One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

The devastating shot—it could only have been fired by Sol.

Despite being locked in a fierce battle with Garp, Sol had managed to spare enough focus to deliver a perfectly timed and powerful shot from a great distance.

Aokiji's expression remained calm, though inwardly, he couldn't help but marvel.

This was the legendary "Phantom Gun."

A sniper who, in the old days, had been a veritable executioner for the Marines.

Aokiji understood, to some extent, why Garp had never been able to let go of the Phantom Gun.

Still, he was here only for a vacation.

Scratching his chin, Aokiji turned his attention to Maude and Sunny, his curiosity piqued.

"By the way, what's your relationship with the Phantom Gun?"

For someone like Sol to fire a shot mid-battle just to assist these two, their importance was self-evident.

Maude replied calmly, "We're just workers at his shop."

Sunny glanced at Maude, thought for a moment, and said, "More like employees."

"Seriously?" Aokiji sweatdropped, looking at their deadpan expressions. It didn't seem like they were joking.

"Whatever," Aokiji muttered, his body beginning to emanate a chilling aura once more.

"As long as you two stay put, that's all that matters. So, forgive me if I get a little rough."

The moment the words left his mouth, Aokiji lunged toward Maude and Sunny.

Even before he moved, another intimidating bullet whizzed toward him.

This time, Aokiji was ready. His body seamlessly turned to ice, scattering and reforming to evade the shot, while his elementalized form swiftly approached the pair.

Though Sol's attacks were formidable, Garp was no pushover. Locked in a fierce struggle, Sol had no choice but to rely on the occasional opening to provide support.

Aokiji was well aware of this limitation, which was why he could disregard Sol's interference.

Despite Maude and Sunny's quick reactions, Aokiji's targeted attack left them no room to escape.

The difference in strength was simply too vast.

In mere moments, both Maude and Sunny's legs were encased in ice, their lower bodies firmly anchored to the ground. Aokiji even created a thick ice platform beneath them to ensure they wouldn't break free.

"That should do it."

Having achieved his objective, Aokiji paid no further attention to Maude and Sunny and re-formed his body to head back toward the Mad Hat Auction House.

His focus was entirely on the high-level clash between Garp and Sol.

Before long, he returned to the top floor of the auction house.

"Nothing beats this vantage point for a clear view."

Through the large windows, Aokiji watched Garp and Sol locked in combat.

Witnessing the clash of top-tier powerhouses up close was the true reason he had agreed to stay after being persuaded by Garp.

Intercepting Maude and Sunny had just been a small favor for Garp.

After all, if the two had escaped to a safe zone, Sol wouldn't have lingered in the fight.

If Sol didn't stay, Aokiji wouldn't get to witness this spectacular battle.

"Fights of this caliber are a rare sight," Aokiji murmured, his attention fully captured by the duel.

On the streets below.

Amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings and a ravaged battlefield, Sol stood atop the remains of a ruined structure, his gaze cold and focused.

Using his Observation Haki, he could sense Maude and Sunny's predicament—both of them had been immobilized by Aokiji's ice.

Even with Garp relentlessly pressing him, Sol had managed to fire two support shots, but that was his limit.

The shots had served as a deterrent, but against an Admiral, they weren't enough.

At least the two youngsters had only been frozen from the knees down—an unfortunate situation, but not the worst.

Breaking free from such an icy bind, however, was a challenge with no easy solution.

As Sol took a brief pause, Garp seized the opportunity to close the distance and unleashed a straightforward punch.

Sol was not one to be caught off guard. He pushed off the ground, his short frame darting backward to avoid the strike.

Garp's fist struck empty air, then crashed into the rubble below.

Boom!

The force of the punch left a massive crater, sending nearby debris flying skyward.

Sol stepped on air, swiftly ascending before aiming another shot at Garp.

The lead bullet, surrounded by spiraling airwaves, hurtled toward Garp's face.

Garp didn't bother to block the bullet with his fist this time. Instead, he ducked, letting the projectile graze his hair before resuming his advance toward Sol.

There was no point in wasting energy to block what could simply be dodged.

The bullet struck the ground, exploding like a cannonball and leaving another crater. The shockwave sent falling debris back into the air.

Though the exchange seemed simple, the destruction left behind was anything but ordinary. Two new craters now marred the street.

Garp wasn't about to let up his momentum.

Despite knowing why Sol had fired those earlier shots, he didn't slow his attacks.

Sol reloaded with practiced speed, his eyes briefly glowing red as he used Observation Haki to predict Garp's movements. Identifying an unavoidable trajectory, Saul fired again just before Garp closed in.

This time, Garp chose to block with his fist, its surface shimmering with Armament Haki.

When avoidance wasn't an option, the punch of a veteran like Garp turned into a shield.

Such a fighting style, though seemingly crude, relied heavily on experience. Only someone like Garp, with decades of battle-hardened instinct, could seamlessly decide which attacks to dodge and which to endure.

Without both experience and defense, anyone else would have been overwhelmed by Sol's relentless gunfire.

Even so, this battle was no ordinary one.

The fight had devolved into a grueling war of attrition.

"Just one solid shot," Sol thought.

"Just one good punch," Garp countered.

Both understood the stakes.

If either managed to land a decisive hit, it could shift the tide of battle entirely.

But while a single punch from Garp could swiftly conclude the fight, even Sol's best shot would require time and effort to fully capitalize on.

As the two veterans clashed at increasing speeds, the streets below continued to crumble. Buildings turned to rubble, and craters littered the battlefield.

On the sidelines, Aokiji observed with keen interest.

"Calling them old men feels wrong…"

Elsewhere on the Battlefield.

Maude glanced in the direction Aokiji had gone, his face calm but inwardly frustrated.

It was only when facing such overwhelming strength that one could truly comprehend the terrifying might of the Navy's elite.

"Sunny, how are you holding up?" Maude asked, turning to his companion.

"I'm managing," Sunny replied, her brow furrowed in pain. Her legs, encased in ice, throbbed incessantly.

"And you?" Sunny asked, glancing at Maude. Despite the situation, his face betrayed no discomfort.

"I'm fine," Maude reassured her, his gaze once again shifting toward where Aokiji had disappeared.

Before his legs had been fully frozen, he had deftly used his mastery of Haki to mitigate the damage.

The intricate control had even escaped Aokiji's notice.

Crack!

To Sunny's astonishment, the ice encasing Maude's legs began to fissure.

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