"Oh? Is that so?"
"Kaido said that about me? Now that's an honor I hardly deserve!"
Garp emerged from the thick smoke, his expression mildly impressed as he watched Jack struggle to his feet. With a chuckle, he remarked,
"But you, brat... Even after taking my punch head-on, your aura barely wavered."
"Even Kaido couldn't do that back in the day."
"I have to say, you've given me quite the surprise!"
"Hahahaha! Then I won't hold back!"
Boom!
Garp sneered as he watched Jack block his attack. "What's wrong? Lost your nerve, brat? Acting all high and mighty—how's that feel now? This is what real strength looks like!"
Jack roared back at him, "Are you bad at math, old man? I let you hit me three times already!"
"I'm not stupid enough to just stand here and take a beating!"
"Take this!!"
Swish! Swish...
Jack swung his spiked club, unleashing dozens of razor-sharp wind blades toward Garp. Weaving through them with ease, Garp let out a grunt of approval before smashing the last one apart with his fist.
His face grew serious. "Wind and fire? Just like Kaido..."
"Don't tell me Kaido is dead? Did you inherit his Devil Fruit?"
"The hell he is!" Jack snapped. "Why are you cursing him?! He's alive and kicking—and making little Kaidos, for your information!"
"I'm warning you, old man, don't spout nonsense!"
Falling Thunder Bagua!
Boom!
Garp blocked Jack's strike, his muscles tensing as a numbing sensation coursed through his body. His brows furrowed.
These abilities... they were unmistakably from Kaido's Azure Dragon form.
But the reports had stated Jack had obtained Weevil's Devil Fruit—a Mythical Zoan, Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Suzaku. So why was he using Kaido's powers?
While Garp was lost in thought, Jack unleashed a blazing breath attack. At the same time, a bolt of lightning crackled down from above. But Garp reacted in time, coating his fist in Armament Haki and punching straight through the incoming flames. Though struck by the lightning, he merely shook it off.
Boom!
"Tch, talk about over the top..."
Even after taking both fire and lightning head-on, Garp remained standing—unscathed. It was a clear display of the power that made him the Navy's strongest fighter.
Jack clenched his jaw.
There was no doubt about it now—this old man had some kind of special physique. His strength was at least on par with Jack's own. Even with his age, he was still fighting at peak condition, completely defying natural order.
"But I've got a cheat, old man!" Jack grinned wickedly.
"So what if your Armament and Conqueror's Haki are stronger than mine? So what if you can match me or even overpower me for now?"
"Your stamina won't last as long as mine. And even if I can't kill you right now because of the World Government, I can still beat your face in until you look like a damn Buddha!"
"When it comes to endurance, I'm second to none! Not even Kaido-san can beat me in that!"
Their battle raged on, neither side backing down. Unbeknownst to them, two full days and nights had already passed.
Huff... Huff...
Jack wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Damn, old man. You're something else."
"To think you could last this long... You've earned my respect. I officially recognize you as the toughest old geezer alive!"
At their level, brute strength alone wasn't enough to determine the outcome. Speed, endurance, Haki mastery—these factors all played a role. Fights could last for days before a victor was decided.
Neither Jack nor Garp had been holding back, and yet, after two days of clashing at full force, Garp was only showing mild fatigue.
Tch. Those muscles, that sheer durability...
No wonder Big Mom liked him so much!
While Jack marveled at Garp's monstrous endurance, the Vice Admiral himself was equally shocked.
In his eyes, Jack was just a snot-nosed brat. But the kid's strength was nearly on par with his own—especially his body's durability. That was completely unexpected.
Ever since he had honed his Armament Haki to its current level, Garp had never met anyone who could take more punishment than he could. Even if he couldn't match Kaido's raw defense, his endurance and recovery were second to none.
He had gone all out in this fight.
Yet Jack had not only withstood his attacks—he was adapting. Learning. Even starting to trade blows evenly. And right now, Jack looked like he had more energy left than he did.
Was this kid... not getting tired?
Even against Kaido, Garp had only fought for two days and nights before a victor emerged.
But Jack...
If this monster kept growing, forget Roger—he might even surpass Rocks!
And when that time came...
Who would be able to stop him?
Would there be another Navy hero?
Another Pirate King?
"Oi! Old man! Take this!"
Jack's roar snapped Garp out of his thoughts. With a steady breath, Garp pushed his doubts aside and refocused on the fight.
Yet one lingering thought refused to fade from his mind:
Maybe this time... I really will lose. Have I finally gotten old?
...
Just as their battle reached its climax, a Navy warship was rapidly approaching the island.
"Admiral Sakazuki! We're almost there!"
"According to Vice Admiral Garp's transmission, he's been battling Jack for two days and nights straight!"
"The fight is still undecided!"
"Hmph."
Sakazuki scowled. "Garp? That old fossil? He's past his prime. Increase our speed!"
"Yes, Admiral!"
...
Meanwhile, Jack grinned as he wiped the blood from his mouth, his body tingling from Garp's relentless attacks.
It was like a full-body massage—painful yet refreshing.
His regeneration was accelerating. His so-called "immortality" was evolving.
"Hm?"
A figure leapt from the approaching warship, descending toward him like a meteor.
Boom!
Molten magma, shaped like a snapping wolf's maw, slammed into Jack with an earth-shaking explosion. As the smoke cleared, Sakazuki's eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible..."
Jack stood there, completely unfazed. Aside from some singed clothing, he hadn't taken any damage at all.
"Oh? Fireworks?" Jack smirked.
"Wait... You're that guy, aren't you? Sak-something..."
"No, no..."
"Wait, let me think—Ah! Right! You're that red guy!"
"You damn pirate...!"
Before Sakazuki could explode in rage, Jack suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Damn it! I almost forgot!"
Garp and Sakazuki stared at him in confusion as he shot toward the warship.
"Brat! What are you doing?!"
"Oi, kid! Stop!"
Ignoring them, Jack landed on the fleeing warship before launching himself skyward.
"What am I doing?" he grinned.
"Bringing the ship closer, of course."
"Thanks for the reminder, Red! Almost wasted my time here!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg