svetikya Chapter 44 Luffy's Crisis, Iron Fist Stops
Chapter 44 Luffy's Crisis, Iron Fist Stops
In Loguetown, the battle between top-tier fighters continues.
In the center of the deep pit, three streams of light collided with each other, with the blue one being the first to be eliminated.
Aokiji flew backward, kicking up clouds of dust. He exhaled a breath of white air, which condensed into frost to stop the bleeding from his wounds.
Just as he was about to step forward to fight again, he heard Garp's voice squeezed out from the clash of fists and blades.
"Kuzan! Don't come any closer! Let me handle him alone, hahaha, I understand! Roger, I understand."
As soon as he finished speaking, the blade and the fist collided fiercely once again, accompanied by Conqueror's Haki. Aokiji raised his hand to block the flying dust.
This time, when the smoke cleared, Roger's blade had actually retreated three-tenths of an inch.
Roger's expression stiffened slightly; he could sense it. Luffy's stamina, the very thing holding him together in this world, was rapidly depleting!
His current state is like an engine about to lose power; his strength is rapidly declining!
That's only part of the reason; another part is the old man opposite him. Is he an ordinary person? This guy is the legendary Marine hero who hunted down the Pirate King for years and finally captured him!
Garp gave a sly smile, his teeth gleaming.
"Kuzan, I finally understand. That thing he kept talking about, the Heroic Spirits, I was thinking about it the whole time during the battle too."
"According to the story, pirates will definitely be captured by the Navy, and Arlong will definitely be slain by the knights. After all, that's fate..."
Garp tensed up, and his right fist lashed out again!
"Not to mention, the whole world knows I caught you!!!"
A furious roar, accompanied by an even stronger Conqueror's Haki, caused the earth to tremble violently.
Roger's blade was completely deflected, and Roger himself disappeared without a trace.
The sky and the earth were both subdued by this punch, as evidenced by the rolling thunder and the shattered ground.
"Kuzan!" After throwing that punch, Garp didn't pause for a moment and immediately called out to Aokiji.
Aokiji stood tall and said, "Understood, sir!"
He slowly raised his hands and then plunged his arms into the ground beneath his feet.
"Ice Age: Final Seal!"
The terrifying chill stopped spreading and instead began to compress and condense wildly inward!
Centered on Aokiji, the bottom and edges of the entire massive pit were instantly covered by an absolutely deathly cold ice!
This layer of ice concentrates all the power into a single point—ultimately transforming into the hardest cage.
"Too much freedom isn't a good thing; it's better to keep them under control!"
Layers of ice spread, instantly enveloping Roger at the center of the deep pit!
"Hmm!" Roger frowned slightly. Aokiji's ultimate sealing technique had a binding force far exceeding that of his previous attacks.
The moment those solid icy shackles wrapped around his body, even his spirit-like form felt a slight sluggishness!
The Conqueror's Haki fluctuated violently, fiercely clashing with the icy force field that froze the space, producing a sizzling, ear-piercing sound!
Although it couldn't truly freeze him, it greatly limited his mobility and output, as if he were trapped in an invisible quagmire!
"Now! Mr. Garp!" Aokiji's voice was icy cold and resolute.
A fierce glint flashed in Garp's eyes. He suppressed the surging blood and the excruciating pain in his arm, and once again gathered a ferocious Armament Haki in his left fist!
While Roger is temporarily restrained by Aokiji's ultimate sealing technique, he is going to deliver a decisive blow!
"Roger! Fall to the ground before me!!" Garp roared, like a wounded lion making a final stand, his right fist carrying the power to shatter mountains and rivers, once again slamming into the immobilized Roger!
At this critical moment—
Roger's expression turned cold. He gripped Ace tightly, ready to retaliate, but he felt a bowstring snap instantly, and his movements froze.
"Ugh...!" Luffy, who was being carried onto the ship by the crew, suddenly let out a painful groan!
His face turned deathly pale instantly, veins bulged on his forehead, and large beads of cold sweat poured down his face!
He clutched his heart, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Luffy!!" Nami and Usopp were utterly horrified.
An indescribable, soul-deep pain instantly overwhelmed Luffy!
He felt his last bit of physical strength and spirit gushing out like a floodgate being opened, flowing wildly towards the contractual channel connecting him to Roger!
Summoning and sustaining the Heroic Spirit Roger in battle is incredibly costly!
Luffy's body and mind have finally reached their limits! If he were to force himself to fight now, it would likely cost him his life!
At the center of the deep pit, Roger, who was fighting against the ice seal and preparing to take Garp's final punch, suddenly shuddered!
"Luffy brat...!" Roger instantly understood the situation.
Then, Roger slowly sheathed his sword, his Conqueror's Haki instantly subsided, and he stood in the middle, letting the ice corrode him.
Faced with Garp's iron fist, powerful enough to shatter mountains, and Aokiji's ice seal that could freeze the soul, he actually slowly closed his eyes!
No defense! No evasion! No counterattack!
He stood there quietly, as if he had given up resistance and calmly awaited the iron fist that would end everything.
call--!
Garp's iron fist, carrying devastating wind pressure, stopped abruptly less than an inch from Roger's nose!
The violent wind from the punch whipped his hair wildly, even scratching small bloodstains on his face, but the fist, which contained terrifying power enough to shatter everything, was as if it were locked in place by invisible iron chains, frozen in mid-air!
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Garp's fury and murderous intent froze, replaced by astonishment and a hint of... anger at being offended.
He stared intently at his nemesis, who showed no will to fight, his heavy breathing like bellows. Aokiji maintained his frozen posture, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes.
The only sounds on the battlefield were the crackling of flames and sporadic artillery fire in the distance.
"Roger...you..." Garp's voice was low and hoarse.
"What do you mean by this?! Are you looking down on me?! Why have you given up resisting?!"
He couldn't understand it! How could Gol D. Roger, who spent his entire life challenging, laughing, and fighting, give up in a life-or-death duel?
This made Garp feel even angrier and more humiliated than if he had been killed!
Roger slowly opened his eyes. Those eyes, which once held the world in their highest regard, now held only unfathomable weariness and a hint of helpless laughter. He didn't look at Garp; his gaze passed over Garp's shoulder and landed on Luffy, who lay on the ground in the distance, his life hanging in the balance.
"Ku...kuhahaha..." Roger's laughter was soft and hoarse. "Your fists...are still so scary..."
He paused, his voice lowering, carrying a heaviness that Garp had never heard in him before.
"It's not that I don't want to fight... it's that I can't..."
He raised his finger and pointed with difficulty in the direction where Luffy had fallen.
"Your grandson... Luffy... he... is the Master who summoned me. Now... he's fallen... he has no strength left... if I fight again, he will use his life to support me."
Roger turned his gaze back to Garp, his eyes showing a hint of... composure towards his old rival.
"Without his stamina... my body... can barely stand... let alone... take your punch..."
Boom!
Roger's words exploded in Garp's mind like a thunderclap!
Garp's expression froze instantly, shifting from extreme shock to an indescribable panic!
He suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction Luffy had run!
The brat who had been "loved" by him since childhood with his iron fist and who kept saying he wanted to be the Pirate King was now so weak that he could hardly be felt!
An unprecedented feeling called "fear" instantly gripped Garp's heart! It was stronger than when he faced any formidable enemy!
That was the fear of death felt by a grandson who was connected to him by blood.
"Luffy!!!!