Chapter 62: The Earthly Branches vs the Navy(2)!

"It's the Tremor Fruit!!"

"Is that... Whitebeard?!"

The terrified cries of the Marines echoed across the icy battlefield. The name "Whitebeard" carried a weight that sent shivers down their spines. Now, after Roger's death, Whitebeard had earned the title "World's Strongest Man," and the destructive power of his fruit was known far and wide.

The power to destroy everything with a single shake...

"Are you Whitebeard?" Garp muttered in disbelief, his fists trembling slightly. The sheer force behind Wuma's punch had thrown him off, and even his Haki fluctuated under the strain of his roiling emotions. But as soon as the question left his lips, he realized how absurd it was. Whitebeard stood at a towering 6.6 meters, while the figure before him, although tall at over three meters, was nowhere near that height.

"Don't get distracted, Marine!" Wuma growled, a sinister grin spreading across his face as flames erupted across his body. The divine Lunarian fire ignited, intensifying the aura around him. His Haki surged, crackling with raw power as he threw another devastating punch at Garp.

Boom!

The impact sent Garp hurtling backward with the speed of a lightning bolt, crashing through the ice before plunging into the depths of the sea below.

"Mr. Garp!" Aokiji's eyes widened in shock. For him, Garp was more than just a legendary figure—he was a master. The man who had once used abandoned warships as sandbags, delivering bone-shattering punches without even using Haki. Aokiji had grown by imitating Garp's brutal training methods. Seeing Garp lose in a direct fistfight was something he had never imagined.

Who is this guy?

"Name's Wuma!" the imposing figure bellowed as he descended from the sky, landing heavily in front of the Marine formation. His right arm tensed as his biceps doubled in size, preparing for another strike.

This charging stance... Aokiji's expression shifted, realizing what was coming. It's Whitebeard's Sea Shock!

There was no time to waste. Without hesitation, Aokiji extended his palm toward Wuma. "Ice Time Capsule!" he shouted, unleashing a blast of cold air. In an instant, ice spread across Wuma's body, encasing him in a lifelike ice sculpture.

"Good job, Kuzan!" a familiar voice boomed.

Garp, now free from the icy waters, appeared behind the frozen Wuma, his right fist cloaked in Conqueror's Haki. Red lightning crackled and danced along his arm like electric snakes. "I'm taking off his mask today!" Garp roared, his voice brimming with determination. "Galaxy Fist Meteorites!!"

As Garp's fist came crashing down, a blur of movement sliced through the air.

Chenlong!

In his hybrid human-animal form, Chenlong moved with terrifying speed, his dragon tail whipping through the air as he cut into the scene. With a flash, he landed a precise kick to Garp's abdomen.

Garp's eyes widened, momentarily caught off guard. His attention had been entirely focused on Wuma. There was no time to shift his attack. Instead, he quickly concentrated his Haki, reinforcing the point of impact. But even with that, the hastily gathered defense couldn't fully absorb the force. Garp was sent flying back, crashing through the ice and skidding hundreds of meters away.

Chenlong's cold voice cut through the frigid air. "Two against one... Do you think I'm just thin air?" His dragon tail flicked behind him, radiating raw power, as his sharp eyes locked onto Garp.

The battle was far from over, and now Garp faced the combined might of two monstrous opponents.

As soon as Chenlong finished speaking, a flash of golden light appeared behind him. Kizaru, with both hands gripping his lightsaber, slashed down toward the frozen Wuma.

Let's solve one first!

Kizaru seized the moment, acting without warning, relying on the silent coordination forged through countless battles. But the Earthly Branches were far from easy prey. Before Kizaru could land his blow, Weiyang, hovering mid-air, transformed into a golden Buddha.

"How naive, Marine," Weiyang taunted as his massive palm came crashing down from the heavens, aiming to swat Kizaru into the sea.

Is that... Sengoku's ability?! Kizaru's pupils shrank in shock. He sensed the crisis overhead—a dual threat of the sword he was swinging and the incoming Buddha's slap. In that split second, he had no choice. He abandoned his attack and fled, a streak of golden light retreating to the safety behind Aokiji.

Everyone here is a monster! Kizaru thought, still shaken by the near miss.

"What's going on with these Earthly Branches?" Kong muttered in disbelief, his gaze shifting between the three formidable foes.

Bang!

The ice encasing Wuma shattered violently as the power of the Tremor Fruit surged through him, the force of vibrations breaking his frozen prison. Though it all seemed like a chaotic clash, the entire sequence had transpired in the span of just two seconds. As the dust settled, the sight of the three Earthly Branches standing tall before the Marines made everyone pause, their breaths catching in their throats.

Wuma, wielder of the Tremor Fruit and the Clone of Whitebeard!

Chenlong, The Clone of Kaido possessing the Mythical Azure Dragon Fruit!

Weiyang, The clone of Sengoku empowered by the Mythical Buddha Fruit!

To the uninitiated, it might appear as if Whitebeard, Kaido, and Sengoku themselves had joined forces.

Kong inhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing as he stared up at Edie, floating calmly in the sky. "You've completely mastered the technology of replicating Devil Fruits?!"

The realization hit like a hammer. This wasn't just about the fruit abilities. These Earthly Branches were Lunarians, warriors capable of wielding divine flames. Their physical prowess, coupled with their mastery of Haki, made them each the equivalent of Admiral-level powerhouses. To subdue and control such monsters—what kind of strength does Edie himself possess?

Edie, unbothered, looked down at Kong with a smirk. "Replicate Devil Fruits? What limits your imagination, Monkey?"

Kong's expression grew darker as he shifted his gaze to the fourth Earthly Branch standing beside Edie—Zishu. This was the swordsman who had fought Kizaru at the Sabaody Archipelago and bested him with swordsmanship alone.

Could it be...?

Zishu, noticing Kong's scrutiny, grinned. "Scared, are we? Don't worry, I'm not a Devil Fruit user."

Kong began to relax slightly, but Zishu's next words wiped the relief from his face.

"But I am the strongest."

As soon as those words left his lips, divine flames ignited across Zishu's entire body, engulfing him in a fiery glow. He shot forward like a blazing comet, closing the distance between himself and Kong in an instant. His flaming samurai sword, burning with divine fire, swung down with lethal precision, aimed squarely at Kong's head.

"The Fleet Admiral's head," Zishu declared with a chilling smile, "is the perfect offering to the Heavenly Father."

As Zishu launched his fiery attack, Momousagi swiftly intervened, drawing the famous sword Jinpira from her waist to block the incoming strike. The two blades collided with a thunderous clash, and an overwhelming force traveled through her sword.

"…!" Momousagi gritted her teeth, struggling to withstand the blow.

"Hahahaha, your Haki is too weak," Zishu taunted, easily flicking her sword aside. With a fluid motion, he spun and delivered a fierce kick towards her abdomen.

Although the kick didn't make direct contact, the force of his Conqueror's Haki surged ahead, striking her like a shockwave. Momousagi spat out blood, her body flying past Kong and crashing into the Marine formation.

"Gion!" shouted Chaton, his face twisted with fury. He had long pursued her, confessed his love countless times, and been rejected just as often. Seeing her injured ignited a rage within him. He immediately charged at Zishu.

Chaton, a master of physical combat, was known for his powerful kicks. With a single step, he closed the gap between them in an instant and aimed a sweeping kick at Zishu's mask.

Boom!

The kick landed with force, but Chaton's expression turned to disbelief—his strike had failed to even crack the mask.

"Too weak," Zishu sneered. "Even your Haki is lacking."

Under the mask, Zishu grinned menacingly, grabbing Chaton's ankle. He swung him around violently, slamming him into the ice as if tossing aside a ragdoll. Chaton's head smashed into the frozen ground with a dull thud, cracking the ice beneath him.

The sight sent a wave of terror through the Marines. Even their top officers, the elites of the Marines, were trembling in fear. Their finest combatants were being overwhelmed at every turn.

Is this the power of the Earthly Branches? The thought echoed in the minds of many. These monstrous beings were beyond comprehension, and doubt began to creep in—could this war really be won?

"Arrogant brat!" Fleet Admiral Kong's voice boomed, veins bulging in his forehead as his fury surged. "Don't get so cocky in front of me!" His body swelled, muscles expanding as white fur began to sprout from his face and hands. His towering "mountain"-like hair elongated and curled.

"Monkey Fist: Steel!"

Kong transformed into a massive white ape, standing over ten meters tall, and threw a powerful punch directly at Zishu's face.

Crack!

The force of the punch caused fractures in Zishu's mask, sending him flying backward. In the sky, Edie raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

"Mythical Zoan?" Edie muttered.

"I am the wielder of the Zoan Monkey Fruit—Mythical Beast, White Ape form!" Kong's eyes darkened with rage. "And now it's your turn, little scientist!"

With a thunderous roar, the white ape leaped nearly a hundred meters into the air, bypassing the Earthly Branches, and headed straight for Edie. Kong clasped his massive hands together, bringing them down with all his might toward Edie's head.

"Monkey Fist: Heavy Hammer!"

Edie, floating in the air, smiled casually, seemingly unphased. "No wonder your name is 'Kong'..." he remarked with a hint of mockery. "Is this a reference to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King?"

Boom!

Kong's massive hands collided with Edie's head, but stopped abruptly—ten centimeters away, blocked by an invisible force.

What...?! Kong's expression contorted with disbelief. He had put all his strength into that blow, fueled by his anger, yet he couldn't breach Edie's defenses.

The invisible armor surrounding Edie wasn't just powerful—it seemed impenetrable. The closer Kong's fists got, the more the resistance intensified. That small gap of ten centimeters felt like an insurmountable distance.

"His Haki isn't even that strong! Why can't I break through?" Kong roared in frustration. "What the hell is this?!"

Edie's expression remained calm as he coolly retorted, "Monkeys are simple creatures. It's no surprise you can't comprehend it."

Edie extended his index finger, and red lightning crackled at the tip, rapidly forming into a swirling ball of energy.

"Red Flash."

The crimson energy ball shot forward and struck Kong directly in the abdomen. A massive target like the white ape couldn't avoid such an attack.

Boom!

A brilliant red explosion lit up the sky, a miniature sun radiating crimson light across the battlefield. The Marines and their enemies alike turned their heads in shock, their eyes wide as they witnessed the scene.

In the heart of the red light, Kong's massive white ape form rapidly shrank back to his human state, blood spilling from his wounds as he plummeted from the sky.

Floating serenely in the air, Edie stood at the center of the red glow, unmoved by the devastation he had just caused. His voice was calm, almost indifferent, as he addressed the Marines below:

"Don't get ahead of yourselves, monkey. Come back after you've survived a fight with the Earthly Branches."