Chapter 113: Where Are You!!!

Sol gasped lightly, his breath uneven as he cast a cold glance at Karp, who was breathing steadily. Though aged, Karp’s stamina should not have been so frail. The root cause lay partly in Karp’s overwhelming pressure and partly in Sol’s own stubbornness. If he had simply avoided combat, in this cat-and-mouse game, Sol was confident he could wear Karp down until he coughed up blood.

Yet, through hundreds of fierce exchanges, Sol did not merely evade; he repeatedly attempted to strike Karp. Each attack was inevitably imbued with Armament Haki. The frequent use of Armament Haki drained Sol’s energy bit by bit amid the intense battle. Coupled with Karp’s relentless offensive, the pressure on Sol was considerable. As time passed, this pressure did not abate but intensified.

Faced with these compounding factors, Sol realized he could not continue like this. In a battle of endurance, even five versions of himself were no match for the Iron Fist Bastard. After multiple failed attacks, Sol decisively gave up. This unreasonably powerful Iron Fist Bastard before him was likely the obsession he would never overcome in his lifetime.

Fortunately, the two young ones were not here. Otherwise, if they saw him in such a sorry state, they might despair of ever mastering the spear. In this high-stakes mental duel, Sol still had the luxury to indulge in wandering thoughts. This was because he had abandoned offense, thus reducing the pressure he bore upfront.

“How come you’re not fighting anymore?” After several rounds of pursuit, Karp keenly noticed Sol’s shift in tactics. Sol sneered coldly, too lazy to respond. With the pressure eased, he expanded his Observation Haki, yet found no sign of the two youngsters. Only Aokiji remained on the top floor of the Mad Hatter Auction House.

“Did they escape...” Sol muttered to himself as he retreated swiftly, dodging Karp’s incoming punches. Seeing Sol once again shrink back like a turtle, Karp sighed helplessly and accelerated his attack pace. Rather than simply exhausting Sol, Karp preferred to break him decisively. Yet if Sol chose to avoid battle, this fight would become a prolonged chase, with stamina ultimately deciding the victor.

Reluctantly, Karp adapted accordingly. In a team battle, he wouldn’t waste time on Sol like this. Karp’s subtle shift in offense was noted by Sol. Although giving up attacks reduced openings, the defensive pressure remained constant. The threat from Karp could not be nullified by merely ceasing to attack. The change in mindset only made the fight slightly easier to bear—nothing more.

“I wonder where those two ran off to?” As Sol evaded blows, he edged slowly toward Wall Mountain.

By now, all lingering thoughts about Karp had vanished. He had to admit: a body-focused monster was truly a gunman’s nemesis. Like him, even after a lifetime, he had never left a scratch on Karp—let alone defeated him. No matter how unwilling he was, the fact was irrefutable. This time, Sol abandoned his obsession quickly. In the past, he would have struggled for a hundred more rounds before conceding.

The reason... a faint smile mysteriously curved Sol’s lips.

“Hmm?” Noticing Sol’s sudden smile, a flicker of something crossed Karp’s eyes. “What are you laughing at?” he asked as he swung his fist.

“Laughing because you’re an idiot,” Sol retorted while dodging.

Karp laughed heartily, his punch striking with even greater force—but Sol narrowly evaded once again.

“Sol, you really haven’t changed a bit,” Karp remarked.

“Same to you,” Sol sneered, casually glancing at the Mad Hatter Auction House where Admiral Aokiji stood. Having come all this way, Aokiji remained on the sidelines watching the show. If Aokiji intervened, escaping wouldn’t be so easy.

Yet Aokiji made no move. Clearly, he was not summoned by Karp specifically to deal with Sol. Reflecting on how Aokiji had only restrained Morde and Sunny earlier, Sol quickly pieced together the general situation. Though he had no idea how Morde and the others had escaped, Sol knew he could no longer confront Karp head-on. He planned to stall a while longer, then head straight to Wall Mountain.

...

On the top floor of the Mad Hatter Auction House, Aokiji stood with hands in his pockets before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his gaze fixed on the duel between Karp and Sol. He had watched the earlier combat intently, afraid to miss a single moment. Karp and Sol did not disappoint, delivering a tense and thrilling top-tier showdown.

The outcome was becoming clear. If the fight continued as it was, Karp should defeat Sol within the hour. But as Sol shifted to defense, the battle turned into a drawn-out contest, and the spectacle grew dull.

After a while, Aokiji yawned slightly and tilted his head toward a certain spot. There, only a puddle of melted ice remained. When those two youngsters fled, the fight between Karp and Sol was at its fiercest, so Aokiji chose to stay and watch rather than give chase.

“Is this on me?” Aokiji pondered. Honestly, he was reluctant to shoulder this blame.

...

At Wall Mountain, wails rose incessantly. Gion, single-handed and wielding one blade, had slaughtered the pirates with ruthless precision. His overwhelming strength shattered the pirates’ morale in a flash. They had believed sheer numbers would take down Gion, but cruel reality slapped them hard.

“Monster!” Within three rounds, the remaining pirates lost heart and scattered. Gion, resolute in killing intent, pursued the fleeing pirates. At this point, escape was futile.

Under Gion’s relentless chase, the pirates were plunged into despair. Unable to fight, unable to flee—was there anything more hopeless in the world? The desperate pirates could only watch as their comrades fell one by one to Gion’s blade.

Frustrated, they wondered if no one capable would stand up to stop this monstrous woman. The thought sparked hope—and soon one pirate thought of Morde. If anyone was strong, he was the one.

Just as the image of Morde flashed through his mind, a sudden gust of wind stirred behind him. The pirate’s heart jolted. Turning, he saw Gion charging with murderous intent. Despair painted his face.

As Gion’s sword was about to strike, the figure in his mind naturally became his lifeline.

“Usopp, where are you!!!” In desperation, the pirate summoned all his strength to call out the name he clung to for salvation.

Suddenly, the charging blade halted.

Far off, Morde, who was fleeing, froze at the sound of that desperate cry.

What was going on???