Chapter 681: The Passion of the Elderly!
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Garp was blasted away by the monster.
The creature opened its huge maw, black energy swirling inside as it lunged straight at him. If that thing bit down on Garp, the consequences would be disastrous.
Smack!
A giant golden hand came crashing down in an instant.
The monster was pinned on the spot.
At the same time, while it was being suppressed, wisps of black mist surged up and blocked its path, forcing back Sengoku's attack.
"This is..."
Only then did Garp notice the monster's weakness.
These monsters were actually the same as the earlier ones. The only real difference was the black mist contained within them.
Sengoku's strike had torn open a breach in the black aura covering the monster's body.
"Die!"
Garp seized the opening and punched directly at the weakest point in the black aura.
Crack... bang!
In the next moment, Garp shattered the monster's defense.
Then he killed it with a single punch.
"Sengoku, I found it..."
"Sengoku!"
Garp was just about to tell him the good news when he saw Sengoku was already on the verge of collapse.
He had been forced to maintain his abilities for a long time while fighting nonstop against these monsters. Under that kind of pressure, Sengoku's aging body could no longer endure it.
Even with life essence, if this battle dragged on, they would still die.
"Hurry, now is not the time to fight."
"Move!"
Tsuru rushed over immediately.
Because Garp had killed one monster, a large gap had opened in the encirclement.
The moment that opening appeared, Tsuru grabbed both of them and prepared to retreat first.
If they could not get out now, they might all die here.
The information from this place had to be delivered as soon as possible.
These monsters also had to be treated as a top priority.
Damn it, where did all this stuff come from?!
Even while thinking that, Tsuru dragged the two of them away at top speed.
"Haa..."
Just then, black mist began pouring out from the monsters' bodies.
At incredible speed, it blocked the path of the three of them.
The monsters used that mist to surround them once again.
It was as if the monsters were not the true bodies at all, but vessels carrying and moving this black mist.
"Is there really no other way...?"
Tsuru sat down on the ground, a rare helplessness in her voice.
Even though she possessed a powerful ability, she simply could not use it against these monsters.
The mist and the energy released by the monsters interfered with her powers.
And while Tsuru was not weak in close combat, she was nowhere near Garp and Sengoku in that regard.
So in the short term, there was almost nothing she could do to help.
She could only observe.
That was why Tsuru felt so desperate.
As the one watching from the side the entire time, she understood their situation better than anyone.
Even with Garp's stubbornness and Sengoku's desperate struggle...
It was already too late to reverse the situation.
"Little Tsuru, it is rare to see that expression on your face!"
Garp suddenly grinned.
"But this is not the time to despair."
"In a moment, Sengoku and I will risk our lives to tear open a gap in their defense."
"When that happens, you must leave immediately!"
Garp took out a bottle of life essence and poured it into his mouth.
His previously exhausted, sluggish condition changed instantly, as if he had been injected with a stimulant. In a flash, he looked fully revived.
Glug glug...
Sengoku said nothing, but his actions made his stance clear.
He drank the life essence directly.
That was the best preparation for the next round of battle.
"You..."
Tsuru stopped, then slowly nodded.
"I understand."
She knew very well that, at this moment, she was the most suitable person for that role.
She could not tear through a defense like this.
But she was the only one who still had enough condition left to escape immediately.
Just like earlier, if she had not been dragging the two of them, the black mist would not have been able to stop her so easily.
It was not that Tsuru was cold hearted. In the current situation, there was simply no other choice.
If all three of them died here, then none of the information from this place would ever get out.
And these monsters would eventually drag the whole world into crisis.
"Good!"
Garp laughed loudly.
"So, Sengoku, are you ready?"
"Let us hope this is not our last big fight!"
The instant he finished speaking, his aura exploded outward.
"Yo!"
Sengoku's eyes sharpened as he stepped forward.
"It has been a long time since I let myself go like this, ever since I became Fleet Admiral."
"Sure enough, life is much more interesting when I am with you!"
Even Sengoku's voice carried a rare heat.
Seeing the two of them like this, Tsuru could not help but tear up.
These two idiots were still just as reckless as they had always been.
And yet, she did not hate that recklessness at all.
Soon, the two of them began launching a fierce counterattack against the monsters.
And they had only one objective.
Open a path for Tsuru to escape.
The black mist clearly sensed their intention, and it immediately strengthened the defense in the areas where Garp and Sengoku were attacking.
At the same time, the surrounding monsters also started pressing hard against the two of them.
As for Tsuru, she was still being protected behind them.
The scene instantly reminded her of their days as new recruits.
Even during missions at sea back then, the two of them had protected her from behind in exactly the same way.
She had never imagined that at this age, she would experience this again.
Boom boom boom boom...
The two of them kept attacking and counterattacking.
The intensity of this battle had already surpassed the one from earlier.
For a moment, the speed at which the black mist gathered could no longer keep up with the speed at which it was being destroyed.
Buzz!
With a tremor, a large amount of black mist surged over all at once.
A towering wall formed directly in front of Garp and Sengoku.
The monsters also opened their mouths and began inhaling the black mist continuously.
Their speed, strength, and defense all rose once again.
"Tsuru!"
At that moment, Sengoku grabbed Tsuru and hurled her backward.
"I know!"
"You must survive. Do not die!"
"I am going to find the Dragon Hunter Pirates right now!"
As she was thrown away, Tsuru shouted at the top of her lungs.
Then she was flung directly out of the black mist encirclement.
Garp and Sengoku's all out assault had just drawn in a huge amount of black mist.
Those black wisps had focused on the two attackers and temporarily ignored Tsuru, who had not made a move.
The moment she broke free of the encirclement, Tsuru vanished from the spot.
She was also highly proficient in the Navy's Six Powers.
"Captain Ryuunosuke?!"
The moment Tsuru emerged, she saw Ryuunosuke and the other three rushing toward her.
The instant she recognized them, Tsuru, who had originally planned to leave the Red Line in one breath, suddenly lost all strength.
"Sister Tsuru?"
"Sabo, take care of Sister Tsuru for now. I am going in to check."
After Ryuunosuke finished speaking, he rushed forward immediately.
"Sabo, I leave it to you."
Ace also charged in at once.
"Sabo is the most reliable, so I am going too."
After Luffy said that, he launched himself like a rocket and vanished from the spot.
"Huh?!"
Sabo, who had just been preparing to go with them, was left completely stunned.
What was going on?
They came together, and now he was the only one left behind?
"Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, are you alright?"
Just as Sabo was still frozen in confusion, Najenda and the others arrived.
Seeing Tsuru's condition, Najenda asked with concern.
"I am fine."
"But both Garp and Sengoku may be in very bad shape."
Tsuru looked toward the black mist ahead, her expression full of worry.
Even though Ryuunosuke had gone in, she still could not relax.
These monsters were definitely not the strongest ones yet.
No one knew what might appear next.
.....
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