Kaido's Boro Breath was not only immense in power but covered a staggering area; it was a blast capable of pulverizing a small mountain in an instant. While Rowan could easily defend himself against such a move, the thousand Marine soldiers behind him would be wiped out.
Furthermore, Kaido's draconic form hadn't slowed down after exhaling; he was charging forward at full tilt, clearly intent on giving Rowan no chance to counter. To make matters worse, Big Mom followed close behind him, riding her cloud Zeus into the fray.
Rowan's situation appeared to be in dire straits!
BOOM! BOOM!!
However, just as the Boro Breath was about to reach Rowan's position, the air suddenly shrieked with a series of ear-piercing sonic booms. Doflamingo and King sensed it first, their heads snapping upward. Even the diving Kaido felt the anomaly and glanced up.
The moment he did, he saw a white blur shooting toward him like a humanoid dragon. The figure was moving so fast that even in his Azure Dragon form, Kaido was unable to dodge.
In the span of a single breath, the white blur appeared before Kaido's face. A fist, backed by the weight of absolute justice, slammed heavily into the dragon's skull.
KABOOM!!!
The collision sounded like the world itself was cracking open. Kaido's massive draconic body was physically hammered to a halt, his downward momentum completely neutralized by that single strike!
"What happened?!" "Who did that?!"
Because the speed of the white silhouette was so extreme, only a handful of the top-tier powerhouses on the sea could see clearly. But everyone knew that stopping a diving Azure Dragon required a force that defied common logic.
The onlookers watched, mouths agape, as Kaido—reeling from the impact—lost control of his flight and tumbled toward the sea. He managed to stabilize himself just feet above the waves, his dragon scales trembling.
"So... so strong..."
"Who is that guy?!" someone screamed, pointing toward the sky.
A figure was now suspended in mid-air above the waves. He had gray-white hair and a matching beard, his muscular frame stretching a white suit to its limits. Over his shoulders hung a Marine Justice coat. The two gold stars on his epaulettes designated his rank as a Vice Admiral.
But when the pirates saw his face, their expressions turned to pure, unadulterated terror.
"That face... there's no mistake..." "It's him..." "The Hero of the Marines... Garp the Fist!"
Compared to Rowan's title of "Godfather," the name "Hero Garp" was far more legendary in the pirate world. The old man standing there with a grim, terrifying expression was the man who had dismantled the Rocks Pirates and driven the Pirate King, Roger, into a corner dozens of times.
The punch that had just sent the "Strongest Creature" spinning in the air was none other than Garp's legendary fist!
"Ice Age!"
While the pirates were still reeling, a lazy voice echoed from the island behind Garp. Suddenly, a massive wall of ice erupted from the ground, instantly forming a jagged mountain in front of Rowan and the Marines.
CRASH!!!
Kaido's Boro Breath slammed into the ice. Though the intense heat reduced the ice mountain to slush and steam, the attack was successfully neutralized.
As the steam cleared, a tall man wearing a blue shirt, white vest, and white trousers appeared. He looked at the shattered ice and let out a weary sigh. "Arara... glad I made it in time."
He looked lazy, but to the pirates, he was as terrifying as a demon. The moment he uttered "Ice Age," his identity was revealed: Marine Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan!
"Mr. Rowan, you alright?" Kuzan asked nonchalantly, walking to Rowan's side.
Rowan looked at Aokiji, then up at Garp in the sky, and chuckled. "Why are you all here?"
As he spoke, Rowan looked toward another side of the island. There stood a man in a crimson suit and a Marine cap, his Justice coat fluttering in the wind. He glanced at the surrounding pirates, then fixed his gaze on Big Mom. He tightened his leather gloves and spoke in a raspy, low voice.
"This ocean has no room for scum like you to run rampant anymore..."
As he spoke, thick black smoke began to pour from his right arm. In an instant, his entire limb transformed into bubbling, glowing magma. He aimed his molten fist at Big Mom.
BOOM!
A massive fist of lava—Great Eruption—shot through the air with terrifying force.
"This brat..." Big Mom's face darkened as she steered Zeus backward to dodge the scorching projectile. Though she escaped, the volcanic debris from the explosion rained down on the surrounding pirate ships, setting many ablaze.
The pirates felt their hearts stop once again as they identified the man who had just forced a Yonko to retreat.
"Marine Admiral... Akainu, Sakazuki!"
"Admiral Sakazuki is here too!" The Marine soldiers cheered, their despair instantly replaced by soaring morale.
With Mr. Rowan, Mr. Garp, and two Admirals present, even a combined front by Kaido and Big Mom would be crushed!
"Oh so many pirates gathered here, even the Four Emperors are all present. How scaaaary" A slow, drawling voice suddenly drifted into everyone's ears.