When Luffy darted toward the battle between Dragon and Akainu, Jack attention shifted, not to the marines, but to the two figures emerging from the smoke.
Saint Figarland Garling and Saint Figarland Shamrock.
The Holy Knights.
Even from this distance, their presence warped the air and they clearly looked very strong.
He didn't care about the Vice Admirals or even Akainu. Jack had watched and studied the Holy Knights before. They weren't ordinary humans, they are marked human who had been branded with magic, they could teleport across islands and regenerate even when was cut by Haki.
He didn't know if the branded was magic or one of the ancient technology that could heal the person instantly.
But what imporatnt right now, is these two person can call reinforcement.
He didn't know if Holy knights could bring the Gorosei or even Imu himself here, but he knew one thing they could send signal to other Holy Knights and bring Gunko here.
Once Gunko are here, it was easy for Imu to use her body and defeat them.
If these two were here, then this was no longer a normal war, it was all out war.
Inside his helmet, Jack's visor came alive with streams of data. His breathing slowed as his mind synchronized with the Iris Combat Interface, a system he designed to mimic and even surpass Observation Haki. He was the only Straw Hat who couldn't use Haki naturally, so he built his own replacement, Iris.
"Activate Iris Scan," he muttered.
A pulse of blue light rippled outward, invisible to the naked eye. The entire island bloomed into a 3D display inside his visor. every movement, heat signature, and magic or haki energy pulse rendered in glowing threads of data.
[SCANNING COMPLETE]
Detection radius: 5 kilometers
Predictive combat simulation active (20-second forecast).
Jack eyes flicked left and then the warning came.
[ALERT] — Threat detected. High-speed kinetic strike incoming. Target: Koala. Estimated time to impact: 1.2 seconds.]
Jack heart jumped. On the far side of the battlefield, Saint Figarland Garling was already moving towards his prey, his sword gleaming with Armament Haki, slicing through the air faster than sound. His first target wasn't them , instead it was Koala.
But Jack wasn't the only one who noticed, Zoro, Sanji and Sabo had long noticed thanks to their observation haki.
Zoro hand went to his katana and trying to move forward to block the attack, Sanji kicked off the ground and wrapped his leg with armament haki, Sabo are also moving towards Koala yet none of them made it in time.
Thanks to Jack who had the power of Makkari and can move even faster than Kizaru, he manage to conjured the shield and blocked the attack.
It happen in the blink of an eye, a radiant golden shield materialized just as Garling sword descended. The impact echoed like thunder, shaking the ground. The cosmic barrier flared but held firm.
Garling eyes widened. "What…?"
He felt no trace of Haki from that shield, no aura, no presence yet his sword had failed to cut through it.
Koala fell to the ground, stunned, staring up at the man now standing before her.
"Stay behind me," Jack said calmly, his voice metallic through the helmet.
Garling slowly withdrew his sword, studying him with cold curiosity. "Interesting… no Haki, no killing intent… and yet, my strike couldn't pierce it."
He smirked faintly. "Who are you?"
Jack tilted his head, saying nothing.
Before Garling could move again, Sabo, Zoro, and Sanji closed in from three sides but Shamrock stepped between them, blocking all three with a single swing of his sword.
The sword turned into cerberus ready to fight them.
"How dare mere scum raise their weapons against the gods," Shamrock said coldly.
"Indeed," Garling added. "These insects think they dare to strike at gods."
Jack become really angry, for the first time he feel wrath hearing this disgusting Holy Knights.
He switched to loudspeaker mode so all the people on the island could hear his voice.
"GODS? YOU CALL YOURSELVES GODS? YOU'RE NOTHING BUT FILTH IN THE GUTTER, WORSE THAN ANIMALS!"
His voice boomed across the island. Even Morgans, circling above in his news blimp, caught the broadcast.
Garling sneered. "Bold words for an insect who hides behind armor."
In the same breath, Jack moved and in the next instant, Garling's right arm hit the ground.
The Holy Knight didn't even flinch. Instead, he smiled. "Interesting. You think that matters?"
He had noticed that Jack wanted to cut his arm and he let him to do so because, why not? It was amusement for him to see mere insect finally saw they are unworthy.
But then something went wrong.
His smirk twisted. His eyes widened.
Pain!
Real, searing pain.
"AAARGHHH!" Garling screamed, clutching his severed arm as red blood splattered across the ground. The regeneration that had always saved him… didn't work.
Shamrock eyes snapped wide. "Father?!"
He had never seen his father make such an expression, raw agony twisting the face of the man he had respected and even invincible infront of insect.
He spun around, trying to reach his father, only to feel a blade pierce through his chest.
The wound closed instantly, his body restoring itself in seconds, shocking Zoro, Sanji, and Sabo who had struck him down.
He parried their follow-up attacks and rushed to his father side.
Upon seeing Garling crawling on the ground, trembling in disbelief, Shamrock fury turned to dread. The Holy Knight arm still bled uncontrollably, refusing to heal.
"Father… why isn't it healing?"
For the first time, fear flickered in both their eyes — father and son who once believed themselves untouchable.
Jack stepped forward slowly, they can't see his anger on his face. His voice echoed through the battlefield, amplified by the speakers from Going Merry.
"HEY SCUM, REMEMBER THIS!" he said. "God neither begets nor is He begotten. By claiming yourself to be a god, you have committed a grave insult against the Creator. When the Almighty wills something to exist, He merely says, 'Be,' and it is!"
The air trembled with his words, each words make both Holy Knights become scared because they never face someone like Jack.
......
Starting from chapter 58, I have doubled the word count to minimum 2000 words.
......
Author Notes: There is 10 advanced chapter on my patreon.
-patreon.com/zerelix