Dragon wore a grim expression. He couldn't understand why Garp was trying to stop him.
Meanwhile, Teach wiped the blood from his mouth and burst into laughter.
"Zehahahaha! I didn't think I'd get another shot at life..."
His eyes fell on Carl below, a savage look flashing across his face.
"I've already died once—hell if I'm not getting my revenge!"
With that, he bared his teeth and dove down toward Carl. But before he could even get close, a Haki-infused iron fist smashed into his face.
Boom!!
With a thunderous roar, Teach was sent flying. When he managed to steady himself, a large dent had appeared on the side of his face.
He exhaled a cloud of white breath and glared toward the distance, his face darkening.
"Garp! I saw it with my own eyes on Whole Cake Island—your son, Dragon, was killed by him! You knew, didn't you!? And now you're coming after me instead of them? Have you gone senile!?"
Garp remained expressionless as he shook out his fist and replied in a low voice:
"I was a Marine in life—and I'm still a Marine in death."
Dragon stared at Garp with a complex look, his clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.
...
High above, Joy Boy had been observing the situation. Just as tensions reached the brink of civil war, he narrowed his eyes. With a sharp flick, he removed his straw hat, sending out a wave of white light that instantly engulfed both Garp and Rocks.
The light moved so quickly that even with the heightened Observation Haki of Garp and Rocks, they couldn't react in time.
Their pupils contracted as the strange white light engulfed them. Both tried to resist with bursts of Conqueror's Haki, but it was no use—the light couldn't be dispelled.
The glow condensed rapidly, forming two miniature white straw hats that embedded themselves into their foreheads.
In the next second, the fierce light in their eyes vanished. Their arms dropped, their gazes hollow—like two puppets awaiting orders.
Dragon's face twisted in shock.
"Father!?"
He looked up at Joy Boy, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Joy Boy sighed heavily, his expression one of helplessness.
"Dragon, your father Garp has been poisoned by the Marines' twisted concept of 'justice' for too long. If I didn't take control of his body like this... he'd stand against us."
As he spoke, Joy Boy's eyes flashed white. Garp and Rocks instantly sprang into action, diving toward the battlefield below.
Dragon's aura surged with fury, but he could only watch as his father was reduced to a puppet.
Right now, his obsession with overthrowing the World Government and defeating Carl had eclipsed everything—even his love for his father. For now, Garp would just have to endure it.
He turned with a snarl, transforming into a violent gust of wind and chasing after Garp and Rocks.
...
Truthfully, Joy Boy didn't like controlling Garp and Rocks this way. If they fought willingly, their power would be far greater—they knew their own strength best.
...
Below, the Admirals—led by Akainu—were already engaged with Roger. Facing four Admirals at once, Roger was in a rough spot.
His current strength was already weaker than it had been during his fateful battle with Carl. Now, facing Akainu and three other peak-form Admirals, it was taking everything he had just to hold on.
Ace stood at a distance, anxiety gripping him as he watched his father—the Pirate King—being pushed back. He desperately wanted to help, but he couldn't find a single opening.
The clash of elemental attacks and overwhelming waves of Haki made it nearly impossible to even get close. This level of battle was far beyond what a so-called "Supernova" like him could interfere with.
Fortunately, just as Roger was about to falter, Rocks, Garp, and Dragon arrived on the scene. They joined the fray against the Admirals.
With Garp no longer blocking him, Teach also charged into the battlefield. The confrontation instantly shifted from a 1v4 to a 5v4.
Even so, Akainu and the other Admirals remained calm and composed, handling the situation with ease.
Aokiji faced off against Garp, Borsalino took on Teach, and Aramaki engaged Dragon.
That left Rocks and Roger against Akainu. The Admiral had been ready to take on both alone, but just then, Lucia arrived.
Lucia had fully awakened her Fallen Angel form, appearing like a purple Valkyrie as she slashed her blade toward the Joy Boy-controlled Rocks.
With Lucia's intervention, Akainu could now focus all his attention on Roger.
And at this moment, Akainu was more fired up than ever.
Back then, he'd been far from his peak—crushed by Roger, who had the power of the Nika Fruit. The memory of being overpowered, gripped in Roger's hand, had festered like a thorn in his heart.
Now that he had reached the pinnacle of his strength, he would seize this chance to settle the score—once and for all. He would obliterate the Pirate King's soul!
Fueled by a burning fighting spirit, Akainu unleashed his killing blow. A Hellhound erupted from his fist, so powerful that Roger's "Ace"—a weapon formed from Nika's power—was shattered into drifting white mist.
Roger had no choice but to use Haki-enhanced fists to block the remaining force of the Hellhound.
Reforming "Ace" would take time. Without it, Roger was forced into close-quarters combat with Akainu, whose magma-coated fists raged with searing heat.
As they exchanged blows, Roger was stunned by Akainu's immense power—and filled with bitter frustration.
Akainu, as the current face of the Admirals, was certainly formidable. But in Roger's heart, Carl had always been his true rival. Yet now, it seemed he couldn't even get the chance to fight Carl anymore.
...
Up above, Joy Boy watched Roger's plight. Then he glanced toward Ace—still frozen, helpless and furious on the sidelines.
A thought crossed his mind. With a flick of his straw hat, he sent another beam of white light shooting toward Ace.
But this time, it wasn't to seize control of Ace's body. Ace's power wasn't worth the effort.
Rather than let Ace remain a useless mascot, Joy Boy would make the most of his potential.
Ace didn't even have time to react. Under the light, his body began to twist and melt—until he transformed into the shape of a sword.
The moment the blade took form, it flew straight toward Roger.
Roger sensed something and instinctively reached back, grabbing the weapon.
As soon as he held it, a familiar, blood-deep connection surged through him.
The sword in his hand trembled—it was Ace. Though transformed, he still retained consciousness. His voice echoed from the blade:
"Father... this time, let me fight beside you—"
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+150 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg