A lava mushroom cloud thousands of kilometers wide exploded and expanded in the sky.
Ignoring the panicked citizens fleeing inland,
Barrett, carrying Rayleigh's head and corpse, walked towards the port, looking at the giant mushroom cloud in the sky.
"What a grand spectacle."
Finding a spot on some steps, he casually tossed Rayleigh's corpse aside.
He collapsed on the ground and took a breather, watching the fierce battle in the sky.
Thunderous roars sounded, and white explosions of energy burst in the sky.
Giant sonic boom white rings formed in the sky, only to be rapidly dispersed.
To the people on the small islands of the Four Seas, this was an unimaginable battle between powerhouses.
They only felt infinite fear.
This was normal, after all... information exchange in this sea was too insular.
Many people never left their islands in their entire lives, and many had only ever seen the strongest person be a pirate wielding a large saber.
Even later, at Sabaody Archipelago.
There were still ignorant pirates who tried to shoot down Kizaru, a Marine Admiral, with a flintlock...
Brrr Brrr~ Brrr Brrr~
Standing on the port's warship, watching the battle in the sky, Carol suddenly heard the ringing of a Den Den Mushi.
He picked up the call, and Carol said:
"Moshi moshi~"
"This is Vice Admiral Sakazuki's warship."
Enel's voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi:
"Brother Carol!"
"Where is Uncle Sakazuki?"
Carol looked at the battle in the sky:
"He's in a fight."
"Um... with Vice Admiral Garp."
Enel's voice came through:
"Oh."
"....."
"....."
"Haa——???"
Carol chuckled:
"Is something wrong?"
Enel on the other side just remembered:
"Oh, tell Uncle Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Garp to hurry back."
"Golden Lion is causing havoc at Marine Headquarters, and he's already been subdued."
"Half of Headquarters has been destroyed."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is furious after returning from the Holy Land."
"Garp's people don't even know where he is."
"Fortunately, you guys can still contact him."
"But they'll definitely get scolded when they get back."
Carol frowned:
"Is that so."
"I understand."
*Click—*
Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Carol rubbed his temples. Headquarters was attacked, this...
He looked at the battle in the sky, then at his own small frame.
Carol was afraid that if he rushed in, he would be punched to death by the two men who had truly ignited their fury.
He looked at the island, scanned it with Observation Haki, and took a deep breath:
"Barrett!!!"
Barrett, who had his elbows propped on the steps behind him and was reclining as he watched the battle, suddenly heard Carol's shout.
He immediately pushed himself up, grabbed Rayleigh's corpse, and rushed towards the warship.
*BOOM!*
A blue afterimage slammed onto the warship.
The warship swayed slightly as Barrett's figure appeared:
"What's wrong, Mr. Carol?"
Carol looked at the heavily injured Barrett with a headache. He wasn't surprised by Rayleigh's death.
"It's nothing, I just wanted you to stop the battle in the sky."
"Let me do it."
Barrett looked surprised:
"Stop it?"
"How can I stop it? Charge in and get beaten up?"
Carol shook his head with a wry smile:
"Headquarters was attacked by Golden Lion, and half of Marineford was destroyed."
"These two who abandoned their posts in the sky will definitely be held accountable."
"Stop them first. If it gets any worse, it'll be a joke."
Barrett frowned:
"Such audacity, to dare attack Marine Headquarters."
Seeing Carol's small frame, he held him back.
Barrett took a deep breath:
"Let me go."
"At least I can take a few more hits."
With that, he activated his demonic energy and entered demonic energy mode.
Without waiting for Carol to speak, he rushed forward.
Thousands of kilometers above the sky.
The two berserk figures attacked each other like madmen.
Completely without reason or method...
Their bodies covered in Armament Haki, they separated and simultaneously turned their shoulders to collide.
*CRACK—*
Turbulent shockwaves erupted, like blades.
The air exploded where their shoulders met, forming cracks in the air that spread for meters.
*BOOM!!!*
They exploded, and the air within hundreds of meters around them rippled, making it difficult to see.
This was the effect of the rampant shockwaves, almost solidified.
Closing in.
Garp's eyes widened, and he punched Sakazuki in the abdomen.
Sakazuki's face contorted, he grabbed Garp's head with both hands and kicked up his knee.
*BOOM!*
They separated again.
Garp gritted his teeth and retracted his fist to his abdomen, his Armament Haki flowing black on his arm.
The dense Armament Haki seemed to form a giant fist.
He powerfully punched towards Sakazuki.
*WHOOSH—*
An air bullet tens of meters large whistled towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki's right hand pulsed with his ability, forming a fiery tiger phantom.
Infused with Haki, he unleashed it towards Garp:
"Roar Tiger!"
*ROAR—*
A giant tiger-headed flame phantom formed, roaring as it charged at Garp.
As the two collided.
A scorching, violent aura instantly erupted, as if another sun had appeared in the sky.
The spherical shockwave, kilometers in size, continued to spread.
Then, with two loud bangs.
The shockwave, like a balloon, was broken open from both sides.
The momentum they carried churned and shattered the giant shockwave, charging towards the center.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—*
White explosions of energy erupted everywhere in the sky.
The figures of the two flashed and clashed repeatedly.
Barrett stood at the edge and took a deep breath:
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!!!!"
But it was completely useless.
The area within a thousand meters of them seemed to have become a forbidden zone.
Conqueror's Haki couldn't penetrate, and his shouts were instantly buried by the immense roar.
With no other choice, Barrett forcefully activated the Asura King of Quaralight mode.
His arms grew three times larger, fangs emerged, and his face became demonic.
He stomped his foot and charged in.
Thousands of kilometers above, Garp and Sakazuki raised their fists to strike again.
*CRACK—*
A deafening sound exploded in Barrett's ears as he just reached them.
He also experienced what Rayleigh must have felt...
No time to think, his thick arms directly grabbed their wrists.
His arms, empowered by a several-fold increase in strength, could barely hold them.
Barrett roared:
"Headquarters has been attacked!!!"
Garp and Sakazuki were shocked simultaneously, their minds instantly clearing:
"What!"
"What!"
They both turned to look at Barrett.
Barrett held their hands without letting go:
"Headquarters was ambushed by Golden Lion."
"Vice Admiral Garp, you should return to your warship first."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is furious and is looking for you."
He said this and slowly released the wrists of the now calm duo.
The two stared at each other intently... a moment later.
Garp and Sakazuki snorted, their auras receding.
Then Garp turned and headed towards Baterilla Island first.
To see if he could collect the bodies... This time, he was not obstructed...
Sakazuki took a deep breath, he had forgotten about this.
"What about the casualties at Headquarters?"
Barrett breathed a sigh of relief:
"It's said that half of Marineford was destroyed."
"The specifics are still unknown."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is also looking for you."
Sakazuki nodded:
"I understand."
"Let's go, we need to hurry back to Headquarters."
The two descended towards the warship below.
Night.
Sakazuki, covered in bandages, and Barrett were replenishing their energy.
Rows of empty plates were laid out on the large table in the restaurant.
On the deck, several huge pieces of Sea King meat were being cut and transported to the kitchen.
Barrett shoved a piece of meat from a thigh bone into his mouth with one hand.
He chewed and swallowed it in a flash, then casually tossed the bone aside and reached for another piece of meat.
In comparison,
Sakazuki ate with a composed yet savage demeanor.
He directly stuffed a leg of meat, bone and all, into his mouth.
*CRUNCH CRUNCH—*
He chewed and swallowed the bone along with the flesh in a few bites.
The bones and flesh swallowed into his body.
Were instantly digested and turned into energy to replenish his body...