Garp is coming to the East Blue?
Raion was surprised but quickly calmed himself. The East Blue was often regarded as the weakest of the Four Seas, and the naval forces stationed here were relatively underwhelming—most of the elite marines were positioned along the Grand Line or in the New World. So, sending a powerhouse like Garp was clearly meant to intimidate the lawless pirates that plagued these waters.
Who is Garp?
A veteran of the Navy Headquarters, Vice Admiral Garp possessed strength on par with a full admiral. He was the father of the revolutionary leader Monkey D. Dragon, famously known as the "Hero of the Marines," a living legend who had cornered the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, countless times. His fearsome nickname "Iron Fist Garp" was known across the world, and his strength was said to be unfathomable.
However, Raion knew this had little to do with him for now. Tossing the newspaper aside, he refocused on assessing his own strength.
The reason Raion had advanced from a novice to a high-level genin so quickly was not only because of his relentless training but also because of his continuous battle experience. Every fight had honed his combat instincts, boosted his strength, and increased his chakra reserves.
Yet, despite his growing power, one weakness remained—speed. His movements were still far from the level he needed.
The enemies he had faced so far—Kabagji, Buggy, the twin-tailed Saber, Anderson, Andrin—all of them, while formidable, were not exceptionally fast. This was why Raion had managed to defeat them so decisively.
To truly advance, he knew he needed to increase his speed—at least enough to match the [Soru] technique from the Navy's Six Powers.
According to his system, he needed to acquire an "Instantaneous Technique."
In the world of shinobi, any high-speed movement that seemed like teleportation was considered an instantaneous technique. These ranged from space-time jutsu to body flicker techniques, each designed to enhance rapid movement.
Some iconic examples stood out in Raion's mind:
Kamui, which allowed the user to shift themselves and surrounding objects between real space and a separate dimension. This was a unique Mangekyō Sharingan ability used by Uchiha Obito and Kakashi in the Naruto world.
Heavenly Transfer, which allowed teleportation to a locked target using the Sharingan's visual link.
The Fourth Raikage's Lightning Armor and Might Guy's Eight Gates also achieved extreme bursts of speed.
However, the most renowned instantaneous technique was undoubtedly the Flying Thunder God Technique. It was this jutsu that made the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—the "Yellow Flash"—legendary for his unparalleled speed.
What kind of instantaneous technique will I get? Raion wondered, feeling a surge of anticipation about the future.
BAM! BAM!
While Raion was lost in thought, two dull thuds against his ship's hull jolted him back to reality.
He hurried to the railing and looked down to see two men clinging to broken planks, looking half-dead from exhaustion. One had a headband with the word "Sea" carved on it and sported red hair, while the other wore sunglasses, with the word "Thief" marked on his gear. A scimitar was strapped to his waist.
Wait, isn't this…?
Joseph and Johnny?
These were none other than Zoro's loyal but weak pirate-hunter brothers from the One Piece world!
From the look of them, they had either been shipwrecked or attacked by pirates. Given their meager strength, it was a miracle they were still alive.
The red-haired Joseph looked up at Raion on the deck and cried, "Brother, save us! We've been drifting at sea for two whole days…"
On board, the two sat drenched, wringing seawater from their clothes.
"What happened to you guys? Shipwreck?" Raion asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't even get me started," Johnny groaned, shaking his soaked blue shirt with a bitter expression. "Two days ago, we were ambushed by [Admiral] Krieg. He sank our ship! We barely escaped with our lives…"
"Oh, so it was that guy," Raion replied casually, resting his hands behind his head.
[Admiral] Krieg, the infamous East Blue pirate. If Johnny hadn't mentioned him, Raion might have forgotten that this character even existed.
Joseph glared. "Hey, what do you mean 'that guy'? Don't talk so casually! Krieg's bounty is 13 million Berries—he's the number one pirate in the East Blue! He commands over 3,000 men, more than 30 battleships, and leads the largest pirate fleet in these waters. You can't just dismiss him like he's nothing!"
Raion fell silent, deep in thought. He remembered that when Luffy set out to sea, Krieg's bounty was 17 million Berries, making him the top threat in the East Blue. He didn't expect Krieg to already be so notorious at this point.
Seeing Raion quiet, the brothers assumed he was scared. Johnny smirked. "Ha! See? Now you realize how terrifying Krieg is. Just hearing his name scared you stiff."
Before Raion could respond, three battleships appeared on the horizon, approaching fast!
Joseph and Johnny froze, their faces pale.
To their horror, the ships bore the flag of the Krieg Pirates!
The saying "once bitten by a snake, you fear the rope for ten years" perfectly described the two men. Having just barely survived Krieg's crew, they now trembled uncontrollably at seeing the fleet again.
Fortunately, it seemed Krieg himself wasn't present, as his personal warship, the "Dreadnought Saber," wasn't among the three vessels.
Still, the Krieg Pirates were notorious across the East Blue for their brutality. They sank any ship they encountered without hesitation.
A cadre from the Krieg Pirates stood on the deck of the middle ship, glaring at Raion's vessel. "Load the cannons!" he ordered.
The cold, gleaming muzzles aimed at Raion's ship, but he remained calm, having already read their movements.
Before the pirates could fire, Raion had already gathered chakra into his legs. He leapt off his ship, dashing across the surface of the water as if it were solid ground. In his hand, a swirling blue sphere of chakra formed…
"Great Rasengan!"
He charged directly at the middle battleship. The moment the energy sphere slammed into the hull, the destructive force exploded outward, blasting the ship into splinters in seconds.
Before the pirates could react, Raion unleashed the same devastating technique on the remaining two ships, reducing them to floating wreckage within moments.
Joseph and Johnny stood frozen, their jaws practically hitting the deck.
What kind of monster is this kid?!