Chapter 151: Fate of the World (5)

Through the stormy sea, one ship bravely sailed at an incredible speed thanks to the reinforcement of white smoke.

Though the lightning crashed by its side threateningly, its speed didn't falter. Though it was hard to even gaze ahead properly within the chaotic weather, the course of the ship didn't change by the slightest.

After all, the one who was in charge of the rudder was Jinbe, the fish man who knew this sea more than any other.

"We have nothing but gratitude for you, Jinbe."

Grimly, Smoker spoke as he stared at the dark sea ahead.

"If not for you having come just at the perfect timing, by now..."

"For years, the people of our kind received an unexpected kindness from you."

Jinbe, while keeping his grip on the steering wheel, said as he thought of the past.

"At first, we were cautious, wondering what kind of schemes the humans had for us this time around. As the enslaved ones were freed and talked about how you helped them, we wondered if you truly were being genuine. When you personally saved our kind from Douglas Bullet, we came to acknowledge—that you really are different from the others."

He had to acknowledge, that Queen Otohime was indeed correct.

"I was sent on behalf of big bro Ti. And he told me to relay this message should I find you,"

The Fish Men stand with White Hunter Smoker and his party.

"We've read the news of what happened. The Revolutionary Army is in a pinch, it said."

Jinbe, as his eyes met Smoker's, grinned confidently.

"It's time for a comeback, isn't it?"

As Jinbe said so, Smoker and the others realized that within the dark sea, they weren't alone.

Numerous fish men were boarded on top of sharks, which freely swam through the churning sea without any difficulty.

"..."

Standing atop one shark with a stoic expression on his face was Fisher Tiger. Noticing Smoker's glance, Tiger nodded at him.

On the other shark, there was Arlong. Though he seemed reluctant, he no longer revealed an immense hatred toward Smoker and his group—to humans in general. Frowning slightly, he purposely looked away from them.

"Rahahaha!!"

In amazement, Aramaki laughed wildly. Bastille and Maynard danced in joy, seemingly overwhelmed by the current development of the situation.

Gulping as she formed a light smile, Robin clenched her hand tight. X Drake had his jaw dropped as he looked to his left and right repeatedly.

"HOW MANLY!!!"

Senor Pink howled at the sky. The worry in Rosinante's eyes lessened.

"We need to focus."

And it was Hina who brought everyone back into the reality. Maintaining her composure, she asked Jinbe,

"How long will it take until our arrival?"

"Usually, it would've taken a day at the very least."

Jinbe said before turning to Smoker,

"But thankfully, thanks to the additional boost on the ship,"

Just as he said so, the sky suddenly became brighter and the stormy weather died down. Widening her eyes, Hina looked up, and found that they had exited the storm.

BOOM!

From a distance, the noise of an explosion was heard. Smoker, with sharpened eyes, shifted his attention toward the direction in which the noise was heard from.

Momoiro island, was now visible by sight.

"Three hours. That's all that we needed."

Jinbe's words contained a hint of amazement, wondering how Smoker wasn't tired after such an excruciating use of his fruit ability.

__________

"DON'T GIVE UP!!!"

Dragon roared as he stared at the sky, which was filled with cannonballs yet again, after how many rounds of them were fired.

The black lightning crackled as his Conqueror's Haki arose, showing defiance against the never-ending calamity.

Sengoku, which form has turned into an enormous golden Buddha, formed a transparent dome around the entire island and with all his might, blocked the rain of cannonballs. Blood trickled down from his nose, but gritting his teeth, his mind was focused on withstanding the bombardment.

"Ursus..."

Kuma, forming a bear paw-shaped concentrate of 'force' above his palm, fired it upward toward the cannonballs. Bypassing Sengoku's dome as if invisible, it reached the sky where cannonballs were descending and proceeded to explode.

The thunderous noise boomed as the cannonballs were abruptly 'repelled', being flown toward the Marine Warships which surrounded the island.

"Hm...!"

The Marine Officers, whose justice coats fluttered against the wind, jumped and dealt with the incoming cannonballs appropriately.

A kick, punch, slash of a weapon, use of Rokushiki—none of them reached the ships, and the casualty on the World Government's side, up until this point, amounted to zero.

And as such, they didn't expect, of all possibilities, the offense from the Revolutionary Army.

BOOM!

Abruptly, one ship exploded and sank, causing everyone else to shift their attention to it.

"Bwahaha..."

Contrary to their expectation, there stood Garp. Though he was missing an arm and his face contained an inexplicable degree of fatigue, his eyes vibrated brilliantly, filled with a pure will to the brim.

And watching the sight of the Marine Hero at his worst, the other Marine Officers felt shivers reach down their spine.

"Tch...!"

"Look at this,"

For some reason, Garp seemed more dangerous than ever in their eyes.

"so many lads to fight against."

"Garp... no, that shouldn't be possible."

Saturn, witnessing Garp's appearance, wrinkled up his face before his figure blurred into the others' view.

"How is it that you are able to move in such a state?!"

Garp's eyes flashed in a sparkle of will as he read the incoming future with Observation Haki: Future Sight.

Saturn appeared where Garp was standing with his Haki-imbued cane outstretched in an attempt to stab. Simultaneously, Garp was gone from his sight, and Saturn widened his eyes after, for Garp was now right above him with his lone hand latching onto the hem of Saturn's suit.

"BLUE HOLE!!"

Saturn was smashed into the ship as Garp threw him downward with incredible strength. The entire ship splattered into countless pieces and sank—along with Saturn.

"...!"

Nusjuro glared at Garp as his face flinched, not having expected such a turn of an event. Taking hold of the hilts of two sheathed swords, Nusjuro gritted his teeth as the veins popped out of his forehead.

Peter's eyes became colder. However, he maintained his composure with his hands in his pockets.

Warcury, with his eyes closed and arms crossed, didn't budge from his seat.

Mars snorted, to which Garp raised his eyebrow at.

"It's futile, Monkey D. Garp."

As Mars said so, a circle that consisted of a pentagram was suddenly drawn on the deck next to where he stood. Said circle, emitting a tremendous Haki that rendered others' breathings heavy, revealed a fiery energy, before shockingly, Saturn appeared atop it, completely unscathed.

Everyone, upon witnessing such a sight, was left in disbelief.

The truth that Devil Fruit users are immobilized upon being submerged in a sea, for the first time, was denied in front of them.

"...What are you."

Narrowing his eyes, Garp growled. With the grin gone from his visage, the sunken eyes and rapid breathing indicated how severe Garp's state was.

"No Devil Fruit user should be capable of this."

"And since when did we introduce ourselves as the Devil Fruit users?"

Garp found himself being more and more confused. However, he didn't have the time to think as at the next moment, numerous Marine Officers jumped toward him, simultaneously.

"To think a day like this would come... who would have known?"

Tensei muttered as he drew his sword.

Bayard's eyes revealed viciousness as he smiled. The sword in his hands traveled toward Garp without a moment of hesitation—as if he's been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"If anything, blame your disciple, Smoker, for putting you in such a situation, Garp-san!"

Doberman stated grimly as he swung his blade.

Garp's eyes became shadowed as he frowned. Then, he grinned,

"...Aren't you saying that way too soon?"

At the next moment, the Marine Officers met the burst of Conqueror's Haki from Garp, causing their propulsion toward Garp to come to a stop.

Caught off guard by Garp's ferocious willpower, they were blasted away from Garp.

And that wasn't the end.

"Dragon's Breath."

Dragon, suddenly found right above them, reached his hand out in a form that resembled a dragon's claw.

The immense burst of wind imbued with Conqueror's Haki was slammed into the Marine Officers before they could react.

The more capable ones such as Tensei, Tokikake, and Doberman managed to withstand the blow and land back on ships. However, the others including Bayard were flown into the sea below, unable to react to Dragon's sudden attack.

"The cannons..."

That's when the Five Elders noticed—that the hundred cannons across the ships were no longer functional or present.

"So Garp was merely a distraction for this..."

Peter shifted his eyes to the Momoiro island and saw Kuma standing with his paw-like palms outstretched.

"Paw Paw fruit has the ability to repel anything. Through the invisible force, Bartholomew Kuma accurately sniped each and every cannon as Sengoku prevented the impact of cannonballs onto the island and Garp garnered our attention."

Analyzing the strategy that the Revolutionary Army used, Nusjuro drew his swords.

"...But no matter."

Warcury firmly stated as he glanced at Garp, Dragon, and Sengoku,

"The cannons nonetheless fulfilled their roles. In this state, our victory is inevitable—"

Warcury froze. Having felt numerous presences from the back, he grimaced.

"Bwahahaha!"

Garp laughed boisterously, uncaring of his hoarse voice and the blood that trickled down from his mouth.

The marines, upon seeing the sight unfold ahead of them, paled.

Dragon, hovering in the air, let out a sigh of relief.

"HUMANS!!!"

Glaring heatedly at the Five Elders, Arlong who rode atop a shark that swam afront, roared with bloodshot eyes.

"YOU SHALL KNOW PAIN!!!"

Behind him, countless fish men were riding their respective sharks. Grinning and revealing their sharp teeth, their eyes promised violence unto those who shunned them for centuries, to pay back for all the sufferings that they had to go through.

Without any wait, the fish men immediately launched themselves at the opposing marines. The cries and gunshots began, however, with superior physiques, the fish men deflected all the ranged shots from firearms and began the melee combats against the marines.

Witnessing such a development, those on Momoiro island too set ships afloat and began sailing toward the marine warships that surrounded the island, beginning an attack of their own.

"FIGHT!!! NOW IS OUR CHANCE!!!"

It was as Gion cried. After all, they did successfully achieve their goal.

"We aren't too late, are we?'

X Drake, Robin, Senor Pink, Maynard, Rosinante, Bastille, Hina, and finally,

White Hunter Smoker. Standing at the frontmost part of the ship, Smoker's jacket fluttered against the wind as his eyes first locked onto the dire state of his teacher, Garp.

His eyes burned in a cold wrath upon the sight.

And it was Bayard to act abruptly in this situation, emerging from the water and flying toward Smoker, full of hatred.

"SMOKER!!!"

The only thought that remained in him was to take revenge on his deceased brother, Blaise.

However,

"Fuck off."

Smoker glared at Bayard with a rage that far surpassed that of Bayard's. As he did so, an incredible magnitude of Conqueror's Haki surfaced.

The opposing marines choked from its incredible might. Their process of combats paused, giving an opportunity for the Revolutionary Army and fish men to slay them mercilessly.

The Marine Officers sweated profusely as they stabbed their weapons on the ship decks to support their weight.

"It's..."

Tensei whispered in a shaky tone,

"Gotten even stronger than before...!"

Centering the ship that Smoker and his group stood on top of, the sea below rippled from the shock.

The sky screeched as the wind picked up into a mild storm.

The huge volume of cloud swirled into the view, crackling dangerously as it gathered above the Momoiro island and its proximities.

Bayard received such Conqueror's Haki at a point-blank range, at its full might. Unable to resist it for a single moment, he immediately passed out mid-flight. His eyes whitened and his mouth foamed as his body resumed its flight toward Smoker.

And in this unresponsive state, Smoker smashed his fist straight onto Bayard's face.

The black lightning sparked and the world, for a brief moment, the world became dimmer.

In everyone's sight, including the Five Elders, it seemed as if the time had slowed down.

Then, before they realized it, Bayard was blasted miles away with a sonic boom—gone from their sight.

"..."

Nusjuro aimed his swords at Smoker without any words.

"How is it that they arrived this early? In addition, this number of fish mankind..."

Saturn quickly assessed the situation, mumbling to himself.

"Bwahahaha!"

Still laughing, Garp proceeded to ask Smoker.

"Brat! You being here must mean... that Kaidou is defeated, right?!"

Turning to face, Garp, the rage in Smoker's eyes died down. Reciprocating Garp's grin, Smoker proudly said,

"You bet, old man."

Smoker then proceeded to face the Five Elders who stood on the ship in front of him.

"You may have managed to reach here,"

"And catch us off-guard,"

"However..."

Robin's breathing quickened in anticipation.

The moment which she's been waiting for—it was finally here.

"To bring down the sky."

The vow that Smoker made in front of her, was closer than ever. The time of revenge has finally arrived.

"""""This is where your treason ends, White Hunter!!!"""""

The gust of wind blew against Smoker upon the monstrous roars of the Five Elders.

While the others shielded their bodies, Smoker, with his hands in his pockets, faced the pressure head-on.

His eyes, though gazing at the Five Elders, seemed as if they were staring at something else.

__________

"..."

Imu, feeling a gaze upon him, gazed back with his crimson eyes as he remained seated on his throne.

"...White... Hunter... Smoker..."

Then, he snarled in a low tone.

The king piece that previously fell down the stairs upon Imu's flick was currently standing upright below said stairs—as if representing Smoker's determination.

It was the time for a counterattack.