"It's Garp!"
"Ahhhhh! We're so unlucky!"
Seeing the dog-headed warship and the burly figure standing at the bow, Buggy's face instantly turned pale. Clutching his head, he screamed frantically.
"What's wrong, Buggy? Didn't you just say you'd rather face Garp than that Marine?"
Shanks, standing beside him, couldn't help but tease.
"Damn it! Shanks, shut up!"
Buggy grabbed Shanks' face with both hands, gritting his teeth.
"I was just comparing! Comparing, do you understand!?"
Shanks just laughed.
Seeing this, the others also burst into laughter, their expressions much more relaxed than when they were back on Fish-Man Island.
They had to admit, although Garp's overwhelming strength far surpassed Daren's, for some reason, Daren had left them with an even stronger sense of pressure.
That Marine's relentless, ruthless fighting style had given them the same terror they once felt when facing Shiki the Golden Lion during the Battle of Edd War.
By comparison, Garp, despite being stronger, was at least a familiar enemy. Facing him felt a little less overwhelming.
"Bwahahaha! Roger! This time, I want to see where you run!"
Garp's loud laughter echoed across the deep sea.
On the warship's deck, Marines were busy under the strain, sweating profusely as they loaded rows of cannonballs onto a conveyor belt, delivering them to Garp's side.
"Come and taste my cannon fire!"
Garp casually grabbed a black cannonball, grinned at Roger, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and hurled it out with immense force!
Despite the immense water pressure of the deep sea, which should have reduced the warship's firepower, under Garp's throw, the cannonball shot forward like a torpedo, violently breaking through the sea toward the Oro Jackson.
Whoosh!
A sudden flash of sword qi split the cannonball in half, causing it to explode amidst the swirling currents.
Boom...
A deep, muffled roar echoed, the sound distorted underwater.
"I'm not in the mood to play with you today, Garp!"
Roger laughed loudly, gripping his long sword.
As Garp continuously hurled cannonballs at them like rapid artillery fire, the Roger Pirates moved swiftly to counterattack.
The two sides fought back and forth, looking so familiar with each other's moves it was as if they had rehearsed it countless times before.
Explosions rocked the deep sea, stirring the currents into an even thicker, murkier swirl.
The Oro Jackson quickly ascended, tearing through the waves as it sailed into the distance, the dog-headed warship clinging closely behind... before both gradually vanished into the pitch-black deep sea.
...
Fish-Man Island.
Ryugu Palace.
The statue of the Sea God still lay collapsed in the banquet hall, and next to the huge, weathered crater, the banquet table was filled with newly prepared, exquisite dishes.
The royal chefs of Ryugu Palace bustled in and out, drenched in sweat, continually bringing freshly made food to the table, not daring to even lift their heads.
At the head of the hall, led by King Neptune, the high officials of Ryugu Castle watched nervously as the Marine Vice Admiral devoured food in large mouthfuls, their faces fixed with anxious smiles, barely daring to breathe.
The Vice Admiral's horrific wounds had finally stopped bleeding. Apart from a few particularly severe injuries that had been simply bandaged, the rest of his battered body remained exposed to the air, looking brutally savage.
Plate after plate of food was shoved into his mouth without the slightest pretense of manners, eating like a ravenous beast.
Half-human-sized bowls and plates quickly piled into small mountains beside him.
Yet the Vice Admiral showed no sign of stopping. Even after consuming enough food for dozens—if not hundreds—of people, his stomach showed no hint of being full.
Only after a full half hour, after the entire Ryugu Palace kitchen staff had nearly collapsed from exhaustion, did Daren finally put down his fork and pick up a clean napkin to wipe his mouth.
"Um... Vice Admiral Daren, have you had enough to eat?"
Neptune no longer had a trace of the dignity or nobility expected of the Fish-Man Island royal family. He looked nervously at the Marine Vice Admiral, forcing a dry smile.
"Well, I'm about half full."
Daren cast him an indifferent glance.
Ever since his physique had grown stronger, his appetite and craving for food had also become increasingly exaggerated.
Especially after a major battle, the consumption of physical strength was enormous—he could easily eat the amount meant for a hundred people by himself.
Although his injuries weren't too serious, the final blow had nearly drained his stamina completely.
That was why he hadn't chased after Roger's pirate crew when they fled.
He had already secured what he came for, and rashly pursuing them would only risk provoking trouble for himself.
He pulled out a cigar and bit it between his teeth.
Before he could even reach for his lighter, a turtle-like minister from Ryugu Palace scurried over, beaming obsequiously as he hurried to light Daren's cigar.
"Allow me to assist you, Vice Admiral Daren..."
The turtle prime minister bowed deeply, cold sweat soaking the shell on his back.
The Marine standing before him was nothing like the others—he was a complete madman!
When it came to fighting, he didn't care whether Fish-Man Island was a Member Nation of the World Government, nor did he care about royal status... If he decided to kill, he would do so without hesitation!
Most importantly, he truly had the authority to act.
Ryugu Palace was guilty of "harboring" a great pirate and his crew... With such a charge pinned on them, not even the World Government would step in to protect them!
This Marine could wipe Ryugu Palace off the map without facing any consequences.
Daren narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the trembling minister lighting his cigar, speaking indifferently,
"No need to be so nervous. If I really wanted to act, none of you would survive."
Neptune's face instantly darkened.
The turtle prime minister shuddered even harder but forced an even wider, more respectful smile.
"Yes, yes, of course, thank you for your hard work."
"You have no idea how long we at Ryugu Palace have been waiting for your arrival. We've long heard of your legendary name... If you hadn't come to Fish-Man Island in time to drive away Roger's pirate crew—those wicked pirates—we wouldn't have known what to do!"
"As you know, Roger's pirate crew is terrifyingly strong. We at Ryugu Palace have been under enormous pressure... We wanted to resist, but lacked the strength."
"It's not that we were unwilling to fight back against Roger's pirate crew, but there are too many innocent civilians on Fish-Man Island. For their safety, we could only pretend to cooperate and beg for peace..."
"Therefore, your arrival here, helping our Fish-Man tribe to drive away Roger's pirate crew, is the greatest favor not just to Ryugu Palace, but to Fish-Man Island and the entire Fish-Man race!"