However, at this moment, Lancelot had no time to ponder further, as Garp's devastating shockwave was already bearing down on him like a mountain crushing an egg.
Faced with such a swift attack, Lancelot didn't hesitate.
He clenched his fist and, mustering his strength, threw a punch to meet Garp's strike head-on.
"Boom..."
A deafening explosion erupted—their fists collided like two meteors crashing together.
The moment their iron fists collided, the entire world seemed to plunge into dead silence, as if time itself had frozen.
Immediately after, a blinding radiance erupted like a brilliant star exploding in the night sky, illuminating everything around.
Yet as this brilliance flashed, the world suddenly grew dark, as if all illumination had been devoured by this power.
Then, an unprecedented shockwave surged outward from the point of impact, sweeping across all directions like raging tidal waves.
The force of this shockwave was terrifying.
Not only did it make Lancelot and Garp's clothes whip in the gale, but it also shattered the ground beneath their feet into countless fragments.
These fragments flew everywhere with the shockwave, leaving clouds of dust and flying debris in their wake.
When everything gradually settled, the world seemed to fall into an eerie silence.
People discovered, to their astonishment, a staggering crater with Lancelot and Garp at its center.
The crater measured a full two hundred meters in diameter!
It gaped like a monstrous beast with jaws wide open, mercilessly swallowing everything nearby.
One could only imagine the immense power contained in that shockwave.
Upon closer inspection, the shockwave had acted like a giant bulldozer, ruthlessly scraping away a thick layer of the solid ground.
The once flat and firm land was now unrecognizable, littered with broken rocks, swirling dust, and trenches of varying depths.
Buildings that had stood on this ground and unfortunate souls caught within this area met destruction under this impact.
Both towering skyscrapers and humble shanties were reduced to rubble.
Human bodies, fragile and vulnerable, were obliterated by the energy, leaving not a trace behind.
That a single punch could create such devastation was truly chilling.
This demonstrated that Lancelot and Garp had reached heights of power unimaginable to ordinary people.
The force unleashed by their punch was enough to shake heaven and earth.
Within the two-hundred-meter radius, it was as if doomsday had arrived.
"Gulp..."
Basil Hawkins and Urouge stood at a distant location, their eyes wide as saucers, simultaneously swallowing hard.
Their hearts felt as if gripped by an invisible hand, beating wildly, while beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.
Recalling the heart-stopping scene moments before, they were filled with both lingering fear and relief.
Just earlier, when faced with that extreme outburst of power, they had shown remarkable decisiveness.
Without the slightest hesitation, they'd turned and sprinted away like arrows shot from bows, as if chased by a horde of demons.
Had they hesitated even for a moment, had their movements been just a fraction slower, they'd have met the same fate as those unfortunate souls—shattered into countless fragments by the shockwave, vanishing without a trace.
Once, they held themselves in high esteem, relying on their bounties exceeding a hundred million, their so-called "Supernova" titles, and the much-hyped epithet of the "Worst Generation" to believe they were forces to be reckoned with.
Yet, when confronted with the cataclysmic power unleashed by those two individuals, they came to a profound realization: all their past arrogance and pride were laughable.
In the face of absolute strength, all hollow reputations are but fleeting clouds.
Today's encounter had seared into them a lesson they'd never forget.
It made them realize their true place in this world.
"This... this..."
Trafalgar Law and Jewelry Bonney, the two who had narrowly escaped disaster, were startled by the earth-shattering roar and tremors.
Although they were desperately fleeing the scene, such astonishing commotion still made them involuntarily stop in their tracks and turn back to look.
A massive shockwave swept through, nearly reaching them.
Fortunately, they were already over two hundred meters away, but the shockwave still stirred up fierce winds that whipped their clothes and sent their hair flying wildly.
Not far around them, there was a group of bold individuals watching the scene from a distance.
They'd originally come out of curiosity and anticipation, but at this moment, they were so shocked by what was happening before their eyes that they could barely stand.
Some had legs so weak they could no longer support themselves, wobbling unsteadily before finally collapsing heavily onto the cold, hard ground.
Others who managed to remain standing had faces as pale as paper.
Their pupils contracted sharply, and their bodies trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads like broken strings of pearls.
Not to mention these onlookers, even the usually calm and steady Law couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face filled with terror and dread.
His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
"Hiss—"
Especially when he turned his gaze toward the epicenter within the two-hundred-meter radius, it was as if he suddenly woke up, sharply inhaling a cold breath.
Deep inside, he couldn't help but marvel. "Such terrifying power! It's unbelievable! Is this still a power that humans can possess?"
At the same time, the figures of Lancelot and Garp quickly surfaced in his mind.
Although he hadn't personally witnessed a direct confrontation between these two, judging solely by the terrifying strength displayed before him, it was likely that the only individuals on this island capable of such feats were none other than these two.
Law couldn't help but feel a surge of complex emotions.
To be honest, he still held some goodwill toward Lancelot.
After all, it was Lancelot who had defeated and eliminated the despicable Doflamingo, indirectly avenging him.
Moreover, the formidable power Lancelot displayed was admirable. If not for the fact that Lancelot was a Marine—a lackey of the World Government—perhaps he'd have genuinely considered joining his ranks!
Yet, regrettably, the two of them were destined to become adversaries.
The reason for this was heartbreaking: the World Government had long deliberately concealed the fact that the development of Amber Lead would release toxic substances and accumulate toxins in those exposed over time.
As a result, Law and the other residents of Flevance had contracted a disease that caused the sufferers and their descendants to have abnormally pale skin and shortened lifespans.
The "White Lead Disease" ultimately caused patients to lose their descendants, but the residents of Flevance who were kept in the dark at the time remained unaware of the danger of lead ore and continued to develop and expand the lead industry.
At age 10, Law read his medical records and learned that due to contracting White Lead Disease, he only had three years and two months left to live.
Meanwhile, most Flevance residents suffering from White Lead Disease began showing symptoms around this time.
However, because the World Government deliberately ignored the situation and neighboring countries mistakenly believed White Lead Disease to be a terrible infectious disease, they successively implemented isolation measures against Flevance, even killing infected Flevance residents.
This eventually led Flevance to start a war with neighboring countries for self-defense.
The nun he knew was preparing to escape the country with the children because soldiers had told her they'd let the children go.
But he didn't follow because his sister Lami was still in the hospital.
At that moment, the nun told him, "There is no despair in this world. The light of salvation filled with compassion will surely descend upon us."
But afterwards, the White Town suffered a massacre.
He witnessed his doctor parents being shot to death, the hospital where his sister was staying being set on fire, the nun who told him they would be saved and her companions being shot dead by the military, and the country perishing in a sea of flames.
Overwhelmed with grief, Law was heartbroken.
If he hadn't hidden among piles of corpses and crossed the border to escape, the entire kingdom would've had no survivors.
He too was once a kind, gentle child who studied diligently and loved his family.
He still wanted to become a great doctor like his father.
If he hadn't met Donquixote Rosinante, then his heart would only be filled with hatred, and he'd have only one purpose in life—to take revenge on the entire world.
Now, although he still hasn't let go of his hatred, he is no longer controlled by it.
He has his own companions, and he cherishes them.
But facing such an irreconcilable, deeply ingrained blood feud, how could he possibly have any thought of joining the World Government?
.....
Meanwhile, in another direction, Jewelry Bonney's situation wasn't looking good either.
At this moment, her heart was in her throat.
Simply because her escape speed was far inferior to Law's; after all, she didn't possess the miraculous ability to teleport like Law did.
Just moments ago, she had barely managed to escape about two hundred meters with all her strength, but in reality, she hadn't gotten very far—probably less than three hundred meters.
Compared to Law's position, she was closer to the source of danger, so the impact and effects she endured were naturally much stronger.
Near Law, there were still some people standing. But around her, aside from herself, there was no one else standing.
One by one, they were swept into the air by the powerful air currents formed from the aftermath of the shockwave dispersion, ultimately either crashing heavily against nearby walls or being thrown over ten meters away.
From Jewelry Bonney's position, she could even clearly see Lancelot and Garp, who were still locked in a stalemate in the center of the large crater.
"Haa...."
Jewelry Bonney took a deep breath.
She didn't dare stay here for even one more second.
Who knows what these two guys might do next.
Her current distance was still far from sufficient. If things went wrong, she'd be caught in the crossfire. So, she turned around and fled once again.
...
In the distance, Rayleigh was tightly gripping Luffy as his figure streaked across the ground like lightning. Several others followed closely behind him.
However, at that moment, an earth-shattering roar erupted from nearby, as if the entire world trembled from the impact.
Rayleigh and the others simultaneously halted and turned to look in the direction of the sound.
There, they saw billowing dust and flames shooting into the sky—clear signs of an intensely fierce battle.
Rayleigh's gaze instantly focused on a familiar figure on the battlefield, his pupils contracting to pinpricks.
Then, he softly uttered, "That kid... he wasn't even going all out just now!"
His tone was filled with disbelief and a touch of shock.
Standing beside Rayleigh, Sanji, Robin, Chopper, and Usopp were all stunned by the scene before them.
Their eyes widened so much it seemed their eyeballs might pop out of their sockets.
Especially Chopper and Usopp, the famously timid duo, who were scared out of their wits.
Chopper trembled uncontrollably, his usually adorable round face now filled with terror.
His mouth hung wide open, and his tiny tongue quivered from sheer fright, as if it might fly out of his mouth at any moment.
Usopp's legs went weak, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground. He clamped his hands tightly over his mouth, afraid he might let out a scream.
Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead, soaking large patches of his hair.
"Let's go!" Rayleigh shouted urgently, knowing there wasn't a moment to lose.
Garp, the highly respected hero of the Marines.
Why was he locked in such a fierce battle with Lancelot, the rising new force of the Marines?
And of all times, why now?
It was undoubtedly to buy himself more precious time, so he could successfully take Luffy away.
Yet, if it weren't for Luffy's companions being relatively weaker, requiring his attention and care, he might have already escaped with Luffy, vanishing without a trace.
Thinking this, Rayleigh couldn't help but inwardly lament, but the situation was too urgent for any hesitation.
Gritting his teeth, he pressed on at full speed.
Sanji, Robin, Chopper, and Usopp immediately followed suit. They didn't want to stay in this damned place for a second longer.