One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Chapter 386 CHAPTER 387 - Red-Hair's Strike

"Go to Impel Down and reflect on your sins." Kizaru faced Hathaway again. Rosen had no choice but to take on Garp. The pressure on Rosen was immense.

"Do you think we can't escape?" Rosen asked calmly, looking at Garp. Garp was strong, but escaping in such a large-scale melee wasn't that difficult. However, if Garp pursued relentlessly, the cost would indeed be high.

If possible, Rosen hoped Garp might go easy, but pinning hopes on an enemy was unrealistic. Rosen didn't really expect it.

"The captain of the Dawn Pirates is rather naive. Perhaps you still don't understand the situation. Then let this old man tell you: the forces the World Government has currently deployed are sufficient to fully resist what you call two Emperors of the Sea. Leaving today won't be so easy." Admiral Kizaru handled Hathaway's attacks while glancing at Rosen, trying to impose great psychological pressure.

To make it easier for Vice Admiral Garp to achieve victory.

Unfortunately, Rosen's confidence wasn't so easily shaken now. "I think you're the naive ones. If you really intend to wipe us out, what price are you willing to pay? The cost of two Akainus? Or three?"

"The Whitebeard Pirates lost Whitebeard, but if commanders like Marco fought to the death, how many Marines would they take with them? Probably many Vice Admirals. Perhaps, if things go badly, even one or two Admirals might fall."

Rosen's words made Kizaru and Garp somewhat more rational. Both vaguely realized something: what were they fighting for now?

Though Akainu had unfortunately died, their main objective, Whitebeard, was dead. As for Fire Fist Ace? That was a joke; Garp certainly wouldn't personally pursue him.

Even Aokiji and the others sent after him might not dare to kill him. After all, where there are relationships, there is debt and gratitude, not to mention Aokiji had received much care from Garp.

So what was the purpose of fighting now? More likely, it was venting anger. Akainu's death had driven everyone into a state of war frenzy, making it hard to maintain rational control.

Even with Garp and Kizaru teaming up, the desire for revenge for Akainu probably outweighed their desire to capture Rosen.

In other words, this battle was being fought with most lower-ranking Marines driven by hatred, meaning casualties and losses weren't being considered at the moment.

"Left flank, retreat! That's the Warlord's combat zone, don't charge in recklessly... Damn it!"

Sengoku saw a unit led by a Vice Admiral, bloodlust clouding their judgment, recklessly charging into Hawkeye's sword range. Many Marines were severely wounded.

"A Marine Vice Admiral failing to constantly monitor battlefield changes and my orders... that idiot." Fleet Admiral Sengoku scanned the battlefield, feeling that the excessively high morale was gradually pushing the battle out of control.

"What's going on? Didn't they know I had already launched my attack?" Hawkeye was slightly puzzled because his attack was launched first, not after the Marines charged.

Didn't these Marines sense the danger?

He hoped Marine Headquarters wouldn't hold it against him. After all, they charged into the attack; it wasn't his intention.

"How much would it cost to deal with the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates? And what about the Blackbeard Pirates? Do you think they can be taken down easily without cost? I see many legendary, heinous criminals among them." Rosen continued.

"And us? Even if there are only two of us, if we truly fought to the death, trading two lives for one, I think that's possible. Right, Admiral Kizaru?" Facing Rosen's counter-threat, Kizaru's eyes narrowed slightly, but for once, he didn't retort.

They had surrounded and killed Akainu and survived. If these two fought with their lives on the line, it was no joke; they might really do it. Kizaru felt very displeased. Why use him as an example?

Did he look easy to bully?

"Even if what you say makes sense, so what? Should we just let you go?" Garp frowned. Hearing Rosen's words, he began to pay more attention to the surroundings. While many pirates had been killed, Marine casualties were also rising sharply.

"Why not? The overall situation is what you should consider. Continuing to fight now, the Marines might achieve greater results, but the losses would be unprecedented. And these losses would truly affect the foundation of world stability. I believe these losses far surpass what losing Akainu would entail." Rosen sensed a slight shift in Garp's tone.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. As expected, the weaknesses of righteous Marines were so obvious. Through this probing, Rosen was convinced Garp was a truly rare, upright Marine, even if he usually seemed unreliable.

He might make constant mistakes in minor matters, but when facing situations affecting the world's structure, he always considered things from a guardian's perspective.

"Hmph." Hearing this, Kizaru's attacks also lessened in ferocity. Not that he didn't want to continue, but he couldn't achieve victory quickly. Moreover, Rosen's earlier arguments made them fear even worse outcomes were developing. They were all concerned.

"Use your Haki. Listen carefully to the sounds of this battlefield. Both pirates and Marines are nearing the point of losing control."

"Hey, Sengoku, you heard that. What now?" Garp spoke into the Den Den Mushi placed inside his uniform.

In the distance, Sengoku was silent. Akainu's death had indeed caused him to lose rationality momentarily. Now, reminded by Rosen, he suddenly realized.

But even knowing, what could he do? Let Crocodile go? How could that be?!

But if they didn't let Crocodile and Blackbeard go and continued fighting, Marine losses would be too great. Not just the cost of two or three Akainus; even one more Akainu's worth of loss would be unbearable for Marine Headquarters.

Every top-tier combatant was powerful and precious. Pursuing revenge while ignoring the fundamental issues, even worsening losses... More crucially, they might not even be able to keep Crocodile and the others here.

Marine Headquarters couldn't afford to weaken further. Otherwise, even if they won this battle, controlling the situation at sea would be extremely difficult.

But letting Crocodile go like this... Sengoku couldn't accept it. And the threat of Blackbeard was still uncertain.

"Bastard!" Sengoku cursed angrily. If not for Blackbeard and Crocodile's appearance, the entire battlefield situation would have been under his control.

"Fight while retreating. Changes are coming soon. They ultimately won't let us off easily." After Rosen and Hathaway clashed with their respective opponents and created distance, Rosen moved close to Hathaway and whispered.

Hathaway's expression remained calm as she gave a slight nod.

Just as Rosen finished speaking, the entire Marine Headquarters suddenly began to vibrate violently. The sky instantly took on a dark red hue, becoming dim and oppressive. Everyone seemed to sense something, instinctively looking up.

A towering dark-red sword beam, carrying world-shattering Haki, descended from the sky, slashing onto the bubble barrier. The Marine Headquarters island went from vibration to violent shaking.

Schlick! The bubble was sliced open like butter. The terrifying sword wind and the shockwave from the bubble's rupture instantly swept across the entire Marine Headquarters; not a single inch of land was spared.

Countless people fainted under this pressure—the impact of an immensely powerful Conqueror's Haki.

Logically, those still fighting now, both Marines and pirates, were elites among elites, not easily intimidated by ordinary Conqueror's Haki pressure.

But the Haki carried by this sword was truly terrifying. Those remaining were also captivated by this shocking change. This strike was overwhelmingly powerful. The air bubble, which even many powerful pirates combined couldn't break, was now forced open by a single sword beam.

Though many attacks had already depleted the bubble's defenses, even an Admiral's full-power strike couldn't break it. Yet now, a sword beam had shattered it.

Who was it?!

Simultaneously, a pirate ship appeared in everyone's sight.

All who saw this ship were as if they'd seen a ghost, especially the Marines.

"The Yonko crew, Red-Haired Shanks! Impossible! How is he here?!"

"Weren't they fighting Kaido?"

"Was that slash just now from him?!"...

The battlefield fell into an eerily silent standstill once again.

(End of Chapter)

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