Chapter 113: Where Are You?!!!
Although he was aged, his stamina wasn't so feeble.
At its core, this was a result of two factors: Garp's overwhelming dominance and Sol's own unyielding resolve.
If Sol had chosen to keep avoiding direct confrontation, he was confident he could turn this cat-and-mouse game into a grueling affair that might drive Garp mad with frustration.
However, Sol didn't spend the hundreds of exchanges avoiding conflict; instead, he had repeatedly launched attacks on Garp.
Every strike aimed at Garp had to be imbued with Armament Haki, which sapped Sol's stamina with each use during the intense battle.
Moreover, Garp's relentless assault kept the pressure on Sol, compounding his exhaustion over time.
As the fight dragged on, the pressure only grew more intense.
Realizing this couldn't continue, Sol knew that if it came down to a test of stamina, not even five of him could outlast this iron-fisted monster.
After several failed attempts at offense, Sol decisively abandoned his attacks.
This absurdly powerful iron-fisted brute might just be the insurmountable obsession of his lifetime.
Fortunately, the two little ones weren't here.
If they were to see him in this pathetic state, who knows if they might start thinking that becoming a sharpshooter was a dead end.
Even in this high-stakes battle demanding utmost focus, Sol found room for idle thoughts.
This was because, having given up attacking, the pressure on him had significantly diminished.
"What's the matter? Done fighting?"
After a few rounds of chasing, Garp keenly noticed Sol's shift in strategy.
Sol sneered but didn't bother responding.
With the pressure lessened, he expanded his Observation Haki but could no longer sense the presence of the two youngsters.
Only Aokiji remained on the rooftop of the Mad Hat Auction House.
"Got away, huh..."
Sol silently muttered to himself as he retreated rapidly to evade Garp's incoming fist.
Seeing Sol shrink back into his shell once more, Garp sighed inwardly, but all he could do was pick up the pace of his offensive.
More than simply outlasting Sol, Garp wanted to defeat him head-on.
But once Sol decided to avoid fighting, the battle inevitably devolved into a protracted chase.
In the end, stamina would determine the outcome.
Helplessly, Garp could only adapt to the situation.
If this were a group battle, he wouldn't waste his time on Sol.
The slight shift in Garp's tactics didn't escape Sol's notice.
Though abandoning offense reduced his vulnerabilities, the pressure of defending against Garp remained constant.
The threat Garp posed couldn't be nullified simply by ceasing to attack.
At most, this shift in strategy made things slightly easier for Sol—but only slightly.
"I wonder where those two little ones escaped to."
Dodging Garp's attacks, Sol slowly moved toward Wall Mountain.
At this point, he harbored no more fantasies about defeating Garp.
He had to admit, monsters like Garp were a sharpshooter's nightmare.
As for Sol himself, he had spent his whole life without leaving so much as a scratch on Garp, let alone defeating him.
No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, the facts were irrefutable.
This time, however, Sol quickly let go of his obsession.
In the past, he would have fought Garp for at least another hundred rounds before giving up.
As for why…
Sol's lips curled into an inexplicable smile.
"Hm?"
Noticing Sol's sudden smile, a flicker of curiosity crossed Garp's eyes.
"What are you laughing at?"
As he threw a punch, Garp asked.
"At how much of a fool you are," Sol retorted mid-dodge, sneering.
"Haha!"
Garp burst into laughter, but the force behind his punches only grew stronger.
Sol narrowly evaded yet another strike.
"Sol, you really haven't changed a bit."
"Right back at you," Sol replied with a cold sneer, his eyes subtly glancing at Aokiji atop the Mad Hat Auction House.
Here he was, spectating the entire time.
If Aokiji had joined in, escaping would've been much more difficult.
But Aokiji hadn't made a move, proving that he wasn't here specifically to deal with Sol.
Adding to this, Aokiji had merely restricted Maude and Sunny's movements earlier, without actually harming them.
Piecing things together, Sol quickly deduced a rough outline of the situation.
Though he didn't know how Maude and Sunny had managed to escape, Sol knew now wasn't the time for a head-on clash with Garp.
He planned to stall a bit longer before heading straight for Wall Mountain.
Mad Hat Auction House Rooftop.
Aokiji stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the ongoing fight between Garp and Sol.
The first half of the battle had been riveting.
Both fighters delivered a top-tier, high-stakes performance that kept Aokiji on the edge of his seat, not wanting to miss a single moment.
At this point, however, the outcome seemed clear.
If things continued as they were, Garp would likely overpower Sol within the hour.
But once Sol switched to a defensive strategy, the battle devolved into a prolonged chase, losing much of its thrill.
After watching for a bit longer, Aokiji yawned softly and tilted his head slightly, glancing at a specific spot.
There, only a puddle of water remained from the ice that had melted.
Aokiji scratched his messy hair.
When he realized the two youngsters had slipped away, Garp and Sol's fight was at its peak.
So, instead of pursuing them, Aokiji chose to stay and continue watching the spectacle.
"Is this my fault?"
Aokiji wondered to himself.
To be honest, he wasn't too keen on taking the blame.
Wall Mountain.
Shrieks and cries filled the air.
With just a blade in hand, Gion had slaughtered her way through the pirates, cutting them down as though they were nothing.
Her overwhelming strength crushed the morale of the remaining pirates in no time.
They had believed sheer numbers could bring her down, but the brutal reality dealt them a harsh slap.
"Monster!"
After barely lasting three rounds, the remaining pirates lost all will to fight and fled in all directions.
With killing intent blazing in her eyes, Gion pursued them mercilessly.
At this point, it was far too late to run.
Under Gion's relentless chase, the fleeing pirates fell into despair.
They couldn't fight her, and they couldn't outrun her.
What could be more hopeless than this?
As they fled, one pirate after another was cut down by Gion's blade.
Among the hunted, one pirate gritted his teeth, frustrated by their one-sided slaughter.
"Isn't there anyone strong enough to stop this monster woman?"
As the thought crossed his mind, he immediately recalled Maude.
If there was anyone with the strength to turn the tide, it had to be him.
Just as the image of Maude surfaced in his mind, the pirate heard the rush of wind behind him.
His heart sank.
Turning his head, he saw Gion closing in, blade ready to strike.
Despair painted his face.
As Gion's blade came down, the figure in his mind became his last desperate lifeline.
"Usopp! Where are you?!!!"
In his desperation, the pirate screamed at the top of his lungs, pouring every ounce of strength into calling out the name of his supposed savior.
And then, as if responding to his cry, the descending blade halted abruptly.
In the distance, as Maude fled, he froze momentarily at the sound of the desperate shout.
"What the hell?"
His mind raced, though exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
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