— — — — — — —
"Let's talk about that later!"
Ace casually tossed Luffy over to Sabo before turning to Renzo with a battle-hungry grin. "How about a fight?"
"Sure!"
Renzo shrugged, unfazed, and slipped one hand into his pocket while beckoning Ace with his other hand. "Come on, then! Let's see just how strong Luffy's 'amazing' big brother really is!"
"Damn it! You're looking down on me?!"
Ace, irritated by Renzo's cocky and casual attitude, charged forward. Wielding an iron pipe, he leaped into the air and swung it down toward Renzo's shoulder.
Though aggressive, his attack wasn't reckless—he avoided aiming at the head.
"Not bad."
Noting this, Renzo smirked slightly, gaining a bit of respect for Ace.
"But too slow! And jumping so recklessly is a huge mistake!"
With a simple sidestep, Renzo easily dodged the attack. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed Ace's leg mid-air, spun him around a few times, and tossed him straight into a haystack nearby.
BAM!
Ace crashed into the haystack, groaning in pain.
"Again!"
Ace wasn't one to give up so easily. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up and charged again—this time keeping his feet on the ground instead of jumping. He swung the iron pipe low, aiming for Renzo's legs.
CLANG!
Renzo effortlessly kicked the pipe mid-swing.
A sudden jolt of force traveled up Ace's arms. His grip faltered, and the pipe flew out of his hands—
—right into Garp's forehead as he was walking toward them.
THUNK!
"You little brats… You dare throw things at me?!"
Garp had actually been watching the fight from a distance the whole time, observing Renzo with curiosity.
A kid around 11 or 12 years old, yet so much stronger than Ace? That was no ordinary talent.
"Grandpa?! What are you doing here?!"
Luffy flinched at the sight of Garp and immediately ducked behind Sabo. Clearly, he was terrified.
But who can blame him?
Garp's "training methods" were brutal. And every time they met, Luffy got a taste of his "Fist of Love."
"Tch! It's you, old man!" Ace scowled.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
In an instant, Garp turned into a blur, appearing in front of them and landing a solid punch on the heads of Luffy, Ace, and Sabo.
THUD!
The three clutched their swollen heads, groaning in pain.
'Classic Garp.'
Renzo, standing nearby, knew what was coming. The moment Garp moved, he sensed the danger and immediately activated Body Flicker, vanishing to a safe distance.
"Oh?"
Garp, cracking his knuckles, smirked at Renzo. "Interesting. You're a sharp one, huh? That fancy yacht in the harbor—that's your ship, isn't it?"
"That's right," Renzo confirmed. "What, you got business with me, Vice Admiral Garp? Also… picking on a kid like me—isn't that a bit much?"
"BAHAHAHA!"
Garp threw his head back and laughed. "What's too much about it? You're about the same age as Ace and Luffy! Calling me 'Grandpa' wouldn't be too much, would it?"
"And isn't it natural for a grandpa to discipline his grandkids?"
"Now, take this—my Fist of Love!"
Before Renzo could react, Garp surged forward at an even faster speed than before, his massive fist hurtling straight toward Renzo's face.
"Oh, hell no—again?!"
Renzo could tell that even Body Flicker wouldn't be enough to dodge this time. In a flash, he activated his created move Lightning Flash, barely escaping the attack.
BOOM!
Garp's punch slammed into the ground, creating a half-meter-deep crater with a four-to-five-meter diameter.
"What the hell, you old bastard?! Are you seriously trying to kill me?! And aiming at my face—do you have any idea how handsome I am?!"
Renzo cursed as he stared at the destruction.
"BAHAHAHA!"
Garp roared with laughter. "Oh, don't worry! I held back! I can tell you're sturdy enough to take a beating!"
"What the hell does that mean?!"
If he weren't so outmatched, Renzo would've punched him right then and there.
"Alright, let's go again!"
Garp suddenly cranked up his speed and power, charging at Renzo with even greater force.
"Are you kidding me?! You old bastard, this isn't fair!"
Frustrated, Renzo clenched his fist and met Garp's strike head-on.
"Impact Punch!"
BOOM!
Their fists collided, sending shockwaves through the air. The impact sent Renzo flying backward.
Even Garp, though unmoved, paused for a moment.
"Hoh?" Garp's grin widened. "Not bad! Your punch has some force behind it—there's even an impact effect to it. Interesting, interesting! Now let's keep going! I wanna see where your limits lie!"
Even though he had held back most of his strength, the fact that Renzo could withstand his punch was impressive.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Garp immediately resumed his relentless pursuit of Renzo.
At first, Renzo relied on his fists and legs, using his Impact Punch technique and putting all his strength into fighting Garp head-on.
The battle grew more and more intense.
But soon, Garp started increasing both his speed and power. Renzo quickly found himself at a disadvantage, forced to dodge more and more.
And to make matters worse, this old rogue was specifically aiming for Renzo's handsome face!
Like hell Renzo was going to let that happen!
In the end, he was forced to combine Body Flicker, Lightning Flash, and High-Speed Movement, fusing them in real-time through his powerful combat instincts, analytical ability, and keen eyes.
His speed skyrocketed, yet he was still being chased all over the mountain by Garp.
Within just ten minutes, the entire mountain was riddled with craters, and countless trees had been shattered, falling in jagged formations across the ground.
"Huff... Huff...!"
As time passed, Renzo's breathing became heavier, while Garp's attacks only became stronger.
It was as if this old man really wanted to push Renzo past his limits.
Renzo had no idea what Garp was aiming for...
But in the process, he had no choice but to improve.
By this point, he had already merged his three movement techniques into an even stronger skill.
He decided to call it Divine Speed.
"Kid! I see you've got a sword at your waist! You know how to use it, or is it just for decoration?"
For the first time in a while, Garp actually stopped, cracking his knuckles as he smirked at Renzo.
"Of course not! Swordsmanship is actually my strongest weapon!"
As he spoke, Renzo reached for his waist and drew his katana, Ryuga.
The long blade gleamed coldly under the sunlight.
"Oh? That's a good sword!"
Seeing its luster and intricate patterns, Garp's eyes lit up.
"A Great Grade sword!"
From a distance, Garp's adjutant, Bogard, adjusted his hat and confirmed it.
"Weapons of this caliber aren't common—especially in the East Blue. And with that strange iron yacht... This kid is far from ordinary." Bogard thought to himself.
No wonder Vice Admiral Garp wanted to test this boy.
After all, this was Garp's hometown, and this young man was clearly getting close to Ace and the others. It was obvious that Garp wanted to probe his intentions.
"Of course, it's a good sword!"
Renzo chuckled lightly, running a finger along the blade before pointing it toward the ground and looking at Garp.
"Its name is Ryuga. A gift from my master before I set sail. You better be careful."
The next moment, Renzo's entire aura changed.
An overwhelming, razor-sharp presence erupted from him, causing Ace, Luffy, and the others in the distance to feel a painful pressure.
"Not good!"
Bogard sensed the shift in energy, his expression darkening. In a flash, he appeared in front of Ace and the others, sweeping them up and retreating far away.
But just then, the terrifyingly sharp aura around Renzo compressed, shrinking to within a one-meter radius of his body.
"Well then, let me test your true strength! Let's see what this power is all about!"
Garp's aura exploded once more, his speed and strength increasing yet again.
In a flash, he charged at Renzo, his fist hurtling forward.
Slash!
Without hesitation, Renzo swung his sword.
A terrifying sword strike, dozens of meters long and infused with sword energy, shot toward the incoming Garp.
Even from five meters away, Garp could already feel the sharpness within the strike. His expression shifted slightly as he immediately increased his strength, coating his fist with Armament Haki.
However, his Haki was so refined that it was invisible to the naked eye, as if it weren't there at all.
Clearly, Garp had mastered Armament Haki to the point of total control.
Boom!
The sword strike and Garp's fist collided, producing an earth-shaking explosion.
A faint white mark appeared on Garp's fist before he completely shattered the attack.
.
.
.