Rolan watched the chaos on the warship, his eyes narrowing. Being a frog in a well is a poor strategy; the only way to grow stronger is through battle.
Garp noticed the fighting on his ship but showed no concern. Instead, he laughed heartily. "Rolan, you brat, it seems your companions aren't too bad either."
Rolan smirked, meeting his gaze. "Of course."
In an instant, he condensed electromagnetic force around his fist, using Electromagnetic Instant Transmission to appear before Garp, landing a punch squarely on the Vice Admiral's face.
Garp laughed, accepting the blow.
Bang!
Their fists collided violently.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
For a moment, their forms flickered through the air, striking with incredible speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rolan gritted his already bloody and bruised teeth, grinning. "As expected of the Navy Hero, his body is truly monstrous!"
He remembered Oda's SBS notes, which mentioned that Garp's strength didn't decline significantly with age — at least in comparison to Whitebeard. Still, Rolan knew the old man's power must wane slightly over time, though barely noticeable.
Glancing at the warship still engulfed in combat, Rolan sent invisible electromagnetic waves into Kuro, Lina, and Nami's ears.
Kuro, in the middle of his own fight, received the message, quickly repelling his opponent. In a blink, he teleported beside Zoro. "Let's go, back to the ship. Time to prepare for departure."
Without waiting for Zoro's agreement, he grabbed him and vanished from the warship.
Lina pouted as she watched them disappear. No sense of chivalry, she thought, transforming into a ball of flame and returning to the ship.
Meanwhile, Nami phased out of view, becoming transparent to the Marines.
Back on the ship, Nami snapped her fingers. A dark storm cloud appeared immediately above the enemy warship.
Crack!
Lightning bolts, thick as arms, rained down relentlessly. The Marines' screams filled the air.
Garp, sensing the situation with his Observation Haki, barely glanced at the attacks. He trusted his team to handle the incoming assault. He hovered above the deck, eyeing Rolan with interest. "Rolan, you brat, still going at it?"
Unlike Rolan, Garp bore almost no visible injuries, aside from being slightly winded and nursing a minor cut on his fist. Even he couldn't deny Rolan's talent; each strike, each Haki-infused punch, was growing stronger, rivaling the power of an Admiral.
Rolan's eyes gleamed. "Why wouldn't I?"
He condensed electromagnetic energy and Armament Haki around his fist, attempting to infuse Conqueror's Haki as well. Black lightning began to dance along his fist.
Garp's eyes widened. "Conqueror's Haki infusion! You can…?"
Rolan met his gaze steadily. "I realized during our fight just now — Conqueror's Haki can also be infused into attacks."
For the first time, Garp regarded him with serious attention. "You really are something, kid. Let's see the strength of your Haoshoku."
Garp charged, fist cloaked in red and black lightning.
Bang!
The two fists didn't touch — a fist's distance remained between them — yet black and red lightning intertwined in a dazzling display.
A powerful aura erupted from their center, tearing a massive rift in the storm clouds above.
A Vice Admiral aboard the enemy ship stared in shock. "Look! The clouds are splitting! No! The sky is splitting!"
Weaker Marines could not withstand the overwhelming aura, foaming at the mouth and collapsing on deck.
Kuro and the others were stunned into silence, their expressions frozen by the overwhelming power emanating from Rolan and Garp.
Despite his best efforts, Rolan was eventually overpowered. Garp's fist slammed into him, sending him crashing into the sea.
"Hahaha! I'm old, but you're still too green to fight me," Garp boomed, cracking his fists as he chuckled heartily.
Lina paced anxiously on the ship. "What do we do? The Captain fell into the sea!"
Zoro, unempowered by Devil Fruit, prepared to dive in, but the ship slowly rose into the air.
"What's happening? Why is the ship flying?"
Kuro explained calmly, "It's Rolan's ability. He's fine — don't panic."
Unseen by the crew, the ship was actually being carried by a white cloud, piloted by Rolan himself.
Garp watched from the surface, astonished. "What? Aren't you a Devil Fruit user? How are you fine after that fall?"
Indeed, if Rolan's Devil Fruit had side effects, he could have been in serious trouble. But he resurfaced, controlling the ship to lift off and vanish into the distance.
The Marines gaped, mouths open in disbelief.
"Hey, hey! How is the pirate ship flying? Attack! Quickly!"
Cannonballs were fired, but none reached the ship. Some were incinerated midair by flames, others cut in half by swift sword strikes.
Coughing lightly, Rolan allowed a small smirk. He looked at the old man left behind, who was simply breathing steadily. "As expected of the Navy Hero, incomparably powerful."
Garp laughed, shaking his head. "Hahaha, my strength has faded slightly, but I can still handle a brat like you. You know, if you came with me to Marineford, I'd guarantee you a Vice Admiral rank."
Rolan shook his head. "Garp, I've already told you I don't want to be a Celestial Dragons' lackey. Don't try to persuade me."
Garp grinned, giving a thumbs up. "I have to admit, killing a Celestial Dragon must have been satisfying. I hate them too."
He chuckled, trying to change the subject as the ship disappeared from view. "Hahaha, what an interesting brat… he really did get away."
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