"What!? Burning Mountain was killed… by Daemon Saint?"
"Garp tried to save that woman—Rouge—but Akainu blocked him. They fought, and even Aokiji joined in to help Garp!?"
"Akainu's injured?"
"You've got to be kidding! Daemon Saint… saved Akainu? And the one who helped him looked like she had the Ice fruit ability!?"
"He even asked the Navy to prepare a coffin… and a funeral!?"
Navy Headquarters.
Kong's hand trembled slightly as he lowered the receiver. His eyes were wide with disbelief, mouth agape as he tried to process the stream of unbelievable updates from Lieutenant General Ghost Spider.
The room fell into heavy silence.
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Zefa—all seasoned veterans—sat stone-faced, as though the air itself had grown thick and heavy with dread.
Burning Mountain… gone.
A gentle man, respected by many. No one imagined his life would end so violently.
Click.
The call ended.
Kong finally spoke, his voice low and grim.
"This… is bad. Very bad. We're looking at a crisis the Navy has never faced before. If we mishandle this, there's no telling what that lunatic Celestial Dragon will do."
He swept his gaze across the room, his expression cold and sharp.
"You all know what he's capable of."
"The Celestial Dragons are… terrifying."
Borsalino, the Yellow Monkey, sipped his tea, voice flat as always, tone unreadable.
"Garp and Aokiji are in danger."
Sengoku's jaw was tight. His fists clenched. "This Daemon Saint… His power is uncharted. He's got subordinates strong enough to push back Silvers Rayleigh… and he killed Burning Mountain without hesitation. He won't spare Garp."
"We cannot lose Garp or Aokiji."
Zefa stood up, the urgency in his voice breaking the quiet. "Aokiji's the future of the Navy!"
Tsuru was already thinking ahead. "We need to stop the fighting, bring Garp and Aokiji back to headquarters, and place them under protective confinement until things settle down."
"But that's happening in the South Sea… even if we agree on the plan, we won't make it in time."
Zefa paused, and then slowly turned toward Borsalino.
Sengoku and Tsuru followed his gaze.
Kizaru looked up from his tea, blinking.
"…Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Of course, he knew why.
They wanted him to go.
HIM.
To intervene in a battle involving Garp, Akainu, and a mad Celestial Dragon who flattened an entire kingdom… and whose subordinate fought Rayleigh.
He held in a sigh. Why me…?
"Borsalino," Kong said, his voice stern and commanding. "Only your Glint-Glint Fruit can get there in time. You're not confronting Daemon Saint—just stop the fight, retrieve Garp and Aokiji, and return. Understood?"
The Yellow Monkey's face twitched. "Can I… say no?"
"Of course—" Kong smiled darkly, "—you can't. Refuse, and I'll demote you to third-class janitor and have you scrubbing toilets for the rest of your life."
Borsalino stared, then let out a long breath. "That's terrifying…"
Guess I'm just a poor civil servant after all…
If he refused, he'd be finished in the Navy. But going meant risking everything.
"…Man. I really envy Sakazuki sometimes. He got promoted to Admiral so early… If only I had his luck…"
His body gleamed, then vanished in a streak of golden light.
Zefa watched him disappear. "Is it really okay to send him alone?"
He wasn't just worried about Borsalino's laid-back personality—but about his safety.
"Let's hope fate is on our side…"
Kong rubbed his temples, eyes tired. "Garp's in real danger. Daemon Saint isn't like the Five Elders. If he decides Garp's a threat… there won't be mercy."
South Sea.
The aftermath of battle stretched over the ocean like a scar. One side blazed with bubbling magma, the other frozen in pale, glistening ice.
Lava and shattered ice chunks drifted for kilometers—remnants of the clash between magma and frost.
Aokiji hovered in the air, chest heaving, ice-cold breath pouring from his mouth like smoke.
Across from him, Akainu was a bloody mess—his uniform torn, his skin scorched and split—but the magma surging from his body pulsed hotter than ever.
"I'm done trying to talk to you, Sakazuki," Aokiji growled, his voice cold and bitter. "You've become nothing more than a Celestial Dragon's dog."
Garp stood nearby, his muscular frame shaking with fury. His coat had been burned in places, revealing charred flesh beneath.
"You've lost your damn mind!"
Garp's voice thundered. "You really believe children are guilty for their parents' crimes!? What kind of justice is that!?"
Akainu's eyes burned. "A sinner's blood is a curse. Wives, children—it makes no difference! That kind of naive justice has no place in this world!"
"BASTARD!!"
Garp slammed his foot into the ice and launched forward like a cannonball.
But just then—
A wave of unimaginable cold swept through the air.
Crack—!!
In a heartbeat, the entire battlefield froze solid. Magma turned to stone. Ice crystals shot outward. And Garp himself was flash-frozen mid-charge.
Only a moment later, the ice cracked—and Garp burst free, roaring.
"KUZAN!?"
He whipped around, furious, thinking Aokiji had betrayed him—only to see his comrade frozen too.
Standing in front of them was a blue-haired woman in a pristine white uniform.
Garp's eyes narrowed. "You… You're the woman who suppressed Rayleigh during the World Broadcast…"
She didn't answer.
Her presence alone meant only one thing.
He's here.
"Why make such a mess, Vice Admiral Garp?"
A calm, regretful voice echoed from the frozen mist.
Two figures appeared—a man and a woman—emerging slowly from the ice and shadows.
"Celestial Dragon… Daemon Saint."
Garp's jaw clenched as he uttered the name like venom. His fists shook.
Across the field, Akainu's expression transformed. His eyes lit up—not with fear, but with a disturbing sense of relief.
"Daemon Saint…"
Daemon's appearance, though expected, still caused a shift in the atmosphere. Akainu, previously standing tall and strong, staggered slightly before collapsing, his face contorting in frustration and disbelief.
Having to face both Garp and the kuzan, two titans of the sea, left Akainu almost powerless.
The Noble Phantasm Enhancement Necklace, a gift from Daemon, had done little to replenish his strength. All that remained was his stubborn will to endure, but Daemon's arrival seemed to take the last bit of energy from him.
Miyuki Uchiha, watching from the chat group, couldn't help but comment: "I never thought I'd see Akainu in such a state… This is unreal."
Kasumigaoka Utaha, on the other hand, felt a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Why does Garp hate Mr. World Nobility so much?" she wondered aloud.
Miyuki Uchiha responded quickly, her words carefully calculated. "It's simple. The death of Ace was a tragedy, but it was the result of the ongoing war between pirates and the navy. Garp buried his anger deep down."
"But Daemon? He's not just a Celestial Dragon—he's cruel and manipulative, using methods that Garp can't tolerate. To him, Daemon is the embodiment of evil."
Kasumigaoka Utaha paused, thinking back on the countless innocent lives lost at Daemon's hands. The horrors he'd caused were undeniable. "I see... so Daemon's actions are intolerable, even to someone like Garp," she mused.
Meanwhile, on the South Sea, Garp's anger reached its peak. Seeing Daemon, the cause of so much pain and suffering, standing so casually before him, filled Garp with rage. "What about Rouge girl?" he shouted, his fists clenched in fury.
Daemon, unbothered, smirked. "She's fine. She'll outlive your old age, Garp. Pregnancy really suits her, don't you think?"
"YOU BASTARD!" Garp's voice thundered. He exploded forward, charging at Daemon with terrifying speed, his resolve unwavering.
"Mr. Garp!" Kuzan's voice rang out, his words filled with concern. But before he could act, something caught his attention—a sudden, unmistakable presence.
The sharp sound of a sword drawing echoed through the air, leaving Aokiji stunned.
The black-haired girl who had been standing beside Daemon only moments ago now stood before him, her sword already poised at his throat.
"Don't move, kuzan," the girl ordered coldly, her eyes locked onto the man she once admired.
Miyuki Uchiha's voice crackled through the chat group. "Damn! The Goddess of Violent Death is at it again. She's so badass!"
Sakura Tosaka responded with awe, "Sister is so cool… I want to be as confident and powerful as her someday."
"She's strong," Luo Hao added thoughtfully. "But if she kills Aokiji now, it could be a waste. He has potential. Also, he could have a powerful Noble Phantasm if Daemon kills him."
Miyuki Uchiha agreed. "Luo Hao's right. But honestly, it's Daemon's choice. I'm just here for the show~"
Meanwhile, in the world of One Piece, Yamamoto Mei Kazuba had already proved her immense power when she took down the legendary pirate Golden Lion in a single blow. Now, she effortlessly neutralized kuzan's Ice Age attack with a single wave of her sword.
"Boom!" The ice shattered, and the chilling cold dissipated. Kuzan was sent flying backward, his attack completely nullified.
Akainu, witnessing this, felt his mind race. The young woman was far stronger than he had anticipated, far beyond what he believed to be possible for such a young age.
"She's… She's an absolute monster," Akainu thought, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Is she part of Saint Daemon's hidden forces?"
Across the battlefield, Garp was still struggling, his thoughts clouded with a burning need for vengeance.
His anger, however, was directed entirely at Daemon, whose presence filled him with an almost unbearable urge to strike back.
"You're going to pay for everything, Daemon!" Garp muttered under his breath, before charging forward with unmatched determination.
Daemon, however, had no intention of allowing Garp any opportunity. With a calm and almost bored expression, he summoned his golden sword. "Pay the price for your choices, Garp," Daemon intoned. "Whether it be pain, sorrow, or regret—it's all yours to bear."
With a flash of golden light, the sword slashed through the air, its power impossible to ignore. It was a sword that defied all laws, one that even gods could not avoid.
"God Avoids—!!"
The strike was unstoppable. Garp was pierced through from shoulder to thigh, the force of the blow sending him flying backward. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ice beneath him.
As he crashed to the ground, Garp gasped in pain, his eyes locked on the golden blade that had inflicted such a wound. It reminded him of someone he hadn't seen in years—Roger, his old friend.
"Roger...?" Garp whispered in disbelief, as the realization hit him. The sword was a symbol of Roger's legacy, and in Daemon's hands, it felt like a twisted reflection of the pirate king.
Miyuki Uchiha couldn't help but comment. "Even Garp recognizes it... I wonder if Rouge will, too."
Then she chuckled, "Okay but real talk—if Daemon's getting freaky with Rouge while having that sword around, does that make Roger a participant… or just some freaky third wheel with front-row seats?"
Sakura Tosaka responded dryly, "Miyuki, you're evil."
Erina Nakiri, completely confused, asked, "What are you talking about?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha simply sighed, "Miyuki, you're the most twisted person here."
The chat group watched in silence, their attention split between the overwhelming spectacle before them and the banter between their friends.
The power on display was a reminder of just how terrifying Daemon's influence had become.
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