At that moment, amidst the freezing atmosphere, a scorching wave of heat suddenly erupted from Akainu’s body.
He raised his head and stared at Garp like a predator watching its prey.
Unlike everyone else present, there was not the slightest trace of respect in his eyes.
Hearing Sengoku’s question, Garp nodded slightly before answering without hesitation.
“Ace is my grandson.”
“You cannot kill him.”
“And when I say you, I don’t just mean the Marines.”
“I mean all of you.”
“Marine Headquarters.”
“The World Government.”
“The Holy Land of Mary Geoise.”
“Everyone.”
“Everything.”
“Sengoku, I came here today to inform you.”
“Not to ask for permission.”
“I resign from my position as Vice Admiral.”
“I resign from the title of Marine Hero.”
“From this moment onward, when we meet again, we’ll be enemies.”
“No one needs to hold back.”
Garp stared directly at Sengoku.
There was no hesitation in his eyes.
He had come here today for one purpose—
To completely tear away all pretenses.
The line between the inside and outside of this conference room was the dividing point.
If he hadn’t entered, events would continue along their original course.
Ace would die at Marineford.
The tragedies that followed would still occur.
But now that he had stepped inside…
There was no need for restraint anymore.
The Darkening System?
What an appropriate name.
[Ding!]
[Host has made a major choice.
Reward distribution in progress!]
[Detected Armament Haki: Level 10 (Ryuo).]
[Advancement complete.]
[Current Armament Haki upgraded to: Divine-Rank Armament Haki: Golden Ryuo.]
Hearing the notification, even Garp was momentarily stunned.
So this was the System?
His Armament Haki was already at the absolute peak.
Yet it had evolved again?
Directly into a Divine Rank?
What kind of nonsense was that?
Golden Armament Haki?
He had never even heard of such a thing.
If he punched Akainu in the head with this…
Would it blow his skull apart instantly?
While Garp was deep in thought, the entire room exploded into chaos.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
The news was simply too overwhelming.
If things truly developed this way, it would be an immeasurable loss for the Marines.
The Marine Hero was resigning?
What kind of absurd announcement was that?
If this news spread, the shockwaves would be unimaginable.
The title of Marine Hero had followed Garp for decades.
To countless young Marines, Garp was the reason they enlisted in the first place.
Every Marine carried dreams of becoming a hero.
And Garp was that dream.
Yet now…
That dream was simply walking away.
The impact would shatter countless people’s beliefs.
Before anyone could react, Sengoku had already grasped the consequences.
Bang!
His palm slammed onto the table.
“GARP!”
His furious roar shook the conference room.
“Do you even understand what you’re saying?!”
“You are the hero of the Marines!”
“The symbol of faith for countless soldiers!”
“And now…”
“You want to resign?!”
“Are you going to end up like Zephyr?!”
Sengoku was genuinely enraged.
Very few things in his life had ever pushed him this far.
The consequences of Garp’s decision were simply too severe.
If this were allowed to happen, the Marines’ influence would suffer a devastating blow.
And when Marine influence declined…
Pirates would inevitably rise.
To put it bluntly—
The Marines might eventually lose control of the endless seas.
This was no joke.
“Sengoku.”
Garp chuckled.
“Why are you acting like a child?”
“You don’t seriously think I’m joking, do you?”
“Of course, you can try to keep me here today.”
“But whether you actually have the strength to do so…”
“That remains to be seen.”
…
Garp slowly rose to his feet.
His indifferent gaze swept across the entire conference room.
The authority and dominance within his eyes were overwhelming.
With his current strength, he feared no enemy.
Even if Sengoku and Akainu joined forces, he had no reason to be afraid.
His combat power had already been absurd.
Now, with Divine Rank Golden Armament Haki, his confidence had grown even further.
The aura radiating from him carried the majesty of a king.
One after another, Marines lowered their heads.
None dared meet his eyes.
Only now did they realize how terrifying Vice Admiral Garp could be when truly angered.
The cheerful and approachable old man they knew seemed like a completely different person.
“GARP!”
Sengoku roared again.
He never imagined things would reach this point.
There was no turning back now.
But attack Garp here?
Inside Marine Headquarters’ conference room?
Attack the Marine Hero?
Who had the courage?
More importantly—
Who had the strength?
Among everyone present, perhaps only Sengoku and Tsuru truly understood how powerful Garp was.
Once this old monster lost his temper…
Nobody could stop him.
Just as Sengoku’s fury reached its peak, another voice suddenly rang out nearby.
The voice was hoarse.
Filled with contempt.
Filled with disdain.
As if it looked down upon everyone.
“Old man.”
“Since you’ve resigned from the Marines and abandoned the title of Marine Hero…”
“You can no longer represent justice.”
“You’ve openly declared hostility toward the Marines.”
“That makes you an enemy.”
“And enemies should be eliminated.”
“So today…”
“Why don’t you stay here forever?”
Akainu had finally spoken.
The moment Garp entered the room, he had already prepared himself for battle.
As he stood, the temperature inside the conference room surged dramatically.
Bubbles of magma began emerging from his body.
The Mag-Mag Fruit’s power awakened completely.
A battle stance.
A killing stance.
Yet Garp didn’t even bother turning around.
He continued walking leisurely toward the exit.
“Sakazuki.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“My back is completely exposed.”
His voice was filled with contempt.
At this very moment, his Observation Haki remained locked onto Akainu.
The instant Akainu made a move, he would be met with a storm of retaliation.
Truthfully, Garp had no intention of attacking first.
It was the last shred of respect he was willing to give Sengoku.
But if Sakazuki was determined to die…
Then Garp would gladly grant his wish.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the silent conference room.
Nobody dared make a sound.
Everyone held their breath.
They all understood.
The slightest disturbance could ignite a war.
Every nerve was stretched tight.
Everyone felt like frightened birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.
“Then die!”
“Hell Hound!”
Akainu exploded forward.
His right arm transformed into a gigantic magma hound.
As the Devil Fruit with the highest offensive power, its terrifying destructive force erupted without reservation.
Garp stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned around.
His eyes met Akainu’s charging figure.
Haki instantly surged across his body.
If you want to die—
Then I’ll grant your wish.
Just as Garp was about to strike—
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Buzz!
A sword flashed from its sheath.
The blade slashed toward Akainu with astonishing speed.
Brilliant sword light bloomed across the air like countless flowers.
Akainu’s attack was intercepted head-on.
And the swordsman wasn’t pushed back in the slightest.
The newcomer stood firmly before Garp.
His eyes locked onto Akainu.
Fearless.
Completely fearless.
For a moment, everyone in the conference room froze again.
“Bo…
Bogard?!”
Whether they were Rear Admirals, Vice Admirals, or officers of any other rank, every single person stared at the swordsman in disbelief.
Some couldn’t help swallowing nervously.
Even the usually lazy Aokiji raised his head and looked at Bogard seriously.
For the first time, his expression became completely solemn.
At the front of the room, Sengoku’s fury reached its peak.
Blood vessels bulged around his eyes.
They were practically ready to burst.
Because things had just become far worse than he imagined.