One Piece: Starting at the War of the Best

Staring at the spot where Akainu had fallen, even though she had defeated him, Katie was in no shape to pursue and finish him off. That last blow had exhausted all of her strength, and it took quite some time for her to recover from the post-battle fatigue.

Even so, the side effects of forcefully boosting her power had already begun to manifest—her muscles ached intensely, and even her mind felt dizzy and heavy.

"System, exchange for one Senzu Bean."

The mission reward for defeating Akainu had already arrived. Seeing the eight-digit exchange points in her system, Katie was overwhelmed with excitement. With these, her power could improve further. Just how strong she might become, even she couldn't predict. As a precaution, she redeemed one Senzu Bean.

"Divine Flame: Shiranui!"

A flaming spear condensed once again in Katie's hand. There was no need for mercy against Akainu—they were enemies by nature. Sparing one's enemy is cruelty to oneself. Although he had just overpowered her, that was not Akainu at full strength. Had he been at his peak, the result might have been very different.

Not to mention Katie had used both the Heavenly Flame: Triple Transformation and Berserk Mode, essentially cheat abilities. Without them, she had no chance of winning.

The flaming spear solidified quickly and was hurled toward where Akainu had fallen.

"Admiral Akainu!"

Seeing Katie's action, the distant marines shouted in panic, hoping to wake the unconscious admiral. Akainu might not have been well-liked, but he still had many supporters as an admiral. They couldn't bear to see him slain by a pirate.

At the critical moment, a figure burst forth—no flashy Devil Fruit power, no graceful movement technique—just pure brute strength. With a thunderous boom, he broke the sound barrier and crossed a kilometer in an instant, shattering Katie's flaming spear with a single punch.

Through the flickering flames, Katie saw who it was—silver-gray hair, a weathered face. Though aged, the aura he gave off surpassed everyone present.

"I can't just stand by and let you kill someone right in front of me."

Her deep voice carried no emotion, but it was filled with an overwhelming authority that could not be denied.

Gulp. At that moment, Katie felt an unprecedented pressure. Just a glance from the man triggered intense warning signals in her body. She immediately pulled out the Senzu Bean from her system space and held it tightly—ready to swallow it if things went south.

There was no doubt—the man was Vice Admiral Garp, the Hero of the Marines. Despite holding the rank of Vice Admiral, he enjoyed privileges even Fleet Admirals didn't—he set his own schedule, had his own flagship staffed with hundreds, and even Admirals couldn't match his treatment. And yet, not a single soul in the Marines dared to challenge it. Not even his own son, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, posed a threat to his position.

All of that was due to his unmatched power and indelible service record.

He had defeated the legendary Rocks Pirates who once challenged the highest authority of the world, and during the age of Roger, had chased the Pirate King across the seas countless times—even participating in Roger's final capture. His other feats were simply too numerous to count.

"Is it worth it? After all you've done for the Marines, have they ever once considered your feelings? They never planned to spare Ace."

"Just because he has the blood of the Pirate King. But did anyone ever stop to ask if Ace even wanted that legacy? Did he ever get a choice? And why do you think he's named Portgas D. Ace, not Gol D. Ace? You, of all people, should know. And now, you're protecting someone who once tried to kill Luffy—your own grandson. This is who you're defending?"

Faced with Katie's pointed questions, Garp fell silent. His once-clear eyes clouded over.

Looking into the distance, where Ace stood beside Whitebeard, Garp couldn't deny that he was indeed disappointed in the Marines. But the responsibilities on his shoulders had always prevented him from acting on personal emotions. Deep down, he truly did feel he had failed Ace.

"There is no such thing as a perfect world. I don't regret joining the Marines. To me, they are still the most just organization."

Clearly, Garp would not abandon his decades of conviction just because of a few harsh words.

"The most just? I doubt that. The Marines work for the World Government, and the World Government was created by the Celestial Dragons. That means your so-called justice mostly serves their interests."

"Everyone knows the vile things the Celestial Dragons have done. And you still have the nerve to claim justice while cleaning up after them?"

Katie's contempt for the Celestial Dragons ran deep—they were worth less than pigs in her eyes.

"Brat, do you really think I don't dare to strike you?"

Garp's anger surged at having his beliefs so thoroughly dismissed. His eyes now radiated danger.

"No, it's not that you don't dare—it's that you can't."

Katie responded with a cryptic smile. The next second, a powerful aura suddenly flared and then disappeared just as quickly.

Though brief, its presence silenced the battlefield—especially the Marines. That aura had come from the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's flagship. Which meant that another top-tier powerhouse was hiding among the enemy.

In contrast, the Marine side was severely lacking in high-end combat strength. Of the three Admirals, only two were still combat-capable, and besides Garp, they had no other real aces left. Their position was incredibly precarious.

The moment that aura appeared, Garp's gaze shifted from Katie to the distant Moby Dick. Though he couldn't see the source, he knew exactly who it was—Red the Aloof, Ledfield.

"Damn brat… This is all you're doing!"

Garp's rage surged again. All of this chaos—because of Katie.

"Haha, thanks for the praise. As thanks, I'll leave that dog Akainu's life to you."

With that, Katie began to withdraw. Since Garp had chosen to save Akainu, there was no way he could finish the job. A shame, but nothing he could do about it. Still, Katie was confident—next time they met, he could win again.

Garp didn't move, only watching as Katie left the battlefield. He knew all too well—right now, the Marines didn't have the strength to win.

Sighing heavily, he turned back and dug Akainu out from the rubble. Upon seeing the massive burns covering his body, Garp frowned again. Burning Akainu was no easy feat. For the first time, he regretted letting Katie go.