Chapter 53: Titan’s Wrath on the Shores of Sook

“Whiz!”

Still a distance from shore, Garp stood on the ship, already hurling cannonballs straight at Karl.

Each cannonball ripped through the air with a massive shockwave, parting the sea water all around.

“Long swords really are the best.”

Karl drew the Dragon Spring Blade he’d picked up at the auction, slicing through the incoming cannonballs with practiced ease. Shattered shells exploded behind him, turning the little town in the distance into a battleground of fire and smoke.

Even though Karl wasn’t master of the art of cutting iron, he had learned the Taiji Sword technique from the Elder Heavenly Master’s legacy.

Simple moves were more than enough in his hands.

Seeing that the cannonballs were only wrecking homes while failing to touch Karl, and with only himself at the shore, Garp threw aside the ammo. Together with Sengoku, he launched into the air using Moonwalk, flying straight for Karl.

They didn’t bother bringing the Navy’s ships closer. Both knew that, when real titans clashed, numbers were meaningless.

“Karl—surrender now.”

Landing on the dock, Garp crossed his arms and faced Karl with a stern look.

“Isn’t it a bit pointless to say things like that?”

“Only if you can beat me.”

A cold, bloodthirsty light flashed in Karl’s eyes as a sly smile tugged at his lips. He knew that if he wanted the System’s reward, he had to hold this island for another day—there was no getting around this fight.

“Iron Fist!”

Garp knew talk was over and he didn’t lose his temper. He burst forward, lightning-fast, straight at Karl.

“Boom!”

It was just a test of strength, but when their fists met, the ground warped beneath them. Both men were shoved backward, each retreating several steps.

“Up close, nothing beats a good punch.”

As Karl used his sword to block, he realized he wasn’t comfortable with it for hand-to-hand. Using a blade against pure martial arts just didn’t feel right.

“Bone Crusher—Meteor!”

Garp wasn’t in the mood for conversation. He shot forward again, swift and brutal.

Karl saw Garp charging and quickly stashed Dragon Spring Blade in his System inventory, then stood firm and started chanting a spell.

“In such a hurry?”

“Heaven and Earth are profound, the myriad energies their root—acquire limitless virtue, uphold my divine power. Within and without the three realms, only the Dao reigns. My body shines with golden light, shielding me entire.”

Immediately Karl’s whole body was wrapped in the Golden Light Spell, and a brilliant golden figure shimmered to life.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The two of them clashed again and again at breakneck speed.

“Shockwave!”

Just as Karl crossed paths with Garp, Sengoku appeared on his left, already taking on his giant Buddha form.

“Thunder Fist!”

Karl summoned Daoist Thunder Magic to his right hand and blocked the oncoming shockwave.

But he barely made it—a split second later, he was slammed into the dirt!

“Crash!”

Next moment, Karl exploded out of the ground.

“Now that’s a bit underhanded, Sengoku.”

“A Vice Admiral, stooping to sneak attacks? Come on.”

Karl casually brushed the dirt from his clothes.

“You’re a pirate, I’m the Navy—every trick is fair game when it comes to you!”

Sengoku’s golden Buddha loomed, face set in stone.

“Shockwave!”

“Iron Fist—Blast!”

An instant later, dual attacks were flying at Karl from both sides.

“Titan Form!”

To their utter shock, Karl suddenly transformed before their eyes—thirty meters tall, a towering Titan. He swung a massive right hand, shattering both shockwaves at once.

Garp and Sengoku could hardly believe it—Karl had a form like this?

“What kind of Devil Fruit is that?”

Garp faltered for a moment, scratching his head in disbelief.

“A Mountain Titan?”

Sengoku, who’d seen countless powers, recognized the Titan’s resemblance, but this was way bigger than any Mountain Titan he’d ever read about.

“That’s only the second time I’ve used Titan Form. The first was against the Snow Lion Admiral.”

His low, rumbling voice sounded like distant thunder.

“Damn it!”

“Iron Fist—Meteor!”

Those words sent Garp into a fury. Armament Haki burst across his whole body as he barreled straight for Karl, wild with rage.

“Thunderbolt Barrage!”

Lightning crawled over Karl’s towering form. As he raised his right hand to the sky, thunderclouds boiled up overhead, filling the heavens with crackling energy.

Karl didn’t hold back—after the first exchanges, he already knew he was outmatched by Garp and Sengoku together. But giving up wasn’t in his nature, not while he still had a Rejuvenation Pill stashed away. If things got bad, he could always use that for another chance.

“Buddha Palm!”

Sengoku sat in lotus position as his Buddha form grew, dozens of meters tall, and then pushed his giant right palm skyward.

A powerful golden shockwave slammed straight into Karl’s own Thunderbolt Barrage.

“Boom!”

The clash of energies tore the sky open, erupting in a fierce, blinding light.

For a moment, the world seemed to go silent.

At the very center, a sphere of vacuum exploded outward, gouging a perfect hemispherical crater from the earth.

“Boom!”

The shockwave blasted Titan Karl into a distant mountain.

But Sengoku didn’t escape unscathed either.

Even the golden body of his Buddha form was starting to crack.

“Iron Fist—Shatter!”

Sengoku couldn’t pull off another big move right away, but there were still two of them—Garp seized his chance to strike.

“Bang!”

Karl’s massive right hand met Garp’s Iron Fist head-on—a sizzling crackle echoing from the impact.

“Karl, surrender now!”

“You’re dreaming.”

Even as they spoke, Sengoku had recovered and jumped back into the fight.

Karl pulled himself upright after trading another blow with Garp.

“This battle’s only just begun!”

“Buzz!”

Karl unleashed his Conqueror’s Haki.

A crushing aura erupted from his core, rolling toward Garp and Sengoku like a tidal wave.

“So you have Conqueror’s Haki too… That seals it—you can’t be allowed to live.”

Sengoku’s face betrayed his shock. He never imagined Karl could use Conqueror’s Haki.

There was no way they could let Karl keep growing. Otherwise, he might end up even more troublesome than Rocks himself.

According to their intel, Karl was just nineteen years old.

Nineteen, already with Admiral-level power. In terms of threat, he’d long surpassed Rocks.

If they didn’t eliminate Karl here and now, they might never get the chance again.

“Garp!”

Sengoku glanced at Garp, and Garp instantly understood.

“Got it!”

They both accelerated their attacks.

After all, the longer they lingered in the New World, the sooner the Rocks Pirates would arrive to support Karl. They had to finish this fast.

Karl’s Conqueror’s Haki did pressure Garp and Sengoku, but not enough to turn the tide—their strengths were still close.

Truth be told, Karl was actually weaker than the two of them together.

In fact, his strength lagged way behind Garp and Sengoku.

Yet Karl could feel a constant surge of energy rising from beneath his feet, and a crooked smile tugged at his lips.

“I could fight all day.”

Karl wiped his nose with his right hand.

“Come on then!”

“Thunder Fist!”

…

Out on the distant sea, Karl’s crew listened anxiously to the endless explosions coming from the shores of the Kingdom of Sook. They knew their captain was locked in a desperate battle with Garp and Sengoku—their one hope was to get word back to Beehive Island as quickly as possible.

They pressed on, praying their leader could hold out just a little longer.