"Enemy attack! Full combat readiness!"
"Hans, back to the helm! Prepare the Jet Dials!"
"Aldo! Marcus! Wake everyone up and get them moving!"
"Raise anchor! Set sail! Everyone who can move—get to your stations! MOVE!!!"
The festive atmosphere shattered within seconds.
"Hahaha! None of you are getting away!"
Garp's booming voice carried across the sea wind.
Then—
even denser black meteors tore through the sky.
This time—
their targets clearly included the Flame Fang.
"Protect the ship!"
"Leave it to us!"
Marcus, Aldo, Kahelow, and several elite combat members roared as they leapt into the air, blades drawn, attempting to intercept the incoming cannonballs.
However—
"BANG! CRACK!"
"Something's wrong!"
The instant Kahelow's blade struck one of the cannonballs, his expression changed drastically.
The force inside that cannonball was nothing like ordinary artillery fire—
it felt more like being shot from a super-heavy cannon.
His palms split open instantly.
His sword nearly flew from his grip as the impact hurled him sideways onto the deck.
Marcus fared slightly better.
Using a clever deflection technique, he barely redirected one cannonball away from the ship—
but the shock still sent his blood surging violently as he staggered backward.
Only Aldo roared furiously, swinging his spiked club with monstrous strength and smashing one shell away from the main mast.
The cannonball exploded harmlessly in the sea—
but even his arms trembled violently afterward.
BOOM! CRASH! BOOM!
Several missed cannonballs slammed directly into the Flame Fang's pristine hull.
The Treasure Tree Adam wood groaned with painful creaks, leaving horrifying dents and cracks as splinters flew everywhere.
Though the hull wasn't penetrated—
their precious new ship had been wounded.
"Our ship!"
The crew cried out in anguish.
Their drunken haze vanished instantly, replaced by burning rage.
This ship was their future.
Tom's masterpiece.
Their home.
"Fetch! Take your men to the cannons!"
"Open fire on that damn dog-head warship!"
"Don't stop shooting!"
"Understood! Artillery squad—move!"
Fetch's eyes turned bloodshot as he led a furious team of gunners toward the stern.
Thanks to Tom's brilliant balancing design—
most of the Flame Fang's heavy cannons had been positioned toward the middle and rear sections of the ship.
Now—
gunports along the right side and stern opened rapidly.
Rows of gleaming black cannons extended outward—
aimed directly at Garp's approaching warship.
"Loaded!"
"Aimed!"
"FIRE!"
BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM——!!!
The Flame Fang erupted with blazing firepower.
Solid rounds.
Chain shot.
Grapeshot.
All carrying the Jellyfish Pirates' fury as they streaked toward Garp's warship.
On the dog-head warship—
seeing the little "jellyfish" not collapse in fear but actually return fire—
Garp showed no anger.
Instead—
he looked impressed.
"Oh?"
"Got some guts, huh? You actually dare fight back?"
Picking his nose casually, he stepped forward toward the incoming barrage.
"Helmsman! Hold course!"
"Everyone else—grab onto something!"
Then—
alone—
he walked to the exposed side of the ship and simply stood there.
Watching the incoming cannonstorm.
The first volley arrived.
Garp moved.
No techniques.
No named attack.
Just—
a punch.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
His fists blurred like a storm.
The cannonballs—
capable of devastating ordinary warships—
were either punched away or exploded midair by his bare fists.
Flames and shockwaves exploded around him—
yet he didn't move back even half a step.
Fragments and blasts struck his body directly—
but not even his Marine coat was damaged.
"M-Monster…"
One of the Flame Fang's gunners saw the scene through the smoke and nearly dropped his shell in terror.
Their full volley—
had been stopped almost entirely by one man's fists.
Of course—
not all of the Flame Fang's bombardment was useless.
Garp was still only one person.
Some shells slipped through the barrage and struck the warship itself, causing minor damage and slowing pursuit slightly.
More importantly—
it massively boosted the crew's morale.
"Not bad, boys!"
Garp laughed loudly, grabbing more cannonballs.
"Looks like I need to spice things up!"
"Catch these!"
This time—
the cannonballs flew even faster.
Their trajectories were more vicious.
And faint black-red sheen coated them.
Sami's pupils shrank.
"Armament Haki…!"
He didn't dare hesitate.
His Observation Haki spread to full power as he leapt upward to intercept.
BANG! BANG!
His fists smashed into the cannonballs.
Instantly—
a terrifying force surged through his arms.
CRACK.
Clear bone-breaking sounds rang out.
The Armament Haki coating drastically increased the cannonballs' hardness and impact.
Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami felt his fingers, palms, even forearm bones crack apart.
"UGHH!"
He grunted in pain, twisting his body and using both technique and his Devil Fruit-enhanced physique to forcibly redirect the shells into the distant sea.
BOOM!
Landing heavily on deck, Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami glanced down.
His hands were mangled.
Skin torn open.
Bones visibly twisted.
But the next moment—
his flesh began writhing visibly.
Broken bones rapidly reconnected under the influence of his overwhelming regenerative vitality.
The Jellyfish Fruit's regeneration repaired the damage at terrifying speed.
"So this is your strength…"
Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami flexed his rapidly healing hands.
Battle intent and tension mixed in his eyes.
"Hans! Jet Dials ready!"
On the warship—
Garp dusted off his shoulder while watching the Flame Fang accelerate with streams of air blasting from its rear.
His excitement only grew.
"You've got more guts than I expected!"
"But the game's over!"
This time—
he stopped focusing on swatting cannonballs.
Instead—
he inhaled deeply.
His right fist drew back.
A terrifying pressure condensed around him.
Sami's Observation Haki screamed warnings.
He could feel it—
a horrifying force capable of shattering mountains was gathering at the bow of the warship.
"HANS!"
"JET DIALS!"
"MAXIMUM OUTPUT—NOW!!!"
Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami roared with everything he had.
"MAXIMUM OUTPUT!!!"
Inside the helm room, Hans slammed the control lever downward.
BUZZ——!!!
At the Flame Fang's stern—
multiple specially arranged Jet Dials erupted simultaneously.
A massive blast of visible white air exploded outward like the breath of a giant beast.
The entire Flame Fang lurched violently forward as if shoved by an invisible hand.
Its bow dipped—
then the ship shot forward with terrifying acceleration.
Everyone not firmly secured was thrown sprawling across the deck.
At nearly the exact same moment—
Garp punched.
"Fist Bone: Impact!"
A condensed shockwave blasted across the sea—
barely grazing the Flame Fang's rapidly accelerating stern before smashing into the empty ocean behind it.
BOOOOOOOOOOM————!!!
The sea exploded upward into a colossal wall of water dozens of meters high.
Violent undercurrents rocked the already fleeing Flame Fang violently.
Had they been even half a second slower—
they would have taken the hit directly.
The consequences would have been catastrophic.
"Oh?"
"So you've got acceleration tricks too?"
Garp smacked his lips while watching the Flame Fang burst away at incredible speed.
"Tch. Annoying little jellyfish. Pretty fast runners."
He shook his head regretfully, seemingly disappointed he hadn't sunk them in one punch.
"Well, whatever."
"I'll let you off for today."
Then he suddenly turned.
"Roger—"
"Wait… where's Roger?!"
He stared toward the direction Roger's ship had fled—
only to find empty sea and sky.
No trace remained.
The future Pirate King had already vanished into the endless ocean while Garp's attention had been diverted by the Flame Fang.
"That bastard escaped again?"
Garp scratched his head.
Then burst into hearty laughter once more.
"Hahahaha!"
"Fine!"
"I'll catch you next time!"
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