The entirety of Siguri Island vibrated violently. Sand and stones flew through the air as mountain peaks split apart, crumbling into ruins. In the battle that followed, Yamato and Garp traded heavy blows, their strikes landing with bone-crushing force. Every move was simplified to its most basic form, yet each was pushed to the absolute limit of destructive power. It was a pure clash of physical techniques and Haki—a true confrontation between top-tier powerhouses of the Grand Line.
At the shoreline, the Beasts Pirates' ship finally dropped anchor. "The fluctuations are too violent; we definitely can't get any closer than this," Black Maria said. She stared toward the center of the island, where terrifying waves of Haki leaked out like a physical pressure.
"The Marines have also docked their warship at the shore. It looks like no one else has dared to step onto the island," Haruko noted.
"Of course. If an ordinary person gets close to that, they're just looking for death," Jack added. He was no fool; he understood the scale of the power on display. Back in Wano Country, when Yamato and Kaido fought, very few people dared to get close for fear of being caught in the devastating crossfire.
"I wonder how long this battle will last. It won't be like in Wano, where they'd fight for a day or two, right?" Maria asked worriedly. When Yamato and Kaido sparred, there was never any real life-threatening danger involved. But now, the opponent was the Hero of the Marines, Garp—a true enemy who was both extremely powerful and dangerous.
"I told her not to be impulsive. Is the Hero of the Marines really an enemy she can deal with so casually?" Jack muttered. Despite his gruff tone, he was clearly anxious.
"We can only trust the Young Master now. Although I don't know why that Marine hero is here, he only brought one warship, so he must have a specific purpose," Haruko analyzed.
"I hope that's the case," Maria replied, having noticed the same thing. If the Marines were actually here to capture them, they wouldn't have sent only a single vessel. Even with the legendary Garp leading the team, one ship was not enough to wipe out their entire group. Furthermore, the World Government couldn't be unaware of the massive consequences if something happened to Yamato here. Thinking about it logically, Garp's sudden appearance was a very strange occurrence indeed.
"What exactly is the Marines' goal?" Hearing Haruko's analysis, even Jack realized something was off. But he had no way of guessing their true intentions.
Deep on the island, Yamato was struck by Garp's fist and sent flying, her body carving a deep trench into the earth. "That hurts, old man! Can't you be a bit gentler with a girl?" Yamato spat out a mouthful of blood and forced herself back to her feet.
Garp laughed loudly. "What girl? Stop acting spoiled! All I see is a little monster. How can I be gentle with a monster?"
"Old man, is there something wrong with your eyes? I'm a beautiful woman, yet you call me a monster. Are you kidding me?" Yamato gritted her teeth and gripped her spiked club tightly. She shot forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the Vice Admiral.
"I think you're the one kidding, brat! Where in the world is there a girl as violent as you?" Garp laughed and met her charge with a devastating punch.
"Violent? I've always been very cool, okay? This is called being heroic and valiant, you uncultured old man!" Yamato roared as their strikes collided.
"What an arrogant brat! Don't you know how to respect your elders? I'll teach you what 'respecting the elderly' really means!" Garp retorted sharply.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The old veteran and the young warrior engaged in a fierce exchange. However, facing an opponent as experienced and powerful as Garp, Yamato immediately fell into a disadvantage. Decades of tempered physical techniques, combat awareness, and seasoned Haki were not things a young person like Yamato could easily overcome.
However, this was exactly what Yamato wanted. She needed a powerful, terrifying enemy to temper her own abilities. Having Kaido at home was good for training at first, but once her father realized her intentions, he refused to put in the effort to truly push her further. Now, a figure even more formidable than Kaido had appeared, and Yamato was certain he would help her complete her final step.
Bang!
Yamato was once again sent flying by Garp's blast, but she acted as if she felt no pain. The smile on her face never faded because she felt it—the barrier was finally cracking. Over the course of nearly two years, the Haki tempered by Kaido was about to undergo a qualitative change. Only by breaking through this bottleneck would she be qualified to stand on equal footing with the Yonko, no longer at a disadvantage in a clash of Wills.
If Kaido had been willing to help her, she might have already torn through that barrier and reached the top tier of Haki users. But he had refused, leaving her stuck at a plateau, much like the limit of a Devil Fruit ability. Now, under the heavy strikes of Garp's fists, Yamato's stagnant Haki was finally surging toward a breakthrough.
"You really are my benefactor, old man Garp," Yamato said, stopping her backward momentum. Her golden eyes shone brighter than the sun.
In the distance, Garp looked at Yamato, who had taken over a dozen of his punches without falling. His face was full of genuine amazement. "At such a young age, she has already inherited her father's powerful lineage and talent—no, she has even surpassed it. I really want to know how that guy Kaido educated her. I might even want to get some tips from him... Ah, wait, now is not the time for that."
"Hey, old man, I'm coming! Get ready!" Yamato grinned, and the Haki on her body erupted like a volcano. In an instant, red and black lightning filled the sky.
Garp's eyes narrowed. "A breakthrough? This brat... she's truly bold, daring to use my fists to temper her own Haki!" Despite himself, Garp felt a spark of admiration. In this world, very few people were brave enough to use his legendary punches as a training tool.
"Thunder Bagua!" Yamato's voice rang out as she vanished, turning into a blur of motion as she flew forward like a lightning bolt.
"What a terrifying brat. Even I can't help but get fired up," Garp said. He lowered his stance as the ground exploded beneath his feet, and he launched himself forward.
Boom!
A massive shockwave erupted, far more terrifying than any before. Their Haki had reached a new level, shaking the very foundations of the world. The entire island trembled violently, and the sea surface surged into massive waves. This powerful pressure caused the expressions of both the Marines and Jack's pirates to change instantly.
"What on earth is happening? What's going on in there?" the subordinates shouted, barely able to keep their footing.
"Shut up! Just wait here!" Jack growled, his eyes fixed on the center of the destruction.
"Yamato..." Maria muttered, her heart racing as she tried to peer through the dust and lightning. Haruko felt the same anxiety, but their logic told them that interfering now would be suicide.
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