp's pursuit was nothing but helpless rage.
No matter how strong one person might be, they couldn't possibly challenge the entire Rocks Pirates alone.
Once Garp exhausted his Haki and stamina, he would naturally know to retreat.
Captain Rocks stood on the stern deck, arms crossed, his black cloak perfectly still.
He glanced at Garp chasing closely behind but said nothing.
He too understood that Garp was merely acting on momentary fury and would leave once his strength was depleted.
"Hmm? Seems like we're missing someone..."
Whitebeard scanned the surroundings, his brow slightly furrowed:
"Where did that kid Raiver Sky go?"
At these words, the deck fell silent.
Indeed, no one had seen Raiver Sky since the retreat began.
"Right! I also felt something was off earlier, haven't seen Raiver Sky at all! Could it be... that kid was captured by the Marines?!"
Hearing this, Whitebeard snapped irritably:
"Shiki, shut your crow's mouth!"
As Whitebeard and Shiki argued, Rocks beside them looked up at the sky, his expression calm as still water.
Rocks knew exactly where Raiver Sky was.
From the intense battle to the retreat, his vast Observation Haki had continuously enveloped the entire sea.
After repelling Zephyr, Raiver Sky hadn't immediately returned to the ship but hovered in the air for a few moments, as if waiting for something.
Then, the kid flew off in a certain direction—not back toward the ship, but...
Toward the flank of Garp's pursuit route.
A barely noticeable curve lifted the corner of Rocks' mouth.
He had always held this rookie in high regard, not just because of Raiver Sky's strength and potential, but also because of that calmness that belied his age.
From the moment Raiver Sky volunteered to intercept Zephyr to create an opportunity for Shiki to seize the Celestial Tribute, Rocks had recognized—
This kid wasn't just a simple battle maniac.
"Look!"
Suddenly, a pirate on the ship cried out in alarm.
Behind them, the clouds a hundred meters above Garp's head suddenly shattered.
A pitch-black slash descended from the heavens, striking down with immense speed!
"No way! That kid Raiver Sky... is actually trying to intercept Garp?!"
Shiki froze in place, his face full of shock.
The memory of Garp's punch was still fresh in his mind.
"Gurarara... That kid Raiver Sky always manages to surprise us!"
Even Newgate was stunned for a moment before bursting into loud laughter.
Meanwhile, Garp, who was in hot pursuit, suddenly received a danger warning through his Observation Haki.
He immediately used "Moon Walk" in conjunction with "Shave," his figure shifting thirty meters to the right like an afterimage.
At the very moment he moved away—
Whoosh—!!!
The space where he had been standing was violently torn apart by a ferocious slash.