Chapter 256: The Battle Begins

"The New World War has begun: Infinite Pirates vs. Navy. Who will emerge victorious in this globally anticipated clash?"

"Shocking news! The Infinite Pirates dare to challenge the entire Navy on their own!"

"A new round of bloodshed is about to start. Who will be the ultimate winner?"

As the Infinite Pirates declared war on the Navy, the World Economic News quickly spread the news worldwide. Morgans couldn't miss such a major story.

The fleet of over seventy ships from the Infinite Pirates, carrying over three hundred thousand pirates, reached the G2 Naval Fortress in the New World and nearly surrounded half of it.

The massive and advanced cannons on these ships were all aimed at the naval fortress. These cannons were the latest development by the Infinite Pirates, each at least twice as powerful and with double the range of ordinary cannons.

"This level of fleet is several times stronger than the Navy's. In a naval artillery battle, we wouldn't stand a chance!" Sengoku compared the fleet before him with the Navy's, but the conclusion left the admiral ashamed.

At the forefront was the Hades Underworld God, with Li Yuan standing at the bow. The pirates aboard the fleet, disciplined like a military force, remained silent until Li Yuan gave the order.

The naval and army personnel at the G2 Fortress, partially surrounded, were equally intimidated by the sheer scale of the amassed forces, not daring to utter a word.

The eerie and tense atmosphere left many army soldiers, who had never seen blood, trembling with fear, their legs shaking uncontrollably.

Even Kizaru, who was about to exclaim, "How scary!" was silenced by a fierce glare from Sengoku.

"Hahaha, men, open fire and destroy the Navy!" Li Yuan commanded loudly once the fleet was within range.

As soon as his words dropped, the cannons from the seventy-plus fleet opened fire.

Instantly, the sky over the G2 Naval Fortress filled with cannonballs, akin to a rain of arrows in ancient warfare, but faster and larger.

"How terrifying! Is this truly the fleet of the Infinite Pirates? It's too frightening!" Kizaru finally voiced the words he'd been holding back as the silence shattered under the barrage.

"All commanding officers, intercept as many cannonballs as possible!" Sengoku shouted.

At his command, many Navy experts began intercepting the cannonballs with slashes, Rankyaku, or other techniques before they hit.

However, there were simply too many cannonballs, and not enough commanding officers to intercept them all. Inevitably, many hit the G2 Fortress, erupting in explosions that rocked the entire naval base. Some lower-ranking Navy members were killed by the blasts before even seeing the pirates.

"Garp, Zephyr, let's intercept these cannonballs together!" Sengoku roared as more shells rained down on the fortress.

But just as Sengoku prepared to act, his Observation Haki detected Barrett's move!

Barrett's tsunami-causing technique was still fresh in Sengoku's memory. Seeing Barrett act, Sengoku became immediately vigilant.

"Gravity Punch: Tsunami!"

With a punch, Barrett made the sea darken, as countless water surged under lateral gravitational pull, creating a monstrous tsunami.

The massive gravitational force, carrying waves hundreds of meters high, surged forward, more terrifying than the waves Sengoku witnessed two years ago!

"Garp, let's work together to block it!"

Sengoku knew he couldn't stop this monstrous wave alone.

"Buddha Impact!"

Sengoku's body glowed with golden light, transforming into his Buddha form. A shockwave from his palm clashed with the waves.

"Bone Fist: Galaxy Impact!"

Garp was equally swift, using Moonwalk to intercept the tsunami's gravitational force with his Haki, dispersing it.

The massive waves, originally hundreds of meters high, were reduced to mere tens of meters by Sengoku and Garp's combined efforts, reaching the shore.

Taking advantage of the tsunami distracting Sengoku and Garp, Li Yuan, Barrett, Ashura Doji, and other officers flew to the G2 Naval Fortress.

The Infinite Pirates' officers, all Devil Fruit users, found land battles safer and more advantageous than aerial ones.

"Hahaha, Garp, come fight!" Li Yuan stood atop the naval fortress, gazing down at the Navy below.

Instantly, his Conqueror's Haki, like a massive tsunami, swept outward in all directions. Blood-red auras emerged from the void, indiscriminately crashing toward the surrounding Navy.

In a mere moment, all Navy personnel within five kilometers of Li Yuan were knocked unconscious, including vice admirals!

"How is this possible? Even vice admirals can't withstand his Conqueror's Haki! Just how powerful is it?"

The Navy members who remained unaffected were dumbfounded, unable to believe what they were witnessing. They had never seen such an overwhelmingly powerful Conqueror's Haki!

"Is this the power of the world's greatest swordsman? Truly terrifying!" Even Borsalino, who usually wore a nonchalant expression, was now deeply serious.

"Li Yuan!!!"

As Li Yuan's Conqueror's Haki continued to spread, Garp roared, charging at him.

At the same time, Garp unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki to counter Li Yuan's. Although Garp's Haki was not as strong as Li Yuan's, it was enough to halt its spread.

"Hahaha, Garp, let's see if your punches have softened over the past two years!"

"Life Return: Limb Reinforcement!"

Li Yuan laughed as he raised his Seven Star Sword. His previously dispersed Conqueror's Haki retracted, converging on the sword.

Around them, countless air currents and clouds from several kilometers above swirled into a vortex, with the Seven Star Sword at its center, absorbing everything forcefully.

Three types of sword intent and Haki fused perfectly, as countless blood-red lightning bolts radiated from Li Yuan.

Even with just a brief charge, this terrifying spectacle resembled a natural disaster.

"Trinity Secret Art: Haki-Infused Supreme Kingdom!"

In a blink, the Seven Star Sword reached its peak charge, releasing a slash that seemed to collapse the sky itself.

The endless air currents, Haki, and sword intent transformed into a shockwave so fast that even Garp couldn't evade it!

The shockwave swept a radius of a hundred meters, carving a hundred-meter-wide and deep trench into the ground.

"Bone Fist: Galaxy Impact!"

Garp roared, gathering two types of Haki into his iron fist, unleashing a colossal Haki shockwave.

The sight stunned the Navy present.

One was a martial arts expert using his fists, the other a swordsman wielding a sword, yet both unleashed shockwaves as if they were energy blasts.

To the uninformed, it might seem like a Kamehameha clash from Dragon Ball!

"Boom!!!!"

The two shockwaves collided with a deafening crash that resounded across the island, the violent aftermath flattening buildings within a kilometer and shaving meters off the ground.

Many of the Navy knocked out by Li Yuan's Conqueror's Haki perished in the collision's aftermath before being rescued.

Blood-red lightning crashed down, the immense force spreading over seven kilometers, leaving the surrounding Navy in shock. Many had never seen such catastrophic power!

"The sky... it's cracking!"

"Is this the terrifying might of New World pirates? Can we really withstand such monsters?"

Navy members caught in the shockwave were thrown back, while those further away watched in fear, unable to approach.

"Damn pirates! One day I'll destroy him!" Sakazuki, watching Li Yuan's power from afar, seethed with rage, magma pouring from his body as he glared at Li Yuan with murderous intent.

"Hey, Sakazuki, don't do anything stupid. If you're looking to die, don't drag me down with you!" Borsalino cautioned, startled by Sakazuki's stance as if ready to charge at Li Yuan.

After speaking, Borsalino quickly distanced himself from Sakazuki, fearing he might provoke Li Yuan and get himself killed. Better safe than sorry!

"Hmph, I'm not that foolish!" Sakazuki retorted coldly.

Though he hated pirates and resented Li Yuan for killing so many Navy, he was wise enough not to recklessly challenge Li Yuan.

The Supreme Kingdom's shockwave was overpowering, shattering Garp's Galaxy Impact, though it had weakened considerably by then.

Even with residual force, it sent Garp retreating a hundred meters, causing minor injuries as it impacted his body.

"How? His strength has increased so much, and his Conqueror's Haki has reached the top level!" Garp was shocked as he stabilized, realizing just how much Li Yuan had improved since two years ago.

A single move was enough to tell him that Li Yuan's power had advanced significantly. Two years ago, he could handle the same attack, but not anymore!

Li Yuan's strength and Haki had grown immensely. Previously, his Conqueror's Haki was just advanced, not top-tier, but now it had reached the pinnacle!

Though Li Yuan's Conqueror's Haki was strong before, it only displayed its full might when combined with his three sword intents.

Without the sword intents, his Conqueror's Haki was strong but not significantly stronger than the Golden Lion's.

Now, his Conqueror's Haki alone reached the top tier, greatly enhancing his overall strength!

Garp had diligently honed his Armament Haki over the past two years, achieving substantial growth. Yet, compared to Li Yuan's comprehensive improvement in swordsmanship, Haki, and physical prowess, Garp's progress seemed modest.

"Hahaha, Garp, your punches have weakened!" Li Yuan exclaimed, charging at Garp with renewed vigor.

With his Conqueror's Haki reaching the top tier, his Haki-infused attacks had improved dramatically, surpassing Garp's current level!

"Your sword is the one that's gotten dull!" Garp retorted. Despite facing stronger opponents many times before, he remained fearless, seeing Li Yuan's strength as a challenge to harden his fists further.

He met Li Yuan's blade with his iron fist without hesitation.

"Slash!!!"

The Seven Star Sword's edge cut through Garp's defenses, leaving wounds on his iron fist and forcing him back a few steps with its power.

"Hahaha, that's the spirit! Let's go again!" Garp, far from discouraged, felt his fighting spirit surge, swinging his other fist at Li Yuan.

He had prepared his fists for two years, eagerly awaiting a rematch with Li Yuan. Despite the unfavorable situation, he relished the fight!

"Then let's battle!" Li Yuan, equally exhilarated, was eager for a true duel after two years, using Garp as a whetstone to refine himself and release pent-up frustrations from training.

As Garp's punch approached, Li Yuan dodged effortlessly, redirecting his blade toward Garp's throat.

Sensing danger with his Observation Haki, Garp retreated swiftly, avoiding Li Yuan's blade and launching a large Rankyaku slash.

Li Yuan easily shattered Garp's slash with his sword, giving Garp a brief window to regain his footing and charge at Li Yuan, aiming a simple black fist at his heart.

Li Yuan flipped his sword upward, targeting Garp's arm. If Garp continued his punch, the Seven Star Sword would certainly sever his limb.

Forced to retreat, Garp dodged Li Yuan's upward slash, allowing Li Yuan to pivot and launch a horizontal cut.

"Slash!!!"

Even with Garp's quick reaction, the sudden change caught him off guard, the Seven Star Sword grazing his muscular chest, narrowly missing his ribcage.

"To think I only drew so little blood!" Li Yuan mused, surprised at the minimal blood absorbed by his Seven Star Sword from Garp's wound—an abnormal occurrence!

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