One Piece: I wield thunder and lightning

Boom!

In the sky.

Even while Garp was fighting Saint Ju Peter, he still had enough focus to pay attention to the distant battlefield where Imu and Nicholas were.

Although he didn't know exactly what was happening over there, the terrifying aura radiating from Imu, like a blazing sun, made him feel an increasing sense of urgency.

"Will Nicholas be okay over there…?"

Garp's eyes narrowed.

Saint Ju Peter in front of him was strong, but Garp was confident he could defeat him. Once he did, he could go and assist others, further expanding the advantage of the allied forces.

What they lacked now was time, but it seemed Imu had no intention of giving them that time.

If Nicholas lost, then even if they could hold their ground for a while, defeat would be inevitable when facing the overwhelmingly powerful Imu.

"You see, that's the terrifying power of the great one. All of your efforts are in vain!"

In the midst of the fierce battle, Saint Ju Peter seized the moment when Garp was distracted by the distant battlefield and launched a fierce attack.

A heavy axe-like kick landed hard on Garp's chest.

The massive impact made Garp cough up blood and sent him flying backward.

There wasn't much difference between them in terms of technique, strength, and combat ability. In a battle like this, the one who could seize opportunities had the upper hand.

And clearly, Saint Ju Peter had grasped the moment when Garp's focus wavered, delivering a serious blow to him.

However, despite injuring Garp, Saint Ju Peter knew very well that for monsters like them, it wouldn't be easy to bring him down completely.

Garp quickly steadied himself.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Ah, it seems that going too long without a good fight has dulled my battle instincts a bit," Garp said indifferently, looking at Saint Ju Peter. In the past, he never would have made such a basic mistake in combat.

"You're strong, but I'm stronger!"

Garp stared at Saint Ju Peter and clenched his iron fists again.

Whoosh—

With a sudden burst of strength from his feet, the ground beneath him cracked like a giant spiderweb. Garp's figure rushed towards Saint Ju Peter at an incredible speed, leaving afterimages in his wake.

"Galactic Impact!"

Rich Armament Haki surged from Garp's fists as he hurled them toward Saint Ju Peter.

Saint Ju Peter tried his best to defend against the attack, but he clearly underestimated Garp's sudden surge in strength.

The powerful, Haki-infused punch smashed into Saint Ju Peter's crossed arms and transmitted the force to his chest.

"Urgh..."

The impact made Saint Ju Peter cough up blood as his body was sent flying.

"That's not enough!"

Garp's eyes gleamed fiercely as he launched himself towards the flying blond Elder, determined to take advantage of this opportunity and finish him off.

If he didn't, Saint Ju Peter's self-healing ability would make it extremely difficult to defeat him in a short time.

Whoosh—

As soon as Saint Ju Peter's right foot touched the ground, he quickly adjusted his body and assumed a defensive stance.

Meanwhile, Garp's figure and his rapidly enlarging fist appeared right in front of him.

"Huh?!"

Saint Ju Peter's heart raced in alarm as his Observation Haki screamed about the danger in Garp's punch.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down in Saint Ju Peter's vision.

Without hesitation, he tightened his body like a drawn bow and threw a punch to meet Garp's incoming blow.

Boom!

In an instant.

The collision of their fists generated a terrifying shockwave.

Everything around them was torn from the ground and hurled away by the impact.

Those near their battlefield couldn't help but look at Garp and Saint Ju Peter with lingering fear, unable to hide their shock.

This made them realize that, aside from Nicholas and Imu, the most powerful figures of the sea were engaged in fierce battles right here at Mariejois.

"Garp, you truly are the strongest Marine in history. Your fists are even stronger than I imagined."

Saint Ju Peter praised Garp, his bloodied fists showing no attempt to hide his admiration.

"…"

Garp said nothing, his expression grim as he stared at Saint Ju Peter.

After fighting for so long, Garp could tell this opponent was extremely powerful.

Defeating him in a short time under these conditions was nearly impossible.

"However, I'm curious, Garp. The World Government has been quite lenient with you. Your son Dragon openly formed the Revolutionary Army, trying to overthrow the government. Yet we only issued a bounty for him, without implicating you. In fact, your position within the Navy remains special. Although you hold the rank of Vice Admiral, your influence exceeds even that of an Admiral.

Even with the Celestial Dragons, you can openly insult them without consequence. Given all these privileges, why have you chosen to side with those opposing the World Government? Has the government ever wronged you in any way?"

Saint Ju Peter asked with a serious expression as he stared at Garp.

Garp raised an eyebrow at his words but quickly understood the real meaning behind them.

Even the Elder Stars were beginning to doubt the outcome of the war. To them, Imu had always been synonymous with invincibility. They believed they could crush any threat, even the resurgence of the fabled Joy Boy.

But now, their once-invincible Imu had yet to defeat Nicholas, and the battlefields everywhere else showed little to no advantage for the World Government. In fact, many of their forces were struggling.

Without a doubt, the Elder Stars were starting to panic.

"Do you need a reason to overthrow those Celestial Dragon scum? Since the World Government won't deal with them, we'll help you! But instead of worrying about that, you should be concerned with how much longer you can last against me."

Garp's voice was filled with unconcealed disdain for the Celestial Dragons.

Saint Ju Peter sighed softly after hearing Garp's words. "It seems I've been thoroughly underestimated, Garp."

Garp said nothing more. He dashed toward Saint Ju Peter like a bolt of lightning.

Saint Ju Peter instinctively pushed his Observation Haki to its limit, locking onto Garp's movements.

Suddenly, Saint Ju Peter felt as though he were deep underwater.

An immense pressure surrounded him, making it feel like his limbs were trapped in thick, sticky water.

When he looked up, his vision was filled with golden light—a massive, golden Buddha with a wrathful expression was reaching out its palm toward him from the sky.

Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Great Buddha Form.

The terrifying Buddha radiated a golden light, and shockwaves rippled around its enormous hand.

In an instant.

Before Saint Ju Peter could react, he was enveloped in the shockwave.

With a look of astonishment, blood spurted from his mouth and nose.

Garp gazed at Saint Ju Peter and slowly said,

"This is war."