Sengoku and Garp exchanged a stunned glance.
They hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
They knew Amamiya Noah had potential. Of course they did.
But they never imagined his strength had grown to such terrifying heights.
Even Kuzan was clearly being pressured.
"Noah's been hiding his strength way too well these past few years," Sengoku muttered after a moment of silence.
"This guy might already be Admiral-level," Garp added with a deep frown. That punch just now reminded him a little of himself.
He wasn't bragging, but when it came to raw punching power, no one in the Navy understood it better than him.
Not even Zephyr.
If it was hand-to-hand combat, he was the undisputed king.
Now watching Noah's technique...
Garp was genuinely surprised.
What kind of fist technique was that?
He'd never seen anything like it across the whole ocean.
That "Underworld Body Style: Soaring Phoenix Fist" sure looked effective.
"Pretty impressive, huh," Kizaru said, scratching his chin with a troubled look.
Maybe he'd slacked off too much lately.
Seeing Noah sunbathe every day, he joined in without a second thought.
But somehow, that guy had caught up to them.
No. He might have even reached their level.
Now Kizaru was starting to feel like Noah had been training in secret every night.
All that sunbathing, maybe it was just a clever ruse to lower their guard.
"It's not over yet," Zephyr cut in, interrupting everyone.
His face was lit up with excitement as he watched the battle unfold.
Noah had gone far beyond his expectations.
He was already someone who could stand on his own in the Navy.
————————————
The icy mist began to fade.
Kuzan looked at Noah's figure through the haze, his lips twitching slightly.
So that gut feeling had been right all along.
This guy really was something else.
He'd caught up to them without making a sound.
"You're seriously overdoing it," Kuzan said flatly.
"To treat your seniors like this, with no mercy at all…"
He looked at Noah with a half-smile.
He hadn't even used his full power yet.
But if Noah was going to go all out with no regard, then he'd just have to see for himself what level Noah was really at.
"Oh? In that case," Noah said with a grin, "Admiral Kuzan, I'll let you use both hands."
"Let me use both hands?" Kuzan blinked, momentarily stunned.
Was this guy for real?
Even Whitebeard never dared to say that to his face.
This kid was acting like Kuzan wasn't even worth taking seriously.
"Yeah. Gotta show a little respect to the veterans," Noah said with a relaxed smile.
"Noah," Kuzan said coolly, "looks like that little burst of power earlier gave you the wrong idea."
"When you're up against me, that arrogance won't get you far."
His expression hardened. Half of his body began to freeze over with thick layers of ice.
If he wasn't careful, his entire form could be sealed in an instant.
"Now it's my turn," Kuzan exhaled a slow breath. His voice was cold and sharp.
Even a casual wave of his hand now released shards of pure glacial ice.
If Kuzan truly unleashed his full strength, he could freeze half of Marineford into an icy wasteland.
That was the kind of power he possessed.
Even someone like Akainu wouldn't dare take that lightly.
"And it's also my turn."
"Come on, Admiral Kuzan. Show me what you've got," Noah replied with a calm smile.
He clapped his hands together, his eyes glinting with playful defiance.
He looked at Kuzan the way a grown man might look at a child trying to pick a fight.
That was the kind of gap he believed now stood between them.
Noah had finally caught up to Admiral-level power.
And he was ready to test it, right here and now.
"Ice Time Beak!"
Kuzan gathered a dense mass of ice into his hands.
A gigantic bird-shaped blast formed in midair, screeching as it took flight.
It dove straight toward Noah.
Everywhere it passed, a thick frost sealed the ground in solid ice.
The entire training field was being swallowed by this glacial storm.
Marines across the viewing stands instinctively began backing away.
A few who got curious and touched the ice instantly turned into full human sculptures.
Just one touch, and they were frozen solid.
After seeing that, no one dared get any closer.
"Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands."
Noah smiled and quietly spoke the name of his jutsu.
A massive amount of stamina began pouring out from within his body.
Yet no matter how much power he used, it was as if his reserves were bottomless.
There was no sign of him tiring at all.
BOOOOM!
The training field shook violently.
All of Marineford trembled.
Countless Marines turned pale and looked out toward the ocean in horror.
Some even panicked and hit the emergency alarm.
They thought a powerful pirate had launched an invasion.
Only someone that strong could cause a quake like this.
"What the hell was that?!"
"It feels like the whole base is about to collapse!"
"Who turned on the alarm?! That's clearly Vice Admiral Noah's technique!"
"Turn it off already. Stop scaring yourselves!"
"Noah's moves are just... way too intense…"
Everyone had been rattled.
The sudden rumbling had made it impossible to even stay standing.
They couldn't help but feel like a monster was about to emerge from the battlefield.
An enemy pirate attack?
Not a single one of them believed it.
What pirate would dare try something this crazy?
Only a few of the old legends from the previous generation would have even dreamed of it.