Garp was a top-tier powerhouse seasoned by countless battles. Although he was extremely interested in Valthior's unusual condition and wanted to further gauge his strength—
Now clearly wasn't the time to act recklessly.
"Got it. We're pulling out!" Garp responded immediately.
Taking advantage of the moment when Valthior's massive Susanoo had been knocked down, the three quickly regrouped and rushed toward the sea.
By the time they reached the shoreline in a few strides, Valthior had already risen again.
But instead of stabilizing his damaged Susanoo, he condensed all his Haki into the axe blade.
Just as Garp and the others were about to leave the island, Valthior roared and hurled the Conqueror's Haki-forged axe straight toward the shore!
Sensing the danger closing in from behind, Sengoku abruptly turned around. As he leapt into the air, golden light burst from his body, transforming him once again into a massive Buddha. He thrust both hands forward:
"Buddha Light!"
A radiant golden shield materialized behind them.
In the next instant, the gigantic axe slammed heavily into the shield. A piercing cracking sound rang out, and Sengoku's expression changed:
"This really is pure Haki!?"
Haki naturally suppresses Devil Fruit abilities. After holding for only a brief moment, the Buddha Light shattered violently.
But that brief delay was more than enough for someone of Sengoku's caliber.
The massive Buddha swung a backhand palm strike, infused with Conqueror's Haki, smashing into the axe.
Boom!
The two forces of Conqueror's Haki collided and exploded. The Susanoo axe shattered completely, turning into violent currents that dispersed into the air.
Sengoku glanced at the faint cracks appearing on his golden palm, his expression grave. He stepped through the air several times (Geppo) to shed the momentum, landing precisely in the submarine.
At this moment, Zephyr had already enveloped the entire submarine with his Haki. The waiting Marine soldiers quickly got the vessel moving. Sengoku sealed the hatch with one hand—
And they retreated at full speed.
In truth, if anyone had wanted to stop them, there were plenty of strong fighters on the battlefield capable of doing so.
But not a single one made a move.
Clearly, no one wanted to clash head-on with the Marines.
After all, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp all looked to be in excellent condition. If they were forced into a full-scale battle, no one could guarantee it would end well.
...
On the other side—
The moment Valthior threw the axe, his Susanoo completely dissipated.
Now half-kneeling amid the ruins, he clutched his right eye with one hand. Blood seeped continuously through his fingers as he panted heavily, acutely aware of how rapidly his stamina was draining.
The power awakened by the Mangekyō Sharingan was far more than just Susanoo.
At the moment of awakening, each of his eyes had gained a distinct ability.
The ability of his right eye was called Besshi Hachiman.
It symbolized unending life and endless battle.
Its effect was simple and brutal—it allowed him to convert stamina into mental energy, and vice versa.
Earlier, when he forcibly amplified his Conqueror's Haki to suppress Garp, he had relied on this ability—converting his stamina into mental power and channeling it into his Conqueror's Haki.
That was why, to outsiders, it seemed like Valthior's Conqueror's Haki was absurdly powerful from the very moment it awakened.
Likewise, in the future, as his Conqueror's Haki naturally grew stronger through experience, he could reverse the process—converting that power back into stamina during battle, allowing for prolonged combat or even recovery.
However, the strain of forcibly boosting his Haki had consequences.
Right now, blood was flowing nonstop from his right eye, and his vision had begun to deteriorate slightly.
"Damn it… If I want to fully utilize the Mangekyō Sharingan, I'd need the so-called Eternal Mangekyō… but the problem is, I'm the only one in this world with these eyes. Where the hell am I supposed to get another pair to fuse with?" Valthior thought, feeling the sharp pain in his right eye.
Am I going to go blind if I keep using it?
…Wait, not necessarily.
Aside from the Eternal Mangekyō, enhanced regeneration—like Hashirama's cells—could also offset the strain.
But that kind of power doesn't exist in this world.
The Forest-Forest Fruit?
If I hadn't eaten this Ice Zheng fruit and instead got that… could I…
…Hmm?
Regeneration?
Thinking from that angle, the reason the Mangekyō leads to blindness is because the body's recovery can't keep up with the consumption of ocular power.
But Zoan users naturally have strong recovery abilities.
And as a Mythical Zoan, I'm even better than most.
Compared to before, the pain in my right eye has already lessened after the fight. The slight loss of vision hasn't recovered yet—but what if I awaken my fruit in the future?
With the regeneration of an awakened Mythical Zoan… maybe I can avoid going blind altogether?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Valthior was just about to examine the ability of his left eye—
When suddenly, the ground beneath him surged!
In an instant, his lower body was swallowed into the earth, locking him firmly in place.
Before he could break free—
A flying slash from above shot straight toward him!
"Sorry, Valthior. You're too much of a threat. I've got no choice but to take your life first!" Shiki's voice rang out as he chased the attack from the sky, murderous intent in his eyes.
"SHIKI!!!" Gaban roared, hurling his axe forward to intercept the slash.
At the same time, Rayleigh accelerated, his figure flashing repeatedly as he rushed toward Valthior.
Just as Shiki's slash was about to collide with Gaban's axe—
The Mangekyō in Valthior's left eye began to spin.
The intricate pattern seemed to ripple with something indescribable—like distortions in space, or perhaps something even more mysterious.
As his gaze locked onto Shiki's incoming slash, a ripple passed over it—
And then, the slash vanished into thin air.
This sudden change not only caused Gaban's axe to miss, but also made Shiki's eyes flash with surprise.
Before Valthior could fully process what had happened, Rayleigh had already arrived and drawn his blade, clashing with Shiki.
Gaban quickly followed, retrieving his fallen axe before supporting Valthior.
"The rubbing of the Poneglyph—is it safe?" Gaban asked.
"Safe…" Valthior rreplied, patting his chest.
"Then we're leaving. Our objective's complete. No need to get dragged into Shiki and Newgate's feud," Gaban said decisively.
Without waiting for a response, he hoisted Valthior onto his shoulder and quickly retreated from the increasingly chaotic battlefield.
...
At the same time, Valthior felt his left Mangekyō activate again.
In the next moment, the slash that had vanished earlier suddenly reappeared at its original position—
And struck down violently at the spot where Valthior had just been standing… missing completely.
This bizarre phenomenon left both Shiki and Rayleigh puzzled as they continued fighting.
What the hell was that?
"Shiji no Mikoto…" Valthior murmured softly.
That was the ability of his left Mangekyō.
It seemed to be related to manipulating or delaying time.
But the exact mechanics were still unclear to him. Compared to the straightforward brutality of Besshi Hachiman, this power was far more complex and would require further experimentation to understand.
...
Amidst the chaotic battlefield, the Roger Pirates began to regroup, covering one another as they steadily retreated toward the Oro Jackson.
Whitebeard and Roger had already ceased fighting.
Shiki, having failed to assassinate Valthior, also disengaged after clashing briefly with Rayleigh.
Both sides realized the Roger Pirates were withdrawing.
Neither made any attempt to stop them.
After all, no one wanted to draw the full hostility of the Roger Pirates onto themselves.
Without Roger, World, and the Marine Admirals interfering, this battlefield should have belonged to Shiki and Newgate alone.
Perhaps they wouldn't continue the battle afterward—this place was already in complete chaos.
But for now, neither side showed any intention of retreating first.
They simply allowed the Roger Pirates to leave.
...
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