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"Heh... Should I thank you, then?"
Garp replied while lying on the ground, struggling to speak. His breathing was uneven, and his voice was strained.
"No need to thank me. At least I didn't kill you with that punch. If someone stabbed you in the back, wouldn't that ruin your reputation?"
Allen waved his hand dismissively.
In truth, Garp had spent decades capturing pirates on the seas, many of whom were cunning and treacherous. However, the pirates strong enough to face him head-on disdained underhanded tactics, while those who relied on such methods couldn't withstand his fists. Over time, he'd grown complacent. His concern for his two grandsons had also left him unprepared for Allen's sneak attack.
"Allen, you're one of the strongest men on the seas. There's no need to fear two rookies. Are you planning to kill them now?"
"Tsk... Garp, don't try to manipulate me. I won't attack these two kids."
Ace, pinned under Allen's foot, glared at him with bloodshot eyes. He knew exactly how strong Garp was—nearly on par with Whitebeard. If even Garp had been seriously injured and left lying there, what chance did he have?
"Hey, you! First, you looked down on the idea of becoming the Pirate King, then you took Nami away. Now, let Ace go!"
With Luffy's roar, an invisible force seemed to awaken. Some of the Marines in the distance suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
"Conqueror's Haki?"
Allen looked at Luffy with interest, as if examining a curious toy.
"The legendary qualification of a king? This thing... who doesn't have it?"
Before he finished speaking, a Conqueror's Haki aura a hundred times stronger than Luffy's newly awakened power erupted from Allen's body.
In an instant, all but a few high-ranking Marines, like Bogard, fell unconscious, their eyes rolling back.
"Well, this thing is really useful for clearing out weaklings. Tell me, Garp, after all these years, you still haven't awakened Conqueror's Haki?"
"What if I haven't? It's not like I need it."
After resting for a while, Garp had used his immense vitality to repair his broken bones and internal organs. He'd been stalling for time, talking to Allen to distract him.
"Old man, you're too lazy to awaken it. Without finding your own path, how could you ever unlock it?"
Allen called out Garp's excuse without hesitation, then glanced down at Ace, who was still pinned under his foot.
Ace had been struggling relentlessly, even using his Devil Fruit abilities several times, but Allen suppressed him effortlessly with Armament Haki.
"Let me go! If you've got the guts, fight me fair and square!"
Feeling the disdain in Allen's eyes, Ace struggled again.
"Fight fair and square? Go ask your biological father, your godfather, your grandfather, and even Fleet Admiral Sengoku how they fought me back in the day."
With a slight increase of pressure from his foot, Ace coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Your father and your grandfather ganged up on me back then, and now I'm doing the same to you. What's wrong with that?"
Facing Ace's murderous glare, Allen suddenly seemed to remember something and smirked at Garp.
"Hey, old man, this is Roger's son. You made him call you 'Grandpa.' Are you trying to be Roger's father? He entrusted his wife and child to you, and you just took advantage of him? Oh, and Whitebeard—is he your son too?"
"I... I don't think so. Let's keep this between us!"
Garp, still lying on the ground recovering, nearly spat out blood in frustration and retorted with a flushed face.
"Boring. Kid, listen up. Your father wronged me in the past, so today I'm taking it out on you. Whether you admit it or not, that's how it is. Understand?"
"Roger has nothing to do with me! My father is Whitebeard!"
Ace's teeth clenched so hard they nearly bled as he felt the weight of Allen's foot pressing down on him.
"Sure, sure, your father is Whitebeard. But Whitebeard wronged me too, so I'm still taking it out on you. Whether you admit it or not, that's how it is. Understand?"
Ace was momentarily confused. So, no matter what, Allen was just looking for an excuse to bully him, right?
Garp wanted to say something but hesitated. To be fair, Allen had always been popular among the people of the countries he visited. He treated everyone equally, unlike the arrogant Celestial Dragons. In that regard, Garp even admired him. If it hadn't been for Fleet Admiral Kong's direct orders during the siege years ago, Garp wouldn't have taken part in the fight against Allen.
"Impossible! Father Whitebeard would never—"
"Enough nonsense. Roger's dead, so his debt falls on you. Whitebeard's still alive, so I'll deal with him later. Why don't you go ask him? Oh, wait—it seems you can't go back."
"You're not allowed to hurt Ace! Gum-Gum Bazooka! Oof!"
Allen's words sent a chill through everyone present. They thought he was about to execute Ace right then and there. Luffy charged from behind, only to be sent flying dozens of meters by a casual headbutt from Allen, landing headfirst in a sand dune.
"Relax, old man. I'm not going to kill him. Someone else already has their eyes on him. I'm just waiting for the right moment to make a scene at Marineford."
With that, Allen lifted his foot and kicked Ace in the stomach, sending him flying into the crater where Garp lay. Ace's body landed next to Garp, their heads and feet aligned.
"There, that looks better. You're family, after all. You should stick together. Old man, here's some advice: lock him up in Impel Down now, and maybe the seas will stay calm for a few more years. Otherwise... well, you know."
Garp said nothing, just glared at Allen. The latter shrugged and began walking toward the seaside.
"I'm leaving now. Oh, and remember the lesson I taught you today. I saved your life at a critical moment. Repaying evil with kindness—pretty noble of me, right?"
Killing Garp now would be pointless. The real blow would come during the Summit War, when everything would be revealed. That would be Garp's true reckoning.
As Allen's figure grew smaller in the distance, Garp finally relaxed, letting Bogard help him to his feet. The adjutant was drenched in sweat, having been on edge the entire time, fearing Allen might take advantage of Garp's weakened state.
"Allen! Don't you dare touch Ace!"
Luffy scrambled out of the sand dune and rushed over, helping Ace to his feet while keeping a wary eye on Garp, half-expecting a "Fist of Love" to come his way.
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