The air on the plaza suddenly solidified, and the oppressive force from Garp's iron fist was like a towering wave, threatening to completely engulf Cheng Xiaoyu at any moment.
But with his command, black mist surged across the plaza!
Dense, ink-black Shadows spread from the ground, like an all-consuming abyss, instantly covering more than half of the plaza.
Within the black mist, countless Shadow Soldiers quietly emerged, their shadowy outlines gradually materializing.
There were Marine Soldiers and Pirates holding weapons, as well as giant beasts, and the four figures leading them were even clearer and more striking.
Arlong! The Fishman pirate leader who once ran rampant in the East Blue.
Kuro! The cunning Captain of the Black Cat Pirates who once lived in seclusion in a village.
Gin! The powerful combatant once known as "Ogre."
Most astonishing was that delicate yet resilient figure—Kuina.
This scene was incredibly shocking; everyone involuntarily held their breath, and even the surrounding Marine Soldiers and Pirates dared not take a single step forward.
"Kui—Kuina!" Not far away, the usually calm Zoro's eyes widened, his voice filled with unconcealed shock.
He stared at the familiar figure, his face etched with struggle and disbelief; he recognized Kuina at a glance!
Even though she looked older than she did ten years ago, that familiar face was completely different from Marine Tashigi, whom he had seen that morning; this face was filled with a steadfast pursuit of the Way of the Sword!
Appearance can deceive, but that unique sword-holding posture cannot!
It couldn't be wrong! It must be Kuina!
And Arlong, Kuro, Gin… these opponents they had once defeated now stood before him in a bizarre manner.
Could it be… this is the power of Cheng Xiaoyu's Devil Fruit?
"Kuina… how did she become like this?! Cheng Xiaoyu, what exactly did you do?!"
Zoro questioned loudly, his hands unconsciously tightening around the sword hilts at his waist.
At this moment, his emotions were almost torn in half; on one side, reason told him that this was merely the materialization of a Shadow.
On the other, emotion was screaming frantically that this was his familiar friend.
Cheng Xiaoyu heard the shout, raised an eyebrow slightly, and glanced at Zoro, but said nothing more.
The Shadow Legion instantly broke into pieces; a hundred Shadow warriors lined up neatly, forming layers that stood between Cheng Xiaoyu and Garp, creating a barrier.
From the darkness came a chilling whisper, filled with murderous intent, as if a Shura from hell had descended.
"My pirate crew has no people, only Shadows," Cheng Xiaoyu's voice was incredibly deep, yet it revealed unparalleled arrogance and indifference.
Garp narrowed his eyes, flexed his wrists, and his knuckles popped crisply.
He was not shaken in the slightest by Cheng Xiaoyu summoning the Shadow Legion; instead, he revealed a rather hearty smile.
"A good Devil Fruit ability, but in the face of absolute power, it's nothing more than a paper-thin turtle shell!"
The next second, Garp's iron fist swept out, smashing directly into the Shadow barrier!
"Boom—" A huge shockwave dispersed the air, and the Shadow Soldiers who bore the brunt were directly shattered into pieces of black mist!
Cheng Xiaoyu was only trying to buy time, but Garp didn't even give him a moment to breathe, his offensive like a furious storm.
Punch after punch, the Shadow Legion was torn to shreds like paper.
In just a few tens of seconds, most of the Shadow army on the plaza was annihilated!
Cheng Xiaoyu knew that this Shadow Legion was merely a tactic to buy time; he couldn't possibly defeat Garp right now.
He took advantage of Garp clearing the Shadow Soldiers to bolt, but the direction of his escape was completely opposite to where the Shadow was docked.
"Trying to run? This old man hasn't let you leave yet!" How could Garp let him escape so easily? He pursued him relentlessly.
Cheng Xiaoyu ran, occasionally looking back to snipe Garp with Shadow Assault.
"Bang!" The bullet, imbued with Armament Haki, was extremely fast and quite powerful.
Garp merely glanced at it, and with an understated move, he caught one of the bullets in his hand.
The bullet was directly crushed in Garp's hand, its fragments scattering!
"This old man's strength… is too terrifying!" Cheng Xiaoyu inwardly groaned; this was no Marine hero, he was a monster!
Garp relentlessly pursued him, and the distance between them grew shorter and shorter!
"Kid, you can't run away! Just surrender obediently!" Garp's voice echoed behind Cheng Xiaoyu, like a death knell.
Garp's speed far exceeded Cheng Xiaoyu's expectations; in the blink of an eye, that mountain-like figure stood before him, blocking his path.
Cheng Xiaoyu abruptly stopped, gravel scattering beneath his feet, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"At this distance, it should be safe," he murmured, his gaze locked on Garp's every move.
Upon hearing this, Garp raised a thick eyebrow, a hint of confusion appearing on his rugged face: "Safe? What are you talking about, kid?"
Before he finished speaking, his fist, as big as a cooking pot, swept towards Cheng Xiaoyu's face, carrying a strong gust of wind!
The punch whistled, as if tearing the air apart!
If this punch landed squarely on Cheng Xiaoyu's face, his head would probably burst open like a watermelon!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and Cheng Xiaoyu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Just as Garp's iron fist was about to touch his nose, at that critical moment, the corner of his mouth curved slightly into a cold smile.
"Shadow Exchange."
A low voice escaped Cheng Xiaoyu's lips, and the next second, his figure abruptly vanished, replaced by a soldier made of Shadow.
At the same time, in an inconspicuous corner of the Shadow at the dockside, Cheng Xiaoyu's figure suddenly appeared.
He staggered a few steps, steadying himself by holding onto the ship's rail.
Meanwhile, Garp's iron fist landed squarely on the Shadow Soldier that had swapped places with Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, the Shadow Soldier was instantly crushed by Garp's immense force, turning into a black mist that dissipated into the air.
"That was close!" Cheng Xiaoyu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart pounding violently.
In that instant, he truly felt the threat of death; Garp was genuinely trying to kill him!
And Garp's strength was far more terrifying than he had imagined!
"Damn it, this old man is a monster!" Cheng Xiaoyu cursed under his breath, not daring to linger for a moment, and immediately shouted to his crew: "Full power, direct spray! Hurry!"
As the Shadow's engines roared, the Shadow immediately began speeding across the sea!
When Garp arrived at the dock, he could only see a tiny black dot on the horizon.
Looking at the departing Shadow, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then returned to calm.
"Kid, you run pretty fast!" Garp snorted coldly, not continuing the pursuit.
He knew that catching up to the Shadow at its speed was almost impossible.
"However, next time we meet, it won't be so easy to escape!"