Contradictory Heart

Chapter 255: Contradictory Heart

Seeing Vice Admiral Garp suddenly standing in front of him, Solo was not surprised at all. According to the original plot development, Garp fell into a rage after seeing Ace being punched through the body by Akainu. 

Unable to control his anger, Garp wanted to kill Akainu. If it weren't for Sengoku, who pressed Garp to the ground in time, he would have rushed up long ago. However, now, not only was Ace seriously injured and lying in front of him, but his other grandson, Luffy, was also there. No wonder Garp couldn't contain his emotions.

"Vice Admiral Garp, do you know what you are doing?" Solo spoke in a low voice, warning Garp not to act recklessly. 

Garp was the legendary Marine hero, the spiritual pillar of the entire Marine organization. If he tried to save the pirates, the World Government would never let him go. 

The Marines present would lose faith in their beliefs if they witnessed such an act. But now, Garp couldn't care about all that. He only knew that if he didn't take action, his grandsons would die by Solo's sword, which was unacceptable to him.

"There's nothing to say between us, Solo," Garp replied in a low voice, his face even darker. 

He was well aware of what he was doing and the price he would have to pay. However... he didn't regret it. On the contrary, it was Sengoku, standing at a distance with an anxious expression on his face, who didn't know what to do after witnessing this scene.

In fact, it wasn't just Sengoku. Every Marine present was stupefied and shocked by Garp's actions. 

"Vice Admiral Garp?!" Smoker's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Garp.

He never thought that Garp, a Marine hero-level character, would save Ace and Luffy and attack Solo. Moreover, Garp's combat power was not inferior to that of the Admirals. 

Garp had been one of the strongest figures in the sea since the era of Roger. The World Government had even invited him multiple times to serve as an Admiral, but he had always rejected the offer. That alone was enough to demonstrate how terrifying Garp's strength was.

"Garp, the Vice Admiral, is he rescuing the pirates?" 

"Am I mistaken? It really is Vice Admiral Garp!" 

"What the hell is going on? Why is Vice Admiral Garp doing this?" The Marines engaged in conversation, unable to understand Garp's behavior. 

Even the pirates present, though they knew about Garp's relationship with Ace, looked puzzled. The scene unfolding before them was beyond their expectations.

"That Garp is protecting Ace and Luffy." 

"He's their grandfather, after all..." 

"That makes sense, but when Marco first rushed to Ace, Garp stopped him." 

However, the pirates didn't dwell on the matter. From their perspective, Garp's actions were undoubtedly beneficial to them. Countless pirates surged toward Marineford, rushing to Ace and Luffy, attempting to take them away. 

Even Marco gritted his teeth, trying to get up from the ground, but he collapsed again. He was severely injured and didn't have the physical strength to activate his Devil Fruit ability. Although he wanted to transform into a phoenix and carry Ace and Luffy away, he couldn't do it at that moment.

However...

Just when everyone thought that Garp had sided with the pirates this time, he suddenly appeared in front of them, swinging his iron fists and sending them flying. "I never

 said I wanted to join you!" Garp's voice echoed loudly, announcing to all the Whitebeard Pirates. Yes, he worried about Ace and Luffy. For that reason, he didn't hesitate to stand in front of Solo. 

However, it didn't mean that Garp had forsaken justice in his heart. He hadn't turned from a Marine to a pirate. He still didn't plan on sympathizing with these pirate crews or giving them a chance to go wild.

Solo observed the scene, sensing an intense conflict of emotions emanating from Garp. On one hand, he wanted Ace and Luffy to be rescued, to leave Marineford safely, and return to the sea. 

On the other hand, he was unwilling to abandon his Marine pride. Garp saw these pirates as enemies and had no intention of becoming their ally. Becoming their partner would be a betrayal of his past and the comrades who died on the battlefield. But faced with such a tangled and conflicting dilemma, Garp didn't know what to do. What should he do? Could he find a way to reconcile both sides? Could Ace and Luffy survive? He didn't know. He had no clue.

This anguish tormented Garp's heart, causing the old man in his eighties to shed tears uncontrollably. 

"Solo, if it were you, what would you do?" Garp turned and looked at Solo, seeking an answer. 

Solo stared back, uncertain of how to respond to this question. If Garp didn't care about his family as much or didn't possess such a strong sense of justice, the problem would be easy to solve. However, Garp had both. 

Should he compromise here? Pretend to be defeated by Garp? Solo frowned, but doing so would contradict his own sense of justice. How should he face this dilemma? Truly... it gave him a headache.

"However, since you have decided to protect Ace and Luffy, there is only one battle between us, Vice Admiral Garp," Solo took a deep breath and declared. "And I will defeat you."

"Defeat an old man?" 

Garp furrowed his brows, recalling the first time Solo came to Marine Headquarters when they had sparred. 

"In that case, come at me." 

Garp took a deep breath and, in an instant, kicked the ground with tremendous force, causing the square beneath him to rupture. He charged toward Solo once again.