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[TIOP] Chapter : 82
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 15:04:19 +0000 UTCAfter a brief moment of contemplation, Kuma turned away and began to leave. However, as he departed, his massive paw casually swatted aside a small wax ball that had been floating unnoticed in the air.
BOOM!
Rayleigh braced himself against the force of Jack's Galaxy fist. The shockwave tore through the air, sending debris flying in all directions. Before the dust had even settled, Jack gritted his teeth and called out to Kizaru, “Old man, I’m about to unleash my ultimate move again. I’ll be completely drained afterward—make sure you take me back to headquarters!”
With that, he channeled all his strength into his next attack.
“Ultimate Galaxy Fist!”
This was the second strike of the legendary Garp's punch—it was, without a doubt, Jack’s most powerful attack.
Rayleigh emerged from the swirling smoke, looking disheveled. His body bore no visible injuries, but his once-pristine clothes were in tatters. Shaking his head, he let out a wry chuckle.
“You little brat… You really don’t know how to show respect to your elders.”
BOOM! BOOM!
The impact of the final explosion engulfed the entire section of the Sabaody Archipelago. When the dust finally cleared, Rayleigh, Kizaru, and the others had vanished without a trace.
All that remained was a massive crater—an empty void where land once stood—slowly being swallowed by the rising seawater. From that day forward, a piece of the Sabaody Archipelago was forever lost.
—
“So this is why the kid is in such a weakened state?” Sengoku asked, rubbing his temples in frustration after listening to Kizaru’s report.
“That’s right,” Kizaru nodded, his tone unusually serious. “The power behind his final attack exceeded my expectations. While he didn’t manage to defeat Rayleigh, there’s no doubt he injured him. The extent of the damage, however, is hard to determine.”
“That reckless brat! To pull something like this at such a critical moment!” Sengoku snapped, his irritation evident.
“Sengoku, he did this on purpose,” Chief of Staff Tsuru interjected with a knowing smile. “He’s still a Marine, and there’s no way he’d completely avoid participating in a war of this scale. But given his connection to Ace, this was his way of making a choice—neither siding against the Navy nor outright betraying it.”
“I understand that,” Sengoku admitted, exhaling heavily. “His combat power may not be at its peak, but based on Kizaru’s assessment, he’s already surpassed the level of an ordinary vice admiral and is nearing that of an admiral. That makes things... complicated.”
Meanwhile, what was Jack doing at this crucial time?
Comfortably recovering at the Marine Headquarters’ hospital, he was leisurely restoring his chakra while browsing through secret manuals in the system’s shop.
This battle had brought him significant rewards. Combined with his previous gains, he had accumulated 160,000 diamonds—just a little short of the 170,000 he needed.
He had no intention of using his diamonds on a lottery—the odds of winning were simply too low. Even if he managed to obtain something valuable, there was no guarantee it would be what he actually needed. If he ended up with another advanced skill manual that required an immense foundation of strength and chakra, he wouldn’t even be able to practice it properly. What he truly required at the moment was Haki training for Emission and Conqueror's Haki; both would be immensely beneficial to his growth.
It wasn’t until he reached the grayed-out, locked section at the bottom that he spotted Conqueror's Haki. It was an astonishing million diamonds. Emission was gettable at 250,000.
“Do I really have to rely on the lottery?” Jack sighed in frustration. “That thing is way too unreliable…”
After weighing his options, he reluctantly dismissed the idea of gambling away his diamonds.
Just as he was about to give up for the time being, something caught his eye.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Among the available selections, two high-level internal cultivation techniques stood out. His heart stirred with excitement, but he resisted the urge to exchange his diamonds immediately. Instead, he carefully read through their descriptions.
Toad Sage Mode (170,000 diamonds)
The user's physical strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, perception, and durability are enhanced.
The time limit to gather Nature chakra is 1 minute. The time limit can be improved upon with practice.
Requirements : Kage-level chakra reserves.
Jack’s eyes gleamed as he finished reading. This was beyond powerful—it was a true game-changer.
—
"Hahaha! Kid, I heard you fought Rayleigh at the Sabaody Archipelago! How’d that go? Lose any limbs?"
The moment Garp stepped in, his signature laughter and teasing remarks filled the room.
Jack, momentarily startled, quickly composed himself upon realizing that his system interface was invisible to others. Letting out a sigh of relief, he responded, "Sensei, you nearly scared me to death barging in like that!"
"Oh? Were you up to something suspicious?" Garp chuckled as he approached Jack's bedside. Seeing the young man looking lively and unscathed, he smirked. "Looks like you’re perfectly fine. Sengoku made it sound like Kizaru had to carry you back in pieces. I thought you were on death’s door!"
Jack shook his head. "Nah, I was just exhausted. Even without Admiral Kizaru’s help, I could’ve made it back myself—assuming Rayleigh-san was willing to let me go."
As he spoke, memories of the battle resurfaced. While his final attack had been devastating, he had intentionally aimed for an empty space nearby, ensuring Rayleigh wouldn't take significant damage.
Once his chakra was fully depleted, Jack deliberately feigned complete exhaustion and requested Kizaru to extract him. Rayleigh, seemingly grasping his intentions, used the explosion’s aftermath to slip away, leading Kizaru to mistakenly believe that Rayleigh had retreated due to injuries.
"You're far too reckless, boy. Do you have any idea what it means to go up against a legend like Rayleigh? If it weren’t for Kizaru, you might have pushed him too far—and then you wouldn’t have made it back at all." Garp let out a heavy sigh.
Jack chuckled. "Sensei, aren’t you a legendary figure yourself? Maybe Rayleigh showed me some leniency out of respect for you!"
Garp's expression turned serious. "You must never fight with that mindset. Just because Rayleigh and I know each other doesn’t mean he’ll hold back if you truly anger him. In battle, friendships don’t matter."
Jack nodded. "Don’t worry, sensei. I never actually intended to fight him seriously. It’s just that…" His words trailed off.
Garp studied him for a moment before his eyes narrowed. "So this was just an excuse to avoid the next battle, wasn’t it?" His tone was laced with a mix of frustration and understanding.
Jack knew there was no hiding the truth. But since he had made his move openly, he had nothing to fear. "That’s exactly right," he admitted. "Ace and I are brothers—I can't just stand by and watch him be executed. Rather than putting myself in a position where I might be forced to act, it’s better to remove myself from the battlefield altogether."
Garp sighed deeply, placing a firm hand on Jack’s shoulder. For a moment, he said nothing. The ward fell silent.
After a while, Garp finally stood up, forcing a small smile. "Since you’re injured, get some proper rest." Then, without another word, he turned and left.
Jack watched his retreating figure and let out a quiet sigh. He hadn’t told Garp the whole truth. In reality, he had a contingency plan for the Battle of Marineford. Not only had he secretly provided the Revolutionary Army with the navy's defense map in Mariejoa, but he had also coordinated with Dragon. The plan was for the Revolutionary Army to launch a surprise attack during the battle, disrupting the navy's formation and creating an opportunity to rescue Ace.
Though this move would undoubtedly weaken the navy, Jack was confident that once he took office, he could rebuild it from within. For now, saving Ace was the priority.
The influence he had cultivated within the navy was slowly growing. A group of officers who upheld true justice stood by his side. While their ranks weren’t high at the moment, Jack believed that, in time, they would rise—and so would his vision for the navy’s future.
As he was lost in thought, the door to the ward suddenly opened again. This time, it was Lena.
"Sir, the Revolutionary Army has sent word," she said in a hushed tone. "They’ve agreed to follow the plan."
Jack nodded, unsurprised. He had never concealed his alliance with the Revolutionary Army from Lena. She was his most loyal supporter, someone he trusted completely. Knowing this, he had confided in her about his reasons for working with the Revolutionary Army—because in the end, justice wasn’t just about laws, but about doing what was right.
