Except for the thunderous roar from the sky at the moment of the attack, the expansion of the energy pillars was silent, as if intending to annihilate everything. In fact, the entire sea was being annihilated.
"What... what is this?!" Garp and Aokiji's expressions changed drastically. The pillars were expanding towards them with incredible speed. Ramirez had taken his own personal guards, so they could disregard them, but the people on their own ships were their trusted soldiers.
And this energy surge from the pillars was too terrifying!
"Fist Bone, Meteorite!" Garp instantly entered a state of highest alert, releasing his Haki to its utmost limit without any reservation. He threw a punch, the very airflow driven by his fist, forming a solid wall that crashed towards the rapidly expanding pillar alongside his strike.
Aokiji also acted instantly: "Ice Age."
Boom!
Garp's punch, like a cataclysm, shattered the elemental pillar that had expanded almost to their position. In the moment of shattering, countless droplets of compressed seawater fell onto the ship's railing, easily piercing the steel armor of the hull. Innumerable bolts of lightning splashed over like liquid, and dispersed light particles riddled the masts with holes.
Fortunately, Aokiji acted quickly, only a half-beat behind Garp. Before the scattered energy could cause greater damage, his strongest freezing power overflowed. A wall of ice rose from the sea, blocking the continuing cascade of dispersing energy attacks.
Sssss! But his freezing ability, normally capable of freezing magma, was struggling to hold.
"Wall of Ice and Iron!" Seeing this, Aokiji pressed his other hand against the ice wall. With a crackling sound, more ice formed, reinforcing the wall, which finally held.
Only when he sensed the energy discharge had ceased did Aokiji remove the ice wall. But looking at the sea before him, even as an Admiral, he was stunned by the sight.
Before them, a void had been carved out of the sea, a cavity over ten kilometers in diameter. Within this range, the seawater had almost vanished, leaving a bottomless black hole.
Even after the attack ceased, seawater continuously rushed in from other areas, yet it couldn't fill the abyss immediately.
At the harbor, Issho and Rayleigh remained in defensive postures. Just moments ago, they too had sensed the attack was excessively powerful, threatening to reach the harbor despite the distance.
Fortunately, they had remained vigilant.
"Oh my god, what... what is this? Did the sea up ahead disappear? What is happening?!"
"I must be dreaming. How can something like this be possible?"
"What kind of power is this, to be so strong?" Issho was also deeply shocked. An attack of this nature, launched so quickly with such immense power, was extremely dangerous even for experts of their caliber if used effectively.
Being at the epicenter would likely mean a slim chance of survival. For Devil Fruit users, it might mean certain death, as the seawater would hinder their abilities.
"This method of attack... could Crocodile have already obtained an Ancient Weapon?" Even Rayleigh himself was astonished. This attack was far too similar to the legendary lost battleship, the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
"Is Ramirez dead?" Garp's expression was grim, exceptionally serious. Surviving an attack like that would be difficult unless one could anticipate it beforehand.
"He should be alive. At the last moment, I think I saw him throw his weapon to block the attack. If I recall correctly, that weapon was the Dragon Sword, a very rare treasure of the World Government." Aokiji replied.
"Prepare for a search. See if anyone else survived. Also, find the attacker immediately." Vice Admiral Doberman said, still shaken. If Garp and Aokiji hadn't acted just now,
given their own strength, surviving such an attack would have been impossible.
"No need to search. It should be that ship. Give chase at full force. Don't scatter. If we separate from my or Kuzan's defensive range, we might not be able to withstand another attack like that. Report to the World Government immediately. State that there is a suspected sighting of an Ancient Weapon."
Garp's words sent shockwaves. Even Aokiji was unsettled. "Vice Admiral Garp, is that true? Do Ancient Weapons truly still exist?"
Some secrets were unknown even to Admirals, known only to those who had been in contact with or were among the highest-ranking World Government officials. The stakes were immense, touching upon the survival of the world.
"I'm not certain, but power like this... Rocks once wielded something similar, though it was incomplete..." Garp recalled the pirate crew that once sought to overthrow the world, a shiver running through him.
If not for a combination of fortunate circumstances and an alliance with Roger back then, defeating Rocks' captain would have been nearly impossible.
Even so, they had barely won a bloody battle. The loss of skilled fighters was devastating, and it took the World Government and Marine Headquarters a long time to recover.
If something similar truly appeared and fell into the hands of a powerful individual, the danger would be immense.
"They've spotted us. They're turning their ships towards us. Should we attack again?" Enel asked.
"No. There's no need to provoke them completely right now. Just making them wary is enough." Rosen had no intention of facing an enraged Garp. The goal had been achieved. Now, they would wait for the World Government's reaction.
To see which was more important: dealing with him, or dealing with the Andia Kingdom.
"You... you bastards! This is trouble! Is the Dragon Sword destroyed?" Ramirez was covered in blood, barely able to move. Fortunately, he wasn't truly a Devil Fruit user; as seawater rushed back in, his body slowly began to float.
But the Dragon Sword was destroyed, significantly weakening his power, and he could no longer use its abilities. This was also a major blunder; the World Government would likely not forgive him easily. Yet he felt no regret. Was it not natural to be punished for doing wrong?
A Marine warship waited until the sea had filled the earlier cavity before slowly sailing over to retrieve him. If he hadn't used the Dragon Sword to block the attack at the critical moment, and if his sixth sense hadn't warned him to retreat some distance, he would likely be dead now.
"Damn it! Who ambushed me... cough cough..." Ramirez was furious, blood spilling from his mouth.
"It's the Dawn Pirates." Garp and the others saw the flag on the massive ship and immediately recognized their opponents.
"After them." Garp gave the order. It seemed he couldn't hold back this time. It was unfortunate, but if Crocodile truly wielded such power, the danger they posed might indeed approach that of the Four Emperors.
"Yes, full speed ahead."
But moments later, the navigator said helplessly, "Vice Admiral Garp, our warships can't catch them. They're too fast. Their maneuvers are varied and highly agile, seemingly quite different from how we control our vessels."
"Hmm. Do your best to stay on their tail. Have all nearby Marine bases mobilize every available vessel to establish a defensive perimeter across the seas. We must track their movements."
"Yes, sir."
Holy Land.
"Lord Imu. Pirates suspected of wielding an ancient power have appeared." The Five Elders, upon receiving Garp's intelligence, immediately proceeded to a grand hall to meet with the supreme leader of the Celestial Dragons.
"Is it the D clan?"
"No."
"Hmm. Then handle it as you see fit."
"Yes, sir."
"Several hundred years have passed, and you've never managed to do anything to me. As long as all dangers are nipped in the bud, no one can threaten me. Prophecy? It is but a joke." After the Five Elders departed, Imu gazed at the massive straw hat and spoke calmly.
(End of Chapter)