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Noir stared, eyes wide with shock, at the massive explosion on the sea''s surface. A few wisps of white fire still flickered and danced on the waves.
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Ace must have developed a special high-temperature flame and then used compression and expansion to create a bomb.
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Even though Noir had only made a passing suggestion, Ace had somehow managed to develop an even hotter, paler flame.
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As expected of someone with the blood of the Pirate King.
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But where was Ace?
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A chilling thought struck Noir. Had Ace used that move to take Akainu down with him?
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Garp clearly had the same thought. He anxiously scanned the area. After a moment, a still figure appeared within his range of perception.
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"Ace!"
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A charred figure, barely recognizable, floated lifelessly in the depths, slowly sinking.
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Panic seized Noir. He plunged his hand into the water. The boiling sea rapidly cooled, a layer of frost forming on the surface.
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The ice spread, thickening, reaching towards Ace until Noir finally grasped him.
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With furious strikes of Devil Blade, Noir shattered the ice and quickly pulled his friend out of the water.
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Garp didn''t interfere, watching them with a complex expression.
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Thank goodness he''s alright, that reckless Kid…
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As the old man stood there, lost in thought, a faint stirring beneath the ice caught his attention. It was Sakazuki, trapped within the frozen layer.
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Akainu wasn''t in good shape either. He was unconscious, covered in severe burns, his arms particularly badly injured. His usually bulging muscles seemed to have shrunk significantly.
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Garp''s eye twitched. It''s a miracle he survived such a close-range explosion.
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Akainu was out of commission, and so was Ace.
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That must have been a suicidal move from Ace, like Luffy pushing himself to the limit with Gear Second and Third simultaneously.
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A thousand damage to the enemy, twelve hundred to himself. Ace''s injuries were so severe they''d even affected his internal organs, potentially causing long-term damage.
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Noir carefully hoisted the weakened Ace onto his back. While Garp was busy tending to Akainu, he made a dash for the Underworld Pirates'' ship.
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Garp''s stern face hardened. He tossed the rescued Akainu aside and charged after Noir, roaring,
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"Noir! Drop Ace and surrender!"
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Noir leaped to the side just as Garp''s fist shattered the ice where he''d been standing.
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"Are you crazy?! Your grandson is injured!" Noir yelled back, exasperated.
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Garp''s reply was just as loud and indignant. "That''s why I''m telling you to drop Ace! You surrender, and I''ll take him in!"
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Damn you, you stubborn old geezer!The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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More and more Marines were closing in. Those scattered by Ace''s white fire bomb attack had regrouped.
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Noir, his face grim, continued to run towards the Underworld Pirates'' ship.
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Enel, still dazed from the shockwave of the explosion, called out, "What a powerful blast! Did that idiot really do that?"
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Ace, or "Idiot" as Enel called him, was the label Enel had given him.
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Incidentally, in Enel''s mind, the other crew members had labels like: "Vulgar Annoying Woman," "Mustachioed Cat-Man," "Woman Who Will Beat You Senseless If Provoked," and so on…
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Using his Mantra, Enel realized most of the enemy had been caught in the explosion. He cheered, but his joy was short-lived as he spotted Noir running towards them.
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Noir waved his arm, and a dense black fog materialized from somewhere on the sea. He shouted to Enel, "Enel! Get the Ark Maxim airborne!"
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"The other two ships are going into the Underworld!"
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The Underworld Pirates, seeing their captain return, were filled with renewed confidence. "Aye, Captain!" they responded in unison.
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Garp glared at the pirates and roared, "Don''t even think about it!"
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His black fist slammed onto the ice, sending powerful shockwaves towards the ship. Just then, a certain laid-back swordsman finally decided to act.
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A flash of emerald green filled the air for a split second, followed by a deafening explosion that shook the heavens.
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Garp stared at the man on the ship, his expression a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "Dracule Mihawk, you''re a Warlord. What do you think you''re doing?"
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Mihawk, the world''s greatest swordsman, casually held his massive black blade, Yoru, his sharp golden eyes fixed on Garp.
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"Your men are in my way."
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Garp glared back. He''d warned Sengoku that the Warlords were a bunch of unreliable brats.
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Despite his carefree demeanor, Garp had a keen understanding of the world''s political landscape. Otherwise, Sengoku wouldn''t have tolerated his constant presence in his office.
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Besides slacking off, Garp often provided Sengoku with valuable insights on important matters.
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The Warlord system, a method of appeasing powerful pirates, was destined to fail from the very beginning.
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They were nothing more than tools used by the Marines to maintain a precarious balance of power.
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So Garp had no illusions about Mihawk''s loyalty or reliability.
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While the world''s greatest swordsman and the Hero of the Marines faced off, Noir reached the Spade Pirates'' ship and carefully handed Ace over to his crew.
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He then ordered his crew to sail the remaining ships into the Underworld and promptly closed the entrance to the Underworld River.
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The Marine fleet, left behind in stunned silence, stared at the vanishing Underworld Pirates, their minds reeling.
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What ability did Devil Noir copy now? How did he make those ships disappear into thin air?
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The Underworld River was Noir''s personal dimension, and he could open its entrance wherever he was.
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All Noir needed to do was board the Ark Maxim and fly to a safe location.
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"Wait! Look! That ship''s flying?!"
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A Marine pointed at the Ark Maxim in disbelief. Garp watched Noir''s ship ascend, a look of admiration on his face.
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"What a magnificent vessel!"
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But as a high-ranking Marine officer, Skywalk was a basic skill.
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Garp propelled himself into the air, rapidly closing in on the Ark Maxim''s hull. "You''re not getting away!" he roared.
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Noir transformed into light, hovering in the air to engage Garp in combat.
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With experience from his previous encounter, Noir fought with more confidence this time.
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The more they fought, the more surprised Garp became. Although still raw, Noir''s Haki carried a familiar feel.
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It resembled Garp''s own unique Haki, yet it had a distinct, new essence, as if Garp himself had trained Noir.
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Not only does this kid have the Copy-Copy Fruit, but his Haki aptitude is monstrous as well?
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Haki coursed through Noir''s body. He let out a satisfied breath.
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Battle truly is the best training.
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Ever since he''d copied Garp''s talent, no matter how much he trained, he''d been unable to replicate the "Fist of Love"
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But now, fighting against Garp himself, he was finally making progress.
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However, even with Mihawk''s intervention, he couldn''t keep Garp at bay forever. He still needed a way to escape...
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An idea struck Noir. Using his light speed, he returned to the ship and grabbed someone, soaring high into the sky.
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"Help... help me!"
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"You Kid! Put me down this instant!"
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Noir chuckled, his voice echoing through the air.
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"With pleasure..."
------
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