As the words fell, fist shadows once again whistled through the air, and blade light remained sharp and fierce. The duel between the two escalated once more.
Meanwhile, Chinjao and Cracker, who had been sent flying, struggled to get up, their eyes filled with nothing but disbelief and shock.
Their proud strength, in the face of these two top-tier powerhouses, was as insignificant as ants.
The surrounding Marines and pirates were so terrified they didn't dare breathe, completely awestruck by the scene, even their breaths becoming cautious.
In an instant, the entire G-2 Branch base became the stage for Mihawk and Garp!
The scene just now, witnessed by Perona, left her staring in disbelief at the center of the battlefield in the G-2 Branch.
This was the first time she had seen a battle between the top powerhouses of the sea, and the first time she realized that the Moria-sama she revered was no different from an ant when facing opponents of this caliber.
Even Chinjao and Cracker, who had just been sent flying by Garp and Mihawk, were formidable figures in her eyes—each capable of destroying the entire Thriller Bark—yet they couldn't withstand a single move from Garp or Mihawk!
"So scary, so scary, so scary!" After witnessing the true world, Perona's body trembled uncontrollably.
Suddenly, she grabbed Ivan's sleeve, trying to flee. "Hey, let's run! We were too naive before. This kind of battle is not something we can participate in!"
This time, Ivan didn't tease Perona. Instead, he held her hand and shook his head slightly.
"It's too late. We can't escape now!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? We can clearly run…" Perona stopped mid-sentence.
She realized that, at some point, the two of them had been surrounded by two groups of people.
And the leaders of these two groups were none other than Chinjao and Cracker, who had just been sent flying by Garp and Mihawk with a single move!
Cracker spoke first, his voice hoarse but filled with undeniable arrogance and rage, each word seeming to be squeezed through gritted teeth:
"Escape? You can't escape now!
You saw clearly how I was sent flying by that bastard Mihawk with a single move. Now you think you can just walk away? Impossible!
If you dare laugh at me, you'll pay the price!
You two brats, since you've stumbled into this, don't think you'll leave alive. Perfect—I'll vent my anger from earlier by taking your lives!"
Perona trembled in fear, shrinking into a ball and clutching Ivan's sleeve tightly. Her fingertips were icy cold, and her voice carried a sob:
"H-how… how did this happen…? It was Garp and Mihawk who injured you. Why aren't you going after them? Why are you targeting us?
We didn't do anything. We just happened to see…"
Hearing this, Chinjao's mouth twitched violently, his face instantly turning even uglier. A flicker of humiliation and resentment flashed in his eyes.
Perona's words had struck a nerve.
How could he not want revenge against Garp?
But the force of that punch still lingered in his mind, a terrifying memory. That overwhelming Haki was simply beyond his current ability to contend with.
If he could truly defeat Garp, he would have sought revenge long ago when his skull was crushed, instead of waiting until today to endure this humiliation.
Chinjao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage and resentment in his heart. The ferocity and hatred on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deliberately feigned gentleness:
"Kid, that guy Garp isn't someone I can deal with right now.
In this world, weakness is the original sin. Just as Garp can easily humiliate me, someone stronger than me can just as easily humiliate you.
Now, hurry up and use that special Earth Release ability of yours to sneak into the room where the Devil Fruit is stored and steal it for me. If you do, I might still spare your lives.
Otherwise, you'll die right here today!"
Upon hearing this, Perona trembled in fear, shrinking even closer behind Ivan. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice shook even more:
"I... we won't go! Garp and Mihawk are there—going would mean certain death! We can't possibly defeat them..."
Seeing this, Cracker snorted coldly, his tone irritable:
"Enough nonsense. Either go get the fruit or die right here. Choose one. Don't think acting pitiful will save you!"
At these words, Perona fell into complete despair.
Ever since being adopted by Moria, she had been the princess of Thriller Bark, never having experienced the harsh realities of the world. She never expected that, just after leaving Thriller Bark to surprise Lord Moria, she would encounter such a dangerous situation.
Sneaking into the center of a battle between two monsters to steal a Devil Fruit—how was that possible? It was clearly sending them to their deaths!
Damn it, wasn't there any other way to escape?
Wait...
There was!
The Earth Release ability belonged only to this stranger beside her whose name she didn't even know. Whether she was there or not made no difference.
If she revealed this fact and distanced herself from the situation, she might still have a slim chance of survival!
But... should she really do that?
Ivan, standing nearby, noticed Perona trembling and realized she had no intention of going there.
He watched her quietly, curious to see what decision she would make.
To his surprise, however, this young girl displayed an extraordinary sense of loyalty and courage.
Perona glared hatefully at Cracker and the others, sighed helplessly, and tugged at Ivan's sleeve:
"Let's go. Sneaking in to steal the Devil Fruit might give us a slim chance of survival. Staying here means certain death!"
Perona didn't abandon Ivan, a stranger whose name she didn't even know, and resolved to go with him.
Seeing this, Chinjao smiled triumphantly:
"That's right. Sneaking in to steal the Devil Fruit gives you a slim chance of survival. Staying here to face two opponents far stronger than you means only death!"
Perona shot one last glare at Chinjao and the others, took a deep breath, and prepared to pull Ivan toward the center of the battle.
But when she tugged, she found Ivan unmoving. Annoyed, she looked at him and asked in confusion:
"Hey, why aren't you moving? Do you want them to kill you?"
Under the fierce, knife-like gazes of Cracker and Chinjao, Ivan suddenly raised his hand and gently patted Perona's head:
"Perona, you still don't know my name, do you?"
"What does knowing your name matter now? We're about to die!" Perona cried out, her voice trembling with urgency and frustration.
Ivan shook his head, then turned to look at Chinjao and Cracker. Under their increasingly impatient gazes, he suddenly pulled out a fox mask from his chest and placed it over his face:
"Ah, I had hoped to get along with you all as an ordinary person, but all I received in return was distance and bullying!
Forget it, I'm done pretending. I am Fox of the Shadow Garden!"
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