Chapter 1346 - 57: I Can Strike Back

Chapter 1346: Chapter 57: I Can Strike Back

The blood diluted by the seawater, Blue Steel Shadow energy surged into Garp’s body, the acute pain making him frown.

While blocking the cleave, Garp kicked toward Su Xiao’s abdomen.

Bam!

Su Xiao’s body rapidly retreated, the Counter Shield in front of him undamaged.

If on land, to block Garp’s kick, the Counter Shield would need to shatter to withstand the opponent’s immense power, but in the water, it’s different—Su Xiao didn’t need to forcibly resist Garp’s attack, the most he’d be is pushed back by the opponent.

Cleave and blunt impact in water are different concepts; the former attacks a point or a line, while the latter is a small-range attack.

Garp didn’t care about this point; although his previous kick exerted at most thirty percent of his power.

Garp treaded the seawater, fiercely pouncing at Su Xiao.

Su Xiao continued to retreat; he could last in the sea for dozens of hours, even longer, while Garp couldn’t persist for too long, the battle would accelerate his oxygen consumption.

Underwater, Garp flitted out a residual shadow, almost instantly lunging at Su Xiao.

Finding nowhere to retreat, Su Xiao cleaved towards Garp’s face.

The blade aura gleamed in the sea, Garp’s whole body wrapped in Armament Haki, he actually ignored Su Xiao’s cleave, punching towards Su Xiao’s face.

Boom!

Layer upon layer of ripples spread in the sea, as Garp’s fist punched out, Su Xiao felt a torrent rushing towards him, hitting the Counter Shield.

Dozens of Counter Shields opened, blocking in front of Su Xiao.

With a bang, Su Xiao rapidly retreated, the Counter Shield in front full of cracks.

Blood flowed from the corner of Su Xiao’s mouth, gradually diluted by the seawater, while Garp was enveloped in a blood mist, dense slash marks appearing on his body surface.

After a brief exchange, Garp was amazed to find he wasn’t a match for Su Xiao underwater, the resistance of seawater was different from air, each punch he threw suffered a slight reduction in punch force due to the seawater’s resistance.

This wasn’t even the most crippling aspect; each mighty punch Garp threw, before hitting Su Xiao, the seawater formed a torrent due to the immense fist force, pushing Su Xiao back a tiny distance.

In other words, with every punch Garp threw, Su Xiao would be prematurely pushed a tiny distance by his punch force, if not for his fist being fast enough, hitting Su Xiao underwater would be a challenge.

What was even worse, when Garp’s fist hit Su Xiao, Su Xiao would at most retreat, as the seawater gradually dispersed the impact force.

Unlike punches, cleaves could easily break through seawater, and when hitting the enemy, wouldn’t be mitigated by it.

Garp had fought his whole life, long aware of this fact, before pursuing Su Xiao, he didn’t know Su Xiao had diving equipment, seeing Su Xiao wearing diving gear he’d never seen before, Garp actually realized he couldn’t catch Su Xiao, but giving up unwillingly, he decided to attempt.

Now Garp was certain that underwater, not to mention catching Su Xiao, if he continued to linger underwater, he might even perish there.

Garp immediately rushed to the sea surface, Su Xiao relentlessly pursuing.

Watching Su Xiao rapidly chasing from underwater, Garp felt infuriated, as a lifelong navy, even fighting Roger wasn’t as frustrating, at least Roger was somewhat ethical, immediately retreating after sinking his ship, never pursuing underwater, the careless Garp forgot he was the one pursuing Su Xiao first.

Two minutes later, with a loud splash, Garp broke through the sea, spewing a mouthful of seawater, and gasping for air.

"This... bastard!"

Garp’s flushed face gradually recovered, Vice Admiral Crane in a nearby small boat immediately took notice of Garp.

Over a dozen small boats arrived, Vice Admiral Crane signaled Garp to board, yet Garp waved her off, climbing onto a wooden plank.

Just as Garp climbed onto the plank, Vice Admiral Crane noticed the slash marks covering his body.

"What happened to you?"

Vice Admiral Crane was clearly taken aback, she knew all too well the strength of Garp’s Armament Haki.

Drip, drip.

Blood dripped onto the plank beneath Garp, yet he stared intensely at the sea surface.

"He’s coming."

"Hmm?"

Vice Admiral Crane was even more perplexed, having thought Su Xiao had escaped.

"Don’t let them engage that guy, they might... not even withstand a single cleave."

Underwater, Garp was indeed almost carved up by Su Xiao, on sustaining Su Xiao’s fifth cleave, his whole body suddenly numbed, the outcome was imaginable, Su Xiao nearly cleaved his throat.

On land, Su Xiao wasn’t truly a match for Garp, but in the sea, coupled with severe Garp hypoxia, he wasn’t Su Xiao’s opponent.

Fighting isn’t about whose tier position is higher or strength greater; environment, terrain, even climate, can significantly impact a battle.

Ripples emerged on the sea surface, seeing this, Garp clenched his fists, cracking sounds audible, blood spurting from his wounds.

Moments later, the ripples on the sea retreated, just as Garp and company believed Su Xiao had withdrawn, a three-masted ship approached.

Seeing this ship, both Garp and Vice Admiral Crane wore joyful expressions, but the next moment, their joy stiffened.

Screams, despairing cries echoed from afar, the light blue blade aura slashed through the pirate ship, the pirates aboard hadn’t yet understood what had happened before their vessel sunk.

The three-masted ship initially fractured in the central district, the entire ship faintly folding as it sank underwater, seemingly under immense underwater force pulling, sinking the pirate ship in less than ten seconds, leaving only those terrified pirates on the surface, along with large wooden planks.

A captain with a pirate hat clutched a plank, his expression clearly showing thoughts of: "Who am I? Where am I? Where’s my ship?"

Before long, this large group of pirates on the sea noticed the distant small boat, their only hope for survival at sea.

As these pirates swam near the small boat, they were utterly disheartened, for the furious Garp needed a scapegoat.

In the seawater, Su Xiao, pressing a hand to his chest, swam towards the distance, originally intending to leave Garp underwater forever, yet even entering the sea, Garp’s speed remained fast, the sea was fair, reducing Garp’s speed while also reducing Su Xiao’s speed.

A dog-paddling figure closed in on Su Xiao—it was Bubu Wang, having as much fun in the sea as possible, earlier this pup even considered biting Garp, possibly reconsidering due to Garp’s formidable combat strength, it ultimately abandoned the idea of offering its kobold head.

Bubu Wang in the sea was like a mini electric motor, those two legs seemingly turbo-charged, paddling with unusual joy.

Several minutes later, Su Xiao surfaced, removing his scuba gear and gasping heavily, prolonged usage causing inevitable breathlessness.

Taking out a square-folded life raft, pulling the lock line behind, the life raft immediately inflated.

Su Xiao climbed onto the life raft, lying exhaustedly atop, having not drunk for nearly five days, then battling Garp, the physical toll was imaginable.