Water Seven.
Boom!
The entire island shook violently, the sudden tremor sending waves of panic through the streets as residents rushed from their homes.
"An earthquake? I am still repairing houses from the last Aqua Laguna, it better not be another disaster!"
"These days just keep getting worse. The Aqua Laguna tsunamis are growing stronger each year, and now this? Sigh!"
"Look at the clouds over the sea, something is wrong with them!"
The people of Water Seven stared toward the distant horizon, where the sea clouds twisted and dispersed in strange, unnatural patterns.
…
On an uninhabited island far from Water Seven.
Boom!!!!!
A deafening impact tore through the land. The island's surface cracked, the surrounding sea surging as if struck by a falling meteor.
Standing at the center of a massive newly formed crater was an old man with white hair, a Marine Justice cloak fluttering wildly behind him. He pulled his fist out of the shattered ground and burst into loud laughter as his sharp gaze locked onto the figure standing atop a distant tree.
"Hahaha! Brat! Stop dodging and come face me properly!"
The old man's voice carried across the island with terrifying force.
"You performed quite boldly back in Water Seven, did you not? Come on, let this old man see what you are really made of!"
Perched calmly on the tree branch was Shirogai Yamikuro. A faint smile rested on his face as he looked down at the hundred meter wide crater below.
"As expected of the Naval Hero. No Devil Fruit, no tricks, just raw physical strength, and you still produce this level of destruction."
His tone was relaxed, almost amused.
The old man, Vice Admiral Garp, began walking forward, each footstep cracking the ground beneath him. His eyes held a teasing smile, yet behind it lay unmistakable killing intent.
"Shirogai, you have caused the Marines plenty of problems recently. You do realize that, do you not?"
He clenched his fists, his voice turning serious.
"You are yet another man who refuses to submit to the World Government and chases after so called freedom."
Shirogai leapt down from the tree and slowly walked forward to meet him, his movements unhurried.
"You misunderstand, Vice Admiral Garp. It is not that I refuse their rule."
His eyes sharpened.
"It is that the current World Government simply does not have the qualification to rule this world at all."
For a moment, the wind itself seemed to pause.
"Hahaha! You actually dare say the World Government lacks the right to govern?"
Garp's grin widened, but the light in his eyes turned fierce.
"How arrogant!"
He burst forward like a cannonball, his massive fist smashing down toward Shirogai's position.
Whoosh!
Shirogai vanished from where he stood.
Boom!
Garp's punch struck the ground, and the entire island jolted violently. The deep foundation below cracked as if it were about to collapse.
Shirogai landed lightly a few meters away and turned back, his expression calm.
"The world's so called justice arrests those who refuse oppression and labels them criminals. Most people never granted the World Government permission to rule them in the first place."
His gaze turned cold.
"Does this world truly belong only to the Celestial Dragons? Those self proclaimed descendants of the creators who do nothing but bleed the world dry. Do you truly feel no disgust toward them at all?"
Garp snorted and raised his fists again.
"You certainly have a sharp tongue!"
He surged forward once more.
"But empty words mean nothing without strength to back them up. Come, fight me directly and stop running!"
He roared.
"Let me see whether you really possess the power to stand against the Celestial Dragons!"
The smile on Shirogai's face slowly faded.
"This is exactly what I wanted."
He stepped forward without hesitation and threw his fist with full intent. This time, there was no restraint.
Yet he did not activate Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki. He relied solely on the raw might of his body.
Boom!!!!!!
Fist met fist.
The shockwave ripped through the forest in an instant. Trees were torn up from their roots and hurled into the distance like broken matchsticks. The sky above churned violently as the turbulent winds exploded through the clouds.
On a Marine warship nearby, Garp's subordinate officers stared through their binoculars in disbelief.
"To achieve this with only physical strength… this is unbelievable."
Zoro stood at the bow with his arms crossed, his eyes locked onto the distant battlefield.
"So this is the true power of the Naval Hero," he muttered. "A man who once cornered the Pirate King with nothing but his fists."
His expression grew serious.
"And Shirogai is matching him head on with pure physical force."
Zoro could not help but recall something Shirogai once told him about training.
"Haki grows from the body itself. If you neglect the body, your Haki will also be limited. Only those who temper both together can reach true heights."
The memory burned in his mind.
"If you rely only on Haki, once it shatters, you are left defenseless. But if your body is strong, even without Haki, you can still fight."
Zoro clenched his fist.
"So that is the path you chose…"
The roar of impact suddenly echoed again.
Bang!
A figure was sent violently flying into the sky.
"Hahaha! Excellent power, brat!"
The one who had been blown away was none other than Vice Admiral Garp himself. Despite being launched into the air, he was still laughing loudly.
"To think your physical strength has surpassed even mine!"
The Marines on the ship stared in shock.
"Vice Admiral Garp was sent flying by Shirogai!"
For them, Garp was an invincible legend. A man who stood at the very peak of the Marines. The sight of him being overpowered in a direct clash defied their beliefs.
Zoro, however, only smiled with confidence.
"As expected of Shirogai. His strength was never just talk."
He remembered how Shirogai's body was often faintly wrapped in crackling static. Even Usopp and Luffy had once foolishly grabbed him for fun, only to yelp as their hair stood on end.
That electricity was not a coincidence. It was constant stimulation to sharpen the body.
…
In the sky, Garp twisted his body midair and halted his momentum. His grin sharpened as his eyes locked onto Shirogai below.
"This is far from over!"
He flipped headfirst toward the ground, fists drawn back.
"Now take this one!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Armament Haki surged outward, coating his massive body like black armor. Violent black and red lightning crackled around him, the sheer pressure of his presence bending the air itself.
The overwhelming aura left no room for doubt.
"Here I come, brat!"
With a thunderous roar, Garp hurled his fist downward.
"Fist Bone, Impact!"
_____
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