One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Chapter 383 - CHAPTER 384 - Powerful Garp, The Gap, A Question

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rosen's expression remained indifferent. Acquaintance or not, anyone who stood in his way would be killed.

And this Avalo Pizarro was too careless. Knowing full well he had an attack ready, he still dared to get this close.

It was originally meant for Blackbeard, but with an enemy right before him, he'd make do. Though it felt a bit wasteful.

"Go." Rosen pushed forward. The black sphere paused for an instant, then exploded with thunderous speed, striking Avalo Pizarro squarely in the chest.

Boom! Pizarro came fast and went even faster. He was almost torn to pieces by the blow. Even so, all his Haki defenses, his physical defenses, shattered in an instant. His chest was torn open with dozens of ghastly, fatal gashes.

He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, unable to stop. His eyes held disbelief. His full defense couldn't even withstand that brat from back then?

Avalo Pizarro hadn't underestimated Rosen. After all, this crew had even taken down an Admiral. His attack was with full force, and his defense was too. He thought that no matter what, he wouldn't be taken down in one move.

But he still couldn't withstand it. This blow left him utterly bewildered. Damn, was escaping Impel Down the right choice? The younger generation had grown this powerful already?

Pizarro didn't know he had just run into the attack Rosen had prepared for Blackbeard, a very powerful one. He was just unlucky.

In a direct, protracted fight, Rosen couldn't casually unleash such an attack, nor could he repel an old-era villain who could tangle with an Admiral so quickly.

"Crocodile, truly formidable. Let me test you." Shiryu of the Rain swung his sword. Beside him, Miss Valentine and Mr. 5, who had been trying to pin him down, were sent flying by a single swipe.

"BOSS, sorry." Mr. 5 and Valentine were deeply ashamed. Their strength was still too lacking to oppose this level of opponent.

"Forget it... If you can still absorb it even now, then there's nothing to be done." Rosen watched as Blackbeard ducked under the black cloth. With Shiryu attacking, Rosen formed his Golden Sand Sword and met Shiryu's strike.

Blades clashed, sword energy crisscrossing.

Shiryu didn't retreat, nor did Rosen.

Indeed, in terms of overall officer strength, they were still weaker than Blackbeard's crew. Of course, if Hathaway weren't tied up by Kizaru, it might be a different story.

"Get out of my way!" Garp punched through the air, blasting Robin back. Seeing this, Rosen abandoned his sword clash with Shiryu, leaping into the air to catch Robin.

With that, Garp was unopposed. Though it felt long, the intense three-way battle had only lasted a minute or two.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Having you face the Marines' top fighters is still too early. Prepare to retreat." Even if the Dawn Pirates were strong, facing attacks from both sides simultaneously was too dangerous.

Though it was a three-way melee, that's precisely why it was so unpredictable.

It was easy to face a combined assault from both sides. Of course, the same applied to any other side. Therefore, control over combat power and battle flow had to be exceptionally high.

A melee wasn't like a clear-cut battle between two sides. In a three-way fight, if two sides fought too intensely, the third would hang back, looking for an opportunity, and might take out the side that showed weakness first.

Hathaway and Enel were still okay. Though Robin was powerful, her practical experience against top fighters was still insufficient. Even Daz Bones seemed inadequate in this kind of fight. Dragging it out further could turn the situation bad.

There might even be casualties.

"Robin, take them and withdraw. Hathaway, we'll cover the retreat." Rosen's voice carried out.

"Retreat? You think this old man is invisible?" Garp didn't like Rosen, but that was from his position; it wasn't exactly hatred.

Deep down, there might even be a trace of gratitude. He had blocked Fleet Admiral Sengoku's attack, allowing Luffy and Sabo to successfully save Ace. That was real.

But he absolutely should not have killed Admiral Akainu. That was crossing a line.

"Iron Bone Fist!" Garp shot towards Rosen like lightning. His punch was like a dragon, his entire body releasing overwhelmingly fierce Haki. His right arm was sheathed in nearly crimson-black Haki.

A punch thrown. Before it even arrived, the air around them seemed to freeze instantly. His fist was too fast.

Rosen felt like he was facing an unstoppable meteor of flame. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Not because Rosen was afraid, but simply because Garp's pressure was too immense!

This was definitely not an ordinary Admiral-level fighter! The danger he posed was higher than Akainu's.

"Iron Body, Full Armament!" Rosen only had time to quickly raise both arms, instantly activating his full Haki and Iron Body defense. Block!

Thud! It was like a missile plunging into the ground, raising rings of earth. Rosen's figure was blasted back, his feet dragging across the ground for a full hundred meters before dissipating the force.

Just as he thought of counterattacking, his pupils constricted sharply. Garp was already before him again, and he was within Garp's attack range. Too fast.

This was the strength of Hero Garp. Another monster who, unlike Whitebeard, didn't decline in power with age!

"Armament, Hardening!" Faced with such a swift attack, Rosen was momentarily caught off guard and could only continue defending.

Thud! Rosen was sent flying.

"BOSS!" Robin and the others were horrified. This Hero Garp was simply too powerful. Was this the Marine legend who could fight Whitebeard head-on?

"Very strong." Rosen landed, stomped hard to stabilize himself. Garp charged again, but from the previous speed, Rosen calculated his own attack needed acceleration to keep up.

"Sandstorm." A massive tornado swept out from before Rosen, sweeping across every inch of the 180-degree area in front.

"Hmph. Are pirates truly so alluring? Even if you find the One Piece, what then?" Garp threw a punch through the air. Haki surged out like a shockwave, shattering the entire tornado.

Seeing one outstandingly strong individual after another throw themselves into piracy, he couldn't quite understand it. Freedom, he could grasp that. But with Crocodile's strength, even if he weren't a pirate, he could be very free.

And his grandsons, Luffy and Ace, were the same. Preferring to be pirates rather than Marines. In the end, they might vanish just like today.

Garp had thought this was their chosen path, their own will, and he could bear it. But when the true crisis of death loomed over Luffy and Ace...

He found he still couldn't bear it.

Why not live as a Marine? Even though he knew it might not be realistic.

But he wished for them to survive, even without great achievements. And this Crocodile before him was also very strong, yet still chose to become a pirate. Was the title of Warlord still not enough to anchor them?

"Finger Pistol: Fist Burst!" Rosen threw a full-power punch, clashing with Garp's. In an instant, the scene changed dramatically. Shockwaves swept across the ground and sky, like a massive typhoon eye.

"Vice Admiral Garp, I respect you for holding fast to your justice. But since you ask, I'll ask you this: Isn't part of the reason for so many pirates the inaction of the World Government? I think you know some of the World Government's secrets. Even so, do you still believe in justice?" Rosen questioned Garp.

(End of Chapter)

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