Dog-Head Warship.
Garp held the Den Den Mushi.
"Garp, you must ensure the safety of King Kuhn and the Princess, understood?!"
"Pfft-hahaha, so all I gotta do is defeat the Earth Calamity, right?"
"You idiot, the primary objective is to rescue King Kuhn and the Princess!"
"Got it!"
Garp grumbled as he picked his nose.
The Kuhn royal family had a terrible reputation, just like most monarchies—profiting off wars and squeezing their people dry to pay the Celestial Tribute.
In his eyes, those royals were no different from the Celestial Dragons.
All trash.
He had no desire to save them.
Suddenly, the old man's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "How about we wait until King Kuhn gets killed before we show up?"
"Absolutely not!"
The marines erupted in protest.
Bogart reminded him, "Vice Admiral Garp, the Earth Calamity is currently near the Kuhn Kingdom. We don't have time to waste."
"Tch."
Garp scowled in displeasure.
Kuhn Kingdom.
The Groudon Ship arrived at the coast.
The Pirates lost interest upon seeing the impoverished village and its numb inhabitants. In the past, they might've looted the place.
But now?
Torturing their captives was far more entertaining.
"AAAAH! IT BURNS, IT BURNS!!"
King Kuhn and the Princess were tied to a pyre, screaming as the flames licked at them. The more they suffered, the more the Pirates reveled in their agony.
Gurd shook his head.
"Don't burn them to death. They're hostages!"
"Relax, Captain!"
"Gahaha, we know what we're doing!"
The Pirates were having the time of their lives.
"Captain Gurd, can we try other ways to torment them?"
"Do whatever you want."
Gurd leaped ashore and walked into the village.
The villagers were dressed in rags, their faces gaunt and malnourished.
No different from the people of non-affiliated nations in the New World—all teetering on the brink of starvation.
Deep within the island stood a pristine, gleaming city—likely the royal capital of the Kuhn Kingdom.
"Trying to copy the Goa Kingdom?"
Gurd rubbed his chin.
The Goa Kingdom's policy of social segregation had earned praise from the Celestial Dragons, prompting many affiliated nations to follow suit.
In truth, the Fortuna Community wasn't much different.
Across the New World, the Fortuna Communities were clean, well-maintained, and luxurious—worlds apart from the squalor outside.
That was precisely why they were so sought after.
But the key difference was that he could only build Fortuna Communities to exploit wealth—he couldn't control everything.
The Nation of Labor was different. There was no deliberate social division. Instead, class distinctions were downplayed, and everyone was encouraged to work hard. If you wanted a better life, you had to earn it with your own hands.
That was how productivity thrived.
But these affiliated nations? They had the means to govern properly, yet they chose to segregate society, treating their impoverished citizens like garbage.
No better than Pirates.
"Pirate… sir."
A woman knelt before Gurd, clutching a child in her arms. Despite her fear, she mustered the courage to beg.
"Please… spare some food. My child is starving to death."
"..."
Gurd stared at the woman and the emaciated child in her arms. Even his hardened heart couldn't help but sigh.
This scene was a microcosm of the world.
And he was one of the perpetrators.
He knew all too well the devastation the Golden Route would bring to the North Blue—millions of the poorest would die because of it.
But he knew even more clearly that the path he had chosen was not wrong. If such a distorted rule could exist, why couldn't the ruler be him?
I too wish to be king!
I shall become the greatest landowner in the world!
"Speed, distribute all the food on the ship to the villagers."
"Page One! Ulti!"
Gurd raised his hand and pointed toward the city ahead.
"Plunder everything. Wipe this country off the map!"
"Understood!"
The flames of war ignited swiftly.
Within the royal city, the wails of the wealthy and nobles echoed, while along the coastal villages, the laughter of villagers filled with food resounded.
A complete reversal.
Chikara ran over, shrinking her neck at the sight of the thick smoke rising from the royal city, and whispered, "Lord Gurd, the Marines are coming!"
"Hmm."
Gurd returned to the ship.
The Dog-Head Warship was approaching.
"Bring the ship closer."
The villagers were still eating behind them—no need to disturb them.
On the Dog-Head Warship.
Bogart held a telescope.
"Vice Admiral Garp, the Beasts are destroying the Kingdom of Kuhn!"
"Pffahahaha, I can see that."
Garp stared at the thick smoke on the island, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction. Though he shouldn't laugh, he couldn't help it.
"Hey, bring me some cannonballs!"
"Yes, here you go!"
A Marine struggled to carry a cannonball forward.
"Let's start with a greeting!"
Garp weighed the cannonball in his hand, then gripped it tightly. His arm muscles bulged as he hurled the cannonball toward the Groudon Ship!
"Fist Bone Meteor!"
"BOOM!!!"
A towering wave, dozens of meters high, erupted beside the Groudon Ship!
The pirates on board were nearly scared to death.
"We're not even within firing range yet!"
"Hey, hey, hey—this can't be a cannonball thrown by the Hero Garp, right? It's even more powerful than a warship's cannon!"
"That old man—how does he still have such terrifying strength?!"
"The legendary hero, Garp!"
The pirates clung to the ship's railing, staring at the burly man standing on the dog-head prow of the warship, swallowing hard.
Since the day they were born, they had grown up hearing legends about Garp!
His legendary exploits were truly countless—numerous infamous pirates had fallen at his hands, including some at the level of the Four Emperors.
The Red Baron, Golden Lion...
But like Whitebeard, Garp was already advanced in age. His strength should have waned—yet the scene just now proved his power was still astonishing!
"Bring me cannonballs—a thousand of them!"
"Huh?"
The pirates turned to Gurd, who had already removed his shirt at some point, revealing suffocatingly massive muscles.
The enemy had greeted them—how could they not respond in kind?
"Hurry up!"
"Yes, sir!"
Gurd stood at the prow, gazing at Garp on the Dog-Head Warship.
As their respective subordinates pushed carts of cannonballs into position, the two men grinned simultaneously, grabbing cannonballs and hurling them with wild force!
Two cannonballs whistled through the air, colliding with pinpoint accuracy!
"BOOM!!!"
A massive pillar of fire erupted skyward!
But this was only the beginning!
"Pffahahaha!"
"Kekekeke!"
"Take this!" ×2!
Laughing wildly, the two men unleashed a relentless barrage, the heavy cannonballs flying like bullets from a Gatling gun—each one ten times more powerful than an ordinary shot.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"
Countless explosions lit up the sea!
Both sides' subordinates stood dumbfounded.
"He actually blocked Vice Admiral Garp's Fist Bone Meteor Shower!"
The Marines were terrified out of their wits—it was the first time they'd seen someone block Vice Admiral Garp's attack in the same manner.
Before this, no matter how powerful a Pirate Crew was, they would be utterly annihilated under the terrifying
assault of "Fist Bone Meteor Shower," leaving not even a scrap of their ship behind!
This was an Earth Calamity!
"Puhahahaha!!!"
"Kekekeke!!!"
Amidst the roar of cannon fire, only the laughter of the two Admirals echoed across the sea!
One more chapter, will finish soon.
(End of Chapter)