With Gion's injuries…
Even without a finishing blow, the severity of her wounds and excessive blood loss meant she would die within a minute.
Maude saw this, yet he still insisted on delivering one final strike. Even as he was sent flying by Garp's fist, his instinct was to draw his gun and fire another shot to ensure the kill.
This act of determination was nothing more than ingrained habit.
What he hadn't expected was that ever since Ace had escaped the execution platform, Garp—who had been deliberately keeping a low profile—would shift his focus at this moment, stepping in to shield Gion from the finishing blow.
Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had not participated in battle since the war began, had now emerged.
But it was too late.
The final slash that tore through Gion's body had completely severed her last chance of survival.
Hearing Maude's words, both Tsuru and Garp's expressions changed slightly.
At that moment, Gion finally collapsed to the ground.
"Gion…"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's heart clenched as she caught Gion in her arms.
Blood gushed from Gion's wounds, instantly soaking Tsuru's pristine white Marine uniform in crimson.
For someone who remained unshaken even in the face of calamity, Tsuru's face now bore an unprecedented look of tension.
She quickly examined Gion's injuries, but the results made her heart sink.
Gion's chest rose and fell weakly. Her bloodstained hands clutched at Tsuru's sleeve with all her remaining strength. Her lips moved, her voice barely a whisper.
"Ma… Maude… will definitely become a threat the Navy cannot ignore… He must… be eliminated… cough cough…"
Even in her dying moments, this woman, who lived by the principle of "eliminating threats before they can grow," chose to spend her final breath expressing her enmity toward Maude.
Tsuru could feel Gion's unwavering resolve. She clasped Gion's bloodstained hand and remained silent, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Little Gion."
Garp glanced at the blood-covered Gion before shifting his gaze toward Maude. The veins at the corners of his eyes bulged as anger slowly crept onto his face.
Being glared at by the legendary Marine hero, Maude remained unfazed. His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze drifted over to Garp's left leg.
"It seems that, in the eyes of the so-called Marine hero, the life of a mere vice admiral is more important than executing the son of the Pirate King. Truly, I pity those Marines who laid down their lives resisting Whitebeard's advance."
"..."
Garp's pupils contracted. Even the veins on his clenched fist protruded violently.
Faced with Maude's cutting words, he found himself unable to refute them.
"What's wrong? That look in your eyes… are you planning to take me down?"
Maude's expression remained calm. His gaze lingered on Garp's left leg one last time before he abandoned a fleeting, unrealistic thought in his mind.
As he spoke, Maude willed his shadow back from its battle with Tokikake.
With the shadow clone gone, Tokikake was finally able to reach Gion's side.
However…
It was too late.
He stared in shock at Gion's bloodied form, her life rapidly slipping away.
"This is my fault…"
Realizing that Gion was beyond saving, Tokikake's face twisted with grief and rage.
"Maude!"
His eyes burned with fury as he snapped his head toward Maude, his gaze like that of a beast ready to devour its prey.
Yet Maude remained indifferent.
Before the eyes of Garp, Tsuru, and Tokikake, Maude enveloped himself with his shadow.
Shadow Flow – Twin Fish Circulation!
The constantly shifting shadow sank into Maude's body, forming dark, rippling waves that wrapped around him.
Once the shadow fully merged with Maude, he could no longer use techniques like Phase Shift, which required external shadow manipulation. However, his offensive and defensive capabilities were drastically enhanced.
If Armament Haki was an invisible suit of armor…
Then when Maude activated Twin Fish Circulation, it was as if he had donned an extra layer of armor beyond what anyone else could achieve.
Unfortunately, he had no additional shadows in reserve. Otherwise, he could have combined it with Shadow's Asgard, pushing this form to its absolute peak.
"I still have 'business' to attend to, but I'll remain here until she takes her final breath."
Maude held his saber in one hand and his pistol in the other, his expression calm as he faced the battle-ready Garp and Tokikake.
The implication was clear—he was giving them a chance to regain their honor.
"You bastard!!"
Tokikake's face twisted. His seemingly lean frame suddenly swelled.
Muscles. Bones.
They expanded at a visible rate, more than doubling his original size.
With his body drastically transformed, Tokikake stomped the ground with force.
Boom!
The earth cracked beneath his feet.
In an instant, he flashed before Maude, his fist—brimming with overwhelming fury—hurtling toward Maude's face.
His speed and strength were so great that the air itself exploded with a deafening crack.
Faced with this enraged punch…
Maude merely swung his blade, precisely intercepting Tokikake's Haki-infused fist.
With superior strength, he effortlessly sent Tokikake flying.
BOOM!
The shockwave from the clash cracked the ground, the fractures spreading toward Garp's position.
Tokikake's body shot through the air like an arrow, crashing violently into the execution platform's rear wall.
With a resounding impact, the wall caved in, leaving behind a massive crater as dust billowed into the air.
At that moment, the light in Gion's eyes finally dimmed.
Through the feedback from the Hunter's Notebook, Maude instantly confirmed Gion's death.
"The strong live, the weak die. This world… is just that simple."
Maude cast a calm glance at the woman who had repeatedly tried to kill him.
He was strong, so she failed to take his life.
She was weak, so she perished at his hands.
Good and evil, right and wrong—
In a world unbound by laws, only strength truly mattered.
Garp paid no attention to Maude's words.
Torn between duty and personal feelings, the only way for him to make a stand was to strike Maude down where he stood.
Whoosh!
With an overwhelming aura, Garp launched himself at Maude.
"I don't have time to play with you right now."
As Garp charged, Maude—having confirmed Gion's death—had no intention of staying. Without hesitation, he withdrew at full speed, heading toward Sabo's position.
In the short time he had battled Gion, Sabo's situation had grown increasingly dire.
With Aokiji, Akainu, and Fujitora against them, even with Ace, Marco, Morley, and Karasu on their side, they were barely holding the line.
But their enemies weren't just the three admirals—they also had to contend with the elite Marines and vice admirals swarming the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates were being bombarded.
Had it only been this, they might have managed to hold their ground.
But Gion had severely wounded Zoro, and Tokikake had nullified Bartolomeo's barrier abilities.
Without that absolute defense, the Navy's sheer numbers became overwhelming.
A gravely injured Zoro further slowed their escape.
If nothing changed, their chances of breaking free were nearly nonexistent.
However…
A new force had entered the battlefield.
The Blackbeard Pirates had begun slaughtering their way through Marines and pirates alike.
And the biggest unknown factor remained—Maude.
"Zehahaha!"
Blackbeard's maniacal laughter echoed, sending a chill down the spines of Marines and pirates alike.
They attacked both sides indiscriminately, their madness striking fear into all who watched the broadcast.
Their ruthless actions sent chills down the spines of countless viewers watching from behind their screens.
And in the midst of this chaos, the presence of Maude was, to some extent, overshadowed by the Blackbeard Pirates.
As the live broadcast continued, the world's attention gradually shifted toward Blackbeard and his crew.
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